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Weekend getaways · From Bengaluru

Places to Visit Near Bangalore: 20 Underrated Trips by Distance, with Real Costs

Twenty underrated places, sorted by how far they are by road from Bengaluru. Each one says what it swaps for, the cheapest way there, the best months and what two days cost one person.

Photo: Shyamal, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Text added by Trip Under.

Nandi Hills, Mysuru and Coorg are the names everyone near Bangalore already knows, and their weekends show it. This list groups twenty quieter places by road distance, so you can match the trip to your time: a morning, a weekend or a long weekend.

How we worked it out. Road distances come from OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM), run on 4 November 2026 from central Bengaluru. The 2-day cost is one person, mid-range: the cheapest bus or train both ways, plus two days of Trip Under's ground cost (bed, food, local travel, fees). Fares are our planning estimates unless a pick names another source. Trip Under is not a travel agency; you book each piece yourself.

All 20 places near Bangalore at a glance

Under 100 km: morning trips and day hikes

Within 100 km, our picks are granite hills you climb at sunrise and leave by lunch. All three are booked online on the Karnataka Forest Department's Aranya Vihaara portal, with a daily cap. More hikes and the rules: treks near Bangalore by cost.

Photo: Sanjeevengineer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

1. Makalidurga

₹300 at the base55 km by roadEasyAranya Vihaara, 6–10 am slot, 300 a day

Swap a crowded drive-up viewpoint for a train ride and a rock climb. A gentle rocky climb to a hilltop temple, and the train to the base is half the fun. The rock heats fast, so go for sunrise.

Getting there: Train from Bengaluru City to Makalidurga station, then a short walk. Cost is from the base; travel from Bengaluru is extra.

Makalidurga trek pageFull place page →

Photo: Pravega, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

2. Savandurga

₹400 at the base55 km by roadModerateAranya Vihaara, 6–10 am slot, 300 a day

Swap a crowded drive-up viewpoint for one of Asia's biggest single-rock hills. Said to be one of Asia's largest monolithic hills, climbed over bare granite. Grip shoes matter most. Start early; it is exposed by late morning.

Getting there: Bus or taxi towards Magadi, then Savandurga village. Cost is from the base; travel from Bengaluru is extra.

Savandurga trek pageFull place page →

Photo: Aranyaparva, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

3. Skandagiri

₹350 at the base61 km by roadModerateAranya Vihaara, ₹250, no walk-ins

Instead of Nandi Hills at sunrise. Climb past Tipu-era fort ruins and watch the valley fill with cloud. Our records disagree on the slot (a 4 am start or 6–11 am), so check the portal.

Getting there: Train to Chikkaballapur, then an auto to Kalavara (about ₹80–120). Cost is from the base; travel from Bengaluru is extra.

Skandagiri trek pageFull place page →

100–200 km: one-day trips and easy weekends

Two to five hours by bus or train. The cheapest weekend in this band is Melkote, at about ₹3,100.

Photo: Haneesh K M., CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

4. Melkote

₹3,100 / 2 days132 km by roadJan–Feb, Oct–Dec

A hilltop Vaishnavite town that Ramanujacharya himself lived in. See the Cheluvanarayana Swamy temple, the stepped kalyani tank and the hilltop Yoganarasimha shrine, all free.

Getting there: Train to Mandya, then a 45-minute bus. Fare: about ₹150 each way.

Plan MelkoteFull place page →

Photo: Shyamal, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

5. Horsley Hills

₹3,500 / 2 days133 km by roadJan–Feb, Nov–Dec

Instead of Nandi Hills. A granite hilltop at about 1,265 m. Walk to the Gali Bandalu wind rocks for sunset. The APTDC Haritha resort fills on weekends, so go midweek or book ahead. One night is enough.

Getting there: APSRTC bus to Madanapalle, about 4 h, then about 45 min up. Fare: about ₹173 each way (AbhiBus listing; no confirmed fare for the last leg).

Plan Horsley HillsFull place page →

Photo: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

6. Shravanabelagola

₹3,200 / 2 days141 km by roadJan–Feb, Oct–Dec

A 57-foot monolith, and one of Jainism's most important pilgrimage sites in the world. The Gomateshwara statue, carved from one block of granite in 981 CE, stands on Vindhyagiri hill. The climb is about 600 rock-cut steps, barefoot by custom, so start before the granite heats up.

Getting there: Bus from Majestic via Channarayapatna, 3 h 30 m. Fare: about ₹200 each way.

