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Baba Budangiri is where coffee entered India in the seventeenth century, smuggled in as seven beans, and the hills have been growing it ever since. Mullayanagiri at 1,930 m is a twenty-minute walk from a road, which makes it the easiest high peak in the south. Everything here is cheaper and quieter than Coorg for reasons that have nothing to do with quality.
Compare Chikmagalur with another place →
When to go
Two windows. June to September is monsoon — the estates are at their greenest, the falls are running and rates fall by a third. November to February is dry, cool and busy at weekends.
Chikmagalur right now and the next 7 days
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Chikmagalur, planned for you
A satellite map for every day with each stop pinned in order, photos of the places, timings, what each part costs, where to sleep and eat, and a checklist. One PDF that works offline: print it, or send it to everyone going.
- Day 1 Arrive in Chikmagalur · Baba Budangiri & Manikyadhara falls
- TravelTrain + bus: Bengaluru → Kadur, then about 45 min by bus₹400
- 11:00Baba Budangiri & Manikyadhara falls₹100
- Day 2 Mullayanagiri summit
- Day 3 Hebbe Falls jeep trail
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Chikmagalur on the map
Tap anything in the list: the map zooms straight to it. Tap your starting city to see the way there.
The area
Getting there
Places to see
Day trips
Chikmagalur · Open in Google Maps ↗
Map by Google. Places are found by name, so check the exact spot in Google Maps before you go.
Step 3 of 11Next: Cost↓What your trip costs
Change anything and the numbers update. Every price is what the bus, room or ticket itself costs. We take no commission and sell no packages, so this is what you pay booking each piece yourself.
Ballpark ranges, not live quotes. Prices last updated 6 October 2026. Prices move with season and demand, so check live fares before you book. Spot a wrong price? Tell us and we fix it.
On the ground: stay, food, local travel and tickets. Pick a route above to add the journey.
Chikmagalur in 3 days: a day-by-day plan
Our suggested plan, in a sensible order with times. Move things between days, remove them or add more. It saves on this device, and you can share it.
- 11:00Baba Budangiri & Manikyadhara fallsHalf day · ₹100 each · A shrine revered by both Hindus and Muslims, and the birthplace of Indian coffee.
- Lunch on the way
- 05:45Mullayanagiri summit1 h · free · Karnataka's highest point, 1,930 m, and a twenty-minute walk from the road. Go at sunrise.
- 08:00Kemmangundi & Z PointHalf day · ₹200 each · Horticultural garden and a ridge viewpoint. Empty on a weekday.
- 12:30Lunch break
- 13:30Coffee estate walk with a grower2 h · ₹400 each · Most homestays do this for free. Ask before you pay a tour company.
- 08:00Hebbe Falls jeep trail4 h · ₹800 each · Forest department jeeps only. Wade the last stretch.
- 13:00Lunch break
How to get to Chikmagalur
One-way prices per person. The cheapest sensible option is marked. Each button opens live times and fares for the date you picked above.
Overnight bus
₹600KSRTC non-AC sleeper about ₹595; Sarige buses from about ₹343, every 20–30 minutes (KSRTC fare list, undated).
Train + bus Cheapest
₹400Daily Intercity, Vishwamanav and Janshatabdi trains to Kadur: chair car about ₹400, second sitting about ₹115 (ConfirmTkt, 5 Nov 2026). The Kadur bus fare is not confirmed. One daily unreserved train (16240) runs right into Chikkamagaluru station.
Local bus, last leg Last leg
₹60Runs to Sarpadhari; the last 3 km you walk or take a jeep.
Getting around once you're there
State bus
₹35Links the town to Mudigere, Kemmangundi and the estate villages. Slow and nearly free.
Scooter
₹450The right call for the estate roads. Hairpins and rain from June to September.
Jeep with driver
₹2,400Necessary for Kemmangundi and Z Point if you are not riding.
