Looking for some quick long drives around Bangalore? Refreshing, but not very time consuming? Want to enjoy a little, explore a little and return back comfortably to your abode within the day? Look no further because we have got your covered with some really unique long drives around Bangalore. To places that are offbeat, not crowded and yet very refreshing. Since the lockdown, with not much of options when it comes to travel, we discovered some really hidden gems around Bangalore. So, we decided to list them all here for you :-

Vatadahosahalli Lake

A massive lake at a beautiful drive of an hour from Bangalore, Vatadahosahalli Lake is a perfect driving location from Bangalore. And also a perfect picnic spot. Not so crowded, clean and serene. Even if there are a few other groups of people around, you can always find your own perfect, private spot near the banks of the Vatadosahalli Lake. So, if you have not yet discovered it, add it to your list of long drives around Bangalore. Pack your picnic basket and head here next!

Driving duration to the lake: 1.5 hours

Gudibande Fort & Lake

 

A massive fort right at the outskirts of Bangalore! Yes, you heard me right. Again, you can reach here in an hour. But not before you drive right besides the Gudibande Lake – a massive lake that almost levels with the road running besides it. You can trek till the top of the fort. And soak in the surrounding views from the top. Or, you can just take some stairs, find a resting spot and enjoy a small picnic with your group. Gudibande Fort and Vatadahosahalli Lake are on the same route. So, you can combine the two in a single trip as well.

Here’s our detailed post on our trip exploring Vatadahosahalli Lake and Gudibande Fort

Driving duration to Gudibande Fort : 1 hr

Muninagara Dam & Lake

 

 

Another hidden beauty warrantying a long drive from Bangalore is the Muninagara Dam & Lake in Kanakpura. As you reach this lake , the street with the perfect rows of houses on both sides that ends right at the lake looks just postcard perfect. And the show stealer is obviously the bridge on the lake which gives you the feeling of flying over the waters. Wondering what we are talking about? Checkout our post about our experience at Muninagara Lake and Dam by clicking the link above. Or checkout our vlog on Muninagara Dam above. This is one of the many long drives around Bangalore that you can easily accomplish in 3-4 hours.

Driving duration to Muninagara Dam : 1 hr

Doda Ayur or Chota Ladakh

Who would have imagined that an old quarry filled with water and a rocky plateau besides it can turn into a perfect picnic spot. And give you an excuse for another of those perfect long drives from Bangalore! It was such a perfect day when we visited here. We parked our vehicle on the main road and walked 10 minutes through refreshing fields, doing a small trek up the plateau to reach Chota Ladakh. Sounds like something you are up for? You can check our detailed writing on Doda Ayur or Chota Ladakh here.

Driving duration to Doda Ayur : 1 hr

Kolar

If you are a history buff, religious or an admirer of the ancient architectures, then Kolar makes for a perfect long driving location from Bangalore. Situated just 50km from the city of Bangalore, Kolar has several ancient temples. With beautiful architectures. And some abandoned gold mines as well – in case you want to wake the Indiana Jones inside you a bit. The cherry on the top? The roads are awesome. And if you happen to travel in the month of September, you will meet some beautiful blooming sunflowers in the fields of Kolar – the perfect instagram spot for you!

Driving duration to Kolar : 1.5 hr

Read: Our one day trip to Kolar from Bangalore

Avani

Did you know that just 30 kilometers ahead of Kolar lies the birthplace of Luv and Kush? And the Aashram of Valmiki where Ramayana was written? The exact place where Sita stayed after her rescue from Sri Lanka. Yes, we are talking about Avani. A tiny village filled with enormous history, legendary tales and a perfect temple at a perfect spot overlooking the nearby hills. You can combine your trip to Kolar and Avani together. Or you can as well do those on two separate days.

Our detailed day trip itinerary to Kolar and Avani

Our vlog on an early morning drive to Avani Temple

 

Driving duration to Avani : 2 hr

Nandi Hills

Well, Nandi Hills really doesn’t need an introduction. When it comes to Bangaloreans, it is their first choice for long drives from Bangalore. And why not? When visited early in the morning it provides an awesome view of the sunrise. And some beautiful ancient temples to explore. But, we are not talking here about the drive to Nandi Hills. But rather a trek up the hills. We did it last year. And it was awesome. There are several trekking paths up the hill. With a perfect parking spot right at the foothill. You should take the stairs up the Nandi hills if you are with kids and family. Otherwise, you are welcome to explore other more challenging trails as well. Just avoid the rainy season, as it might get slippery.

