Bangalore to Mysore: Best Ways to Travel & What to See En Route
Published 16 June 2026
Bangalore to Mysore is one of South India's most travelled routes, and it has got considerably faster since the expressway opened. What used to be a four-hour slog through towns is now a straightforward run — which changes the calculation about whether to stop along the way.
This guide covers the road, rail, and cab options honestly, and the stops that are actually worth breaking the journey for now that the expressway bypasses most of the old route's towns.
By road: the expressway
The Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway has cut the drive substantially — around 140-150 km, generally 3 to 3.5 hours door to door depending on where in Bangalore you start and the traffic getting out of the city. Getting clear of Bangalore is usually the slowest part of the journey.
The expressway is a toll road with limited access points, which is exactly why it is fast — but it also means the old roadside stops at Ramanagara, Channapatna, and Maddur are now bypassed. If you want those, you need to take an exit deliberately rather than passing them naturally.
An early start, ideally before 7 am, makes a noticeable difference to the Bangalore end of the drive.
By train
Trains between Bangalore (KSR Bengaluru) and Mysuru Junction run frequently and take roughly 2 to 3 hours depending on the service. The faster options are comfortable, inexpensive, and avoid the road entirely.
Rail suits travellers who do not need a vehicle at the Mysore end, or who plan to hire one there. It is also the more relaxed option if you are travelling with elderly passengers or anyone prone to motion sickness on the ghats later in the trip. Book ahead for weekends and holiday periods, when the popular services fill.
By cab or private vehicle
A car with driver is the most flexible option, particularly if Mysore is the first leg of a longer trip towards Coorg, Ooty, or Wayanad — in which case you want the vehicle with you anyway, and hiring separately at each stage costs more and complicates the logistics.
It also lets you stop where you like en route, which the expressway otherwise discourages. For groups and families with luggage, the door-to-door convenience usually outweighs the cost difference against rail.
Stops worth taking an exit for
Channapatna is the town of lacquered wooden toys, a craft with GI status, and the workshops and showrooms are a genuinely worthwhile 30-40 minute stop, particularly with children.
Ramanagara is the granite outcrop country where much of the film Sholay was shot, and holds the Ramadevara Betta vulture sanctuary. Maddur is known for the maddur vada, and the old highway's eating houses remain a fixture for many travellers.
Srirangapatna, just before Mysore, is the most substantial stop of all — Tipu Sultan's island fortress capital, with the Ranganathaswamy temple, Daria Daulat Bagh, and the Gumbaz, plus Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary alongside. Allow two to three hours if you want to do it properly, or an hour for a quick look.
Which option suits which traveller
For a day trip to Mysore and back, the train or an early-start drive both work; the train is more restful, the car more flexible. For a Mysore-plus-onward trip to Coorg or Ooty, take a car with driver from Bangalore and keep it for the whole itinerary. For solo travellers or couples travelling light with no onward hill leg, the train is hard to beat on cost and comfort.
If you are flying into Bangalore and heading straight to Mysore, a pre-arranged car from the airport is worth organising in advance — Kempegowda airport is on the far north side of the city, which adds roughly an hour to the journey compared with starting from central Bangalore.