places in Karnataka

25 Places to visit in Karnataka

3 years ago

Karnataka is an Indian state famous for its religious and historical importance. There are many temples, forts, museums, mausoleums, and scientific places that you can visit while travelling in Karnataka. The awesome culture of Karnataka will leave an unforgettable memory in your mind. Karnataka consists of more than 50 places to visit, but here we have searched the top 25 places that you note down in your diary and must-visit when you get a chance to visit Karnataka.    

Let’s Explore Karnataka’s best 25 places 

1. Bangalore Palace

It is called the Royal Palace of Bangalore. The area covered by the palace is 45,000 sq. ft and whole palace area are spread in 454 acres. Bangalore Palace is a famous tourist place in Karnataka as the palace reflects the royalty of Indian Kings and attracts the visitors by its beautiful gardens and amazing historical look. If you love to explore museums and have an interest in history, you must visit the Bangalore Palace. Banglore palace is also been used for destination weddings.       

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

2. Lal Bagh

Lal Bagh is a horticulture delight spread in 240 acres. The Bagh is full of beautiful flora and ancient stone formation. The building of the garden was started in 1760 by Hyder Ali but later completed by his son Tippu. Bagh contains 1,000 species of plants and trees that are more than 100 years old. To gain public interest and to educate people about the varieties of flora, Lal Bagh conducts flower show during republic day and Independence Day every year. It is one of the best gardens to visit in Bangalore.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

3. Chamundeshwari Temple

Chamundeshwari Temple is one of the most religious Hindu temples located in Karnataka. The temple is located at the height of 1000ft on Chamundi Hills, 13km from Mysore, Karnataka. The temple is not only famous in India but also in abroad. The Chamundeshwari Temple is named after the goddess ‘Chamundi’ or ‘Durga’. The temple also is known by the name of Nandi and Mahishasura, the demon. Chamundeshwari Temple is one of the Shakti Peetha among all the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas. The temple is one of the most attractive places for tourists due to its scenic beauty.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

4. Virupaksha Temple

Virupaksha Temple built during the 7th century is one of the oldest temples in the world. The temple is located on the bank of Tungabhadra river at Hampi. Due to its beautiful architecture and history, the temple is one of the UNESCO’s World Heritage site. Virupaksha Temple is one of the best tourist places for Architecture and history lovers. Despite its great architecture, the sculptures of god and goddess encrypted on the walls of the temple depict its royalty. For the traveler who is enthusiastic to know history and believes in god must visit the place.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

5. Abbey Falls

Abbey falls is located in Kodagu, in the Western Ghats in Karnataka. It is a famous tourist place that has pleasant weather and splendid view. It’s one of the worth sightseeing places in Coorg. The waterfall is surrounded by aromatic plantations of coffee and spices and the place is so peaceful that every traveler just tranquilizes by it. The sight of water falling with a height of 70 feet from a cliff surrounded by a lot of greenery is an amazing view that beholds the attention of every traveler. A hanging bridge lies just opposite the falls. Earlier, the fall was surrounded by thick jungle and was called as Jessi falls.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

6. Hoysaleswara Temple

Also referred to as the Halebidu temple. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is the largest monument located in Halebidu, a town in Hassan district of Karnataka. It was built in the 12th century on the banks of a large man-made lake. It is a traditional monument and attracts tourists because of its unique architecture. It is listed under UNESCO World Heritage. Shivratri is an important festival for visiting this temple.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

7. Mahabaleshwar Temple

Mahabaleshwar Temple is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea on the western coast of India. Most tourists are attracted to this temple due to its lush green environment. This temple has an interesting story when Ravana was taking Atma linga to Lanka which he gained by pleasing Lord Shiva so as to attain immortality, Lord Ganesha tricked him and dropped the atmalinga here. The temple is built around this linga. It is one of the seven muktistala (places of salvation) in Karnataka where people perform death rites for their departed one.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

8. Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace

Tipu Sultan is one of the great rulers of Mysore who defeated the British Army from conquering his empire. Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace is an Indo-Islamic architecture which determines the royalty of Tipu Sultan. This place is the summer residence of Tipu Sultan. Hyder Ali constructed the palace within the wall of the Bangalore Fort during 1719. The inside structure of the palace consists of pillars and balconies. It is considered that Tipu Sultan used to conduct his Darbar from those balconies. The palace wall is also encrypted with a painting of grand throne which were used by Tipu Sultan during that period. Nowadays, the palace is well maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

9. Ulsoor Lake

Ulsoor Lake also known as Halasuru Lake is the biggest lake of Bangalore. The name of the lake is derived from the locality in which it is situated, namely Halasuru. The lake is spread over an area of 50 hectares and comprises of many Islands. The lake was created by Sir Lewin Bentham Bowring.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

10. ISKON Temple

Sri Radha Krishna Temple located in Rajajinagar, Bangalore is one of the largest ISKON temples in the world. In 1987 the society was registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act. ISKCON Bangalore is a charitable society which spread the objective of Lord Krishna over the world. They also work for the welfare of the poor and help them to work under ISKCON. ISKCON Temple, Bangalore is one of the best tourist places. The temple has a gold plated flag post at the height of 56 ft and gold plated shikara at 28 ft high. This place is also well known for its peace and integrity and if you are a krishna devotee, the place is for you.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

11. Bidar Fort

Bidar Fort is one of the biggest forts of Karnataka as it has over 30 monuments inside it. Ahmad Shah Wali Bahman built the fort but later it was occupied by the Sultan Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah. Bidar Fort was ruled by the Bahmani Dynasty for years. Now it has become a tourist place, the fort consists of beautiful gardens and monuments. People can see how ancient kings lived in their kingdom, their Darbar, their jail, and other fascinating old architectural designs. It reflects the old Indian Kingdom, really an amazing place to visit.   

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

12. Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum

Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM) was founded in the year 1958 by All India Manufacturers Organization, Mysore. The museum was spread over the area of 43,000 sq ft constructed in Cubbon Park. The museum has various scientific experiments and machines and many electronic devices. It is the best place to visit, mostly for students as the museum have many things to learn. It is the best place to visit as it has many researchers and documentation work for future inventions.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

13. Badami Cave Temple

Badami Cave Temple is a religious place of worship for Hindus and Jains. It is located in Badami, Bagalkot district, Karnataka. The cave is full of ancient scriptures encrypted during the early 6th century. Badami Cave Temple comprises of 4 caves. Cave 1 is full of scriptures encrypted on the wall defining the Tandava- dancing by Lord Shiva. Cave 2 is similar to cave 1 in dimensions and the theme is relief of Lord Vishnu as Trivikrama. Cave 3 is the largest cave defining the mythology of Lord Vishnu and Cave 4 defines the life of Jainism.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

14. Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary

Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Coorg district, Karnataka. It is at a distance of 243 km from Bangalore. The Wildlife Sanctuary is located at the border of Kerala and Karnataka. The name Brahmagiri is felt after the name of the highest point, the Brahmagiri peak at 1607 m heigh. It was declared as wildlife sanctuary during 1974. The place is full of greenery and many tree species. The Wildlife Sanctuary also has many animals’ species. Red Mushrooms were also found in this forest which is very poisonous. Wildlife enthusiast and animal lovers should visit this place.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

15. Kalhatti Falls

Kalhatti Falls also known as Kalahasti Falls is located in Chikmagalur district, Karnataka. The water falls from a height of 122 meters. It is the most elegant location to visit as the scenic beauty is awe-striking. It is also a religious place as the fall is in the front of Veerabhadreshwara Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The place consists of peak valley and gardens which is like a virtual treat.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

16. Jayalakshmi Vilas

Jayalakshmi Vilas is a magnificent building located in Mysore, Karnataka. The Villa was built during the period of 1905 for princess Jayalakshmi Ammani. The place is surrounded by the campus of the University of Mysore. The mansion is declared as the heritage structure by Karnataka Government. The mansion has 125 rooms spread over the area of 6 acres.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

17. Gol Gumbaz

Gol Gumbaz is a mausoleum of King Muhammad Adil Shah, it was ruled by Adil Shah Dynasty. Gol Gumbaz is located in Bijapur and mausoleum covers an area of 17,000 sq. M. It has one of the biggest single chamber spaces in the world. It attracts the tourist by its amazing architectural design, and people who love exploring historic places and has an interest in knowing about old dynasties must visit the place. 

