7AM- Departure from Bangalore 1PM- Arrive in Hampi and lunch 2PM-We explore the monuments of Hampi post lunch. Badavi Linga is the biggest of all lingams in Hampi. It is made of black stone and rises 12 feet in height. A canal passes through it and hence it’s always in water. You can find the biggest idol of Hampi, a few feet from Badavi Linga. Ugra Narasimha is 22 feet in height. We will also visit Balakrishna temple and then visit Hemunta hill. This hill has many ancient temples and is also a good place for sunset. We visit the magnificent Virupaksha temple It is from the Hoysala period and is the oldest temple in Hampi. The temple tower has eleven storeys and the river Tungabhadra flows inside. Overnight in Hampi.

Vijaya Vittala temple is probably the grandest masterpiece around. It is constructed on a polyhedron foundation. The musical pillars of the temple is one of the greatest work of art by mankind

King’s Balance is the next destination. This is a huge stone frame east of Purandara Mantapa. A stone beam is placed on two pillars of stone. Legend has it that the generous Kings of Vijayanagara used to weigh them with gold and gems and distribute it among the poor.

We will visit the Royal enclosures. Some of the memorable structures here are the Elephant stables, Queen’s bath and the Lotus Mahal. Next on the itinerary is the Zanana enclosure , which was the place for the royal women. Towards the evening we visit Anegundi village for the cave paintings. The paintings here date back to the Iron Age around 1500 BC.

After breakfast in Hampi, we will drive for 3 hours to Aihole. There are more than a hundred stone temples from 5th century onwards to see. Legend says it is at Aihole that Lord Parashurama washed his axe after killing all the Kshatrayas.

After Aihole, we move to Pattadakal located 14 KMs away. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is an epitome of the Visara style of architecture. The grandest of all temples here is that of Virupaksha, built in 8th Century by Queen Lokamahadevi.

We drive for half hour to the erstwhile capital of the Chalukya Kings, Badami. Located in a ravine at the foot of red sandstone hills Badami looks mesmerizing surrounded by the Agastya lake. The cave temples are made of made of red sandstone and feature a hall with numerous pillars and a square shaped sanctum. Paintings cover the ceiling.

Chitradurga Fort tour takes you to a magnificent fort from the 17th century and is located 200 KMs north of Bangalore. It is a fascinating experience to explore this fort with its seven concentric fortification walls, 19 gateways, 38 posterior entrances, 35 secret pathways, four invisible passages, water tanks and 2000 watch towers! The fort is equipped with an amazing rain harvesting system and has a unique gun powder grinding machine. It is also the location where “Onake Obavva" the heroic lady displayed an act of valor.

After breakfast, we drive 4 hours from Chitradurga to Belur to visit the world heritage site of Channakesava temple . The main hall has sculptures that are fantastic in terms if the intricacy of the carvings. The bracelets on the arms of one of the dancer statues can be moved up and down. The headdress of another dancer statue has a moveable ring! Another noteworthy characteristic of sculptures in Belur is that sculptures at Belur is that they are signed off by the respective sculptors like in a painting, often as a boastful epithet.

After Lunch we head to Halebid, the other capital of the Hoyasala empire. Located 16 Kms from Belur, there are 2 major highlights of Halebid. We spend a couple of hours in the 2 magnificent temples inside the complex dedicated to Hoysalesvara and Shantalesvara. The other sculpture of interest is a giant statue of Nandi the holy Bull of Lord Shiva which took 86 years to build. Of interest would be to note the veins depicted gracefully on the face.

After breakfast in Hassan, we drive 2.5 hours to Mysore. The grand Mysore Palace is the highlight of the tour of Mysore from Bangalore. We will travel back to the golden era of Mysore Maharajas to imagine the glory that was Mysore, epitomized by this wonder built in Indo-Saracenic style with a blend of Hindu, Muslim, Rajput, and Gothic styles of architecture. The Palace is a three-storied stone structure, with marble domes and a 145 ft five-storied tower. The guided tour will take you through the Public Hall, Private Hall, Dolls Pavilion and the Royal Wedding Hall.

The Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan, was built in Indo-Saracenic style and has a few magnificent murals depicting the war between Tipu and the British. The most famous exhibit here is the famous painting “Storming of Srirangapatna” by Sir Robert Ker Porter. The theme of the painting is the final fall of Srirangapatna on 4th May 1799 when the British defeat Tipu’s forces.

Colonel Bailey Dungeon is the famous dungeon where Tipu imprisoned several British Officers during the war. Tales about this notorious place will be told during this Mysore tour from Bangalore!

We will visit a charming old bazaar of Mysore which is a sensorial delight made up of flowers, vegetables, fruits, jaggery, onions and potatoes, puffed rice and coconuts!

Somnathpur is famous for the magnificent Chennakesava temple and is a UNESCO world heritage site. This temple was built in 1268 by Somanatha, a general of King Narasimha III. We will explore the three shrines and three wonderfully carved peaks with a common Mandapa. Time is well spent at Somnathpur temple appreciating the 16 different ceilings, each depicting a different stage of a blooming banana flower, the central wall space adorned with images of deities with jewellery, bangles, crowns and anklets.

3 hours drive to return to Bangalore