| QUICK ANSWER Dussehra falls on Tuesday 20 October 2026, so taking Monday 19 October off gives a four-day long weekend from Saturday 17 October to Tuesday 20 October. The 10 best road trips from Bangalore are Hosur, Mysore, Sakleshpura, Chikmagalur, Coorg, Ooty, Coonoor and Kotagiri, Udupi and Hejamady, Kodaikanal and Kannur. For the Dasara finale and the Jamboo Savari on 20 October, pick Mysore; for coffee country, pick Chikmagalur, Coorg or Sakleshpura. |
If your weekends have been lost to Bengaluru traffic, the Dussehra long weekend is your way out: Saturday 17 October to Tuesday 20 October 2026, four days away for just one day of leave on Monday 19 October. It also lands on the finale of Mysuru Dasara, the Western Ghats are lush after the monsoon, and the Nilgiris are cool and clear.
This guide takes you through the 10 best road trips from Bangalore, one destination at a time: what it is like, what to do, what to see, what to eat, where to stay, and the experiences a SaffronStays home adds that a hotel room cannot.
Table of Contents-
The 10 Best Road Trips from Bangalore at a Glance
| Destination | Best for | Drive | SaffronStays pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosur | Families with children, pet owners | Short | Amodhini Farmstay |
| Mysore | Families, heritage lovers | Short | Ayati |
| Sakleshpura | Nature lovers, birders, pet owners | Half day | Jerdon’s Perch |
| Chikmagalur | Coffee lovers, trekkers | Half day | Coffeeshire |
| Coorg | Families, food lovers, wildlife lovers | Half day | Calamondinn Bungalow |
| Ooty | Families, heritage lovers | Half day | Milton Abbott Estate |
| Coonoor and Kotagiri | Couples, slow travellers, pet owners | Full day | Valleyfall |
| Udupi and Hejamady | Food lovers, beach lovers | Full day | Blue Flag House |
| Kodaikanal | Couples, coffee lovers | Full day | Nandanvan Estate |
| Kannur | Heritage lovers, families | Full day | Amaya |
Drive: Short is an easy morning’s drive, Half day takes most of a morning or afternoon, and Full day means setting off at dawn.
Planning Your Dussehra Long Weekend Road Trip
- Book now: Mysuru fills up fast for the Dasara finale, and estate villas in Coorg and Chikmagalur go early on long weekends.
- Beat the traffic: leave at dawn on Saturday, and expect heavy traffic on the Mysuru road around 20 October.
- Plan the forest roads: the highway through Bandipur and Mudumalai closes to most traffic at night, so cross in daylight on the way to Ooty.
- Watch the weather: the northeast monsoon usually reaches Tamil Nadu’s hills later in October, so check the Kodaikanal forecast before you drive.
1. Hosur: The Farm Weekend Across the Border
Just across the Tamil Nadu border, Hosur is the fastest way out of Bengaluru’s traffic and into open countryside. Flower farms, forest edges and quiet villages surround the town, and the Kaveri’s famous falls at Hogenakkal are within reach for a day trip.
Things to do
- Take a farm tour through the flower fields
- Trek to the Sri Shiva Nanjundeshwara temple on the hill
- Ride a coracle at Hogenakkal when water levels allow
- Cycle the village roads at sunset
Must-visit places: The Chandra Choodeshwara temple, the Aiyur forest, Kelavarapalli dam and Hogenakkal Falls.
What to eat: Tamil home cooking: idli, dosa and pongal for breakfast, and a full meals spread on a banana leaf for lunch.
Where to stay: SaffronStays Amodhini Farmstay is a three-bedroom, Tamilian-inspired heritage farmhouse set across a 38-acre working flower farm, with gardens, a gazebo and open greens. It is pet-friendly.
The SaffronStays Advantage
Amodhini turns a short drive into a full farm weekend. The stay includes a complimentary flower farm tour, a forest drive, cycling and a trek to the Sri Shiva Nanjundeshwara temple, and you can add a tractor ride, a canvas painting session or yoga on the lawns. Evenings bring high tea in the gazebo, a bonfire and a barbeque under the stars.
