9 Best One-Day Road Trip from Bangalore

Which are the best places near Bangalore for one-day road drips? Who are the well-traveled people in the world? I believe those who listen or read about lesser-known places near the city they live are the real travelers in the true sense.  Only a handful of such knowledgeable travelers blog about them for the benefit of others. Here are the 10 Best One-Day Road Trip from Bangalore.

Bangalore in India is one of the lucky cities in the world that are blessed with extremely beautiful places existing nearby. Those places can be considered for visiting in a day and come back on the same day. “Day Trips” are the most searched keyword by city dwellers because they can take their visiting guests and surprise them. First you need to make sure your car is fully insured. So just compare car insurance companies, choose the best one and set off on your adventures.

Some alert travelers find hidden gems while enjoying their one-day road trips.

In addition, you don’t have to make elaborate travel plans to make day trips. There is no need to stay in a hotel or eat in any unhygienic restaurant because you can pack your meals for the day.

9 Best One-Day Road Trip from Bangalore:

Let us begin our road trips from Bangalore.

1. Chunchi Waterfalls

I guess you have not heard of Chunchi Waterfalls even though you have been living in Bangalore for several years.

This scenic one-day road trip from Bangalore    is located only 80 km away en route to Mekedatu.

You can start at 7 am from Bangalore and come back in about three hours after staying at the site for an hour or so. I read the falls go dry in March and April.

In Chunchi Falls, the water is falling from a height of 50 feet. The waterfalls are fed by the Akavati River. While you walk up to the falls, you will see an observation tower from where the aerial view of the Chunchi Falls will steal your heart.

Bathing in the waterfalls is prohibited.

2. Sangama

It is actually a place of rivers confluence that is also called ‘Sangam’. This one-day road trip from Bangalore    is only a short distance away from Chunchi Falls. The distance from Kanakapura, a locality in Bangalore, is 85 km. It is a bit hidden and you can easily miss it as you drive. Therefore, ask around as you are nearing the place.

Sangama is where the Rivers Cauvery and Arkavati meet. You can imagine the beauty of this place near Bangalore even as you are reading this blog post.

You are warned not to enter the rivers because of the presence of crocodiles!

3. Mekedatu

This will be your final stop if you have started to visit Chunchi Falls first. Mekedatu is only 5 km away from Sangama.

You have to cross the river by boat to reach Mekedatu. During the dry season, when the water flow is very thin, you can just walk across the river.

It is interesting to know why this place is called ‘Mekedatu’. It means ‘goat lep’ in Kannada. The river Cauvery here is only 20 feet wide that a goat can just leap across to reach the other side of the river.

So, you can visit three places near Bangalore in one day and get back to the city in the evening. The only issue is you have to pack enough food, snacks, and drinking water for this road trip from Bangalore.

4. Kuntibetta

Ah, it looks dreamy. This is one of the popular trekking places near Bangalore. If even if trekking is not your forte, you can still visit the place for its serene beauty.

Road traveling enthusiasts in Bangalore frequently hit the Bangalore-Mysore highway because there are several beautiful spots en route and also the highway is scattered with numerous restaurants and coffee spots that are more famous than the places of visit.

Kuntibetta is found on the way to Mysore. It is near Mandya town, one of the best eating stops on the way to Mysore. Kuntibetta is located 130 km from Bangalore and 110 km from the start of the beautiful NICE Road, Electronic City.

Your first destination on this road trip from Bangalore is Pandavapura. Near the hamlet, you can see a bald hillock. Its peak’s altitude is 2890 feet!

Generally, it is hot over here. That’s why adventure travelers prefer to trek during the night. Don’t assume only very few people go trekking at night. The Bangalore mountaineering club organizes frequent trekking events at KuntiBetta.

The view from the hill is breathtaking and the star attraction is Thondanur Lake.

5. Doddamakali

I think the video caught your fascination. The parisal (a small hollow boat made of bamboo poles) ride in the Cauvery River gives you a unique experience. It is a paddle boat navigated only by expert paddlers.

The forest that s seen on the banks of the river is a bird watcher’s haven. The green canopy and the water body provide ample prey to birds and humans too who are seen wearing a typical hunter’s cap with angling gear on their hands.

