4 days trip - A Journey through Palaces, Gardens, and Cultural Grandeur

Our journey started from Lucknow, we took an early morning flight to Bangalore and then a direct cab from the airport to Mysore.

Earlier we were not sure to go directly to mysore as we were traveling with our 2year old so was sceptical about travel time for our baby..

But as the journey began we reached Mysore directly and all our doubts vanished because it was quite enjoyable and the road trip took around 3hr 40mins approx i.e also cz of the traffic in Bangalore.

* Do book your cab from the airport in advance through MakeMyTrip or uber .. because if not you might have to wait a minimum of 2hrs waiting for the cab to reach.

* Do not depend on airport cabs.. because they charge almost triple of the actual amount.

As we were traveling with our baby so before heading towards our next part of the journey we relaxed a bit at the airport and had some snacks to refresh ourselves. We took approx 1 hr before leaving for mysore.

*If you're traveling with a baby or toddler do take some rest before boarding the cab for the next destination

(This was our first time when we traveled on one go so sharing my experience to help you all..cz earlier we used to keep a day in the same city before heading to the next destination even if it's 3hrs away..just to be sure that our baby doesn't feel tired )

Happy baby happy travel...☺️

We reached our hotel The Regenta Central Herald.

A very well connected location.. all the major attractions are nearby within 15 - 30 min away max

* Hotel - The Regenta Central Herald

pros

1. Clean rooms

2. Nice ambiance

3. Food rates are reasonable

4. Great Connectivity

5. Main Location

6. Food taste good

Cons.

The buffet menu is very limited.

Overall experience - Great

We started our day with Chamundeshwari temple visit.

We started from the hotel around 10:15am. It was a 30-35 min drive from the hotel and we reached there by 11 am .

On the way you will see beautiful hills and the road is extremely clean and smooth...

It's on the hill top so generally visiting the temple first is the best way to start exploring mysore.

From the parking lot it's 5-10 min towards the temple..

I would suggest you keep your shoes in the car or else you can leave them in the shop you buy a puja basket from.

* It's my experience - it's better to buy the puja basket from the first shop from where the walk starts as it was less crowded and the shop keeper was a little boy who was really sweet and kept our baby's shoes with so much caution.

*You might have to carry the basket but it's worth it because later shops were there but it was quite crowded and u might lose your shoes not necessarily but may happen..

* I would suggest if you wish to buy any soviner specially fridge magnets you can buy from the shops there.

Good bargain skills might get you good deals.

We thought we would get these later in other places or different designs but we found almost the same kind of magnets so it's better if you buy from here at a good price.. cz later we ended up spending more on these for the same items

You can purchase magnets in 100-150rs or less if you have bargain skills ✌️😀

* We completed our Darshan in approx 1hr ..

Do carry cash .. there is a separate fast entry line which cost- 200rs/person .

It will take you directly to the nearest spot from where you can do the darshan and come out.

There is a prashad counter from where you can buy the laddoo which costs INR 20 per pack.

It's a very beautiful temple which shows a marvelous architecture of Hindu culture and of great significance. Ladies on every Friday get special prashad which consists of bangles and sindur which I also received and felt blessed.

After this lovely divine darshan we clicked some pictures.. there are photographs who take 100rs for one picture including the laminated print.. so we got 2 for ourselves and pictures were pretty good and captured the beauty of the temple..

* You might have to wait for at least 10-15mins till you get your laminated pictures.

A full family picture is the best 👍 so take one and rest click as much as you want with your own cam. 😊

Overall it was a great start of the day.. on a very positive and spiritual note .. peaceful and blessed feelings what else would one want to start their journey.

Total time required - 2hr minimum.

Temperature - Cool weather.. sunny but comfortable.

Crowd - Visit before afternoon to avoid crowds

Stairs and rough pathway as it's on the hill.

Keep your belongings safe.

After the temple visit.. we headed towards the next attraction which was on the way back to the main city " The Sand Museum "

It's a place which is run by local artists who create masterpieces on sand and with their talent they are trying to increase the tourist attention towards the city and creating employment for the local artisans through tourism.

It also has a 3d photography area which is fun but the sand sculptures are worth appreciating.

Recommend to visit to see different art pieces made with sand

Not so time consuming approx 20-25 mins is more than enough..

So do visit to support the local artisans

They also have souvenir shops so you can buy if you like anything . Prices are reasonable.

I purchased a terracotta bird whistleblower when filled with water it creates bird chirping sounds which is very nice and amazing and feels good to the ears.

The next attraction we visited in the continuation of the sand museum was

The Melody Wax Museum , these two are just 10 mins apart not far from each other..

This place is also run by a local NGO to promote tourism.

You will find all the original world instruments from different regions and eras.

The statues are made with wax.

