Places to visit in Mysore
Every trip on this page covers the places below; a private trip can drop one and add another.
- Mysore Palace: The Wadiyar palace of 1912; go for the 7 pm Sunday and public-holiday illumination, 97,000 bulbs for 45 minutes.
- Chamundi Hill and the Nandi: 1,000 steps or a road to the Chamundeshwari temple, with the monolithic Nandi on the way down.
- Brindavan Gardens: The terraced gardens below the KRS dam, 19 km out, with the musical fountain after dark.
- St Philomena's Cathedral: A neo-Gothic church modelled on Cologne, with twin 175-foot spires.
- Devaraja Market: The old produce market for flowers, bananas, sandalwood oil and incense.
- Srirangapatna: Tipu Sultan's island fort 16 km out: Daria Daulat Bagh, the Gumbaz and the Ranganathaswamy temple.
- Mysore Zoo: One of the oldest and best-kept zoos in India, open every day except Tuesday.
- Somnathpur: The Chennakesava temple 35 km east, the most complete Hoysala temple standing.
Opening hours and tickets
Mysore Palace is open 10 am to 5.30 pm every day; the illumination runs 7 to 7.45 pm on Sundays, public holidays and through Dasara. The Chamundeshwari temple on the hill opens around 7.30 am, with a long midday break. Brindavan Gardens open in the afternoon and the musical fountain runs at dusk, about 7 pm on weekdays and 7.30 pm at weekends. Mysore Zoo is open 8.30 am to 5.30 pm and closed on Tuesdays. Srirangapatna's Daria Daulat Bagh and the Gumbaz close by 5.30 pm. Tickets are modest at each — the palace is the dearest, and shoes come off inside it. Timings shift for festivals, so a trip captain checks them the week you travel.
What to eat
Mysuru is a breakfast city. The masala dosa was invented an hour up the road and the local version is the butter-heavy Mylari dosa, eaten at the old Mylari shops near Lakshmipuram. Mysore pak, made with gram flour and ghee, comes from the palace kitchen and is still sold on Sayyaji Rao Road. Add a set dosa, ragi mudde with a country-chicken curry for lunch, and filter coffee anywhere. Devaraja market is the place for the sandalwood, jaggery and banana leaves rather than a meal.
