Planning Your Time

Planning Your Time

If you only have a few days in Karnataka, skip Bangalore and head straight to Mysore, whose highlights are the sprawling Mysore Palace and the temple atop Chamundi Hill. The breathtaking temples at Belur and Halebid, 2½ hours away, can be visited as a (long) day trip from Mysore. Bangalore doesn't have a huge number of sights, but it can be a good place to recharge before moving on to less plush pastures. The ruins of Hampi, best reached via the overnight train from Bangalore to Hospet, deserve at least two days to see effectively. From Hospet you can make train connections to Guntakal, and from there to most major cities in India. As for Hyderabad, you could cover all of its major sights in one exhausting day, but it's best if you can spend at least two nights. The must-sees here are Golconda Fort and the Qutab Shahi Tombs, both several miles outside of the city and reachable by taxi or auto-rickshaw; Old Town's Charminar, a four-story arched, minaret-topped gateway; and the impressive Salar Jung Museum. If you have a lot of stamina and intend to head south to Chennai, in Tamil Nadu, consider a 12-hour detour to the temple town of Tirupati, which is within the state of Andhra Pradesh but only four hours from Chennai. But be warned: it's much easier to go from Chennai to Tirupati than from Hyderabad to Tirupati.