Home › Routes › Bangalore to Wayanad
Route · Karnataka to Kerala
Bangalore to Wayanad: Distance, Every Way to Get There and What It Costs
Wayanad is about 278 km from central Bengaluru by road, to Kalpetta, its main town. The fastest road runs down the Mysuru expressway and then through Bandipur and Muthanga, two forest reserves where the highway shuts at night. Here is every way to get there, what it costs, and where to stop.
Photo: Nijusby, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Text added by Trip Under.
Short answer
Bangalore to Wayanad is about 278 km by road to Kalpetta, roughly 3 hours 40 minutes of driving on a clear road (a free-flow routing estimate; our Wayanad data plans about 8 hours for the overnight bus). The road crosses the Bandipur forest, which is closed to traffic at night. The cheapest way with a confirmed fare is the overnight train to Kozhikode, ₹355 in Sleeper, then a KSRTC bus up the ghat (check the live fare). The one state-bus fare we could confirm is the KSRTC Flybus from Bengaluru airport, ₹1,400 to Kalpetta. The fastest is your own car in daylight: about ₹2,050 of petrol plus ₹370 in tolls.
How we worked it out. On 12 November 2026 we routed from central Bengaluru (12.9716, 77.5946) to Kalpetta (11.61, 76.08) with OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM) and checked the towns along the line. Routing times assume an empty road, so treat them as a floor. Bus fares come only from official notices or dated news reports; where we found none, we say so and give no number. Open the route on Google Maps for live traffic.
Every way to get there
| Way | Route | Time | Cost, one way | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State buses (KSRTC Karnataka and Kerala) | Bengaluru → Mysuru → Sulthan Bathery or Mananthavady → Kalpetta | about 8 h overnight (our Wayanad data) | Check the live fare (no official or news fare found) | Onmanorama timetable, 20 Sep 2026 |
| KSRTC Flybus | Bengaluru airport → Mysuru → Hunsur → Gonikoppa → Kutta → Mananthavady → Kalpetta | airport 10:45 pm, Kalpetta 6:05 am | ₹1,400 to Kalpetta (₹960 to Mysuru) | News Arena, 6 Aug 2026; Onmanorama, 16 Jul 2026 |
| Train + bus | Yesvantpur → Kozhikode (16527), then KSRTC up the Thamarassery ghat, about 72 km | 11.5 h + about 2 h | Sleeper ₹355, 3A ₹935; ghat bus: check the live fare | ConfirmTkt, read 5 Nov 2026 |
| Own car | 278 km via Mysuru, Gundlupet, Bandipur and Sulthan Bathery | 3 h 40 min free-flow, daylight only | About ₹2,050 petrol + ₹370 toll | Petrol ₹111.68/l in Bengaluru, 11 Nov 2026; 15 km/l assumed; toll NewsKarnataka, 24 Jul 2026 |
- The Flybus fare predates the November fare rise. The ₹1,400 Kalpetta fare was announced in August 2026. Karnataka raised KSRTC fares by about 23% on average from 5 November 2026 (The South First, 4 November 2026), so check the current fare.
- Night buses. Kerala RTC's September 2026 timetable lists Bengaluru–Kozhikode buses leaving Bengaluru between about 8 pm and midnight and reaching Kalpetta between 2 am and 7:45 am, some via Sulthan Bathery and some via Mananthavady (Onmanorama, 20 September 2026). It gives no fares.
- The car maths. 278 km ÷ 15 km a litre (our assumption for a petrol hatchback; yours may differ) × ₹111.68 a litre = about ₹2,050. The Bengaluru–Mysuru highway costs a car ₹185 on each of its two sections from 21 July 2026, ₹370 in all (NewsKarnataka, 24 July 2026). We could not check for tolls beyond Mysuru: the NHAI toll site did not answer on 12 November 2026.
- By train. Wayanad has no railway; every train trip ends with a bus up a ghat. Our Wayanad by train guide has the stations, the fares by class and the ghat bus.
- Booking. Both state corporations sell their own tickets online and at the counter. Aggregators such as redBus and AbhiBus list the same buses with private ones; Trip Under does not link to them and takes no commission.
The road and where to stop
Infographic · the route
Bengaluru to Kalpetta by road
About 278 km. Distances and road names: OSRM, 12 Nov 2026.
OSRM's route takes the Bengaluru–Mysuru expressway to Mysuru (about 141 km), then NH766, the Mysuru–Kozhikode highway, south through Nanjangud taluk and Gundlupet, through the Bandipur tiger reserve, across the Kerala border at Muthanga, and on through Sulthan Bathery to Kalpetta. The Flybus and some state buses go the other way round, west through Hunsur, Gonikoppa and Kutta in Kodagu to Mananthavady.
The Bandipur night closure. The highway through Bandipur is closed to traffic overnight: 9 pm to 6 am on our Bandipur page, about 8:30 pm to 6 am in a January 2026 Onmanorama report. If you drive, reach Gundlupet well before 8:30 pm, and never stop or get out of the car to photograph animals on the forest stretch.
