What to expect
Highlights
- The large walk-through aviary and the butterfly park.
- Waterbirds — pelicans, storks and cormorants — around the lake and islands.
- A boardwalk, a viewing tower and pedal-boating.
Karanji Lake
Karanji Lake sits below Chamundi Hills beside the zoo, a restored waterbody surrounded by a nature park. It holds one of the largest walk-through aviaries in India and a butterfly park, with a boardwalk and boating on the lake.
Practical guide
Plan Karanji Lake
Who's going?Tailor Karanji Lake to your trip
Typeheritage
Nearest baseMysuru
DistrictMysuru
Best timeOctober to February, and early morning…
Time needed1 to 1.5 hours
EntryApprox
Places to visit15→Listed businesses17→The lake and its islands attract pelicans, cormorants, painted storks and other water birds, making it an easy birding and family stop that pairs with the zoo.
Getting there
How to visit
- Next to Mysore Zoo, about 2 km from the palace; autos reach it directly.
- Buy the entry ticket at the gate; it is managed by the zoo authority.
Distance by road
- Bengaluru145 km
- Ooty125 km
- Coorg (Madikeri)120 km
- Mangaluru250 km
- Kozhikode215 km
Road km to Mysuru; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.
Timing
Best time
October to February, and early morning for the best birdlife.
Weather in Karanji LakeSeasonal guide
Live forecast loads in your browser.
Today at Karanji Lake
Sunrise6:13 am
Sunset6:05 pm
Golden hour best light5:05 pm–6:05 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:05 pm–6:30 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 261°
Moon tonight🌒 Waxing crescent · 30%
Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.
Visitor notes
- Entry and camera fees apply; boating is charged separately.
Photos
Karanji Lake in pictures
Stay · eat · do · rent · see · shop
Stays, food & things to do near Karanji Lake
Verified hotels, homestays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and rentals around Karanji Lake — commission-free, with direct contact. Filter by what you need.
17 places to eat near Karanji Lake
Top pick
Restaurant
Hithie - The Gourmet DiningRestaurant (pizza, mexican, italian, chinese, asian, fine dining, dessert, indian) on General Thimmaiah Road in Mysuru.
Café
Hotel New Quba MessCafé (chicken, friture, kebab, grill, indian, local) on Ashoka Road in Mysuru.
Café
Café DelightCafé (indian, italian) on 987, 8th main, 9th cross, doctors corner,, 3rd Stage, Gokulam 3rd Stage, Gokulam, Mysuru, Karnataka 570002 in Mysuru.
Restaurant
M2M FoodsRestaurant (regional, south indian, north indian) on Vijayanagara Main Road in Mysuru.
Restaurant
American Cuisne RestuarantRestaurant (pizza, burger, italian, sandwich, american) on Vishvamanava Road in Mysuru.
Street food
Dolphin Bakes 'N' Ice CreamsStreet food (international, pizza, coffee shop, italian, chinese, burger) on Vishvamanava Road in Mysuru.
Restaurant
Trattoria Food Court & German BakeryRestaurant (breakfast, italian pizza, indian, coffee shop, thai) on 2nd Main Road in Mysuru.
Book with the place itself. India’s cyber-crime coordination centre warned in April 2025 that convincing copies of hotel and pilgrimage booking sites are being pushed through sponsored search and social ads, taking payment for rooms the property never hears about. Every listing here links to the business’s own contact details and its own Google or Bing profile — we take no commission and sit in nobody’s payment path. If a booking page reached you through an ad, check the address bar against the property’s own site before you pay. Fraud can be reported on cybercrime.gov.in or on 1930.
Ranked
More ways to explore Mysuru
Find food, accommodation and activities across Mysuru. Browse the guides for places to eat, stay and explore along your route.
Nearest to Karanji Lake, on foot
Walking routes start at Karanji Lake. Check the route and access before setting out, especially where a road, gate or waterway separates the stops.
Across the whole of Mysuru
Ranked guides
Top experiences around Mysuru
14 more places around Mysuru. Open a guide to plan the visit and onward journey.
heritageMysore Palace
2.6 km · 4 min drive
The Amba Vilas Palace, seat of the Wodeyar maharajas, rebuilt in 1912 in an Indo-Saracenic style; famous for its Durbar Hall, stained glass and its Sunday and Dasara-evening illumination of nearly 100,000 bulbs.
templeChamundi Hills
9.6 km · 12 min drive
A hill about 13 km from the city topped by the Chamundeshwari Temple and a giant Nandi carved from a single boulder, with panoramic views over Mysuru and a stepped pilgrim path of ~1,000 steps.
