Bengaluru is one of the best-placed cities for weekend trips: coffee estates, palaces, beaches and ruins are all within a day’s drive or an overnight train.
A royal city of silk, sandalwood and the illuminated Mysore Palace: the heart of the Dasara festival.
Oct-Feb 1-2 days
Misty coffee estates, waterfalls and Kodava culture in Karnataka’s Western Ghats.
Jun-Mar 2-3 days
Where coffee first came to India: rolling estates, Karnataka’s highest peak and quiet waterfalls.
Sep-Mar 2 days
The ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire scattered across a surreal landscape of giant boulders: a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Oct-Feb 2-3 days
A temple town with a string of secluded beaches (Om, Kudle, Half Moon and Paradise) joined by coastal trails.
Oct-Mar 2-3 days
Rainforest, spice estates, waterfalls and wildlife sanctuaries in northern Kerala.
Oct-May 2-3 days
The Nilgiris’ classic hill station: tea gardens, botanical gardens and the UNESCO Nilgiri Mountain Railway.
Oct-Nov, Mar-Jun 2 days
A former French enclave with mustard-yellow villas, bougainvillea, cafés and the Auroville community nearby.
Dec-Mar 2 days
The Sri Venkateswara temple on the Tirumala hills, one of the most visited religious sites in the world, and the temple town of Tirupati below.
Sep-Mar 2-3 days
A quieter neighbour of Ooty in the Nilgiris: tea estates, colonial cottages, Sim’s Park and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (UNESCO).
Oct-Jun 2-3 days
Not sure where to start? Try the trip finder: tell us when you’re going and what you love, and we’ll match destinations.
See also: best time to visit India · where to go each month.
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