Not in good condition.. very dusty place and you will experience a moist smell throughout the museum so it wasn't good and we didn't spend much time there and finished it in a hurry because it wasn't comfortable

You can clearly see the dust everywhere, not maintained properly.

I would not recommend this place personally because it was a waste of time.

Though they have all the original instruments but not a healthy environment to be at so I would suggest to skip this.

*Not worth the time in my personal experience unless you are a fan of ancient musical instruments.

*Too much dust and smelly

* We were out of the place in less than 15mins.

We left our hotel by 3:45pm and in 15mins we reached the zoo.

From the start we knew that this place is going to be amazing and not only our kid but we are also going to have so much enjoyment..

It's a must go place where conservation, education, and wildlife intertwine to create a memorable experience for visitors of all ages.

Time required - at least 2-3 hrs

Zoo timing - 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM

Reach early if you want to explore the zoo at ease and spend more time..

We skipped the crocodile park as we wanted to hurry and were more interested in seeing other giant animals like elephants, giraffe and Cheetahs etc.

*1hr 50mins was more than enough for us as we covered almost every important sight in this wonderful zoo.

It was indeed an enchanting experience to see the diverse array of wildlife.

*Wear comfortable footwear as you have to walk a lot .

*Carry a water bottle.

*To cover the zoo I would suggest walking through the park but if you need there is a facility of battery cars which can take you on the tour and you can cover the whole zoo early. But then you will only be able to see the animal just like on a Safari..

So both ways you can enjoy it as per your convenience.

*I recommend exploring this amazing place through walking and witness the beauty of exotic animals at ease.

A MUST VISIT PLACE - DO NOT SKIP IT

KEEP YOUR TIME SPECIALLY RESERVED FOR THIS PLACE

We spent our 3rd day in Mysore exploring the majestic Mysore Palace also known as the Amba Vilas Palace, is a stunning historical palace in Mysore, India. It is renowned for its Indo-Saracenic architecture and is a popular tourist attraction.

*Time duration - 2hrs

*Palace is open till 5:30 pm , so plan your visit early to avoid crowd .

We reached 11:30 AM , we were out by 1:15 PM

* you can also plan late evening to see the palace all lit up.. around 7:30PM , but entry is not allowed during that time you can just enjoy watching the palace at night.

To explore the palace visit during the day.

* Have to purchase the entry tickets costs - 50/- per person.

*Children below 7 years - free entry

We skipped the inside exploration of the palace as it was heavily crowded and we didn't wanted to get all squized up and were not interested to see the royal belongings..

So we invested our time to see the structure and architecture of the palace.. roam around the big garden and saw lovely temples build inside..

The open space and no crowd there gave us ample opportunities to click pictures of this magnificent palace..

*Do carry water bottles.. it becomes really hot during day time.

Spend time looking at different aspects of the amazing architecture.

You will surely enjoy the time..

*Must visit attraction

* If you are a fan of artifacts and have interest in seeing old furniture and ancient royal belongings then definitely continue your exploration of the palace, paying special attention to the Durbar Hall and other significant rooms.

Otherwise you can admire the beauty of the palace from the outside .. which is actually the main attraction to save time .

Overall - A great place to visit and to know about the history and culture.

After this royal experience we went back to our hotel .

We booked this hotel for the next two days trip..

It's also close to the major attractions

As per its 5 star ⭐ rating.. I wasn't convinced much because the rooms were quite small..

You can consider this if you are on some business trip or for official work but not for vacation mode leisure feel.

* The buffet menu was good , many options to choose from..

The outdoor sitting area was nice & you can expect some furry guests ( cats ) over there..

Our daughter liked that..

* Bathrooms are small and the toiletries were below the standards.

Location - 5/5

Food - 4/5

Space - 3/5

So after having lunch, we headed to the next location..

We headed to visit the next big attraction nestled near the historic city of Mysuru, these gardens are renowned for their breathtaking beauty and vibrant flora.

Took approx 1/2 hr to reach the place .

We reached there at 6pm.

Built across the river Kaveri, the KRS Dam primarily serves the purpose of irrigation for the nearby agricultural areas.

The dam was built in the early 20th century and is named after the then Maharaja of Mysuru, Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV.

The Brindavan Gardens are laid out just below this dam, enhancing the scenic beauty of the surroundings.

We visited the garden in the evening.. to witness the garden transformed into a magical realm illuminated by thousands of twinkling lights.

On the 4th day , we visited the rail museum in Mysore, before leaving the city.

It's a lovely place to enjoy with kids.. there you will get to ride the toy train , taking two full rounds of the garden where you will see the exhibit of different locomotives.

The Railway Museum was established in 1979 by Indian Railways, the second such museum after the National Railway Museum in Delhi.