Places to Visit in Coorg in 2 days: Of Coffee and Cauvery

Coorg(Kodagu) is a district in the Karnataka state of India; located at an altitude of 5627 ft on the slopes of western ghats. It is located 270 km from Banglore and 140 Kms from Mangalore. Due to rolling hills, breathtaking scenery, perfect weather, and its colonial charm- it is most popular as ‘Scotland of India’. There are many things to do in Coorg and as Coorg is tiny, you can cover the majority of places to visit in Coorg in 2 days. It is one of the best weekend trips from Bangalore and Mysore.

Also Read: Best Places to Visit and things to do in Mysore in 2 days

Imagine – lush green hills with floating clouds, serpentine roads dotted with coffee plants on both the sides with green & red coffee berries, Cauvery flowing across the wilderness, and the sun setting at the verdant valley. This is the Coorg aka Kodagu and “Scotland of India” for me.

The district is divided into small towns of Madikeri, Virajpet, Somwarpet, Kushalnagar etc. This tiny hill station offers everything from nature, wildlife, culture to colors. It’s a perfect place for spending time away from the urban jungle of cities.

Here, I am sharing highlights of Places to visit in Coorg in 2 days and suggested Coorg Places route map for all major tourist Places in Coorg. I recommend splitting your stay between Madikeri and plantation/homestay to spend less time on the road during your 2 days Coorg trip.

Day-1:

Talacauvery:

About 45 km from Madikeri, nestled in Brahamagiri Hills of Coorg, Talacauvery is believed to be the origin of river Kaveri (Cauvery). It has a temple dedicated to the goddess Cauvery and is among a prominent place of worship for local Kodava people. A tank constructed by Kodavas on the hillside happens to be the origin of the river Kaveri. As it is located at a height of 1276 meters; it gives a panoramic view of the surrounding Brahmagiri hills and the valley. This is one of the famous places in Coorg.

Bhagamandala:

Located 8 Kms from Talacauvery, Bhagamandala is popularly known as Triveni Sangam where river Cauvery is met by river kannike and tributary sujyothi. It is a place of religious importance, as taking a dip into the holy waters of Triveni Sangam is considered sacred. A short distance from Triveni Sangam, there is a temple of Shri Bhagandeshwara temple. The temple houses the idols of lord Bhagandeshwara(Ishwara), Subramanya, and Ganpati. It is a place of religious importance for Kodavas and famous Places to visit in Coorg.

Abbey Waterfalls:

Abbey falls is located 8 km from Madikeri in the western ghats. It is early reaches of Kaveri and surrounded by a blanket of lush greenery. To reach the waterfall, one needs to drive up to the entrance and then to cover a short distance on foot. It is located between spice and coffee plantation; Abbey Falls sparkles as a stream of white pearls running down a green wall. The cascading waterfall gushing down from 70 ft height, joins the river Cauvery. In monsoon, the waterfall’s volume increases and it becomes a sight to behold. It is one of the best places to visit in Coorg in 2 days.

Timings: 9 AM to 5 PM, Entry fees: Rs. 5 per person

Also Read: Rameswaram Temple Travel Guide

Raja’s Tomb:

Raja’s Tomb(Gaddige) is located 1.5 kms from Madikeri on a hilltop. The monument depicts the mortal remains of the royal Kodavas. There are three tombs built in Islamic style and Nandi figures carved on the top corners. Lord Shiva is placed and worshiped inside the tomb since the king was Hindu. This is a very fascinating fact because most of the tombs belong to Muslim kings and dynasties. Apart from the amazing architecture of it, the place gives a mesmerizing view of Madikeri town. It is a good place for viewing the sunset which makes important Places to visit in Coorg.

Raja’s Seat:

Raja’s seat is located in the center of Madikeri town. Raja’s Seat means ‘Seat of Kings’.It is a brick and mortar structure with four pillars where Kings of Coorg used to watch the glorious sunset. It is a popular sunset point and one of the tourist Places in Coorg. The district administration has put up a toy train near the Raja’s Seat as an attraction to kids.

