Day 01 : Bangalore – Hassan – Belur & Halebid by road (225 + 100km)
Meeting and assistance on arrival at the Bangalore airport/railway station and drive to Hassan. Afternoon visit the famous Belur and Halebid temples and return to Hassan. Overnight stay at Hassan.

Belur, situated on the banks of river Yagachi, 38 km from Hassan, is a world famous tourist destination. The town is renowned for its Chennakeshava temple, one of the finest examples of Hoysala workmanship. The temple was consecrated by the famous Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana to mark his victories in 1116 AD against the Cholas and called the Vijaya Narayana.

The Temple Architecture - The Hoysalas used soft soapstone for their structures as they were found suitable for intricate carvings. Enclosed by a Parikrama with a Gopuram built in the Vijayanagar style, the Chennakesava temple stands on a platform. The fine workmanship and skill visible in this masterpiece is truly breathtaking.

There are more than 80 Madanika sculptures in the temple, dancing, hunting, standing under canopies of trees and so on. The 4 Madanika figures (striking elegant dancing poses) on the wonderfully engraved columns of Navaranga are unique creations of Hoysala workmanship. The Garbhagriha is stellar in shape and its zigzag walls make the figures of 24 forms of Vishnu look different at different times of the day due to light. One of the sculptures in the Navaranga – Darpana Sundari, alone speaks for the beauty and art of this magnificent temple.
Other smaller temples surround this main temple.

Halebid has some of the most remarkable monuments including the Hoysaleshwara and the Kedareshwara temples and is situated about 17 km from Belur. The Hoysaleshwara Temple has the deities of Lord Hoysaleshwara and Lord Shantaleshwara. This temple has four entrances – two to the east, one to the north and south respectively. Elegantly decorated with friezes of Puranic panels, madanika sculptures and other carvings, this is the largest existing Hoysala structure.

The Kedareshwara temple was built by Ballala II and his consort Abhinava Kethaladevi in 1219 AD. Decorated with sculptures and panels in typical Hoysala style, this triple shrine, resembles the temple at Somanathpur with its outer walls consisting of episodes from epics.


Day 02 : Hassan – Srirangapatna – Mysore by road (120km/3hrs)
After an early breakfast, drive to Mysore, enroute visit Shravanbelgola and Srirangapatna. Upon arrival at Mysore, check into the hotel. After freshening up, proceed to visit Mysore Palace and Art Gallery. Overnight at Mysore

Shravanabelagola town has been a prominent centre for Jain art, architecture, religion and culture. Here, the hill is home to a thousand-year-old 17.38 meter monolithic stone statue of the Lord Gomateshwara Bahubali, considered to be the world's largest monolithic stone statue, built by Chamundaraya, a general of King Gangaraya. The base of the statue has inscriptions in Kannada and Tamil, praising the Ganga king who funded the effort, and his general Chamundaraya, who erected the statue. Every 12 years, thousands of devotees congregate here to perform the Mahamastakabhisheka, a spectacular ceremony in which the devotees cover the thousand year old statue with offerings of milk, curds, and ghee, saffron and gold coins.

Srirangapatna, the origins of the name "Srirangapatna can" be traced to the temple of Vishnu Sri Rangam. A magnificent temple which has been around far longer than the fort or the town.

Fort at Srirangapatna was built by the Vijayanagar kings in 1454. The fort was essentially a military fortress with a unique location – lying low and framed within a rocky island in the middle of the Cauvery River that made it impregnable. Access to the fort was across a bridge.

Outside the fort is the Daria Daulat Bagh with Tipu Sultan's summer palace in its beautiful lawns. Built in 1784, it has colorful frescos of battle scenes of the French, British and Mysore armies. You will see ornamental arches and rare paintings on the teak walls and ceiling. There is a small museum upstairs, which has Tipus personal belongings and a collection of 19th century European paintings.

A little further away is the Gumbaz – the family mausoleum built by Tipu in memory of his father, Haidar Ali. The ornate white domed Gumbaz has beautiful ivory-on-wood inlay work also seen prominently is Tipus characteristic tiger-striped emblem. Some of his swords and shields are also kept at the Gumbaz on display.

Ranganthittu is a famous bird sanctuary. Ranganthittu is a picturesque island on the Cauvery River, right through the migration season, which is June to December, thousands of exotic birds from all over the world, wing their way to Ranganthittu – adding color to a landscape already in full bloom.

Mysore, part city, part small town was erstwhile capital of the Wodeyars, the rulers of Mysore. Mysore's charm is unique.The City Royale is famous for its opulent palaces, stately buildings, sprawling gardens, silks, sandalwood and myriad tourist attractions in its proximity.

Mysore Maharajah's Palace, built in Indo-Saracenic style is profusely decorated and glided. A solid jewel studded golden throne, displayed here during the Dasara Festival in October, remains the single most resplendent object that visitors throng to see.

