9-Day Family Friendly Itinerary from Bangalore to Varakala

1. Day 1: Sakleshpura
   183 km (4 hours 34 minutes) from Bangalore

   Visit the serene and picturesque Manjarabad Fort and enjoy the breathtaking view of the Western Ghats.

2. Day 2: Chikmagalur
   73.4 km (1 hour 57 minutes) from Sakleshpura

   Take a scenic drive through coffee plantations and visit the Mullayanagiri Peak, the highest peak in Karnataka.

3. Day 3: Shimoga
   122 km (3 hours) from Chikmagalur

   Explore the beautiful Jog Falls, the second-highest plunge waterfall in India and the Gajanur Dam.

4. Day 4: Dharmasthala
   116 km (2 hours 45 minutes) from Shimoga

   Visit the Sri Manjunatha Swamy Temple and seek blessings from Lord Shiva. Also, see the Bahubali statue and Museum.

5. Day 5: Udupi
   97.6 km (2 hours 38 minutes) from Dharmastala

   Visit the Sri Krishna Temple and enjoy the beautiful beaches of Malpe, St. Mary's Island and Kapu.

6. Day 6: Gokarna
   140 km (3 hours 21 minutes) from Udupi

   Relax and enjoy the scenic beaches such as Om Beach, Kudle Beach and rock formations like Yana caves.

7. Day 7: Kanyakumari
   514 km (10 hours 10 minutes) from Gokarna

   Visit the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Kanyakumari Temple, Thiruvalluvar Statue, and watch the beautiful sunset and triveni sangamam.

8. Day 8: Rameshwaram
   311 km (7 hours 56 minutes) from Kanyakumari

   Visit Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple, Dhanushkodi Beach, and Adam's Bridge.

9. Day 9: Trivandrum to Varkala
   174 km (3 hours 50 minutes) from Rameshwaram

   Visit the famous Padmanabhaswamy Temple and rejuvenate yourself in the beautiful beaches of Varkala.

Time and Costs Estimates

• Entry fee for Manjarabad Fort: INR 15 (30 minutes)
• Entry fee for Mullayanagiri Peak: INR 20 (2 hours)
• Entry fee for Jog Falls: INR 15 (2 hours)
• Entry fee for Sri Manjunatha Swamy Temple: Free (1 hour)
• Entry fee for Sri Krishna Temple: Free (1 hour)
• Dolphin Spotting in Malpe Beach: INR 1000-2000 per boat (30 minutes)
• Entry fee for Om Beach: Free (2 hours)
• Entry fee for Kanyakumari Temple: Free (1 hour)
• Entry fee for Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple: Free (2 hours)
• Entry fee for Padmanabhaswamy Temple: Free (1 hour)
• Average meal cost per person: INR 200-300
Total Estimated Costs: INR 4500-5500 per person

Useful Tips

You can choose to skip some destinations to either slow down the pace or spent a longer time at a particular place. To add more days, you can add Wayanad and Munnar, which are beautiful hillstation destinations in Kerala. For a shorter trip, you can skip the last few destinations, and plan a direct trip to Kanyakumari from Bangalore.