Auto
₹250Town and the immediate hills only.
Where to stay in Chikmagalur
Price per night for the room. The buttons open live availability for your dates.
Homestay
₹1,500/nightBreakfast and dinner usually included — check, because it changes your daily cost completely.
Dorm
₹550/nightA small backpacker scene has grown here in the last few years.
Estate cottage
₹3,800/nightMakes sense for six people splitting one house.
Town hotel
₹1,700/nightConvenient, dull, and you came here to leave the town.
What to eat, and what it costs
Veg meals at a town darshini
₹80Unlimited, fast, and the cheapest full meal in the district.
Akki roti with chutney pudi
₹120Rice roti, the regional breakfast. Order it at a roadside stall, not a restaurant.
Homestay breakfast and dinner
Check priceMost estate stays feed you twice. Your food budget becomes ₹150 of lunch.
Estate coffee and a bun
₹50Buy beans at the estate gate, not from a shop in town — same coffee, a third of the price.
Places to visit and things to do in Chikmagalur
Tap “Add to my plan” and it goes into your day-by-day plan above.
Mullayanagiri summit
FreeKarnataka's highest point, 1,930 m, and a twenty-minute walk from the road. Go at sunrise.
Baba Budangiri & Manikyadhara falls
₹100A shrine revered by both Hindus and Muslims, and the birthplace of Indian coffee.
Kemmangundi & Z Point
₹200Horticultural garden and a ridge viewpoint. Empty on a weekday.
Hebbe Falls jeep trail
₹800Forest department jeeps only. Wade the last stretch.
Coffee estate walk with a grower
₹400Most homestays do this for free. Ask before you pay a tour company.
Bhadra wildlife safari
₹900Morning slot. Elephants regularly, tigers almost never.
Day trips and next stops
Bus toward Karkala
Belur & Halebidu Hoysala temples
₹100Direct bus, hourly
Sringeri & Horanadu
₹180Bus via Koppa
Coorg
₹350Bus via Hassan
Know before you go
Mistakes to avoid
- Leeches from June to September in serious numbers. Salt or leech socks, not optional.
- Estate roads are unlit and unsurfaced. A scooter down one at night in the rain is how the trip ends.
- Weekend rates are routinely double weekday rates for the identical room.
Ways to spend less
- Monday to Thursday in the monsoon costs half a dry-season weekend for a better version of the same place.
- Mullayanagiri is a twenty-minute walk. Almost everyone pays a jeep for the last kilometre they could walk.
- Buy coffee at the estate, not in the town shops.
Say it in Kannada
A few words go a long way, especially when you ask a price.
Hindi and English work in most towns and with drivers.
The pronunciation is a simple guide, not a native recording. Spot a mistake? Tell us.
Before-you-go checklist
Chikmagalur in pictures
Tap a photo to see it full size.
Step 11 of 11Next: FAQ↓Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Chikmagalur?
On our month-by-month scores, the best months are Jul–Sep, Nov–Dec. Two windows. June to September is monsoon — the estates are at their greenest, the falls are running and rates fall by a third. November to February is dry, cool and busy at weekends.
How do I reach Chikmagalur?
Overnight bus: Bengaluru → Chikmagalur, 5–6 h, about ₹600 one way. Train + bus: Bengaluru → Kadur, then about 45 min by bus, 2.5 h + 45 m, about ₹400 one way. Flight + road: → Mangaluru (IXE), then 4 h, 1 h + 4 h, about ₹8,000 one way.
How much does a 3-day trip to Chikmagalur cost?
On the ground (stay, food, local travel and tickets), one person spends about ₹3,000 on a shoestring, ₹5,100 mid-range or ₹10,200 in comfort over 3 days. Add the journey: the cheapest sensible option is train + bus (Bengaluru → Kadur, then about 45 min by bus) at about ₹400 each way.
How many days do you need in Chikmagalur?
