Karnataka travel guide

Capital

Bengaluru

Languages

Kannada (official), with Tulu, Kodava, English and Hindi

Best time

October to March

Main airports

Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Hubballi

Places to visit

Heritage sites, hill country and a long coastline mean most visitors combine two or three regions in one trip.

• Hampi and Pattadakal, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• Mysuru Palace and Srirangapatna
• Coorg and Chikkamagaluru for misty hills and coffee
• Murudeshwar, Gokarna, Malpe and Kaup on the coast
• Jog Falls in the Western Ghats
• Hoysala temples at Belur, Halebidu and Somanathapura
• Shravanabelagola and its giant monolithic statue

Culture and food

Yakshagana, a night-long theatre form of dance, music and storytelling, is the state's signature performing art, and drum dances such as Dollu Kunitha and Veeragase appear at festivals. The big festivals are Mysuru Dasara, the Kannada new year Ugadi, and Bengaluru's Karaga. Craft traditions include carved sandalwood, woven silk and regional painting styles.

Rice, ragi and lentils are staples. Try bisi bele bath, a plate of ragi mudde, the sweet Mysore pak, seafood and coconut curries around Mangaluru, pork dishes and coffee in Coorg, and the vegetarian meals of Udupi.

Best time to visit

October to March is the best season across most of the state, pleasant for sightseeing, wildlife safaris and the coast. The monsoon, June to September, turns the Western Ghats deep green. From March to May the plains get hot, though hill stations stay comfortable.

How to reach

Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru is the main gateway, with Mangaluru and Hubballi airports serving other regions. Trains connect the main cities, including Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi and Mangaluru, to Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, and highways connect Karnataka with all its neighbours: Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. We can plan a Karnataka circuit from Tamil Nadu by road.

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