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Voykit pocket guide · India
Mysore
ಮೈಸೂರು
Give Mysore 2 nights: palace and Chamundi Hill on day one, zoo and Devaraja Market on day two. Skip it only if you have under 24 hours.
Mysore (Mysuru) is Karnataka's former royal capital, 140 km from Bengaluru and reachable in about 2 hours by train or the expressway. The Wodeyar palaces, Chamundi Hill and the Dasara festival draw most visitors. Two nights covers the core sights at an easy pace; the city is compact, cheap to get around and among India's cleaner and better-planned.
- Country
- India
- Local name
- ಮೈಸೂರು
- Best months
- Oct–Feb
- Avoid
- Apr–May (hottest), Jun–Sep (monsoon)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- INR
- Money
- Indian rupees (INR, ₹) in small notes for autos, street food, tips and entry tickets.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₹1,500–3,000 excl. bed · Mid ₹3,000–6,000 excl. bed · High ₹6,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Jio, Airtel and Vi sell tourist SIMs at airport counters and their shops; passport, visa and a photo needed; activation can take a few hours.
- Emergency
- All services 112 · Tourist helpline 1363
- Plugs
- Types C, D, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin C plugs fit most sockets; D (three round pins) is the common wall socket; hotels often have universal sockets. UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food and dhabas: Nothing.; Restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge is on the bill.; Car and driver: ₹300–500 a day at the end of the trip.; Guide: ₹300–500 for a half day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₹50–100.; Auto or Uber: Round up.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Buy sealed bottles (check the cap), or use RO-filtered refill stations in hotels and cafés; avoid ice from street stalls.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and airports; squat toilets with a water jug or hose in stations and villages. Carry tissue and sanitiser; paid public toilets (Sulabh) cost ₹5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Filter coffee | ₹20–60 |
| Thali or dosa meal | ₹100–300 |
| Auto-rickshaw, 5 km (3.1 mi)Auto-rickshaw, 3.1 mi (5 km) | ₹60–120 |
| City bus ride | ₹10–20 |
| Mysore Palace entry | ₹100 |
| Mysore Zoo entry | ₹40 adults |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ₹500–1,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MYQ · Mysore Airport
- 10 km (6.2 mi) south of the centre; scheduled service has been intermittent — check before booking.6.2 mi (10 km) south of the centre; scheduled service has been intermittent — check before booking.
- BLR · Kempegowda International (Bengaluru)
- 185 km (115 mi) northeast; KSRTC Flybus runs to Mysore — journey time check.115 mi (185 km) northeast; KSRTC Flybus runs to Mysore — journey time check.
Typical fares
- Bengaluru → Mysore, AC chair car train
- about ₹260–300, 2–3 h
- Bengaluru → Mysore, Volvo bus
- ₹300–350, about 3 h
- BLR airport → Mysore, Flybus
- about ₹800, journey time check
- Auto-rickshaw, per km
- about ₹11, ₹25 minimum
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Auto-rickshaws have meters (about ₹11/km, ₹25 minimum) but drivers often refuse to use them — use the prepaid counter at the railway station or city bus stand (₹1 fee, printed fare). City buses run from the City Bus Stand; AC Volvo buses serve Chamundi Hill, the zoo and KRS. App cabs (Ola, Uber) work. A full-day tourist cab for the city and Brindavan Garden runs about ₹1,200–1,600.
See and do
Known for
- Mysore Palace
- Chamundi Hill temple
- Dasara festival
- Mysore Zoo
- Sandalwood and silk
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Srirangapatna | Bus or cab, about 15 km (9.3 mi) northeastBus or cab, about 9.3 mi (15 km) northeast | About 45 min |
| Krishnarajanagara | Train or bus northwest | About 1 h |
| Nanjangud | Bus or train south, about 23 km (14 mi)Bus or train south, about 14 mi (23 km) | About 45 min |
| Bylakuppe | Cab or bus via Kushalnagar, about 90 km (56 mi) westCab or bus via Kushalnagar, about 56 mi (90 km) west | About 2.5 h |
| Hunsur | Bus northwest, about 45 km (28 mi)Bus northwest, about 28 mi (45 km) | About 1.5 h |
| T. Narsipur | Bus or train east, about 35 km (22 mi)Bus or train east, about 22 mi (35 km) | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Palace area / city centre
- Walk to the palace, Jaganmohan Palace and Devaraja Market; best for a short stay.
- Railway Station / Yadavagiri
- Quiet, close to Mysuru Junction; handy for early trains.
- Gokulam
- Guesthouses and cafés, popular with longer-stay and yoga visitors; 4–5 km (2.5–3.1 mi) from the palace.Guesthouses and cafés, popular with longer-stay and yoga visitors; 2.5–3.1 mi (4–5 km) from the palace.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Namaste | ನಮಸ್ಕಾರnamaskāra |
| Thank you | ಧನ್ಯವಾದdhanyavāda |
| How much is it? | ಎಷ್ಟು?eṣṭu? |
| Please use the meter | ಮೀಟರ್ ಹಾಕಿmīṭar hāki |
| Where is the toilet? | ಶೌಚಾಲಯ ಎಲ್ಲಿದೆ?śaucālaya ellide? |
| Stop here, please | ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಿilli nillisi |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Namaste (palms together) or a handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging or kissing strangers
- Hands and feet: Give and eat with the right hand; apologise if your foot touches someone; avoid: Pointing feet at people or shrines; touching books or food with your feet
- Temples: Shoes off, walk clockwise around shrines, accept prasad (blessed food) with the right hand; avoid: Leather in Jain temples; entering sanctums that say Hindus only
- Home visit: Bring sweets or fruit; accept tea at least once; avoid: Refusing all food; wearing shoes inside
- Questions: Expect personal questions (married? job? salary?) as friendliness; avoid: Taking offence; answer vaguely if you prefer
- Saying no: A firm, polite 'nahi, dhanyavaad' (no, thank you) and keep walking; avoid: Long explanations to touts
- Dress: Loose clothes covering shoulders and knees; kurta tops are cheap and cool; avoid: Swimwear or shorts away from Goa beaches
Scams and watch-outs
- Auto drivers at stations often refuse the meter; use the prepaid counter or agree the fare first.
- Palace gardens close around 18:00 before the evening light-and-sound show.
- Peak heat Apr–May and heavy monsoon Jun–Sep; plan indoor sights for midday.
- Book Dasara-week (Sep–Oct) accommodation well ahead — the city fills up.
Generally safe and calm by Indian big-city standards. Main issues are heat, monsoon flooding, aggressive auto-rickshaw pricing and pickpocketing in crowded markets — use prepaid autos and keep small notes.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Mysore yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Mysore Palace
- Chamundi Hill temple
- Dasara festival
- Mysore Zoo
- Sandalwood and silk
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Mysuru City Corporation (official): www.mysurucity.mrc.gov.in/en/home
- Mysore Palace (official): mysorepalace.gov.in
- KSRTC (official): ksrtc.in
- Wikivoyage: Mysore, revision 5254391 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5254391
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Mysoreಮೈಸೂರು
ಈ ವಿಳಾಸಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಿ
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Mysore; most are in New Delhi, with consulates in Bengaluru and Chennai (check).
Auto-rickshaw meters are often refused; use the prepaid counter at the railway station or city bus stand.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/mysore). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.