Southern India & Karnataka by Rail (Self-Launched)
10 days · Southern India & Karnataka
G Adventures charges £950
No-markup version: ~£340 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 10-day self-launched version of G Adventures' "Southern India & Karnataka by Rail": same route from Goa to Kochi via Hampi, Mysore and Madikeri, but booked independently using Indian Railways, local buses and self-arranged guesthouses. You'll sleep in hostels and family-run guesthouses instead of tour hotels, ride the same overnight Hampi Express, and arrange the Hampi ruins walk, Mysore Palace and coffee plantation visits yourself. Budget roughly £16-25/day on the ground; the original tour price isn't visible on the page but typically runs £850-1,100 pp excluding international flights, so expect big savings.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Goa (Anjuna or Palolem)
Goa
Land at Dabolim or Mopa airport and take a prepaid taxi or local bus to your beach guesthouse. Base yourself in Anjuna/Vagator for backpacker energy or Palolem for something quieter. Settle in, walk the beach for sunset, and eat your first Goan fish curry at a beach shack. Book onward trains tonight — the Goa to Hospet (Hampi) route needs an early reservation.
🚌Prepaid taxi from Dabolim airport ~£12-15; or local bus ~£1
🛏Beach guesthouse or hostel dorm, Anjuna/Palolem (~£10-15)
- →Airport transfer by prepaid taxi (~£10-15)
- →Beach sunset walk
- →Goan seafood dinner
Beach day & Old Goa
Goa
Free day in Goa. Relax on the beach or rent a scooter (~£6/day) to explore. Visit the UNESCO churches of Old Goa — Basilica of Bom Jesus and Se Cathedral — then wander Panjim's Latin Quarter (Fontainhas) with its colourful Portuguese houses. Skip the group's 'per group' Old Goa visit and just take local buses or a shared auto-rickshaw.
🚌Scooter rental ~£6/day, or local bus to Panjim ~£0.50
🛏Beach guesthouse or hostel dorm (~£10-15)
- →Old Goa churches (Basilica of Bom Jesus, Se Cathedral) — free entry
- →Panjim Fontainhas walk
- →Scooter rental ~£6
- →Goan food crawl
Train to Hampi
Hampi / Hospet
Take the train from Thivim or Madgaon (Goa) toward Hospet — options include the Vasco–Hyderabad Express or the Visakhapatnam-Howrah route; book AC3 class on IRCTC in advance (~£5-8). Arrive Hospet, then take a local bus or shared auto to Hampi bazaar (~£1, 30 mins). Check into a guesthouse on the Hampi side of the river and watch sunset from Matanga Hill.
🚌Train Goa–Hospet ~£5-8; local bus to Hampi ~£1
🛏Hampi guesthouse near bazaar or Virupapur Gaddi (~£8-12)
- →Indian Railways journey (AC3) ~£5-8
- →Local bus Hospet-Hampi ~£1
- →Matanga Hill sunset
Hampi ruins walking day + overnight train to Mysore
Hampi → Mysore
Spend a full day exploring the Hampi ruins on foot or by rented bicycle (~£2). Key sites: Virupaksha Temple (free, watch the temple elephant), the Vittala Temple complex with its stone chariot (~£5 entry for foreigners), Hazara Rama Temple, and the Royal Enclosure/Lotus Mahal. Cross to Anegundi's boulder landscape if time allows. In the evening catch the Hampi Express from Hospet to Mysore in sleeper class (~£4-6).
🚌Overnight train Hospet–Mysore sleeper class ~£4-6
🛏Overnight sleeper train (Hampi Express)
- →Hampi ruins walking tour (self-guided)
- →Vittala Temple & stone chariot (~£5 entry)
- →Hazara Rama Temple
- →Bicycle rental ~£2
- →Overnight Hampi Express to Mysore (sleeper class)
Mysore Palace & Chamundi Hill
Mysore
Arrive Mysore in the morning, drop bags at your guesthouse, then visit Mysore Palace (~£6 for foreigners; audio guide extra) — go early to beat the queue. In the late afternoon take local bus #201 to Chamundi Hill for the Sri Chamundeshwari Temple and the Nandi bull statue, with views over the city. Evening stroll through Devaraja Market and eat Mysore masala dosa.