3 days is right for most people. That covers Baba Budangiri & Manikyadhara falls, Mullayanagiri summit, Kemmangundi & Z Point, Coffee estate walk with a grower without rushing.
Is Chikmagalur good for families or solo travellers?
Out of 5 on our scores: solo 4, couples 5, families 4, groups 5. It works well for families. It is easy to do on your own.
Is vegetarian food easy to find in Chikmagalur?
Very easy. Karnataka's darshini culture means unlimited vegetarian meals for under ₹100 everywhere, and estate homestays cook full veg on request if you say so when booking.
Will my phone and cards work in Chikmagalur?
Phone signal: Good in town, nothing inside the estates. Cards and UPI: Fine in the town, nowhere in the hills. Cash: Estate stays and village stalls.
Guides for Chikmagalur
Longer reads from our blog that cover this trip.
Bangalore to Chikmagalur: Distance, Every Way to Get There and What It CostsBangalore to Chikmagalur is about 250 km by road, roughly 3 h 10 min free-flow. KSRTC express ₹363 (Nov 2026), the…Read the guide →
Chikmagalur Nearest Railway Station: Chikkamagaluru, Kadur or Birur, and the FaresChikkamagaluru has its own station, but only 1 daily train. Most people use Kadur, 39 km: Intercity from Bengaluru,…Read the guide →
Coorg vs Chikmagalur: Which Coffee-Hill Weekend Is Right for You?Coorg vs Chikmagalur from Bangalore: cost (about ₹4,500 vs ₹4,100 for a weekend), travel time, crowds, waterfalls,…Read the guide →
Places to Visit Near Bangalore: 20 Underrated Trips by Distance, with Real CostsPlaces to visit near Bangalore grouped by distance: under 100 km, 100–200, 200–300 and 300+ km, with road distance,…Read the guide →Similar underrated places
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SakleshpurCoffee and cardamom estates on the Western Ghats edge, a star-shaped fort in the fog, and a railway that…From ₹1,600/day · Jan–Feb, Sep–Dec
KudremukhKudremukh means 'horse face', for the shape of its peak, and the national park around it is one of…From ₹1,200/day · Jan–Mar, Nov–DecAgumbe & KudremukhThe wettest place in South India, a sunset point over the Arabian Sea, and rainforest where king cobras…From ₹900/day · Jul–Sep, Nov–Dec
CoorgCoffee estates under mist, and a monsoon that most people treat as a reason to stay away.From ₹1,100/day · Jul–Sep, Nov–Dec
Jog FallsThe Sharavathi river falls 253 metres in four separate streams — Raja, Roarer, Rocket and Rani — and in…From ₹1,000/day · Jan–Feb, Jul–Dec
KabiniA reservoir on the edge of Nagarhole National Park where elephant herds come down to drink and boat…From ₹1,500/day · Jan–Mar, Nov–DecTreks near Chikmagalur
MullayanagiriEasy · Half day · Oct–FebFrom ₹600 at the base
Baba Budangiri & ManikyadharaEasy · Half day · Oct–FebFrom ₹500 at the base
Kudremukh Peak trekHard · 1 day (6–7 h) · Oct–Mar (permit/season dependent)From ₹1,200 at the baseSacred places near Chikmagalur
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Make the plan yours
Set your dates and group at the top, shape the days, then book each piece directly.
Back to the planner ↑Costs are indicative ballparks for doing it yourself and change with season and demand. Always check live fares, rates and opening rules before you book. Trip Under is not a travel agency: we don't sell packages or bookings, we take no commission, and we link to maps and official sites, never to booking sites. Every guide is free; our only paid products are optional downloadable trip plans and itineraries. Photographs come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; see credits.
By Gokul · Updated 6 October 2026 · Photo: Gpkp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · Photo: Photos Worldwide · CC0 · source · Photo: Srinivasa83 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · Photo: Hbsahoo1986 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · Photo: Gpkp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
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