Tucked in the foothills of the Mullayanagiri peak of the Western Ghats, lies the charming town of Chikmagalur, also called the “Land of Coffee”. Having a pleasant weather, plenty of waterfalls, hills, amazing views and coffee estates, and being so close to Bangalore, it is one of the most popular getaways. There are just so many things to do in and around Chikmagalur that two days are not sufficient at all. You need to prioritise as per your interests, time and conveyance, and definitely plan multiple trips to Chikmagalur, since everything is worth it!

In the limited time we had, we could visit only the nearby places. Undoubtedly, I will be travelling to Chikmagalur again to cover the rest of them!

Duration and Time of Visit

2 days, 1 night
August mid

To and From

Stay

Itinerary

Day 1: Mullayanagiri Trek, Jhari Falls

• To maximise the time in Chikmagalur, we decided to leave at 4am and take turns driving and sleeping
  • At that hour, all routes feel amazing - no traffic and the sun rising up the window shield. Time flew by and we reached Chikmagalur ~8am

• We checked-in to our pre-booked rooms at Hotel Vasanth Vihar, freshened up and enquired about the best breakfast place around
  • It was a tiny South Indian restaurant, called Town Canteen, which served one of the most delicious idlis and dosas (ghee ones) we had ever had! For sure it’s in my “Best Things To Do in Chikmagalur” list!
  • Hotel Vasanth Vihar was a good value for money place - well kept, nothing fancy
• Without any delay, we went to Mullayangiri hill
  • Mullayangiri is the highest peak of Karnataka and is the most popular attraction at Chikmagalur. It gets it’s name from Mulappa Swamy, a saint who’s said to have meditated in the caves near the peak
  • While there is a dirt-road till just before the peak, unfortunately, it was closed that day. But since the weather was very favourable, we decided to park the car and hike along the road. It was an easy ~4kms hike and took us ~2.5 hours to reach the top, stopping every now and then
  • Being monsoon, we saw formidable views - flowers and plants in their full colours and everything fresh. Undoubtedly, the best time to visit Mullayangiri is during the monsoon
  • The last ~500m are actually steps to the temple at the top. The clouds were so dense that visibility was restricted to just ~10 steps ahead of us - a stairway to heaven :)
  • It started drizzling on the way back and we hurried, reaching our car in about ~1.5 hours

• Next we went to Jhari Falls, also called the Buttermilk Falls or Dabdabe Falls
  • You can not reach the falls by personal vehicle. Hence we parked on the main road and hiked for ~1km to the falls. It’s an amazing trail through the forest, and the falls look stupendous in the midst of the greenery
  • Another option is to hire a jeep and enjoy the off-roading experience. The falls are actually within a coffee estate

• On the way back to the hotel from there, we stopped for snacks at Siri Coffee, which is visibly identifiable by the beautiful sculture of a lady in front of it

Day 2: Hirekolale Lake, Ayyan Kere Lake

• After a quick breakfast at Town Canteen, we headed to Hirekolale Lake, which is ~9km from the main town
  • There is a small podium in the water where you can stand and enjoy the idyllic view - lush green mountains all around and you in the middle of a calm lake
  • We were the only ones at the lake for ~1 hour, and as another group came, we moved to the next destination

• Ayyana Kere Lake is one of the biggest lakes in Karnataka and another scenic location
  • We found a great spot on the banks of the lake and sat there for another hour, before leaving for Bangalore

Major Expenses

• Self-drive rental car: Rs. 9,000
• Hotel: Rs. 1,900 per room per night
• Toll: Rs. 220
• Mullayangiri parking: Rs. 20
• Food and drinks

Summary of Things To Do

Things we did:

• Mullayangiri
• Jhari Falls
• Siri Coffee
• Hirekolale Lake
• Ayyan Kere Lake

Things we didn’t do:

• Trek route to Mullayangiri (via Sarpadhari): we had hiked up the motorable dirt-road
• Baba Budangiri: ~30kms away, a great place for trekking and amazing views
  • Inam Dattatreya Peeth
  • Manikyadhara Falls (Honnammana Falls)
  • Some people trek from Mullayangiri to Baba Budangiri (~15kms)
• Hebbe Falls: beautiful waterfall deep in the forest, accessible only by a jeep and then the last stretch on foot, during which you need to cross three streams
• Kemmangundi: a small hill station ~45kms away
  • Trek to the beautiful Z-Point
  • Shanti Falls on the way
  • Rose Garden, Rock Garden
  • Kalhatti Giri Falls
• Kavikal Gandi
• Dantaramakki Kere Lake
• Yagachi Dam: ~25kms away, with a huge lake and water sports
• Madugundi Falls
• Kadambi Falls
• Bhadra Dam
• Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary
• Bhadra River
• Hoysaleswara Temple
• Horanadu Temple
• Sharadamba Temple
• Veeranarayana Temple
• Belur

Tips and Resources

• Since there are so many places in Chikmagalur, prioritise basis your interest, time and conveyance
• Chikmagalur is famous for homestays in coffee estates, or even at other places. If you have your own vehicle, this is worth exploring
• To the above itinerary, if you want to hasten things, you can add one more place to both the days (out of Baba Budangiri, Kemmangundi, Hebbe Falls)
• Mullayangiri trek starts from Sarpadhari (marked in the map). It’s an easy, short trek, taking ~3hours while scaling up, hence definitely recommended
• If you plan to trek, it’s best to wear a cap, apply sunscreen and carry sufficient water