Chikmagalur peaks and waterfalls day tour
Chikmagalur · 10 hrs · Car and driver, all day · Pickup from your stay
From ₹2990 for the whole vehicle, up to 8 people. The price is per car, not per person.
Vehicles
- Swift Dzire: Sedan. Best for a couple or a small family. ₹2990 for the vehicle.
- Tata Sumo: Rugged 8-seater. The most room for the money. ₹3490 for the vehicle.
- Innova or Ertiga: The comfortable one on a long hill day. ₹4990 for the vehicle.
The whole peak side of Chikmagalur in one day
This is the day that covers what people actually come to Chikmagalur for: the highest peak in Karnataka, two waterfalls, a zip line over the ghats, and the Bababudangiri ridge where coffee first entered India. Ten stops, roughly ten hours, and about 120 km of hill road.
Doing it independently is where it falls apart. The stops sit on three different roads off the town, the good order is not the obvious order, and two of them, Mullayanagiri and Jhari Falls, end at gates where private cars are turned back and local jeeps take over.
You book the car and the driver for the whole day at one price. The driver runs the route in the order that beats the crowds and the afternoon cloud, waits at every stop, and drops you back. The jeep segments at the two gates are charged by the local jeep operators and you pay them there, which we would rather tell you now than at 6 am.
Why book the car for the day
One car, one price, ten hours
Booked end to end at a fixed rate for the vehicle. No per-stop fares, no waiting charges, no renegotiating when the day runs long.
The order is the skill
Peaks before the cloud builds, falls in the middle of the day, Datta Peeta for the last light. A local driver does this route daily and sequences it without being asked.
Straight talk on the jeep gates
Mullayanagiri and Jhari need local jeeps and those fees are not ours to include. Your driver takes you to the right gate and tells you the going rate before you get out.
Where you'll go
1. Siri Cafe
The hillside cafe everyone starts at, with the valley opening up below the deck. Coffee and breakfast before the climb.
2. Mullayanagiri
At 1,930 m this is the highest point in Karnataka. A short flight of steps takes you to the summit temple and a view across the whole range.
Jeep segment, paid at the gate
3. Seethalayyana Giri
A quieter hilltop shrine on the same ridge, usually empty when the summit is not.
4. Kavikalgandi viewpoint
A rocky outcrop looking straight down the valley. The best wide shot of the day.
5. Zip line
A run out over the treetops with the ghats behind you. Optional, and worth it if you have the nerve.
Zip line ticket, paid on site
6. Honnamanahalla Falls
A broad, easy waterfall a short walk from the road, good for a cold-water break in the middle of the day.
7. Jhari Falls (Buttermilk Falls)
The one everybody photographs: white water dropping through the estate canopy. The last stretch is a jeep track.
Jeep segment, paid at the gate
8. Shooting Spot viewpoint
Named for the film crews who use it. Grassland ridges rolling away in every direction.
9. Datta Peeta, Bababudangiri
The shrine revered by both Muslim and Hindu pilgrims, and the cave behind it. This range is where coffee entered India.
10. Datta Peeta viewpoint
The last stop, timed for the light going long across the ridge before the drive down.
How you get there
Your car covers the day; two gates need a local jeep
A Swift Dzire seats four, a Tata Sumo eight and an Innova or Ertiga six, each with a driver, for the whole route. Mullayanagiri and Jhari Falls end at checkposts where only registered local jeeps continue, so those two short segments are charged separately by the jeep operators at the gate. Rates vary by season and by how many jeeps are running that day.
- Pickup: Your stay in or around Chikmagalur town, 7:30 am
- Vehicle: Swift Dzire up to 4, Tata Sumo up to 8, or Innova / Ertiga up to 6, with driver
- Distance: About 120 km across the day on hill roads
- Jeep segments: Mullayanagiri and Jhari Falls, paid at the gate
- Drop: Back at your stay, roughly 10 hours after pickup
How the day runs
7:30 am: Pickup and Siri Cafe
Breakfast on the deck with the valley below.
9:00 am: Mullayanagiri
Jeep up from the gate, then the summit steps. Clearest air of the day.
11:00 am: Seethalayyana Giri and Kavikalgandi
The quiet shrine, then the viewpoint.
12:30 pm: Zip line and lunch
Optional ride, then a stop to eat.
2:00 pm: Honnamanahalla and Jhari Falls
Two waterfalls, the second by jeep from the gate.
4:30 pm: Shooting Spot
Ridge grassland, long views.
5:30 pm: Datta Peeta and viewpoint
The shrine, the cave, and the last light.
6:30 pm: Drop
Back at your stay.
In your price
- Private car with driver for the full day
- Pickup and drop at your stay
- Driver allowance, fuel and tolls
- All ten sightseeing stops on the route
- Entry fees and parking at the stops
Not included
- Jeep charges at Mullayanagiri and Jhari Falls
- Zip line and any adventure activity tickets
- Lunch and personal expenses
What you pay on the day
- Mullayanagiri jeep segment
- Jhari Falls jeep segment
- Zip line ticket, if you ride it
- Lunch and anything you eat along the way
Who this suits
Suits most people. Mullayanagiri has around 400 steps to the summit temple, skippable if you would rather stay at the viewpoint. The jeep segments are short but bumpy. Children of any age are welcome; the car seats four, six or eight depending on which you pick.
What to bring
A light warm layer for the peaks, closed shoes, sun protection, and cash for the jeep gates and the zip line. Card acceptance at the gates is unreliable.
If the hill roads close
In heavy rain the forest department closes the Mullayanagiri and Jhari approaches, sometimes on the morning itself. If two or more of the ten stops are unreachable we will offer you a reworked route, a free reschedule or a full refund, your choice. You are never charged for a day that did not run.
Cancellation
- More than 24 hrs before: Full refund
- Within 24 hrs: 50% refund, or reschedule free once
- No show: No refund
Safety and the operator
Licensed local drivers who run these roads daily, in vehicles serviced and papers-current. The jeep segments are operated by the registered jeep unions at each gate under forest department rules. A GoExplorer number is on your confirmation and answered all day.
Questions
Why are the jeep charges not included?
The jeep operators at Mullayanagiri and Jhari are local unions who set their own rate on the day and take cash at the gate. We could pad our price and guess, but you would sometimes overpay. Carrying cash and paying the gate rate is cheaper and honest.
The Sumo seats 8 but costs less than the 6-seat Innova. Why?
Because you are paying for two different things. The Sumo is built for capacity and rough road, so it is the cheapest way to move seven or eight people. The Innova is the smoother, quieter ride, which matters on ten hours of hill road. If you are a large group the Sumo is your option; if you are four to six and want the easier day, take the Innova.
Is the price per person?
No. It is the price of the car for the whole day. Four people in a Dzire pay the same ₹2,990 as one person does.
Can we change the order or skip stops?
Yes, it is your car for the day. Tell the driver in the morning. Skipping a stop does not change the price since you have booked the vehicle, not the ticket.
Is the car air conditioned?
The Innova and Ertiga are. The Dzire is quoted as a non-AC sedan at this rate, and at hill temperatures most people never notice.