We actually stayed overnight at a property near Nandi Hills when we took this trip. But you can take a long drive to the Nandi Hills in the morning. And do a trek and return as well!

Here’s our post on our trek to Nandi Hills

Driving duration to Nandi Hills : 1 hr

Lepakshi Temple

The most mysterious , most intriguing and most beautiful temple that I have visited around Bangalore has to be the Lepakshi Temple. Every wall, every sculpture here has a unique story to tell – a fairytale legend that your heart will want to believe. The architecture is so unique. And the drive so beautiful. A must visit place that I highly recommend to everyone. You can easily do a trip to the Lepakshi Temple in half a day. If you start early in the morning, like 6 am, you can reach back home by 1-2 pm. Depends on how much time you really want to spend in the temple.

Read about the Lepakshi Temple and it’s wonders and tales here along with our trip experience.

Driving duration to Lepakshi : 2 hrs

Jain Temple with 108 small temples surrounding it

I am still trying to understand how I couldn’t have known about such a beautiful Jain Temple right in Bangalore. After visiting the likes of Jain Temple of Ranakpur, I never thought I would visit one right in the neighbourhood. Right after the Bangalore International Airport lies this beautiful Jain Temple which is surrounded by 108 small temples that form the campus wall of this complex. And that is what provides a very unique look to this temple. Don’t miss it out. Do accommodate it in one of your long trips around Bangalore.

Driving duration to the Jain Temple : 1 hr 15 minutes

Devanahalli Fort

Right near the Above Jain Temple lies the old, abandoned Devanahalli Fort. There is something about these old forts that always attracts me. Perhaps its the mysterious aura that they carry. As I reach them, my imaginations rush and I try to picture about the era when the fort were at it’s grandeur. Add to it the beautiful and unique architecture of these forts. Although not all like the massive Amer Fort of Jaipur, the Nahargarh Fort, Jaigarh Fort, the Jaisalmer Fort where we actually stayed for few days or the impressive Mehrangarh Fort of Jodhpur, Kumbhalgarh Fort or Nahargarh Fort that we have visited. But I could relate Devanahalli Fort to the lesser known, smaller and almost similar Khaba Fort in Jaisalmer, and the Gudibande Fort that we visited sometimes back. And it is definitely worth one of the many long drives around Bangalore.

Driving duration to the Jain Temple : 1 hr 15 minutes

Places around Bangalore that you can do a day long drive or a two day trip to

There are several other offbeat places around Bangalore which are a longer drive away but can be done in a day two. Of course, covering these in a day will mean a very long day. But then many of us enjoy that as well, don’t we? The crazy early morning hours of getting ready, racing against the sunrise. Starting when it’s still dark and then enjoying the views as the sunlight breaks through the horizon!! Returning back by night and crashing on the bed with a lifetime of memories to hug!! Well, we mostly did most of these long drives around Bangalore over a weekend, making it a two days trip. Because we travel with kids and parents most often. And have adopted a slower pace of travel. But, we will still list these out here because many of us might be able to do these trips in a day

Gandikota & Belum Caves

 

Although people do drive the ~700km round trip stretch to Gandikota and Belum Caves in one single day. But it will definitely be hectic. So, when we visited here, we stayed overnight. And returned back the next day. Having said that, the primary thing remains that the road overall on this trip was awesome and so was the village scene and the green surroundings. While on the onward journey, we mostly followed the highway. But on the return journey google maps guided us through some country side. And we also went up and down some hills before hitting the main highway. All in all it turned out to be a very refreshing trip. Visit our blog on our best long drives from Bangalore to Gandikota and Belum Caves.

Driving duration to Gandikota : 6 hrs

Horsley Hills

 

When we visited Horsley Hills towards the end of last year, we highly wanted to stay overnight. But the only APTDC accommodation available at the top of the hill was fully booked. So, instead, we converted it in a day trip. The weather was very supportive that day, being partially sunny and partially cloudy. And the crisp winter morning air was so very refreshing. Although when we visited, a part of road was under construction and that slowed us down considerably. But that means, the road must be widened and smooth as of now. We highly recommend staying at Horsley Hills for one night to make the most of your trip to Horsley Hills.

