Karnataka India 2026: Bengaluru, Coorg, Chikmagalur, Gokarna and the Coast Complete Guide
Browse more guides: India travel | Asia destinations Karnataka India 2026: Bengaluru, Coorg, Chikmagalur, Gokarna and the Coast Complete Guide TL;DR Karnataka is the south India state I send first-timers to when they want variety without the chaos of bigger circuits. In one route I get tech-city cafes, coffee plantations at 1,000m, Western Ghats peaks, five quiet beaches on the Arabian Sea, and a 37m Shiva statue that almost nobody outside India has heard about. I spent three weeks across Bengaluru, Coorg, Chikmagalur, Gokarna and the coastal stretch up to Karwar, and came back convinced this is the smartest south India debut for travellers who want depth over a Goa party reel. Bengaluru is the IT capital of India and exports roughly 14% of the country's IT services. It also sits at 900m altitude, so the climate is pleasant year-round, the brewery scene is the best in India, and the green lungs (Lalbagh from 1760 and Cubbon Park) genuinely work. Coorg (officially Kodagu) is c...