5 Best Places to Visit on Your Weekend Getaways From Bengaluru

Explore these stunning places on your weekend getaways from Bengaluru with your friends and family. Check out the list here

Bengaluru: Of many things that Bengaluru is famous for, pleasant climate at all times stands out the most! Other than that, the metropolitan city is known for buzzing nightlife, beautiful parks, natural lakes and shopping malls among others. Undoubtedly, there’s so much to do in the city. However, interestingly, there are also many stunning places nearby that you can travel to on your weekend getaways from Bengaluru.

Here we have compiled a list of some of the stunning places that you can explore on your weekend getaways from Bengaluru with your friends and family. Check them out.

5 Best Places to Visit on Your Weekend Getaway From Bengaluru

• Chikmagalur

Chikmagalur, near Bengaluru (Image credit: Pixabay)

Chikmagalur, known for its coffee plantations, is one of the best places to visit near Bengaluru. The hill station is known for its pleasant weather, natural beauty and the extensive coffee plantation. In fact, you can take a trip to the coffee plantations there and sip fresh coffee straight from the garden. Sounds fun right? Also, the place is house to the famous Bhadra wildlife sanctuary, which is also a tiger reserve. The sanctuary is a popular site for day outs. If you are in luck, other than tiger, you can also spot elephants, leopards, sambhars, and wild boars etc. Besides, you can also explore Mahatma Gandhi Park of Chikmagalur, also known as Rathnagiri Bore. It is located in the northern part of Chikmagalur. The park has an amphitheater with 2509 types of rose plants, where many cultural events take place. Interestingly, the park also has a toy train and a greenhouse with around 300 species of flowering plants.

Apart from these attractions, the place is also famous for its pilgrimage sites and wildlife. The Kudremukha mountain range and the thick forest of Baba Budan Giri hills are popular among trekkers.

Best time to visit: September to May 

Distance from Bengaluru: 242.9 km (approx. 4 hours 17 minutes)

• Coorg

Coorg, near Bengaluru (Image credit: Pixabay)

Coorg or Kodagu is a hill station, located 240 km west of Bangalore, famous for tea and coffee plantations. Also popularly called as the “Kashmir of South” and “Scotland of India”, thanks to its cool climate and stunning landscape, Coorg is located at an elevation of 3500 ft amidst the lush greenery of the Western Ghats. The mist covered hills, stream, lake and the sweet smell of coffee will make you forget about the stressful life of the city. The beautiful terrain of Coorg is ideal for hiking and trekking. For adventure enthusiasts, Coorg offers several activities like paintball and dirt biking among others. You can also experience white river rafting in the Barapole River. Also, don’t forget to check out Coorg’s home-made wines.

Best time to visit: Between October and May.

Distance from Bengaluru: 240 km ( approx 5 hours 35 minutes)

• Nandi Hills

Nandi Hills, near Bengaluru (Image credit: Pixabay)

Nandi Hills is an ancient hill fortress. The hills are located about 60km north of Bangalore. It is believed that the Arkavathy River has originated from the hills. The hills are called Nandi Hills probably because it looks similar to a sleeping bull or Nandi. You can visit Someshwara swami temple or Bhoganandeeshwara temple, which is located at the foot of Nandi Hills. It is one of the oldest temples in the state. In fact, Nandi Hills offer a stunning view of the entire city.

Tipu’s summer palace is another tourist attraction here. Although, Haider Ail initiated the construction of the palace, it was Tipu Sultan who completed it. The palace was used by Tipu Sultan as his summer resort.

The hills were called Ananda Giri during the Chola period. The Nandi fort or Nandidurg, which was constructed by Tipu Sultan, was another reason for the name of the hill. According to another popular legend, the hill derived the name from an ancient temple located on top of the hill. The Nandi temple is about 1300 years old. There is also another temple on this hill dedicated to Parvati and Shiva.

Fun fact: The cliff of the hill also has a past. It is said that the prisoners were pushed down the cliff as a punishment and the scream of each prisoner is represented by the rustling of leaves. The cliff is known as Tipu’s Drop!

Best time to visit: Nandi Hills has pleasant temperature all around the year.

Distance from Bengaluru: 61.2km (approx. 1 hour 26 minutes)

• Yelagiri

Located in Tamil Nadu, Yelagiri is called as the “Poor Man’s Ooty”. Well, the hill station, which is located at an elevation of 4,626 ft in Vellore district, is a famous trekking destination. Surrounded by rose gardens, orchards and lush green valleys, Yelagiri is one of the most beautiful hill stations in South India. It has 14 hamlets. The roads to this scenic hill station have several hairpin roads offering the breathtaking view of the hills and slopes. Yelagiri is not as commercialized as other famous hill stations and the government has so far undertaken many steps to promote this place.

You can explore several adventure sports here like rock climbing, trekking and paragliding. Once the property of the zamindars of Yelagiri, the land was taken over in 1950s by the government. The hills station boasts of pleasant climate throughout the year. You can visit the Swamimalai Hills, artificial Punganur lake, and the nature park among others.

Best time to visit: October to February

Distance from Bengaluru: 159.9 km (approx. 3 hours 26 minutes)

• Mysuru

Mysuru Palace, near Bengaluru (Image credit: Pixabay)

Mysuru, located 151.6 km south of Bangalore at the base of the Chamundi Hills, is called as the city of palaces. The beautiful monuments and the rich history of this place make it one of the most popular tourist destinations near Bengaluru. The city is also the hub of sandalwood, incense and silk production. Many tourists also visit Mysuru to learn Ashtanga Yoga, which is widely practiced across the city.

The Mysuru Palace is one of the main attractions in the city that boasts of rich history and breathtaking architecture. The palace has a fusion of Indo-Saracenic architecture. The paintings, spacious halls and the beautiful pillar will for sure take you back in time. The palace is lit up during festivals and on the weekends.

Best time to visit: Between September and March

Distance from Bengaluru: 151.6 km (approx. 3 hours 24 minutes)