Private journey · Karnataka and North Kerala
Malabar and Karnataka: Theyyam, Coorg and Hampi
The ruined city of Hampi, the palace of Mysuru, Coorg’s coffee hills, and the theyyam rituals and quiet beaches of the Malabar coast.
- Duration
- 12 nights · 13 days
- Route
- Bengaluru · Hampi · Mysuru · Coorg · Kannur · Bekal
- Best months
- November to March
- Hotels
- Heritage hotels, plantation bungalows and beach retreats
- Pricing
- Tailored to your choices
Why this journey
Why this Kerala and Karnataka tour
This Kerala and Karnataka tour explores the less-travelled south in thirteen days. From Bengaluru it reaches the ruins of Hampi, Mysuru and the coffee hills of Coorg, then the Malabar coast for Theyyam. Like every Kerala and Karnataka tour we plan, it can be shaped around your dates, pace and interests. For background, see our guide to travelling in India.
01
Theyyam
Night-long ritual performances in the sacred groves of North Kerala, where dancers become gods.
02
Hampi
The boulder-strewn ruins of the Vijayanagara capital, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
03
Coffee and the coast
Two nights on a Coorg coffee estate, then the unhurried beaches and forts of the Malabar coast.
The route
Your route
You fly or drive between Bengaluru and Hampi, then travel by road through Mysuru and Coorg to the Malabar coast, with a private chauffeur and local guides.
Day by day
Your Kerala and Karnataka tour, day by day
Day 1 Arrive in Bengaluru
You are met at the airport and driven to your hotel to rest.
Overnight: Taj West End, Bengaluru
Day 2 Bengaluru to Hampi
Fly to Vidyanagar when flights operate, or drive, and continue to Hampi. Sunset from Hemakuta hill.
Overnight: Evolve Back Kamalapura Palace, Hampi
Day 3 Hampi
The Vittala temple and its stone chariot, the Royal Enclosure, the Lotus Mahal and the Virupaksha temple.
Overnight: Evolve Back Kamalapura Palace, Hampi
Day 4 Hampi to Bengaluru
A last morning among the ruins, then back to Bengaluru.
Overnight: Taj West End, Bengaluru
Day 5 Bengaluru to Mysuru
Drive to Mysuru by way of Srirangapatna. Mysore Palace in the evening.
Overnight: Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, Mysuru
Day 6 Mysuru to Coorg
Chamundi Hill and the Devaraja market, then on into the coffee hills of Coorg.
Overnight: Evolve Back Coorg, Coorg
Day 7 Coorg
A walk through a coffee and spice estate with the planter, and a quiet afternoon.
Overnight: Evolve Back Coorg, Coorg
Day 8 Coorg to Kannur
Down the Western Ghats to Kannur on the Malabar coast.
Overnight: Kannur, at a heritage house chosen with you
Day 9 Kannur and theyyam
Your guide takes you to a theyyam performance at a village shrine, timed to the season’s calendar.
Overnight: Kannur, at a heritage house chosen with you
Day 10 Kannur
The handloom weavers of Kannur, St Angelo Fort and Thalassery’s old spice-trade town.
Overnight: Kannur, at a heritage house chosen with you
Day 11 Kannur to Bekal
North along the coast to Bekal, with its seaside fort.
Overnight: Taj Bekal Resort & Spa, Bekal
Day 12 Bekal
A day at leisure by the sea, or a backwater cruise at Valiyaparamba.
Overnight: Taj Bekal Resort & Spa, Bekal
Day 13 Depart
Drive to Kannur or Mangaluru airport for your flight onward.
Where you’ll stay
Hotels on this Kerala and Karnataka tour
These are the hotels we usually suggest for this route. We confirm each one with you, and can suggest alternatives at a similar level if you prefer. Kannur has no luxury hotels, so there we choose a characterful heritage house.
Taj West End
Bengaluru · 2 nights
Evolve Back Kamalapura Palace
Hampi · 2 nights
Evolve Back Coorg
Coorg · 2 nights
Taj Bekal Resort & Spa
Bekal · 2 nights
Kannur: a heritage stay
Kannur · 3 nights
Make it yours
Shape it around you
This Kerala and Karnataka tour is a starting point. These are some of the changes our travellers most often ask for.
Questions
Questions about this Kerala and Karnataka tour
When can we see theyyam?
The theyyam season runs from around November to May and is busiest from January to April. Performances follow each temple’s calendar, which changes every year, so we plan your Kannur days around it.
When is the best time to travel?
November to March, when the weather is dry and pleasant. Hampi becomes very hot from April.
How do we get to Hampi?
Vidyanagar airport, about 35 kilometres from Hampi, has a few flights from Bengaluru. When they do not suit, we drive, which takes most of a day.
Is this journey suitable for a first visit to India?
It suits travellers who have seen the north, or who prefer a quieter, slower India. We can add Delhi and Agra at the start.
Malabar and Karnataka
Enquire about this Kerala and Karnataka tour
Tell us when you would like to travel and who is coming. We will reply personally to arrange a call at a time that suits you.
Prefer to write directly? contact@alluring.travel · WhatsApp +91 92119 13735