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

18. Agumbe Rainforest Research Station

Romulus Whitaker found the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station in 2005 located in Agumbe (Western Ghats of South India). Actually it is a research station which facilitates research projects like rainforest ecology, phenology, geoinformatics, behavioural & population ecology, and socioeconomics. ARRS also provides education to school and college students. The main attraction of the station is that it has a small hydroelectric plant that works on solar energy. You can experience the uniqueness of a rainforest with exotic flora and fauna.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

19. Tungabhadra Dam

Also known as Pampa Sagar, a tributary of Krishna River and constructed across the Tungabhadra river. It is located at Ballari district in Karnataka. It began its construction in the year 1949 and it took 4 years to complete this reservoir. This dam is of 162 feet in height and 8,095 feet long. It is a multipurpose dam used for irrigation, flood control, generating electricity etc. It is a wonderful tourist destination. Many species like flamingos, pelicans, stocks and others besides fish and other aquatic animals are spotted here. There are many resorts and hotels near the dam which makes it an ideal place to stay for vacations as you can enjoy the beauty, architectural heritage and cuisine of Karnataka.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

20. Mysore Palace

This historical palace and a royal residence situated at Mysore is one of the fine examples of heritage, culture and architecture. It is a prime attraction for the tourists who go to Mysore. It is said that without visiting Mysore Palace, your trip to Mysore is incomplete. It is one of the finest architectural marvels in our country which shows the royalty of former kings. It was constructed back in the 14th century by the royal family called Wodeyars or Wadiyars. The most preferable time to visit this palace is during Dussehra. It is celebrated for 10 days here and the whole palace is lighted and the main attention-grabbers are elephant march during this face. People are smitten by its light and sound show during this occasion.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

21. Wonderla (Wonder Land of India)

Wonderla is India’s best water and amusement park that offers thrilling rides and shows. It is ranked as India’s 1st and Asia’s 7th best amusement park. It has a wide variety of attractions including 55 water and land rides. Many other events like laser shows, musical fountains, and virtual reality show attract people here. It is the craziest, loudest, and most amazing part of town. There are so many things to do here that whatever you do here you’ll get to enjoy a wonderful time together by the end of the day.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

22. St. Mary Island

Also known as Coconut Island is a small island in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Malpe in Udupi. In the year 1948, Vasco da Gama landed here before going to Kerela and names this island as a dedication to Mother Mary. It is a very peaceful place. You can spend hours on the beach exploring, climbing rocks, watching views, seeing marine animals or by doing absolutely nothing. It is about 5-6 km away from Malpe beach.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

23. St. Mark’s Cathedral

It is one of the most famous Churches in South India located at Mahatma Gandhi Rd, Bengaluru. It is a part of the Church of South India (CSI). It has been named after St. Mark who is one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. It is a very famous tourist attraction especially on Christmas Eve and the rituals performed and lightings done at this day pleases every visitor.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

24. Mysore Sand Sculpture Museum

It was established in the year 2014. It is a compact museum located in Chamundi Hills, Mysuru which is devoted to sand art, housing many intricate sculptures. Most of the sculptures are the hard work of a young lady MN Gowri. There are sculptures of Disney characters, Egyptian civilization, Arabian civilization, Santa Claus, and many more which are worth seeing. The precision will just blow your mind and you can stop adoring these sculptures. If you love art and history, this is the place for you to visit.             

tourist places to visit in Karnataka

25. Om Beach

This beach located in Gokarna is one of the main attractions of this city. The special thing about this beach is that beach is in the shape of the letter Om. This sand-&-rock beach not just attracts party people but also religious pilgrims come to this place because of its unique identification related to Lord Shiva. It is well connected with roads amid forested hills. It is famous among travelers who seek peaceful vacations.

tourist places to visit in Karnataka
tourist place in karnataka

Snehal Mishra

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