Festival & Seasonal
Mysore Dasara group travel from Bangalore
Dasara is the busiest weekend of the year on the Bangalore–Mysore road and the single hardest trip to plan honestly. On Vijayadashami, the day of the Jamboo Savari procession, central Mysore closes to traffic, parking is pushed to the outskirts, and a vehicle cannot get anywhere near the palace. Groups who expect to be dropped at the procession route are always disappointed. The trips that work are built around that reality: arrive the day before, park where the vehicle is allowed to park, and walk the last stretch knowing in advance that you will.
What this trip actually involves
- Booking lead timeSix weeks minimum for Dasara weekend. Large vehicles go first and we run out of 17 seaters well before the date
- Jamboo Savari dayCentral Mysore closes to vehicles. Parking is pushed to the outskirts and the last stretch is on foot. Plan for it rather than discovering it
- Realistic drive timeThree and a half to four hours normally; five to six on Dasara Saturday and on Vijayadashami itself
- AccommodationMysore is full during Dasara. Book rooms before you book the vehicle, or plan to stay in Srirangapatna or Mandya
- IlluminationThe palace illumination runs through the ten days each evening. Easier to see, and much easier to park for, than the procession
- Better alternativeVisit on one of the earlier Dasara days rather than Vijayadashami. Same illumination and the same city, a fraction of the difficulty
Cost per person
Round-trip fare divided by the vehicle's seat count. Fill fewer seats and each person pays proportionally more.
Bangalore to Mysore — 145 km, 3.5 – 4 hours
| Vehicle | Seats | Round trip | Per head |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ertiga | 6 | ₹4,900 | ₹817 |
| Tempo Traveller 12 | 12 | ₹6,740 | ₹562 |
| Tempo Traveller 17 | 17 | ₹8,100 | ₹476 |
| Urbania 13 | 13 | ₹13,780 | ₹1,060 |
No interstate permit — the route stays within Karnataka. Driver allowance included; tolls and parking at actuals. Minimum running 300 km per day for round trips out of Bengaluru. Point-to-point fare for this route: sara.cab.
Bangalore to Shravanabelagola — 145 km, 3 – 3.5 hours
| Vehicle | Seats | Round trip | Per head |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ertiga | 6 | ₹4,900 | ₹817 |
| Tempo Traveller 12 | 12 | ₹6,740 | ₹562 |
| Tempo Traveller 17 | 17 | ₹8,100 | ₹476 |
| Urbania 13 | 13 | ₹13,780 | ₹1,060 |
No interstate permit — the route stays within Karnataka. Driver allowance included; tolls and parking at actuals. Minimum running 300 km per day for round trips out of Bengaluru. Point-to-point fare for this route: sara.cab.
Bangalore to Shivanasamudra — 135 km, 3 – 3.5 hours
| Vehicle | Seats | Round trip | Per head |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ertiga | 6 | ₹4,600 | ₹767 |
| Tempo Traveller 12 | 12 | ₹6,300 | ₹525 |
| Tempo Traveller 17 | 17 | ₹7,600 | ₹447 |
| Urbania 13 | 13 | ₹12,900 | ₹992 |
No interstate permit — the route stays within Karnataka. Driver allowance included; tolls and parking at actuals. Minimum running 300 km per day for round trips out of Bengaluru. Point-to-point fare for this route: sara.cab.
Itinerary options
Day trip, earlier Dasara day
The version we recommend
06:00 departure on any of the earlier nine days. Palace, Chamundi Hill, the Dasara exhibition, and the illumination in the evening. Return the same night. Everything Dasara offers except the procession, at a fraction of the traffic.
Two-day trip, Vijayadashami
For groups who want the procession
Travel the day before and stay overnight — attempting the drive on Vijayadashami morning does not work. Park where vehicles are permitted, walk to the procession route, and leave the city after the crowds thin rather than in them.
Extended trip
Dasara plus Shravanabelagola or Shivanasamudra
Groups already travelling to Mysore often add Shravanabelagola or Shivanasamudra on the return, both of which are quiet even during Dasara. A good way to make a two-day trip worth the vehicle.
Recommended vehicles
Ertiga
The smallest vehicle on this site, and the entry point for group travel. Below six people a sedan is cheaper; at six the Ertiga is the only vehicle where nobody sits sideways.
Tempo Traveller 12
The best cost per person of anything on this site. If the group is eight or more and the budget matters more than recliner seats, this is the answer.
Tempo Traveller 17
The workhorse for temple groups and school excursions. Seventeen seats at the lowest per-head cost available anywhere in the fleet.
Urbania 13
The most-booked Urbania. Thirteen recliners, standing headroom and a real boot — the default choice for corporate offsites and wedding-party transport.
Questions we get asked
How far in advance should we book for Dasara?
Six weeks minimum, and earlier for a 17 seater or a mini bus. Dasara weekend is when every operator in Bangalore runs out of large vehicles, and there are dates where we genuinely have nothing left in a given size. Booking in August is easy; booking in the first week of October often is not.
Can the vehicle drop us at the Jamboo Savari procession?
No. On Vijayadashami central Mysore is closed to traffic, parking is pushed out to the periphery and the last stretch is on foot for everybody. We would rather tell you this now than have the group expect a palace-gate drop.
How long does the drive actually take during Dasara?
Five to six hours on Dasara Saturday and on Vijayadashami, against three and a half to four normally. Build the day on the higher figure. Itineraries planned on the normal drive time are the main reason Dasara trips feel rushed.
Is it worth going on a day other than Vijayadashami?
For most groups, yes, and it is what we suggest. The palace illumination runs every evening across the ten days, the exhibition is open throughout, and the city is navigable. You miss the procession and you gain the whole rest of the trip.
One last thing
One practical detail for Vijayadashami: agree a meeting point and time with your driver before the group disperses at the procession, and pick a landmark on the outskirts rather than in the closed zone. Phone networks are congested in central Mysore that afternoon and a vehicle nobody can reach is worse than a longer walk.