The Jaganmohan Palace converted into an Art Gallery in 1875 exhibits paintings, which date back to that period. Paintings of masters like Raja Ravi Verma of Travancore and the Russian Painter Svetoslav Roerich are on display.
A beautiful Cathedral, St. Philomena's Church, built in imposing Gothic style with stained glass windows and lofty towers is a truly majestic sight.


Perched atop the Chamundi Hill is the 12th century Chamundeswari temple. Where you can motor up a 13 km road or walk up 1000 steps laid out in the 17th Century. Also located there is a 4.8 m tall monolith, Nandi, a celestial bull and gigantic statue of the demon Mahishasura.

Mysore is famous for sandalwood carvings and silks.

Day 03 : Mysore – Kabini by road (100km/2-3hrs)
Morning after breakfast drive to Kabini, a small forest reserve. Overnight stay at Kabini.

Kabini is one of the most enchanting wildlife destinations of Karnataka. The forest reserve is situated on the banks of the river Kabini and is spread over a vast area of thick dense forestland, steep valleys, and water bodies.

Kabini, the river that originates from the hills of Kerala and confluences with the mighty Kaveri, has a large and beautiful backwater created by the Kabini Dam. The river which has virtually transformed itself into a huge, tranquil lake is surrounded by lush green forests on one side and villages on the other. The biggest attraction of Kabini is the closeness to the unspoilt nature. Sandwiched between two reserve forests— Nagarhole and Bandipur— Kabini offers the richest wildlife habitats in the state. It is home for the Asian elephant, gaur, sambar, cheetal (deer), bison, wild boar, sloth bear, tiger, leopard and wild dogs. For bird lovers Kabini offers a wide variety of birds that feast on fishes from the river. A good sighting of animals and birds complements the back-to-nature vacation at Kabini as the fresh air and the purity of nature rejuvenates your body and soul.

A coracle ride in the river or an early morning walk when there is chill in the air and mist rising from the river, creates an ambiance that bonds well with the vacation mood.

The main activity here is wildlife sightings by safaris on open-top jeeps and a boatride on the river. The first ride into the Park is at the crack of dawn and again in the evening. On a boat ride on the River Kabini, you could see elephants congregating on the banks to drink or play in water. You can choose between the traditional, circular boat (made of bamboo and buffalo hide) and the regular motorboat for the river cruise.

Day 04 : Kabini – Bangalore by road by road (275km/6hrs)
After breakfast drive to Bangalore.

Day 01 :   Hospet – Hampi – Hospet by road ( 20km x 2 ways)
On arrival at Hospet, check in to the hotel Mallige. After freshening up, a full day visit of the Hampi ruins and return to the hotel for the night stay.
Over night at Hospet

Hampi was the capital of the erstwhile Vijaynagar Empire. Vijaynagar translates into ‘City of Victory’, from vijaya (victory) and nagara (city). Vijayanagar attracted people from all around the world. By all accounts, it was a large and prosperous city. This ruined city today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Virupaksha Temple, also known as the Pampapathi Temple, is the core of the village of Hampi. It predated the empire, and was renovated between the 13th and 17th centuries. It has two courts with entrance gopurams and the main entrance with a 50-meter gopuram facing east into a ceremonial, colonnaded street that extends for more than half a mile, to a monolithic statue of Nandi. Active worship is still conducted at this temple.

Krishna Temple, this ruined temple, south of Hampi, built by the emperor Krishnadevaraya after military campaigns in Orissa in 1523, is protected by a fort. The pillars in the temple have ornate carvings describing the life of Krishandevaraya. There are numerous other dilapidated temples with the temple premises.

Lakshminarasimha, the largest idol in Hampi, this massive statue stands 22 feet high. The idol represents the man-lion form of Lord Vishnu and the head of the statue has the serpent with its hoods open as if to shield the Lord. Originally, the huge statue had an idol of Goddess Lakshmi on the left knee of the Lord, but the idol no longer exists due to invading vandals.

Durbar Enclosure
The ‘Durbar Enclosure’, contains the ruins of palaces, administrative buildings, and some temples directly associated with royalty. Here, one can find several public buildings of ceremonial importance: platforms, podiums and an amazing variety of water-works.

Within the Durbar Enclosure:

Mahanavami Dibba, the massive podium is the most ornate of the monuments surviving within the enclosure. The 8-metere-high podium rises in three steps and commands a magnificent view of the surroundings. The king, his court and his entourage are believed to have watched the ceremonial parades from here.

Pushkarini or stepped wells, there is an excellent network of water canals or aqueducts running through the enclosure to supply water. The stepped pond or the Pushkarini in the middle of the enclosure descends in four stages to its square base. Made of well-dressed chlorite slabs, this perfectly symmetrical pond is an object of great architectural beauty.

