Treks Near Mysore: Chamundi’s 1,008 Steps, Kunti Betta and Weekend Peaks in Kodagu

Treks near Mysore, from a city stairway to Kodagu’s peaks

Mysuru sits on a plateau at about 770 m, with one big hill on its edge and the Western Ghats of Kodagu about 120 km to the west. So treks near Mysore fall into three groups: the Chamundi Hills stairway, which many people climb every week; small rocky hills on the plains, such as Kunti Betta; and full-day forest treks in Kodagu (Coorg), sold by the Karnataka Forest Department. The table pulls them together with the source for each figure.

Chamundi Hills steps: Mysuru’s everyday trek

The stone stairway up Chamundi Hills is the trek most Mysuru people know best. Karnataka Tourism counts 1,008 steps from the foot of the hill to the Chamundeshwari temple at about 1,000 m, and Wikipedia records that the stairway was built in 1659 by Dodda Devaraja Wodeyar. Roughly halfway up stands the Nandi, carved from a single block of black granite, 4.9 m tall and 7.6 m long. The route logged on FastestKnownTime, from the first step to the temple entrance and back, is 3.1 km with about 257 m of climbing.

That makes the steps a near-perfect training tool for every other trek on this page: steep, measurable and free. Going up tests your legs and lungs; coming down, especially with tired legs, is what prepares your knees for Kodagu’s descents. Karnataka Tourism lists the temple open 7:30 AM to 2 PM and 3:30 to 6 PM, so a sunrise climb reaches the top before darshan begins. If you prefer a gentler gradient, the road up Chamundi is longer and less steep; our Mysuru cycling guide has its distance and climb.

Trekking near Mysore within 50 km: Kunti Betta

For trekking near Mysore within 50 km, Kunti Betta is the classic choice. It is a pair of rocky hills near Pandavapura in Mandya district, about 25 km from Mysuru, rising to 878 m, close to Thonnur Lake. The climb is short and mostly on rock, and the hills are well known for night treks and camping. Pandavapura railway station, 4 km from the town, is a stop for most Bengaluru–Mysuru trains, so it can be done without a car.

Mandya isn’t one of the districts on the Forest Department’s booking portal (checked October 2026), so there is no ticket to buy. That also means nobody is checking conditions for you. Go in a group, carry a headtorch and water, wear shoes with grip for the rock, and ask locally about any rules for night climbs before you set out.

BR Hills, MM Hills and Bandipur: why there’s no open trail

People often ask about trekking in BR Hills (Biligiriranga Hills), about 90 km from Mysuru. Its highest hill, Kattari Betta, reaches about 1,800 m, but the whole range has been a tiger reserve since January 2011, and visitors see it on safaris run from K Gudi and on the road to the Biligiri Ranganatha temple. Chamarajanagar district, which includes BR Hills and MM Hills, wasn’t in Aranya Vihaara’s list of bookable districts when we checked in October 2026, although the portal’s home page features Nagamalai in the MM Hills range. Walking into a tiger reserve’s forest needs the forest department’s permission, so treat any “BR Hills trek” package with caution.

Weekend treks from Mysuru: Tadiandamol, Nishani Motte and Sharadabbi in Kodagu

Kodagu is where Mysuru trekkers go for real mountains. Madikeri, the district town, is about 120 km west at 1,170 m. The Karnataka Forest Department now sells Kodagu’s forest treks through Aranya Vihaara, and four were bookable when we checked:

• Tadiandamol (1,748 m), Kodagu’s highest peak, near Yavakapadi village in Madikeri taluk. The Forest Department controls the trek from an inspection gate at Karadimotte; from there it is 3.5 km to the top, about 7 km in all. Night camping on the route was withdrawn in December 2016 because of litter. Graded moderate.
• Talacauvery to Nishani Motte: a 16 km, 8-hour trail from near the Talacauvery temple to the Nishani Motte anti-poaching camp, through evergreen and shola forest to grassland at 1,527 m. Graded adventurous, and the portal says the best season is September to January.
• Kutiyala to Sharadabbi Falls viewpoint: about 4 km from the Kutiyala anti-poaching camp, 17 km from Virajpet, through coffee and pepper plantations into forest, ending at a viewpoint over a fall on the Barapole river at about 800 m. The description calls it the shortest trek here and the best for beginners.
• Kumara Parvatha from Beedahalli: a 12 km, 6-hour round trip near Somwarpet, with a plastic check at the gate. Our guide to treks near Bangalore covers it, and how Aranya Vihaara booking works, in detail.

