Best time
September to March is the season: the hills are green after the monsoon, the mornings are misty and the trek to Mullayanagiri is clear. April and May are warm but the estates stay cool. June to August is heavy rain, when the waterfalls are at their best and the jeep tracks can close.
- September to March, 13 to 28°C: The season: green after the rains, clear sunrises on Mullayanagiri, cold on the ridge before dawn.
- April to May, 18 to 33°C: Warm in town, cool on the estates; the emptiest months.
- June to August, 16 to 26°C: Heavy rain and mist; the falls are full and the jeep tracks can close.
What to pack
Layers: 13°C mornings on the peaks even in a warm month. Walking shoes for Mullayanagiri and the Z Point path, a windcheater, a rain shell from June to September, and a torch for estate stays where the path to the room is unlit.
Getting there
Chikmagalur is about 700 km from Hyderabad, 12 to 13 hours by road, so the fixed-date group trips travel overnight on Friday and are back by Monday morning. There is no airport; Mangaluru, 150 km away, is the nearest.
Chikmagalur is about 240 km from Bangalore, five hours by road through Hassan, which makes it the classic Bengaluru weekend. The group departures leave on Friday night; self-drive is easy and the ghat road starts only in the last hour.
Chennai to Chikmagalur is about 570 km, 10 to 11 hours by road, usually broken with a night in Bengaluru. The train to Bengaluru or Hassan and the rest by road is the comfortable way.