There is a beautiful garden around the place and during my visit, there was a flower show with different art representations. This place offers breathtaking views of surrounding green valleys, towering hills, and studded paddy fields below. Owning to its beauty Raja’s seat is the Best Places to visit in Coorg in 2 days.

Timings: 5.30 AM to 8.00 PM , Entry fees: Rs.10 per person

Also Read: 2 days weekend itinerary Travel Guide to Ooty

Madikeri Fort:

Madikeri fort located in the middle of the town was built in the last quarter of the 17th century by Muddu Raja and had a Palace built inside it. It has seen many battles and thus representing a rich historical and cultural background. The fort has been rebuilt and renovated at times across these years.

Nowadays it serves as the office of Madikeri Deputy Commissioner. The fort is unique in the way that it houses a temple, an Anglican church, a prison, and a museum inside its walls. The church has been converted into a museum and offers visitors varied kinds of antiques related to Coorg.

Though the structures are not much admirable, it offers 360 degree view of surrounding hills and Madikeri town.

Omkareshwar Temple:

As you take an exit on the road ending to Madikeri fort, cross the road and go down the street to reach the Omkareshwar temple. The temple is dedicated to lord shiva and it was built by King Lingrajendra II in the 19th century. The architecture is unique and built-in Gothic and Islamic styles. It is worth visiting as you can see so many religious ceremonies and marriage rituals in the temple complex.

Temple timings: 6.30 AM to 12.00 PM and 5.00 PM to 8.00 PM everyday.

Day-2: you can cover the Places around Coorg.

Dubare Elephant Camp:

If you are an animal lover, Coorg has so many places to enjoy wildlife and one such place is Dubare Elephant Camp. Personally, I don’t like visiting such places where wild animals are involved. But later I came to know that the Dubare elephant camp provides visitors a warm experience with elephants. At Dubare, one can spend hours watching Elephants and knowing about them. If your timings are right, you can even participate in bathing and scrubbing of the elephants. It is a unique initiative in ecotourism.

Unfortunately, when I visited it was closed due to a public holiday. But the place is located at the scenic banks of river Cauvery and I could enjoy the rejuvenating nature. This is a highly touristy Place of Coorg which you can skip during your Places to visit in Coorg in 2 days.

Kaveri Nisargdhama:

If you are traveling from Madikeri to Kushalnagar, you can visit kaveri nisargdhama on the way. It is a small island formed by the river Cauvery. It presents an alluring natural setting where one can admire the gloriously flowing river Cauvery passing through dense forest. It is a good spot to interact with nature; you can reach the forest by crossing a hanging bridge over the river. There is a small entry fee of Rs.15 to enter the Park.

It has a deer park, rabbit park and children play area inside as well. Though it is like a touristy spot; the views from the hanging bride are breathtaking. The Park remains open from 9 AM to 5 PM daily.

Namdroling Monastery:

At a distance of 40 km from Madikeri near Kushalnagar – there is a town named Bylakuppe which is one of the largest Tibetan settlements in South India and the second largest in the world outside Tibet. This little colorful town with large Tibetan refugees is home to several monasteries. This is my favorite place and one of the Best Places to visit near Coorg.

The Namdroling Monastery is the largest teaching center of Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism in the world.It is home to 5000 monks and nuns with collage and hospital. Inside the campus, you can see the gardens, monastery, and golden temple. Popularly known as Golden Temple, the monastery is a picture of grandeur and colors.

The temple is very impressive with colorfully painted walls, murals adorn the walls about Tibetan mythology and it creates a perfect backdrop for tall golden Buddha statues.

Apart from the monastery, you can stop at small cafes on the campus which serves yummy thupkas and momos. There are several small shops that sell Tibetan prayer flags, handicrafts, shawls, prayer bells, and other knick-knacks. You can buy souvenirs from here. This should be one of the things to do in Coorg as part of your Places to visit in Coorg in 2 days.

