Hire an Ertiga from Mysore to Wayanad, with a driver
| Distance | 130 km |
|---|---|
| Drive time | 3h 15m off-peak · up to 4h 15m at busy times |
| One way, from | ₹3,150 incl. GST |
| Round trip, from | ₹5,712 incl. GST |
| Highway | NH766 via Gundlupet and Bandipur |
| Best departure | Leave mid-morning - the Bandipur stretch closes to traffic overnight |
How that fare is built
| Item | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|
| Chargeable distance | 130 km | 260 km |
| Rate per km | ₹20 | ₹19 |
| Distance cost | ₹2,600 | ₹4,940 |
| Driver bata | ₹400 | ₹500 |
| Toll and parking | At actuals, with receipts — quoted on the call | |
| Sub-total | ₹3,000 | ₹5,440 |
| GST at 5% | ₹150 | ₹272 |
| Total, from | ₹3,150 | ₹5,712 |
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 route a regulation governs
Most journeys are planned around traffic. This one is planned around elephants.
The road from Mysore to Wayanad runs south through Gundlupet and then straight through the Bandipur Tiger Reserve before crossing into Kerala at Muthanga. That stretch closes to through traffic overnight — a hard restriction to protect animals crossing after dark, and one that is enforced.
So the departure time on this route is not a preference. Leave mid-morning and the crossing is straightforward. Leave late and you are either racing a barrier or sleeping on the wrong side of it.
Inside the reserve the rules are simple and worth stating: no stopping, no feeding, and slower than the limit where the scrub comes close to the road. Our drivers know it; passengers sometimes need telling.
What is at Wayanad
Wayanad is a high plateau district in northern Kerala — spice country, coffee, paddy in the valleys, and forest around the edges. It is greener and wilder than Coorg and much less developed than Munnar.
Edakkal Caves hold neolithic petroglyphs and involve a proper climb to reach. Chembra Peak, with its heart-shaped lake partway up, is the district’s best walk. Banasura Sagar is a large earthen dam with islands in the reservoir, and Soochipara and Meenmutty are the waterfalls people actually rate.
Thirunelli temple, tucked into the hills in the north, is old and quiet and rarely on itineraries.
The Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary at Muthanga — the Kerala side of the same forest you drove through — runs safaris in fixed slots, so tell us if you want one and we will set the day around it.
Why this route suits an Ertiga
A short run with a lot of luggage, on roads that are good but not fast, with a long unhurried stretch through forest. Comfortable for six over three hours, and the ride quality is welcome on the plateau’s rougher lanes. The permit and the reserve timing matter far more on this route than the choice of car.
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 Wayanad 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 Wayanad — FAQs
What is the Bandipur night traffic restriction?
The highway through the Bandipur reserve closes to through traffic overnight to protect animals crossing. It is a hard rule, not a guideline, and it is why we plan a mid-morning departure. Arriving at a closed barrier at night is a genuinely bad evening.
Is a permit needed?
Yes. Wayanad is in Kerala and you start in Karnataka, so an interstate permit applies, charged at actuals and quoted before you travel. We hold it.
Will we see animals on the drive?
Quite possibly. The road runs through Bandipur and then Muthanga on the Kerala side, and elephants, deer and gaur cross regularly. That means driving to the conditions — no stopping in the reserve, no feeding, and slower than the speed limit suggests where visibility is short.
How long does it take?
Around three and a quarter hours, though the reserve section is deliberately unhurried. Treat it as a half-day rather than a transfer.
Is it better from Mysore than from Bangalore?
Much. Mysore is roughly half the distance, so you arrive with the day intact. A great many Wayanad trips start with a Bangalore-airport-to-Mysore leg for exactly that reason.