Plan ShravanabelagolaFull place page →

Photo: Mithun Kundu, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

7. Hogenakkal

₹3,700 / 2 days146 km by roadJan–Mar, Oct–Dec

A day trip that beats a mall weekend. The Kaveri crashes into a gorge and you float under the falls in a round coracle (about ₹750 an hour; buy at the government counter). Coracles stop when the river runs high, often July to September. Go to the Tamil Nadu bank, via Hosur or Dharmapuri.

Getting there: Bus via Dharmapuri, 4–5 h. Fare: about ₹250 each way.

Plan HogenakkalFull place page →

Photo: Tamal Das, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

8. Yercaud

₹4,100 / 2 days181 km by roadJan–Feb, Nov–Dec

Instead of Ooty for a weekend. A small coffee-and-orange hill station in the Shevaroys, forty minutes up from Salem. Lady's Seat looks down on Salem's lights at night. Long weekends jam the twenty-hairpin ghat and prices double.

Getting there: Bus to Salem, change for Yercaud, 5 h 30 m. Fare: about ₹450 each way.

Plan YercaudFull place page →

Photo: Ashwin Kumar from Bangalore, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

9. Yelagiri

₹3,700 / 2 days186 km by roadJan–Feb, Oct–Dec

Instead of Nandi Hills for the weekend. A quiet plateau of villages fourteen hairpins up. Walk the Swamimalai forest trail from Mangalam village to the highest point. There is little to do after dark, so eat before 9 pm.

Getting there: Train to Jolarpettai, then about 1 h by bus up the hill. Fare: about ₹350 each way.

Plan YelagiriFull place page →

Photo: Shivashankar S Bannikoppa, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

10. Chitradurga Fort

₹3,600 / 2 days200 km by roadJan–Feb, Oct–Dec

A seven-walled hill fort with secret passages, on Bengaluru's doorstep. A granite hill wrapped in seven walls, with hidden passages its defenders used during sieges. Entry is about ₹25. It works as a long day trip by road.

Getting there: Train, 4–5 h, or a bus in about 4 h. Fare: about ₹200 each way.

Plan Chitradurga FortFull place page →

200–300 km: the classic 2-day trip from Bangalore

Leave on Friday night for one and a half clear days in the coffee hills and forests. Gandikota is the cheapest here, at about ₹4,600.

Photo: Timothy A. Gonsalves, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

11. Masinagudi & Mudumalai

₹4,700 / 2 days236 km by roadJan–Mar, Nov–Dec

The jungle side of the Nilgiris. Elephants on the road, forest department safaris from Theppakadu (about ₹500) and the elephant camp. The Bandipur–Mudumalai road is closed from 9 pm to 6 am.

Getting there: Train to Mysuru (2 h), bus to Theppakadu (2 h 30 m), then 7 km. Fare: about ₹450 each way (₹300 train plus ₹150 bus).

Plan Masinagudi & MudumalaiFull place page →

Photo: Ashwin Kumar from Bangalore, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

12. Sakleshpur

₹5,400 / 2 days238 km by roadJan–Feb, Sep–Dec

Instead of Coorg. Coffee and cardamom estates on the Western Ghats edge, the star-shaped Manjarabad Fort and the Bisle Ghat viewpoint. Never walk the Sakleshpur–Subramanya railway line: it is active, and walking it is trespassing.

Getting there: KSRTC Rajahamsa bus, 4 h 30 m–5 h, about every 30 minutes. Fare: about ₹280 each way (KSRTC Rajahamsa fare, ₹280–350).

Plan SakleshpurFull place page →

Photo: Gpkp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

13. Chikmagalur

₹4,800 / 2 days250 km by roadJul–Sep, Nov–Dec

Instead of Coorg. Mullayanagiri, Karnataka's highest point at 1,930 m, is a twenty-minute walk from the road; go at sunrise. Weekend room rates are often double weekday rates. Choosing? Read Coorg vs Chikmagalur.

Getting there: Train to Kadur (5 h), then a 45-minute bus. Fare: about ₹700 each way.

Plan ChikmagalurFull place page →

Photo: Ravi Dwivedi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

14. Wayanad

₹5,800 / 2 days278 km by roadJul–Sep, Nov–Dec

Instead of Munnar. Rainforest, the Edakkal cave carvings (closed Mondays) and Chembra Peak's heart-shaped lake. Chembra has a strict daily permit cap, so be at the counter before 8 am.

Getting there: Train to Kozhikode (9 h), then 2 h by bus up the ghat. Fare: about ₹1,100 each way (the direct overnight bus to Kalpetta is about ₹1,500).