Timings: 7 AM to 6 PM daily, No entrance fee required.

Coffee and Spice Plantation Walk:

Trip to Coorg sightseeing is incomplete without visiting and capturing beautiful moments spent at Coffee and Spice plantation.I am so much fascinated by the world of coffee and sole purpose of my trip to Coorg was visiting the coffee and spice plantation. Coorg has hundrends of acres of Coffee and spice Plantation growing both Arabica and Robusta coffee.

As you take walk into the plantation, you can see tall oak trees which provides shades to the coffee plants. And owners of plantation grows Pepper plants creeping to taller oak trees.This way they gets good yield of Pepper too. Apart from it, Coorg’s climate is ideal to grow other spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves etc.

There are so many Coffee plantations are available in Coorg; however, I would suggest staying for a night at a homestay with a plantation. Most of the homestays in Coorg owns their own coffee plantation. Plantation walk, berry picking, coffee brewing are some of the best things to do in Coorg.

This was about my experiences of Coorg travel and all the Best Places to Visit in Coorg in 2 days.

If you have more than 2 days, here is the list of Places to Visit Near Coorg:

• Coorg offers moderate treks around and few of them are Mandal Patti and Tadiyandamol view point.
• Iruppu waterfalls and Nagarhole National Park
• Chikli hole reservoir
• Nalknadu Palace(kakkabe) and Chelavara waterfalls
• Mallali falls and Honnammanna Lake in Somwarpet

How to Reach Coorg:

Coorg is well connected by air and road from major cities like Bangalore, Mysore, and Mangalore of Karnataka. The nearest airport is Bangalore and Mangalore. If you are arriving at Mysore OR Bangalore airport, there is a direct AC Volvo FLY BUS to Coorg from Bangalore airport itself in the evening. You can book it through KSRTC.Also KSRTC has a good network of Local buses to Coorg. Bangalore to Coorg Road is in excellent Condition hence Coorg is a popular weekend gateway from Bangalore and Mysore.

Getting around Coorg:

Coorg is a small hill station with good roads. You can get around by hiring a taxi and bikes. If you are traveling on a budget, you can roam around by local buses but check the timings of buses. We hired Bike for 3 days from Royal Brothers in Coorg. It is a good option to get around with a bit of adventure.

Best Time to Visit Coorg:

Coorg can be visited throughout the year with temperature ranges from 15 degrees to 25 degrees. However, Oct-March is the best time to visit Coorg due to the clear sky and warm weather. During March-April temperature can be bit more but the valley shrouded with white coffee flowers and is a good time to visit Coorg.

Where to Stay in Coorg:

There are so many best places to stay in Coorg plus nowadays plantation owners are welcoming visitors to stay at their Homestays. I highly recommend staying at Homestays depending upon your budget. You can experience authentic Kodava hospitality and its rich culture. Apart from it, there are plenty of resorts and hotels in Madikeri and nearby areas who love luxurious stay.

As there are few sights located away from Madikeri, I recommend staying 2 days in Madikeri and remaining 1-2 days in coffee Plantation. This way you can save travel time and you can cover the most of the places in ample time.

Places to Eat in Coorg:

Coorg is famous for its cuisines. I would recommend visiting local restaurants UDUPI Garden, Neel Sagar, and small eateries for pure vegetarian south Indian dishes. I had one of the best Dhosa and Idlis of my life here at homestay I stayed at Madikeri; don’t forget to eat at your heart’s content with Coorg Coffee.

Shopping in Coorg:

As Coorg is famous for its Coffee and Spices; you can purchase roasted coffee beans, coffee powder, and spices. There are many spice malls and shops in the town. Also, take note cinnamon, pepper and cloves are locally grown here, other spices are imported from nearby states. I recommend buying roasted Coffee beans at Ganesh Coffee which is one of the oldest and recommended by locals.

Having said, 2 days are not enough to give justice to this Place, I would love to visit it again. If you like My Post on Best Places to Visit in Coorg in 2 days, Pin it for later !!