Itinerary
- Day 1
Bangalore
You'll land in Bangalore and get oriented to India's tech hub right away. After settling in, head to the city center to see how modern and traditional areas blend together. Tipu Sultan's palace complex gives you a sense of the region's royal history, and then you can spend the afternoon walking through Lal Bagh gardens where there's a nice collection of botanical specimens spread across the grounds.
Included Activities
- City center visit
- Tipu Sultan's Palace Complex tour
- Lal Bagh gardens visit
Landmarks/POIs Tipu Sultan's Palace Lal Bagh - Day 2
Bangalore to Mysore
Early start toward Mysore with a stop in Somanathapura to check out the Hoysala-era Vishnu Temple, which has that distinctive star-shaped design and lots of detailed stone carving throughout. After exploring the temple architecture, you'll continue on to Mysore. The palace there blends what the Maharajas wanted with English design elements, so it's quite different from what you saw earlier in the day.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Somanathapura Vishnu Temple visit
- Mysore Palace visit
Landmarks/POIs Somanathapura Vishnu Temple Mysore Palace - Day 3
Mysore to Hassan
Begin with Srirangapatnam, where you'll tour the fortress city and Tipu Sultan's summer palace. Later you'll head to Sravanabelgola, a major Jaina pilgrimage site. The main attraction here is the monolithic Bahubali statue carved from a single stone, which holds significant spiritual importance. You'll wrap up the day traveling to Hassan for the night.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Srirangapatnam fortress city and summer palace visit
- Sravanabelgola sacred site and Bahubali statue visit
Landmarks/POIs Srirangapatnam Sravanabelgola Bahubali Statue - Day 4
Hassan
This day focuses on two key Hoysala temples that showcase how temple architecture developed over time. First, you'll see the Chennakeshvara Temple in Belur, then head to the Hoysaleshvara Temple in Halebid. Comparing the two gives you a real sense of the craftsmanship and how designs evolved during this period of Indian temple building.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Belur Chennakeshvara Temple visit
- Halebid Hoysaleshvara Temple visit
Landmarks/POIs Belur Chennakeshvara Temple Halebid Hoysaleshvara Temple - Day 5
Hassan to Hampi
You'll arrive in Hampi where the ruins of the Vijayanagar capital spread across the landscape. The archaeological zone contains temples, palaces, and various structures scattered between hills. This is day one of exploring the site, so you'll get oriented to the major areas and start understanding the layout of this late-medieval dynasty's former center.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Hampi archaeological zone visit (partial)
Landmarks/POIs Hampi Archaeological Zone - Day 6
Hampi to Badami
Finish exploring Hampi's archaeological complex, then travel to Aihole and Pattadakal. These Chalukya-era sites date from the 6th to 8th centuries. Aihole was the capital and contains India's oldest dated stone temple, while Pattadakal served as the sacred coronation center. You'll end the day in Badami for the night.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Hampi archaeological zone visit (continuation)
- Aihole temple complex visit
- Pattadakal temple complex visit
Landmarks/POIs Aihole Pattadakal - Day 7
Badami to Bijapur
Check out Badami's cave and riverside temples, which highlight Chalukya heritage and craftsmanship. Then you'll travel to Bijapur, which was an important sultanate center until the late 1600s. The focus here is the mausoleums built by sultans, particularly the Gol Gumbaz with its distinctive round dome, which was built for Mohammed Adil Shah.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Badami cave and riverside temples visit
- Gol Gumbaz (Mohammed Adil Shah mausoleum) visit
Landmarks/POIs Badami Cave Temples Gol Gumbaz - Day 8
Bijapur to Goa
You'll travel through northwestern Karnataka's Ghats mountains toward the coast. Stop at a spice garden near Ponda to see how vanilla and other spices are grown and cultivated. From there, continue on to Goa, the former Portuguese colony that blends colonial heritage with tropical coastal surroundings.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Ponda spice garden visit
Landmarks/POIs Ponda Spice Garden - Day 9
Goa
Spend the day exploring Goa's Portuguese heritage and architecture. Visit Old Goa to see preserved religious structures including the Cathedral and Bom Jesus Church, a historically important Jesuit building. Check out the Panaji district and Fort Aguada to get a feel for how Goa combines colonial design with tropical charm.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Old Goa monuments visit
- Cathedral visit
- Bom Jesus Church visit
- Panaji district tour
- Fort Aguada visit
Landmarks/POIs Goa Cathedral Bom Jesus Church Fort Aguada - Day 10
Goa
This is your free day in Goa. Relax on the beaches or swim in the Arabian Sea if you want. You can also wander around on your own and continue exploring different parts of Goa at whatever pace feels right. It's a good chance to unwind after several days of structured touring.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Beach activities
- Additional Goa sightseeing
- Day 11
Goa to Mumbai
Early morning flight gets you to Mumbai. Start the city tour at the Gateway to India, the grand British-era monument that's central to the city's identity. From there, you'll see the Victorian railway station, drive along Marine Drive for the coastal views, and visit central parks and squares. You'll get a sense of how Mumbai blends prosperity with dense urban neighborhoods.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Gateway to India visit
- Victorian railway station visit
- Marine Drive tour
- Central parks and squares visit
Landmarks/POIs Gateway to India Victoria Terminus Marine Drive - Day 12
Mumbai to Aurangabad
In the morning, take an excursion to Elephanta Island where you can explore cave temples with atmospheric sculptures, including the notable three-headed Shiva relief. Later in the afternoon, you'll fly to Aurangabad, which serves as your base for the next couple of days while you visit Buddhist and Hindu rock-cut temples in the area.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Elephanta Island cave temples visit
Landmarks/POIs Elephanta Caves - Day 13
Aurangabad
Head to the Ajanta cave temples, which include approximately 29 major Buddhist rock-cut caves created between the 2nd century BCE and 7th century CE. The wall paintings here are well-preserved, which is unusual for this region. The artwork shows detailed compositions and storytelling that reflects the artistic height of Buddhism during its golden age.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Ajanta cave temples visit
Landmarks/POIs Ajanta Caves - Day 14
Aurangabad
Visit Ellora to see rock-cut temples that show the religious and cultural variety across centuries. You'll see Buddhist caves alongside Hindu and Jain structures that came later, reflecting different faiths in one location. The Kailash Temple is the highlight, carved entirely from a single rock face, showing remarkable skill and vision in how the entire structure was created.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Ellora cave temples visit
- Kailash Temple visit
Landmarks/POIs Ellora Caves Kailash Temple