Plan WayanadFull place page →

Photo: solarisgirl from Pune, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

15. Gandikota

₹4,600 / 2 days278 km by roadJan–Feb, Oct–Dec

Instead of another Rajasthan fort. A ruined fort on the lip of a red sandstone gorge, almost empty. The rim is unfenced, with a drop of about 90 m. Go only November to February; there is no shade. See Gandikota by train.

Getting there: APSRTC overnight bus to Kadapa (8 h), then 1 h 30 m by local bus. Fare: about ₹900 each way.

Plan GandikotaFull place page →

300 km and more: overnight trains and long weekends

These need an overnight train or bus each way, which also saves you two nights of rooms. Take a three-day weekend if you can. For longer trips priced in full, see long weekend trips from Bangalore under ₹10,000.

Photo: Suraj S Rao, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

16. Hampi

₹5,400 / 2 days338 km by roadJan–Feb, Nov–Dec

Instead of the Mysuru palace circuit. A ruined capital among boulder hills. Climb Matanga Hill for sunrise; the Vittala temple ticket is about ₹40. Full costing: Hampi trip from Bangalore.

Getting there: Overnight sleeper train to Hosapete (8–9 h), then a 35-minute bus. Fare: about ₹1,100 each way (the Hosapete–Hampi bus is extra).

Plan HampiFull place page →

Photo: Shashidhara halady, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

17. Agumbe & Kudremukh

₹4,800 / 2 days362 km by roadJul–Sep, Nov–Dec

Instead of Munnar in the rains. The wettest place in South India, with rainforest and a sunset point over the ghats to the Arabian Sea, clear only October to February. Kudremukh peak needs a permit and a guide.

Getting there: Konkan train to Udupi (10 h), then 2 h by bus up the ghat. Fare: about ₹900 each way.

Plan Agumbe & KudremukhFull place page →

Photo: Blazing Fiery, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

19. Jog Falls

₹4,600 / 2 days416 km by roadJan–Feb, Jul–Dec

India's second-highest plunge waterfall, without a single hotel chain in sight. The Sharavathi drops 253 m in four streams, loudest from July to September. October to February gives clear views. The river is dammed upstream, so check the flow before a dry-season trip. Split the drive with a night in Sagar or Shivamogga.

Getting there: Train to Talaguppa, then 15 km by road (limited trains). Fare: about ₹400 each way.

Plan Jog FallsFull place page →

Photo: Sourabh.biswas003, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

20. Gokarna

₹4,800 / 2 days484 km by roadJan–Feb, Nov–Dec

Instead of North Goa. Five beaches joined by a cliff walk, with rooms at about half Goa's price in the same week. Walk Kudle to Paradise early: no shade, no water. Full costing: Gokarna trip from Bangalore.

Getting there: Overnight sleeper to Gokarna Road (10–12 h), then a 9 km auto. Fare: about ₹1,000 each way.

Plan GokarnaFull place page →

Which one is best for you

Month by month: where to go when

Most places near Bangalore are at their best from October to February. The Western Ghats get a second season in the monsoon. Our month scores say:

• October: Melkote, Shravanabelagola, Hogenakkal, Yelagiri, Chitradurga, Sakleshpur, Gandikota and Jog Falls.
• November and December: all 17 overnight places on this list, and the treks are in season.
• January and February: everything except Chikmagalur, Wayanad and Agumbe, which score a step lower.
• March: Hogenakkal and Masinagudi. Masinagudi's dry forest makes animals easier to see around water.
• April to June: none of these are at their best. See the heat warning below.
• July to September: the monsoon trips, Sakleshpur, Chikmagalur, Wayanad, Agumbe and Jog Falls.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and how we priced this

• Road distances: OSRM driving routes over OpenStreetMap data (router.project-osrm.org), run 4 November 2026 from central Bengaluru (12.9716, 77.5946) to each place's coordinates in our data. Hogenakkal uses the Tamil Nadu bank (12.1167, 77.7833); the Wikipedia point for the falls (checked 4 November 2026) routes to the Karnataka bank, about 241 km.
• Fares, travel times, ground costs, month scores and who each place suits: Trip Under place, trek and route pages, and our cost model. Horsley Hills' bus fare is from an AbhiBus listing and Sakleshpur's from KSRTC Rajahamsa fares, as recorded on those pages.
• Trek booking: Karnataka Forest Department Aranya Vihaara portal, as recorded on our trek pages (checked October 2026).

Keep reading

Costs come from Trip Under's place data and our cost model (see methodology). They are indicative ballparks for budget travel and move with season and demand. Check live bus, train and room prices before you book. Trip Under is reader-planned, not an agency, and takes no commission on any booking.