Traveling to Mysore with kids proved to be a lovely experience for me. It took me a while to arrive at this decision because the thought of managing my children at a new place scared me initially. However, I did come to terms with it and finally took a fantastic trip.
As a family, we traveled to Mysore from Bangalore. It was during my children’s summer vacations. I never thought that traveling to Mysore with kids could turn out to be such a wonderful experience. It was the perfect place to holiday with kids.
In my current blog, I will share my travel experience with you as a mum. Also, I will help you create an itinerary that will help you in your future travel plans along with your children. I hope that my blog helps you in planning a good trip.
Traveling to Mysore with Kids
Mysore is an excellent travel destination for a vacation with kids. However, you need to create an itinerary beforehand that will help you cover all places within a stipulated time frame.
Since Mysore has such a lot to offer in terms of art, culture, nature and wildlife, you should make it a point to cover all the places that will stand out for your children.
Another thing to keep in mind beforehand is the food that you will be feeding your children along the journey. Make sure it is completely hygienic and freshly prepared.
This is a picture of my daughter and me at Mysore. We had a fun time exploring a new place and connecting with each other.
As mothers, our life completely changes when we have kids. We surely enjoy our time with the kids. But we do tend to lose ourselves to set routines, prioritizing our families and not ourselves. Like most other mums, this was my story as well until one day I came across a picture album from the past.
Turning the pages of the album brought a smile to my face because they were all fun travel pictures from my earlier days. I immediately stood in front of the mirror to re-discover the missing ‘me.’ All these years, I had refrained from traveling but now I knew the time had to come to set foot outside.
Itinerary for Parents Traveling from Bangalore to Mysore
As I mentioned a little earlier in this blog that creating a good itinerary is a must before you take a trip with your children. Since I traveled from Bangalore, let me share my own itinerary and plan with you below.
It needs to be mentioned here that taking a road trip from Bangalore to Mysore is one of the best things you can do as a parent. There are so many places that you can cover on this route.
This is what my itinerary looked like –
MORNING
NOON
EVENING
NIGHT
MORNING
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Even though my travel itinerary for Mysore was just one day, my daughter had an excellent time. I did get tired but she didn’t. In fact, I was surprised at how does she manage to conserve so much energy. She just loved exploring all the locales we visited. That is how my fear of traveling with kids also vanished in thin air.
Top Places to Visit While Traveling to Mysore with Kids
Some places out rightly beat the other places when it comes to children. As adults, we might like certain locales. But our children don’t. Likewise, they may like some places that we don’t.
But since the trip is meant to be full of fun and frolic, make sure you prioritize all the places that your children like. The top entertaining places to visit in Mysore if traveling with kids are mentioned below.
Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens
The zoo at Mysore is one of the best in India. It is a brilliant place for children. At present, the Zoo houses more than 160 species of animals. These animals have been brought here from India as well as 25 other nations.
My daughter was super excited to visit the Mysore Zoo. Since the area of the zoo is extremely huge, we thought of hiring a battery-operated vehicle to tour inside the zoo. However, my daughter insisted that we tour on foot.
It took us about 2 hours to tour the zoo. It was amazing how we could see so many animals in just one place. The zoo is extremely hygienic and there are proper eating and drinking facilities inside.
Zoo timings: 8:30 a.m to 5:30 p.m daily. The zoo is closed on Tuesdays.
Entry cost: 80 INR for adults on normal days and 100 INR for adults on holidays. 40 INR for children on normal days and 50 INR for children on holidays.
My daughter had lots of fun at Mysore Zoo. Sometimes, I wonder how do kids have so much energy to spare.
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is also known as Pakshi Kashi and lies at a 30-minute drive from Mysore. We visited here on our way to Mysore from Bangalore.
This place is home to numerous varieties of birds. You can either observe them via a watchtower at a distance or can go boating in a lake to explore the lesser-known parts of the sanctuary.
My daughter liked this place more than she had expected. She also enjoyed the boating ride as it was her first. As a parent, make sure that your kids don’t put their hands in the water. There are crocodiles at the sanctuary so be careful.