Read: Our one day trip to Horsley Hills from Bangalore

Driving duration to Horsley Hills : 3.5 hrs

Hogenakkal Waterfall & Yercaud

One of the most majestic waterfalls around Bangalore is Hogenakkal Waterfall. And a hill station right besides it is Yercaud. A weekend is sufficient to visit Yercaud via Hogenakkal Waterfalls. Stay overnight at Yercaud. You must stay at Grate Trails Resort if you are going to stay overnight at Yercaud. It is the best resort there with the best possible view. Although we visited Yercaud over a long weekend, but just overnight stay is sufficient. This way, you can cover some of the attractions that Yercaud has to offer like it’s park and lake and come back home by next day evening. It is often called “The Ooty of the poor” as this hill station has much more economical stay options and roaming around is also much more affordable. Last but not the least, if you are really pressed by time, you can squeeze Hogenakkal Waterfall and Yercaud in a day trip too. This will mean one of the longest long drives from Bangalore for you! And also, a long day which you must start very early.

Read : Our visit to Yercaud over a long weekend

Driving duration to Yercaud : 3.5 hrs

BR Hills

Our overnight stay at Gorukana in BR Hills was beyond refreshing. We still cherish the time spent there almost every time we make plans for some other trip. But one can do a day trip to B R hills as well. Again, this will be a very long day. So, we recommend an overnight stay. There are some other stay options also near the top of the hill. The beauty of BR Hills is something difficult to describe. I have seen one of the bluest skies and greenest forest ranges at BR Hills. The picture remains embedded in my memory forever. Also, the weekend we spent here was really slow and very relaxing. This is one place, I am always wanting to visit again.

Read : Our weekend getaway to BR Hills & Our stay at Gorukana in BR Hills

Driving duration to B R Hills : 4 hrs

Halebidu and Belur

Two of the most magnificent temples of South India are the Hoysaleswara Temple in Halebidu and the Chennakeshava Temple in Belur. Although these can be visited on the way to Chikmagalur from Bangalore. But, one can also conveniently take one of those long drives and visit these temples as a part of a day trip. We did visit them on our way back from Chikmagalur, after spending a day at the Courtyard Homestay in Chikmagalur.

Driving duration to Belur and Halebidu : 4.5 hrs

Srirangpatna

Often visited on the way to Mysore, I have realised that Srirangpatna has a lot to offer on its own. And totally deserves a day trip from Bangalore. So that one can cover beautiful places like Sriranganathswamy Temple, Balmuri Falls, Tipu Sultan’s Palace, the banks of river Cauvery, Sangam  and Rbngnathittu Bird Sanctuary to name a few. Brindavan Gardens are also not far away! It can be visited either on a day trip from Bangalore. Or, an overnight stay can also be planned.

Driving distance from Bangalore : 3 hrs

Chennapatna

Yet another town that we always cross, and mostly stop by for lunches when visiting Mysire. Chennapatna is famous for it’s wooden toys. One can see several shops selling wooden toys and decorative items big and small. Actually, on my way to and from Mysore, I used to realise that we reached Chennapatna on spotting these shops. But there is a whole history and lots of story behind the town’s turning into a wooden toys treasurehouse and the lives of the artisans. Which surely deserves a visit.

Driving distance from Bangalore : 2 hrs

Ramnagara

Another town very near to Bangalore, just at a distance of 50km. Ramnagara  offers some unique resorts like Silahandra which are a great option for both overnight stay as well as day trip. Trekking up the hills of Ramnagara seems to be the most famous and sought after activity. But the town also provides for excellent winery tour and wine tasting!! So, next time you feel bored in Bangalore, you can conveniently go on a long trip toi Ramnagara.

 

Do let us know what are your favorite long drives from Bangalore. Are they part of our list? If not, we will be more than happy to learn about them and add them.

PS: Some of our links are affiliated, this means we will earn a commission when you buy a service or product by clicking those links. However, this will have no extra cost for you.