2. Mysore: The Dasara Finale
This long weekend is the grand finale of Mysuru Dasara, which runs from 11 to 20 October 2026. The palace glows with thousands of bulbs every night of the festival, and on Vijayadashami, Tuesday 20 October, the Jamboo Savari procession carries the golden howdah through the city on a caparisoned elephant.
Things to do
- Watch the Jamboo Savari procession on 20 October; seating passes are released ahead of the day
- See the illuminated Mysore Palace after dark
- Climb Chamundi Hills to the Chamundeshwari temple
- Wander the Devaraja market among flowers, spices and sandalwood
Must-visit places: Mysore Palace, Chamundi Hills, the Dasara exhibition grounds, Devaraja market, Srirangapatna and the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary.
What to eat: Mysore masala dosa, Mysore pak from the old sweet shops, and a traditional meal at one of the city’s darshinis.
Where to stay: SaffronStays Ayati sits on a 4.5-acre organic fruit farm on the outskirts of Mysuru, available as a five-bedroom estate, a three-bedroom villa or two private cottages, with a long private pool and traditional Athangudi tiles. For a riverside stay, SaffronStays Riverstone sits on the banks of the Kaveri in Srirangapatna.
The SaffronStays Advantage
During Dasara, the city is thrilling and crowded, so where you sleep matters. Ayati gives you a quiet farm to come home to: swim the long pool, pick seasonal fruit from the orchards for farm-to-table meals, and end the night in the festoon-lit pavilion with a bonfire and music. With a kids’ play area, a badminton court and room for three generations, it suits a family Dasara trip.
3. Sakleshpura: Coffee, Cardamom and the Western Ghats
Sakleshpura is Karnataka’s quieter coffee country, set among the forests of the Western Ghats. Coffee and cardamom estates climb the slopes, streams still run after the rains, and the views from its ridges stretch across the ghats.
Things to do
- Walk through coffee and cardamom estates
- Explore the star-shaped Manjarabad Fort
- Look out over the ghats from Bisle viewpoint
- Visit the Betta Byraveshwara temple
Must-visit places: Manjarabad Fort, Bisle Viewpoint, the Hemavathi backwaters, Betta Byraveshwara Temple and Magajahalli falls.
What to eat: Malnad cooking: akki rotti, kadubu, spicy country chicken, and estate coffee with every meal.
Where to stay: SaffronStays Jerdon’s Perch is a pet-friendly private pool villa at the edge of Sakleshpur, set among coffee estates and hills, with uninterrupted Western Ghats views and expansive open lawns.
The SaffronStays Advantage
Jerdon’s Perch is named after the rare Jerdon’s Nightjar, a bird often spotted in the area, and it rewards anyone who loves the forest. Swim with the Western Ghats laid out in front of you, let your dog run on the open lawns, and walk out to the treks, streams and waterfalls around the estate.
4. Chikmagalur: Where Indian Coffee Began
Chikmagalur is where Indian coffee began, when the saint Baba Budan planted seven beans in the hills around 1670. In late October the estates are green, the coffee cherries are ripening ahead of the winter harvest, and the high peaks are clear.
Things to do
- Climb Mullayanagiri, Karnataka’s highest peak
- Visit the hills of Baba Budangiri
- Walk to Hebbe Falls in Kemmangundi
- Spend an afternoon among the Hoysala carvings at Belur and Halebidu
Must-visit places: Mullayanagiri, Baba Budangiri, the Coffee Museum on Kadur Road, Kemmangundi, Hebbe Falls and the temples of Belur and Halebidu.
What to eat: Malnad akki rotti and kadubu, spicy country chicken, and fresh estate coffee.
Where to stay: SaffronStays Coffeeshire is a four-bedroom plantation home inside a working estate of coffee, pepper and banana, with wide verandahs and estate-view terraces.
The SaffronStays Advantage
Coffeeshire is the most hands-on coffee stay near Bangalore. Join a plantation tour through the rows, see the cherries ripening ahead of the harvest, and watch the sun come up over the estate from the terrace with a cup grown on the slope below.
5. Coorg: Kodava Country After the Rains
Coorg’s estates are lush after the monsoon and its waterfalls run strong into October. This long weekend also falls around Kaveri Sankramana, when devotees gather at Talakaveri, the source of the Kaveri, for the river’s sacred welling up; the exact date and time are announced each year.
