Coimbatore to Mysore by Ertiga — fare, distance and route
| Distance | 215 km |
|---|---|
| Drive time | 4h 30m off-peak · up to 5h 30m at busy times |
| One way, from | ₹4,935 incl. GST |
| Round trip, from | ₹9,104 incl. GST |
| Highway | NH948 via Sathyamangalam and Chamarajanagar |
| Best departure | Leave by 6am - the Sathy ghat and Bandipur both want daylight |
How that fare is built
| Item | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|
| Chargeable distance | 215 km | 430 km |
| Rate per km | ₹20 | ₹19 |
| Distance cost | ₹4,300 | ₹8,170 |
| Driver bata | ₹400 | ₹500 |
| Toll and parking | At actuals, with receipts — quoted on the call | |
| Interstate permit | Required, Tamil Nadu to Karnataka — at actuals. We already hold it. | |
| Sub-total | ₹4,700 | ₹8,670 |
| GST at 5% | ₹235 | ₹434 |
| Total, from | ₹4,935 | ₹9,104 |
One way is charged for your direction plus the minimum distance. A round trip charges both legs with the daily minimum applied — which is why the one-way total is lower even at a higher per-km rate. Prefer a single agreed figure with toll and permit folded in? Ask for an all-inclusive quote.
The forest road most people do not know about
Coimbatore and Mysore are 215 km apart and the drive takes four and a half hours, which surprises people until they see the road.
The direct route runs north through Sathyamangalam — a tiger reserve in the Eastern Ghats with one of the larger elephant populations in the country — over the Sathy ghat, and then across Bandipur before dropping into Mysore.
It is one of the better drives in South India and it is not a fast one. Both forest sections are taken slowly by necessity and by law, and the ghat has its own sequence of bends.
The alternative is the long way round via Salem on highway — quicker in theory, longer in distance, and with nothing to look at. If your arrival time is fixed and tight, ask and we will price both. Otherwise take the forest.
Night restrictions on both sections
Through traffic is restricted overnight across both reserves. This is therefore a daylight route, and we leave by six so that both crossings happen in good light with margin.
Inside them: no stopping, no feeding, well under the limit. Sathyamangalam in particular is quiet enough that animals use the road corridor freely.
The state line
You cross from Tamil Nadu into Karnataka, so an interstate permit applies. It is a quoted line on the fare rather than a delay, since we hold it.
Arriving in Mysore
Mysore’s palace, Chamundi Hills, the zoo and Srirangapatna are covered on our Bangalore to Mysore page, which is the approach most visitors take.
What is specific to arriving from this direction: you come in past Nanjangud on the southern side, so the Nanjundeshwara temple there is on your road rather than a detour, and Bandipur is behind you rather than ahead — which matters if you were planning a safari, because you can do it as part of this journey instead of as a separate trip. Say so at booking and we will time the departure for a safari slot.
Why this route suits an Ertiga
Four and a half hours, most of it on good but unhurried forest and ghat road. The ride quality and the manoeuvrability both help here, and a quiet cabin is worth having on a road where you want to be looking out of the window. Comfortable for four or five with luggage; six adults over that duration is a stretch.
Still coming to this page: named toll plazas and amounts, named break stops, interstate permit amount. Those come from our own drivers rather than from a map, and we would rather leave them off than print a figure we have not checked. Ask on the call and we will tell you the toll for this route.
All bookings include a professional driver. We do not offer self-drive rentals.
Booking this route
We drive Mysore to Coimbatore as well, at the same rate — the fare depends on the distance and the direction of travel, not on which end you start from. There is one page for both directions rather than two pages saying the same thing.
Related routes
Coimbatore to Mysore — FAQs
Why does 215 km take four and a half hours?
Because the direct road runs through forest. The Sathyamangalam reserve and then Bandipur are both crossed at deliberately low speed, and the Sathy ghat has its own set of bends. It is a good drive, not a fast one.
Is a permit needed?
Yes. You cross from Tamil Nadu into Karnataka, so an interstate permit applies, charged at actuals and quoted before you travel.
Are there night restrictions?
Yes, on both forest sections. Through traffic is restricted overnight to protect animals crossing, so this is a daylight route. We leave by six.
Is there a faster way round?
Via Salem and the highway, which avoids the forest entirely but is considerably longer. If you need to be in Mysore by a fixed time and the forest timings are tight, ask and we will price both.
Will we see animals?
Quite likely. Sathyamangalam has a substantial elephant population and Bandipur is Bandipur. No stopping in either, and well below the limit where the scrub is close.