Mysore to Shravanabelagola Ertiga cab — fare breakdown and the road
| Distance | 85 km |
|---|---|
| Drive time | 2h off-peak · up to 2h 45m at busy times |
| One way, from | ₹3,150 incl. GST |
| Round trip, from | ₹5,513 incl. GST |
| Highway | via Krishnarajapet |
| Best departure | Leave by 6.30am - the steps are bare rock and unshaded |
How that fare is built
| Item | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|
| Chargeable distance | 130 km (min) | 250 km (min) |
| Rate per km | ₹20 | ₹19 |
| Distance cost | ₹2,600 | ₹4,750 |
| Driver bata | ₹400 | ₹500 |
| Toll and parking | At actuals, with receipts — quoted on the call | |
| Sub-total | ₹3,000 | ₹5,250 |
| GST at 5% | ₹150 | ₹263 |
| Total, from | ₹3,150 | ₹5,513 |
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.
Six hundred steps, and the time you start
The Gommateshwara statue at Shravanabelagola is a single piece of granite some fifty-seven feet high, carved in the tenth century, standing on top of Vindhyagiri hill. It is one of the largest monolithic statues anywhere and it has stood, unroofed and unprotected, for over a thousand years.
To see it you climb around six hundred steps cut into the bare rock, barefoot, with no shade at any point.
That single fact should determine your whole plan. The rock is cool at seven in the morning and punishing by ten. There is nowhere to shelter, nowhere to sit comfortably, and no shortcut.
Leave Mysore by half past six. Everything else about this trip is straightforward; this is the part that decides whether you enjoy it.
Who can do it
Be realistic. It is not a technical climb and it is not dangerous, but it is relentless, and the descent on the same steps in the heat is harder than people expect.
Doli chairs, carried by bearers, are available for a fee for those who cannot climb. Worth knowing before you arrive rather than after.
What is at the top, and at the bottom
The statue itself, which is best seen from directly below where the scale becomes apparent, and a view over the town and the tank and the second hill.
Chandragiri, the smaller hill opposite, has a group of Jain basadis — older, quieter, and skipped by most visitors. If you have the legs left, it is worth it.
The Mahamastakabhisheka, the great anointing ceremony, takes place roughly every twelve years and draws enormous crowds. In a ceremony year, book far ahead and expect the town to be unrecognisable.
The road, and the Hassan question
Two hours from Mysore via Krishnarajapet, on ordinary state highway through farmland.
Belur and Halebidu are in a different direction from here, near Hassan. Doing all three in one day from Mysore is possible and it is a long day that shortchanges the Hoysala temples, which deserve two unhurried hours. Our honest suggestion is two days with a night at Hassan — Shravanabelagola early on one morning while the rock is cool, the temples the next.
Why this route suits an Ertiga
Two hours out, then several hours parked while you climb, then two hours back. Six seats keep a group together and luggage is irrelevant on a day trip, so the third row stays entirely usable. The relevant comfort here is the car being cool when you come back down, which after six hundred steps of granite is not a small thing.
Still coming to this page: named toll plazas and amounts, named break stops. 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 Shravanabelagola to Mysore 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
Mysore to Shravanabelagola — FAQs
How hard is the climb?
Around six hundred steps cut into bare rock, climbed barefoot, entirely unshaded. It is genuinely demanding — not technical, but relentless and hot. Be honest about who in your group can manage it before you plan the day around it.
What time should we leave Mysore?
By half six. The rock is cool early and brutal by mid-morning, and there is nowhere to shelter on the way up. This is the single most important decision about this trip.
Is there an alternative to the steps?
Doli chairs carried by bearers are available for those who cannot climb, for a fee. It is worth knowing in advance rather than discovering it at the bottom.
Is a permit needed?
No. Shravanabelagola is in Karnataka, about two hours from Mysore.
Can we combine it with Belur and Halebidu?
Yes, though it is a long day. They are in a different direction from Shravanabelagola and the Hoysala temples deserve two unhurried hours. Better as two days with a night at Hassan, and we will quote it that way.