- Mysuru (about 141 km in): the natural break before the forest. Climb Chamundi Hill before eight, or go to Srirangapatna, about twenty minutes away (our Mysuru and Srirangapatna page).
- Bandipur: one of India's original Project Tiger reserves, on the road itself. The forest department runs the cheapest safaris in this part of Karnataka, about ₹600 a person; book at the Bandipur reception, and take a morning slot (our Bandipur page).
- Kabini, a detour: the reservoir on the edge of Nagarhole, with boat safaris, about 60 km from Bandipur by taxi. Resort prices there run well above the rest of this trip, from about ₹1,500 a day even on a shoestring (our Kabini page).
- Muthanga, as you enter Wayanad: the wildlife sanctuary runs a dawn safari, the slot to go for. In Wayanad itself, reach the Chembra Peak permit counter before 8 am; Edakkal Caves are closed on Mondays (our Wayanad page).
When to go, and what a day there costs
Infographic · month by month
Wayanad month by month
Month-by-month as text
Jan: Good · Feb: Good · Mar: Passable · Apr: Passable · May: Avoid · Jun: Good · Jul: Best · Aug: Best · Sep: Best · Oct: Good · Nov: Best · Dec: Best
June to September is the monsoon and is spectacular — waterfalls, mist, lowest rates of the year, and leeches. October to February is dry, green and busy at weekends.
Best months by our scores: Jul–Sep, Nov–Dec. On the ground, a day in Wayanad costs about ₹1,100 on a shoestring, ₹1,800 mid-range and ₹3,600 comfortable, per person, with the bed, food, local transport and entry fees (our cost model). Full breakdown on the Wayanad page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the distance from Bangalore to Wayanad?
About 278 km by road from central Bengaluru to Kalpetta (OSRM, 12 November 2026), via Mysuru, Gundlupet, Bandipur and Sulthan Bathery. Sulthan Bathery is about 22 km closer.
How long does it take to drive from Bangalore to Wayanad?
About 3 hours 40 minutes on a clear road by routing estimate; with traffic and breaks it takes longer. Overnight buses take about 8 hours.
Is the Bangalore to Wayanad road open at night?
Not through Bandipur: the highway through the reserve is closed to traffic overnight, roughly 8:30 or 9 pm to 6 am. Plan to cross it in daylight.
What is the cheapest way from Bangalore to Wayanad?
The overnight train 16527 from Yesvantpur to Kozhikode, ₹355 in Sleeper (ConfirmTkt, 5 November 2026), then a KSRTC bus up the Thamarassery ghat to Kalpetta. We found no official fare for the direct state buses, so check the live fare.
Can I go from Bangalore to Wayanad by train?
Partly. Wayanad has no railway. Take a train to Kozhikode, about 72 km from Kalpetta, and a bus up the ghat. See our Wayanad by train guide.
Which is the best route from Bangalore to Wayanad?
The fastest is the Mysuru expressway and NH766 through Bandipur and Sulthan Bathery, in daylight. A car pays ₹370 in tolls on the expressway. The other way round, via Hunsur, Gonikoppa and Mananthavady, avoids Bandipur.
What is the best time to visit Wayanad?
Jul–Sep, Nov–Dec by our month scores: June to September for the monsoon, waterfalls and the lowest rates, October to February for dry, green weather. Avoid May.
Sources and how we priced this
- Distance, drive time and roads: OSRM driving route (router.project-osrm.org) from Bengaluru (12.9716, 77.5946) to Kalpetta (11.61, 76.08), 12 November 2026; towns from OpenStreetMap Nominatim reverse lookups along the route, 12 November 2026.
- Buses: News Arena India, KSRTC inter-State Flybus fares (6 August 2026); Onmanorama, Flybus launch and timetable (16 July 2026) and Kerala RTC Bengaluru–Kozhikode timetable (20 September 2026); The South First, Karnataka bus fare revision (4 November 2026). No official or news fare found for the ordinary Bengaluru–Kalpetta buses or the Kozhikode–Kalpetta bus.
- Trains: ConfirmTkt route listings, read 5 November 2026 for travel on 6 November (our Wayanad by train guide).
- Bandipur night closure: Onmanorama (30 January 2026, via our Wayanad by train guide) and Trip Under's Bandipur page.
- Fuel and tolls: petrol in Bengaluru ₹111.68 a litre on 11 November 2026 (Upstox fuel price page); 15 km a litre is our assumption. Tolls: NewsKarnataka, Bengaluru–Mysuru toll revision from 21 July 2026 (24 July 2026). NHAI TIS (tis.nhai.gov.in) did not respond on 12 November 2026.
- Stops, season and daily costs: Trip Under's Wayanad, Bandipur, Kabini and Mysuru pages and our cost model.
Keep reading
Plan the days once you are there
Chembra Peak permits, Edakkal Caves, stays and what a weekend in Wayanad costs: see the full Wayanad page.
Open the Wayanad page →Fares and fuel prices are as read on the dates given and change often; check the live fare before you travel. Distances and drive times are routing estimates. Daily costs come from Trip Under's place data and cost model (see methodology). Trip Under is not an agency and takes no commission on any booking.