The portal’s home page also features Brahmagiri, a 24 km trek past Irpu Falls, but it wasn’t in the bookable list for Kodagu when we checked. The rules that matter most: book between 1 and 30 days ahead, carry the original ID you booked with, and report 10 minutes before your slot. Since 15 July 2026, cancelling 8 or more days ahead refunds 50%, and closer to the date nothing comes back.

Treks near Mysore Road and over the Tamil Nadu border

If you searched for “treks near Mysore Road”, you probably meant the Bengaluru side: Savandurga and its neighbours lie off Magadi Road and the old Mysore Road west of Bengaluru, and they’re covered in our Bangalore treks guide. Going south from Mysuru instead, Tamil Nadu’s Rockwood Peak near Gudalur is a moderate 6 km, 5-hour climb over steep grassy hills to about 1,530 m, with Mudumalai Tiger Reserve nearby. It is booked on Trek Tamil Nadu (₹1,499 plus 5% GST, checked October 2026), which lists Mysore airport, 110 km away, as the nearest airport. Tamil Nadu closes its trails for about two months from 15 February for fire season.

When to trek around Mysuru: plains heat and Kodagu’s monsoon

Mysuru and Kodagu have very different weather, so pick the month by where you’re going. India Meteorological Department normals for 1991–2020 give Mysuru a gentle year, with highs of 28–34 °C and about 832 mm of rain. Madikeri gets about 3,210 mm a year, with 952.5 mm in July alone.

A 6-week plan built on Chamundi’s steps

Tadiandamol and Nishani Motte ask for more than a city fitness level: steady climbing for hours, then a long descent on tired legs. Mysuru has an unusual advantage here, because the Chamundi stairway lets you rehearse exactly that. The thinking behind the plan is in our national guide on how to prepare for a trek.

1. 1

   Weeks 1–2: base

   Walk 40 minutes three times a week, one of them a loop of Kukkarahalli Lake. Two strength sessions: goblet squats 3 × 10, step-ups 3 × 10 each leg, glute bridges 3 × 12, dead bugs 3 × 8 each side.

2. 2

   Week 3: first timed climb

   Climb Chamundi’s steps once at an easy pace, time it, and walk down slowly. Keep both strength sessions, adding reverse lunges 3 × 8 each leg.

3. 3

   Week 4: Kunti Betta

   Do Kunti Betta at sunrise with friends. Midweek, climb Chamundi’s steps with a 4 kg daypack.

4. 4

   Week 5: double climb

   Up and down the steps twice in one morning, about 515 m of climbing in total, with a 5–6 kg pack. Add slow step-downs 3 × 8 each leg and single-leg Romanian deadlifts 3 × 8.

5. 5

   Week 6: taper and go

   One easy climb early in the week, then rest. Book Tadiandamol first; save Nishani Motte for after you’ve done a 6-hour day comfortably.

Staying safe on hills near Mysuru

• Descents hurt more than climbs. On the Chamundi steps and Kodagu’s grassy slopes, take short steps and use the handrail or poles. Many sore knees after Tadiandamol come from the way down.
• Forest rules are strict. Kodagu’s treks start and end at fixed times, plastic is checked at some gates, and you must stay with the group.
• Wildlife. Kodagu’s forests and the reserves south of Mysuru are elephant and big-cat country. Never leave the trail.
• Health first. If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure or diabetes, or are just starting to exercise, check with your doctor before a long climb.

Recovering from a knee or ankle injury and aiming for Chamundi’s steps again? Rehab & Recovery in Mysuru rebuilds strength on video once your doctor or physio has cleared you. It is exercise coaching, not physiotherapy.

More for active people in Mysuru

See online personal training in Mysuru for how live video coaching works in the city. If you also ride, our guide to cycling in Mysuru covers the Chamundi road climb and the city’s bike share, and healthy food in Mysuru has calories and protein for the breakfasts you’ll want after a climb. To check how much you burn on a long trek day, use the TDEE calculator.