Things to do
- Visit Talakaveri and Bhagamandala around Kaveri Sankramana
- See Abbey Falls and Raja’s Seat in Madikeri
- Spend a morning at the Dubare elephant camp
- Take a safari at Nagarhole
Must-visit places: Abbey Falls, Raja’s Seat, Talakaveri, Bhagamandala, Dubare, Nagarhole and the Namdroling monastery at Bylakuppe.
What to eat: Pandi curry with kadambuttu, akki otti and noolputtu.
Where to stay: SaffronStays Calamondinn Bungalow is a five-bedroom colonial bungalow built in the 1890s, set inside its own coffee plantation near Gonikoppal in south Coorg, on the edge of Nagarhole.
The SaffronStays Advantage
Calamondinn brings Coorg’s history and its forests together. Antique furnishings fill its rooms, guided plantation walks lead through the estate, and home-cooked Kodava meals come to the table. With Nagarhole on the doorstep, an early safari and a lazy estate afternoon fit easily into the same day.
6. Ooty: The Nilgiri Classic
The best-known hill station in the Nilgiris makes for a scenic drive through Bandipur and Mudumalai. Colonial bungalows, tea estates and the mountain railway give Ooty its old-world character, and October days are cool and fresh.
Things to do
- Ride the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage line
- Walk the Government Botanical Garden
- Drive up to Doddabetta peak
- Tour a tea estate on the edge of town
Must-visit places: The Botanical Garden, Ooty Lake, Doddabetta, the Rose Garden, Pykara and the tea estates around town.
What to eat: Ooty’s homemade chocolates, crisp varkey biscuits from the bakeries, and fresh Nilgiri tea.
Where to stay: SaffronStays Milton Abbott Estate offers heritage suites in an 1865 bungalow next to the Ooty golf course, with vintage charm throughout.
The SaffronStays Advantage
Milton Abbott lets you stay in Ooty’s colonial past rather than just visit it. Wake up in a bungalow that has stood since 1865, take your tea with views over the golf course, and come home from the toy train to the quiet of an old Nilgiri estate.
7. Coonoor and Kotagiri: The Quieter Nilgiris
For a quieter Nilgiris weekend, stay among the tea estates of Coonoor or Kotagiri, the oldest hill station in the range. Clouds drift across the valleys, the roads are emptier than Ooty’s, and every view seems to include a tea garden.
Things to do
- Visit Sim’s Park and Dolphin’s Nose in Coonoor
- Walk to Lamb’s Rock through the tea estates
- See the Catherine Falls and Kodanad viewpoint near Kotagiri
- Tour a working tea factory
Must-visit places: Sim’s Park, Dolphin’s Nose, Lamb’s Rock, Catherine Falls and Kodanad Viewpoint.
What to eat: Fresh Nilgiri tea, Coonoor’s bakeries, and homemade jams from the hills.
Where to stay: SaffronStays Valleyfall is a pet-friendly, three-bedroom villa in Kotagiri with panoramic tea estate and valley views, warm contemporary interiors and work-friendly spaces.
The SaffronStays Advantage
Valleyfall puts the tea country right outside the window. Join a tea estate tour, then spend misty mornings with chai and the valley view that guests remember long after the trip. With pets welcome and space to work, it suits a slower, longer stay in the hills.
8. Udupi and Hejamady: Temple Town and Coast
The drive to Udupi ends in one of South India’s great food towns, with a coastline of long, quiet beaches stretching south towards Mangaluru.
Things to do
- Visit the Sri Krishna temple in Udupi
- Watch the sun set at Malpe beach
- Take a surfing lesson near Mulki
- See the Kaup lighthouse and beach
Must-visit places: Sri Krishna Temple, Malpe Beach, St Mary’s Island, Kaup Beach and lighthouse, and Hejamady Beach.
What to eat: An Udupi meal on a banana leaf, goli baje and neer dosa, and Mangalorean kori rotti and fish curry.
Where to stay: SaffronStays Blue Flag House is a three-bedroom, Mangalore-style villa set on Hejamady Beach with private backwaters on the other side. For a riverside cluster of cottages, SaffronStays Suvarna Sangam in Udupi overlooks the Suvarna river.