🚌Local bus to Chamundi Hill ~£0.50
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel near the palace (~£10-15)
- →Mysore Palace entry ~£6
- →Chamundi Hill temple (free)
- →Devaraja Market
- →Mysore dosa dinner
Namdroling Monastery & on to Madikeri
Mysore → Bylakuppe → Madikeri
Take a local bus or shared taxi from Mysore to Bylakuppe (~2 hrs, ~£1.50) to visit the Namdroling Monastery — the golden temple of the Tibetan settlement with around 5,000 monks and nuns (free entry, small donation appreciated). Continue by bus to Kushalnagar, then on to Madikeri (~2 hrs total, ~£2). Check into a homestay in the coffee-hills town.
🚌Local buses Mysore–Bylakuppe–Kushalnagar–Madikeri ~£4 total
🛏Coffee-estate homestay or guesthouse, Madikeri (~£12-18)
- →Bus Mysore–Bylakuppe ~£1.50
- →Namdroling Monastery golden temple
- →Bus on to Madikeri ~£2
Coffee plantation & Madikeri town
Madikeri
Morning tour of a working coffee plantation — many estates around Madikeri offer 1-2 hr walks with tastings for ~£3-6; alternatively book through your homestay. Learn about Coorg's arabica/robusta growing and pick up beans direct. Afternoon orientation walk of Madikeri: Madikeri Fort and Raja's Seat viewpoint for sunset, plus Abbey Falls if you have energy.
🚌Auto-rickshaw around town ~£3-4 total
🛏Coffee-estate homestay or guesthouse (~£12-18)
- →Coffee plantation tour with tasting ~£4-6
- →Madikeri Fort (small entry)
- →Raja's Seat sunset viewpoint
- →Abbey Falls
Madikeri to Kannur, train to Kochi
Madikeri → Kannur → Kochi
Morning bus down to the coast at Kannur (~3 hrs, ~£2.50) — grab lunch and a quick look at the Theyyam-soaked town or the beach. In the afternoon take the Ernakulam Express (or any Kannur–Ernakulam train, ~6-7 hrs, seat/AC chair ~£4-6) south to Kochi. Arrive late evening, check into a Fort Kochi guesthouse.
🚌Bus ~£2.50 + train ~£5
🛏Fort Kochi guesthouse or hostel (~£10-16)
- →Bus Madikeri–Kannur ~£2.50
- →Kannur beach walk
- →Train Kannur–Ernakulam ~£4-6
Fort Kochi exploring
Kochi
Self-guided Fort Kochi walk: the Chinese fishing nets at Vasco da Gama Square (free to watch; you can help pull them up for a small tip), St Francis Church, Santa Cruz Basilica and the Dutch Palace/Mattancherry Palace (~£1). Visit the Paradesi Synagogue in Jew Town (~£0.20 entry), browse the spice market, and catch a Kochi sunset or a Kathakali performance (~£5-8). Local ferries between Fort Kochi and Ernakulam cost pennies.
🚌Walking + local ferries ~£1
🛏Fort Kochi guesthouse or hostel (~£10-16)
- →Chinese fishing nets
- →Mattancherry/Dutch Palace ~£1
- →Paradesi Synagogue
- →Spice market
- →Kathakali show ~£6
- →Kochi ferry ~£0.20
Depart Kochi
Kochi
Morning at leisure — last Kerala breakfast, maybe a final walk by the water. Take the airport bus or a taxi to Cochin International (~1 hr; bus ~£1, taxi ~£10). Depart at any time.
🚌Airport bus ~£1 or taxi ~£10
- →Optional morning walk
- →Transfer to airport
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£340 | £950 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £610 per person (64%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£340
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Southern India & Karnataka by Rail (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £340 per person for 10 days in Southern India & Karnataka. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £950 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £340 — a saving of roughly £610 (64%) per person.
How long is the Southern India & Karnataka trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Southern India & Karnataka.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, backpacker, budget trip through Southern India & Karnataka, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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