Peaks, temples, waterfalls, a tiger reserve and a lake — with the distances and timings taken straight from our own guides.
~15 km to the Sarpadhari trailhead · 1.5–2.5 hours on the trail, round trip
The highest point in Karnataka at 1,925 m, with a road that climbs most of the way and a short, steep set of steps for the rest.
A shared shrine on a high ridge — the Dattatreya Peetha, revered by Hindus and Muslims alike — reached by one of the district’s best drives.
The hill station the Mysore royals used as a summer retreat, and the base for Hebbe Falls, Kallathgiri Falls and Z Point.
A short walk out of Kemmangundi to a viewpoint that opens onto the Baba Budan range — the sunrise stop most people build the morning around.
Base village Mullodi, via Samse · 6–8 hours on the trail
Karnataka’s second-highest peak, an 18 km round trip through shola grassland with a forest permit and a mandatory guide.
Base village Samse / Mullodi · 4–6 hours on the trail
A 14 km round trip out of Samse through shola forest and grassland, inside Kudremukh National Park.
Base village Byrapura, near Dharmasthala · 3–4 hours on the trail
A short, steep climb to a cliff edge shaped like a bull’s shoulder, which is exactly what the name means.
~22 km from Mudigere · 3–4 hours, including the temple
A short trek above Mudigere to a grassland plateau with a temple at the top and the Charmadi ranges laid out behind it.
Locally "Kavikal Gandi" — a horseshoe-shaped rock outcrop near Mallandur reached by a short, gentle climb, best timed for sunrise over the valley.
One of the two trailheads onto the Baba Budangiri ridge, Sarpadhari being the other, with grassland and shola forest along the way.
Ratings, opening hours and photographs powered by Google.
The Chikmagalur guide has the stays, the map and the rest of the district — and the day-by-day itineraries are built from the places on this page.
