Best of Mysore, UNESCO Somnathpur Temple & Srirangapatna Day Tour
Description
Explore the Top Three Must-Visit monuments and hidden gems in the Mysore Region in One Day Enjoy the full-day tour led by a dedicated expert guide, rather than brief interactions with local guides at each monument. A traditional breakfast, lunch and all entrance tickets are included in the price. Hassle-free round-trip A/C transport from your central Bangalore hotel
Tour Options
Itinerary
Please Note: Our expert guide will take you to all the sites listed in the itinerary, not just a select few. To ensure an authentic experience, we intentionally avoid overly touristy spots, allowing us to offer you a unique and unparalleled perspective of the region. Our first stop is a silk cocoon market, where sericulturists bring in millions of silk cocoons for sale. It's an astonishing sight to behold. With insights from our expert guide, you'll learn about the various stages of the famed Mysore silk production — from the cocoon to the yarn, which is then woven into cloth before becoming a wearable garment.
We believe food is an integral part of an Indian cultural experience; hence we start our tour early and detour from the highway to visit a traditional eatery serving authentic local breakfast. Here our accompanying guide will take you through a sumptuous culinary experience.
We get off the highway for an extended detour through lush countryside to reach this stunning UNESCO World heritage temple from 1268 AD. Some of humankind's most exquisite stone carvings and sculptures are here. Our accompanying expert guide will introduce its history, Hinduism, its pantheon of gods, and the context of each beautiful carving.
We explore this bejewelled palace, among the most visited sites in India and the home of one of the wealthiest individuals in the world in its heyday – the Maharaja of Mysore. From our accompanying expert guide, learn about the Wodeyar rulers and their incredible contributions to putting this region on the global map as we leisurely survey and explore the interiors & exteriors of this dazzling palace.
Our accompanying expert guide will take you through a stroll inside an 1880s market stuck in a time warp. As you take a walk back in time, marvel at the sights, smells and sounds of the shops & people in the bazaar selling the choicest fruits, flowers, vegetables, bangles and local produce such as Jaggery, Attar, Masalas etc.
From Mysore, we drive to the historic river island of Srirangapatana. Here we break for a relaxed and sumptuous lunch at this picturesque setting by the gurgling waters of the River Cauvery.
Srirangapatna is a river island that has been coveted for millennia due to its strategic location, with the river acting as a natural barrier. The Srirangapatna Fort was established in the 1400s and served as the residence for the ruling class within its fortified precincts. This location gained global attention when the East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore clashed four times over the span of four decades. Driving through the fort and taking in the sights offers a fascinating glimpse into what it feels like to be inside one of the few 'living' forts in India.
Our final stop is the exquisite 1780s wooden palace of Tipu Sultan, where every inch of its interiors has delicate frescoes and murals of evocative battle scenes, floral and geometric patterns and portraits. Our accompanying expert guide will provide context to each handpainted artwork and regale you with stories of the valiant efforts of this ruler, the Tiger of Mysore, against the colonial powers of the time.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Hotel pick-up and drop-off are included for locations within a 13 km radius of the M.G. Road Metro Station. Please contact us if you would like to confirm whether your pick-up location falls within this area.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Dress code is smart casual
Reviews(413)
This is one of the best tours that I’ve had the pleasure to experience. Every aspect of this tour has been meticulously planned to allow you to maximise the day and enjoy Mysore, and the surrounding area. What is particularly great about this tour is that it avoids the usual tourist traps and souvenir shops and takes you to unique local sights and allows you to soak up the culture, from authentic silk markets to hidden riverside restaurants. Praveen is an excellent guide and does everything possible to ensure you get as much as possible from the tour. He’s knowledgeable, insightful and offers excellent customer service. Nothing is too much trouble for him and his passion for providing an excellent experience for his guests was evident. From the stunning Mysore Palace to the hustle bustle of the market with its array of colours and scents, each part of the tour left a lasting memory. I cannot praise this tour, and Praveen enough and would highly recommend.