The SaffronStays Advantage
Blue Flag House sits between the sea and the backwaters, with exclusive access to a secluded stretch of Hejamady Beach. Walk the empty sand at sunset, try the waves at the surfing school nearby, and come back to a traditional Mangalorean home for the evening.
9. Kodaikanal: The Palani Hills
Kodaikanal is a long but rewarding drive into Tamil Nadu’s Palani Hills. The lake sits at the heart of town, pine and eucalyptus forests fill the slopes, and the valleys below fall away in dramatic views.
Things to do
- Walk around Kodai Lake and along Coaker’s Walk
- Look out over the valleys at Pillar Rocks
- Explore the pine forest on the edge of town
- Visit Bryant Park’s gardens
Must-visit places: Kodai Lake, Coaker’s Walk, Pillar Rocks, the Pine Forest, Bryant Park and Guna Caves.
What to eat: Kodaikanal’s homemade chocolates, fresh fruit from the hills and warming South Indian meals.
Where to stay: SaffronStays Nandanvan Estate is a three-bedroom villa on a 35-acre organic coffee estate in the Palani Hills, and the home of Nandan Coffee.
The SaffronStays Advantage
Nandanvan is where Nandan Coffee, the award-winning single-estate coffee, has been grown and roasted by the Mariwala family for three generations. Mornings start with a cup from the slopes outside, and the estate’s quiet makes it the natural stay for coffee lovers heading south.
10. Kannur: Kerala’s Heritage Coast
Kannur is North Kerala at its most distinctive: the land of theyyam, handloom weaving and old Malabar forts, with a coastline of quiet beaches and green hills rising behind it. The drive from Bengaluru through Coorg makes a natural route.
Things to do
- Drive along Muzhappilangad, Kerala’s longest drive-in beach
- Explore St Angelo Fort above the Arabian Sea
- Visit the Arakkal Museum, home of Kerala’s only Muslim royal family
- See Velliyamparamba waterfalls and the Pazhassi dam
Must-visit places: Muzhappilangad Beach, St Angelo Fort, Arakkal Museum, Payyambalam Beach, Pazhassi Dam and the Palukachippara viewpoint.
What to eat: Thalassery biryani, kallummakkaya mussels, pathiri and Malabar snacks such as unnakaya.
Where to stay: SaffronStays Amaya is a five-bedroom, 300-year-old Kerala heritage home in Kannur, built in the traditional ettukettu style around a courtyard, with a stepped pond and a lush garden.
The SaffronStays Advantage
Amaya is a home with three centuries of history. Known locally as Kallur Illam, it was the ancestral house of a Namboodiri family who served as patriarchs of the village temple, and the estate is remembered for resisting Tipu Sultan’s rule. Today you can sit by its stepped pond, eat farm-to-table Kerala meals, and book a traditional Ayurvedic spa session with kalari massage. A petting zoo keeps children busy, and guests rate the stay among the best in SaffronStays’ southern collection.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Dussehra long weekend in 2026?
Dussehra falls on Tuesday 20 October 2026. Take Monday 19 October off and you get a four-day break from Saturday 17 October to Tuesday 20 October.
What are the best road trips from Bangalore for the Dussehra long weekend?
Hosur and Mysore suit a short drive, with Mysore hosting the Dasara finale. Sakleshpura, Chikmagalur and Coorg suit coffee-country weekends, Ooty, Coonoor and Kodaikanal suit hill lovers, Udupi suits food lovers, and Kannur suits a full-day drive into Kerala’s heritage coast.
When is the Mysore Dasara Jamboo Savari in 2026?
The Jamboo Savari takes place on Vijayadashami, Tuesday 20 October 2026, the final day of Mysuru Dasara, which runs from 11 to 20 October.
Do you need to take leave for the Dussehra long weekend?
One day. Dussehra is on Tuesday 20 October 2026, so taking Monday 19 October off turns Saturday to Tuesday into a four-day break.
Is there a farm stay near Bangalore with farm tours?
Yes. SaffronStays Amodhini Farmstay in Hosur sits on a 38-acre flower farm and includes a complimentary flower farm tour, forest drive, cycling and temple trek.
Can you drive through Bandipur at night on the way to Ooty?
The highway through Bandipur and Mudumalai is closed to most traffic at night to protect wildlife, so plan to cross the forest in daylight.