From Bangalore, Doddamakali is just 105 km away towards Mysore. The short distance is ideal for undertaking a one-day road trip from Bangalore   .

There is a convenient jungle resort on the banks of Cauvery, thus attracting people from Mysore and nearby towns to plan a weekend holiday. The resort offers independent cottages that the majority of the Indians prefer.

The Cauvery river will be in full flow in August and September. So, it is the best time to visit Doddamakali. Fishing buffs throng this scenic place near Bangalore. The abundant water and fish supply attract even migratory birds that seem to remember the spot every year.

6. Bananthimari Betta

The 65 km distance from Bangalore city is an ideal distance for a one-day road trip from Bangalore   . The location is close to Kankapura town on the outskirts of Bangalore.

This place attracts trekking enthusiasts from Mysore and Bangalore. I read people even from Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri come to this place on their two-wheelers.

Climbing (Rappelling) the rocky hill with the aid of ropes is the main adventure activity of this place near Bangalore. Even a beginner mountaineer can reach the 2100 feet summit in about three hours by trekking.

7. Savandurga Hill

To plan a one-day road trip from Bangalore    to Savandurga hill, even a bicycle is enough because of the distance that is just 60 km from Bangalore towards Magadi.

There are two hills, of which one is black and the other is white. Both the hillocks are made of a single rock (monolith). The tallest peak stands at 4000 feet.

Apart from trekkers and rappellars, wildlife enthusiasts visit Sanvandurga hills in the hope of the graceful cat Leopard. If you are lucky, you can spot a sloth bear too.

The crevices on the rock are home to vultures and eagles. At the bottom of the hills flows the Arkavati River. It is arrested at the Thippagondanahalli reservoir.

This road trip destination near Bangalore is also a pilgrimage center.

8. Hogenakkal Falls

Located on the border between Tamilnadu and Karnataka, the Hogenakkl Falls are highly popular and one of the most visited places near Bangalore.

Doing a road trip to this place from Bangalore is easy as the distance to cover is only 130 km near Dharmapuri, on the way to Salem.

Though you cannot stand underneath the falls because the water force is high, you can go for a parisal (Coracle) ride on the Cauvery River that feeds the falls.

As the water falls in great volume, it makes a roaring sound that is heard from a distance. Some of the falls are thin and that is where you can stand underneath them.

This place is very famous for river fish species. On the banks of the river, you can find too many roadside stalls that make fish fry from the just-caught fish.

I think this view alone is worth your one-day road trip from Bangalore.

8. Gandikota Canyon

How many Indians are aware that there is a grand canyon in their own country? Though it is a canyon of mammoth proportions that cannot be hidden, Gandikota Canyon is considered a hidden gem.

Though the distance between Bangalore and Gandikota is 280 km, you can still plan a road trip provided you begin your journey by 6 am.

River Penna caused the erosion to form the canyon. Though the river originates on the Nandi Hills of Karnataka, it flows through Andhra. In fact, the site of the canyon is in Andhra Pradesh’s Cudappah district.

There are some remains of a magnificent Gandikota Fort at the entrance of the canyon.

9. Ranganathittu

As the image of the painted stork indicates, Ranganathittu is a bird sanctuary, near Mysore. The distance from Bangalore is 130 km.

There is a huge lake here wherein boat rides are offered. On the small islands on the lake, one can spot several species of aqua bird, roosting on the trees.

As many as 170 bird species were recognized and recorded. I believe some of them are migratory birds.

I had been to this bird sanctuary long ago. One bird that caught my attention is the awesome black-billed Ibis.

On some trees, you can see hundreds of bats hanging upside down, waiting patiently for the darkness to set in when they can go in search of frogs and small birds.

The calls of myriad birds will be captivating. You can also spot crocodiles on the lake but they don’t harm the boat passengers. I think they got used to the two-legged visitors.

10. Avalabetta

Another hilly place that is strikingly beautiful. It is one of the Best One-Day Road Trip from Bangalore (100 km) where you can plan a road trip. It is located on the way to Bellary. You can enter the NICE Road to proceed further.

The winding road up the hill is bordered with lush greenery on either side.

I left out a few places near Bangalore that include Mysore city and Nandi Hills because they are too well-known to be featured for an article that lists out the Best One-Day Road Trips from Bangalore.