Lotus Mahal, an elegant example of the fusion of Hindu and Islamic styles of architecture, this mahal is designed to stay cool even when temperatures soar up to 45 degrees Celsius.

Elephant Stables, this is an imposing edifice with arched entrances and numerous domes that once housed the magnificent state elephants. These stables are also a fine example of the then-prevalent Indo-Islamic styles of architecture.

Queen's Bath, this beautiful mortar building was a bathing palace for the women of the royal family. The architectural style is a confluence of Hindu and Muslim styles. The 8-foot-deep tank in the centre, meant for swimming, is supplied with water via an aqueduct from outside.

Vitthala Temple, this is one of the principal monuments of the city and one of the best sculptural wonders at Hampi. It is dedicated to Lord Vittala, a representation of Lord Vishnu. It is believed to date back to the 16th century. In front of the temple lies the famous stone chariot or ratha which in itself is a miniature temple, is carved out of a single rock to resemble the temple chariots.
Another unique feature of the Vitthala Temple is its musical pillars.

Day 02 : Hospet - Badami - Hubli by road ( 180km + 120km)
After an early start, a full day excursion to visit Badami caves and enroute visit Aihole and Pattadakal. Evening drive to Hubli. Overnight stay at Hubli.

Aihole, a very old village, is a place of great architectural interest containing several temples within its huge crumbling walls. The place has three rock-cut shrines, one Vedic, one Jain and one Buddhist. In all, there are about 125 temples here, most of them in ruins.

The most impressive one is the Durga temple with its semicircular apes elevated plinth, and the gallery encircling the sanctum.The Huchimalli temple with a sculpture of Vishnu sitting a top a large cobra.

Pattadakal, on an area of four acres is surrounded by a stone wall, with doors on the east and west, has four large and six small temples. The larger temples are excellent examples of the Dravidian style of architecture.

Virupaksha Temple is the largest temple and is enclosed in a large quadrangle surrounded by small cells or shrines. The famous Kailasa Temple at Ellora was modelled on the Virupaksha Temple, which is the finest example of Chalukyan art. This wonderful centre of the Chalukyan style of art is included in the World Heritage list by UNESCO.

Mallikarjuna Temple is smaller than the Virupaksha Temple but its layout is similar to the Virupaksha Temple. The Galaganatha Temple is a dilapidated structure, but the antechamber has a finely decorated doorway. The Kashi Vishveshwara Temple with the Nagara or the curvilinear shikara is magnificent. The inner ceiling of the temple has the figures of Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati and child Lord Skanda. The Papanatha Temple on the riverside is in better condition. It has a frontal pavilion, sabhamantapa, antechamber, a square, and a garbhagriha with circumambulatory path. Its ceiling has figures of Dikpalas beginning with Indra. One of the pillars has a scene of a royal durbar. The niches outside have carvings of Lord Surya, Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. This has been described as a temple with a mixture of Dravida and Nagara styles of architecture.


Badami is renowned for its rock-cut cave shrines and is an outstanding example of early Chalukyan art. It was the capital of the early Badami Chalukyas.
Badami has both the rock-cut shrines and structures with simple exteriors but exquisite interiors. The town is picturesquely situated at the mouth of a ravine, between two rocky red-sandstone hills. Badami has a fort atop the hill and there are four rock-cut shrines on a very tall rock, one situated above the other.

Day 03 : Hubli ­ Dandeli by road (110km/2-3hrs)
After breakfast, drive to Dandeli Forest Reserve. Upon arrival check into the resort and afternoon a jeep safari into the forest. Evening relax beside a campfire. Overnight at Dandeli Camp.

Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary is one the largest wildlife sanctuary in Karnataka. The sanctuary is generally undulating with steep slopes, river valleys and hilly terrain. The sanctuary is rich in Flora and Fauna and contains unspoilt, untouched and unexplored wildlife. The River Kali dominates Dandeli, River Kali and its tributaries meander through the forest.

The important natural spots here are the Kavala Caves, an awe-inspiring sight, where one needs to crawl to get into the caves.

Syntheri Rock – Syntheri Rock is a 300-feet tall monolithic granite located deep inside the thick Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary. With the Kaneri River gushing ferociously by its side, the Syntheri Rock is a spectacular sight.
Sykes Point, from here one can get an unhindered view of the Kali River flowing through the gorges & the valleys below. For miles together, one can see nothing but undulating lush green forests all around. Siroli Peak is the highest point in the entire district.

Day 04 : Dandeli ­ Hubli drop by road ( 110km/2-3 hrs)
Morning starts early with another jeep safari. You would also be taken on a coracle ride down River Kali. While on the boat ride, chances of spotting crocodiles, herons, egrets, cormorants, kingfishers, lapwings, waterhens, teals and grebes are high. After the safari and breakfast, check-out, later drop to Hubli airport/railway station or proceed onward to Goa.