What a great day! Praveen is a delightful guide and this trip was way beyond expectation, hitting a smorgasbord of historical, cultural and fascinating local sites. Praveen is knowledgeable and personable, providing a depth of information and historical context and great fun to talk to. In this Mysore tour, he has crafted a unique day, packed with interesting locations, experiences and conversation that one can only marvel at his ability to pull off, all with time to contemplate and enjoy. The Somnathpur temple, the summer palace of Tipu Sultan and the flower market were particular highlights. Very highly recommended.
This is one of the best tours that I’ve had the pleasure to experience. Every aspect of this tour has been meticulously planned to allow you to maximise the day and enjoy Mysore, and the surrounding area. What is particularly great about this tour is that it avoids the usual tourist traps and souvenir shops and takes you to unique local sights and allows you to soak up the culture, from authentic silk markets to hidden riverside restaurants. Praveen is an excellent guide and does everything possible to ensure you get as much as possible from the tour. He’s knowledgeable, insightful and offers excellent customer service. Nothing is too much trouble for him and his passion for providing an excellent experience for his guests was evident. From the stunning Mysore Palace to the hustle bustle of the market with its array of colours and scents, each part of the tour left a lasting memory. I cannot praise this tour, and Praveen enough and would highly recommend.
This tour is absolutely wonderful for anyone wanting a truly authentic experience. The company’s name, Hidden Gems, perfectly describes the sites in Mysore. There is so much history in these places and Praveen knows just how to share that information in an engaging way. I loved every minute! Each part of the experience is thoughtfully curated, including meals. My favorite parts were actually the most “off the beaten path” parts. I also loved that my driver from Bangalore was so knowledgeable and shared so much interesting information along the way. Thank you Nadeem!!!
We had an amazing day with Fez!!! He was really personable, knowledgeable, and a wonderful tour guide. We enjoyed the local food spots he took us to and enjoyed a wide range of what Mysore has to offer - from palaces to temples to rivers, we experienced and learned about way more things than we would have on our own. Fez encouraged us to ask questions and always provided thoughtful answers; we can't recommend this tour enough
We had a wonderful experience with our lovely guide Praveen. Thank you very much!! The pickup was on time and we traveled safely to all our destinations. First stop was a at a beautiful and green breakfast Location outside of Bangalore. We made a spontaneous stop at a lokal silk cocoon-market after we mentioned our interest in silk. Next we visited the UNESCO world heritage Somnathpura temple and were blown away by the carved details on the temple walls. Afterwards we continued to Mysore Palace with it's beautiful interior. With Praveen we didn't have to wait in any lines and could enjoy every minute of the trip. We continued our trip to the local market which felt like a time travel and ended at a nice and quiet restaurant by the riverside. On the whole trip we felt very safe with Praveen. He had a lot to tell about all the historical sites and did all the talking with locals. He was very eager to make this a special and unforgettable day for us and he very much succeeded! We highly recommend taking this tour with lovely Praveen!
We had a great tour with Praveen!! The stops were beautiful and the food we had along the way was so delicious! Would highly recommend for anyone making the trip!
What a great tour! Everything about this tour was exceptional. Praveen took us all around and was just amazing! He made the trip so good and would recommend to anyone coming into the area. The sight were great, but he really made the experience over the top! Pickup and drop off were so easy!
FANTASTIC trip!! I cannot say enough about the itinerary in this trip. The stops alone, immersing into the culture was amazing. The local breakfast and lunch was a great experience and were food l wouldn’t have selected myself. Overall the best part of the trip was our guide Praveen. He was extremely knowledgeable of the temples and ruins. He was vibrant, charismatic and passionate about what he does which made the trip that much greater. I recommend this tour to anyone looking to get a glimpse into Indian culture, don’t miss out!
It was an unforgettable day. The van was spacious, and the driving was very safe. The organization was perfect! Our guide and founder (Praveen) first took us to enjoy a delicious breakfast at a local spot on the way to Mysore; it was fantastic. Then, he showed us a silk cocoon market and a beautiful temple, and treated us to a refreshing coconut. When we arrived at the Mysore Palace, it was crowded, but we didn't have to wait in line. After visiting the palace. We visited a great local market, and while heading back to Bangalore, we stopped for a wonderful lunch by a lovely river, followed by a visit to the summer palace. What a day! It’s a shame I didn’t have an extra day to do another activity with you. And what a wonderful, knowledgeable person Praveen is. Thank you for everything you did for the group.