I was so proud to see my daughter not only enjoy the boat ride amidst beautiful birds but also not being fearful at all.
Sanctuary timings: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
Entry cost: 50 INR for adults from India. 25 INR for children. 300 INR for adults from abroad.
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is an amazing place housing hundreds of bird varieties. Ride a boat here to observe the birds better.
Mysore Palace
Mysore Palace is one of the main highlights of the city. It is located centrally so it is very easy to visit here with kids. It is always a good idea to explore Mysore Palace during the evenings. That time, the crowd is less and you are able to see more.
My daughter and I took a stroll around the place as well as inside it. We even hired a family tonga just for 300 INR and had a big round of the palace. My daughter loved it here especially the lighting at night.
There are a few places that lie in the vicinity of the Mysore Palace. If you have the time, do visit them. A Handloom Store, Art Gallery and a Museum seem to dominate the scene.
Palace timings: 10 a.m to 5:30 p.m to tour the palace. The lighting of the palace takes place between 7:00 pm and 7:45 p.m
Entry cost: Free for children under the age of 10. 40 INR for adults from India. 200 INR for adults from abroad.
Mysore Palace is an incredible historical and cultural monument to visit with your kids. A lot can be learned here
Chamundi Hills
Located at an elevation of 1000m above sea level, Chamundi Hills makes for an excellent picnic spot. Not only can you hang around here but also view the entire city of Mysore. The famous Chamundeshwari Temple is located at the top of these hills.
My daughter and I sat here for an hour and were completely relaxed. We even savoured a few ice creams before we decided to head back to Mysore city.
If you have time on your hands, hang around here for an entire evening. The lights of Mysore city look pretty as seen from a distance. It’s really nice to keep sitting here and enjoying the view.
Temple timings: 7:30 a.m to 9:00 p.m daily
Entry cost: Free
The gigantic Nandi statue was carved at Chamundi Hills. Pay homage here and hang around this place for a few hours.
It is no less than a nightmare for parents to travel with kids. However, if the destinations for travel are selected wisely and the tour is planned properly, everything goes just fine.
Travelling to Mysore with kids can turn out to be a mini adventure. Trust me, you will learn as much from your children as they will learn from you.
Tips for Parents Traveling with Kids to Mysore
I’d like to share a few travel tips that will help you keep a few things in mind. Traveling with children requires you to be watchful of certain things at all times.
| Hand baggage
If you’re traveling by plane as I did till Bangalore (before heading to Mysore), make sure to pack all your child’s favourite toys in separate hand baggage. Ask your child to carry that baggage herself/himself. Online research Make sure to do ample research before booking a good child-friendly hotel that is located centrally. During our trip to Mysore, we stayed at a decent hotel named MB International. Prioritize places Prioritize fun places over boring places in Mysore. Kids love wildlife, palaces, hilltops and good food places. Don’t force them to visit a place just because you are fond of it. Pack food Always pack some eating stuff like dry foods, biscuits, cookies, cakes, and chips to keep the child full at all times. Kids love to eat on trips. To avoid outside stuff, especially junk food as much as possible. Carry water Carry your own water to Mysore. Fill it in your hotel kitchen if you want. You will need it while you’re touring various parts of the city. Child safety Ensure the safety of your child at all times. Keep them close at all times. Accompany them to public toilets. Don’t leave them alone for a moment. |
My trip to Mysore has certainly made my bond more with my little girl. It was because of this trip that I could see a mature and inquisitive child in my daughter. A child who listened to everything that was told enjoyed every part of the journey and was fully satisfied.
The highlight of my trip was the moment when my daughter hugged me unexpectedly and thanked me for organizing this travel experience. I thanked her for cooperating all along and for being such a sweet kid. This journey helped me to meet my lost self, overcome the fear of travelling alone and connect with my child more deeply.
I hope you plan a trip with your kids as well and enjoy every moment of it.
Happy wayfaring.