wildlifeMysore Zoo
1.3 km · 15 min walk
The Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, established in 1892, one of India’s oldest and best-run zoos, with spacious enclosures for elephants, big cats, gorillas and a wide range of birds.
churchSt. Philomena's Cathedral
3.0 km · ~7 min by auto
A soaring Neo-Gothic cathedral completed in 1956, one of the tallest churches in India, with twin ~53 m spires modelled on Cologne Cathedral and a crypt holding a relic of St Philomena.
museumJaganmohan Palace
2.9 km · 4 min drive
An 1861 Wodeyar palace now housing the Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery, with one of South India’s finest collections of paintings, including works by Raja Ravi Varma, and royal artefacts and instruments.
heritageDevaraja Market
2.8 km · 4 min drive
A bustling colonial-era market of flower, fruit, spice and kumkum stalls in the old city, a photogenic slice of everyday Mysuru near the palace.
museumMysuru Rail Museum
4.7 km · 6 min drive
An open-air railway museum with vintage steam locomotives, the Maharani’s saloon carriage and a small toy train, near the city railway station.
heritageLalitha Mahal
3.0 km · 4 min drive
A grand white Italianate palace built in 1921 for the Maharaja of Mysore to host the Viceroy, on rising ground below Chamundi Hills; modelled in part on St Paul’s Cathedral in London and now a heritage hotel whose public areas and grounds can be seen.
heritageKukkarahalli Lake
6.3 km · 8 min drive
A historic lake of 1864 in the heart of Mysuru beside the University and CFTRI, ringed by a shaded walking path and home to over ninety species of resident and migratory birds — a favourite morning walk for the city.
heritageLingambudhi Lake
An 18th-century tank about 7 km south-west of the centre, now a bird-rich nature park with a walking trail and a butterfly garden, quieter than the city-centre lakes.
museumJayalakshmi Vilas Mansion (Folklore Museum)
4.7 km · 5 min drive
A grand 1905 mansion built for the Maharaja’s eldest daughter, on the University of Mysore’s Manasagangothri campus, now the Folklore Museum with around 6,500 folk artefacts — puppets, masks, tools and everyday objects — from across Karnataka.
museumMysore Sand Sculpture Museum
1.9 km · 2 min drive
India’s first sand-sculpture museum, opened in 2014 at the foot of Chamundi Hill, where more than 100 tonnes of sand are shaped into themed tableaux — mythology, wildlife, cartoon characters and Mysore Dasara scenes.
activityGRS Fantasy Park
An amusement and water park at Metagalli on the north-west edge of Mysuru, with water slides, wave pools and dry rides — a popular family day-out, especially in the hotter months.
museumMelody World Wax Museum
2.0 km · 3 min drive
A music-themed wax museum near the Chamundi foothills displaying hundreds of musical instruments alongside wax figures of musicians from India and around the world.
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Add a nearby businessBefore you go
Karanji Lake — at a glance
Timings8:30 AM - 5:30 PM; closed Tuesdays
Best timeOctober to February; early morning for birds
Entry: Approx. Rs 10–20; camera extra
Getting here
How to reach Karanji Lake
Beside Mysore Zoo, ~2 km from the palace
Getting back
If you are travelling by bus or ferry, check the return service with the operator before setting out. Leave time to reach the stop or jetty after your visit.
- KSRTC— the Karnataka state bus operator; route and schedule enquiries.Online booking.
- Indian Railways— live running and seat availability for the nearest railhead, named under “Getting here” above.
Ask at the bus stand for the time of the last service back, not the next one. If you miss it, an auto or app cab is the fallback — agree the fare before you get in.
Getting around Karanji Lake
If you need step-free access, contact the site before travelling. Ask about a level entrance, steps along the route, the nearest drop-off point, seating and accessible toilets.
If you need help at Karanji Lake
112All emergencies (police · fire · medical)The single number to call in any emergency (ERSS).100Police101Fire108Ambulance (emergency / EMS)1091Women’s helpline (distress)1098Child helpline1363Tourist helpline (India, 24×7, multilingual)
Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.
Nearby
What’s near Karanji Lake
wildlifeMysore Zoo
The Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, established in 1892, one of India’s oldest and best-run zoos, with spacious enclosures for elephants, big cats, gorillas and a wide range of birds.
1.3 km · 15 min walkmuseumMysore Sand Sculpture Museum
India’s first sand-sculpture museum, opened in 2014 at the foot of Chamundi Hill, where more than 100 tonnes of sand are shaped into themed tableaux — mythology, wildlife, cartoon characters and Mysore Dasara scenes.
1.9 km · 2 min drivemuseumMelody World Wax Museum
A music-themed wax museum near the Chamundi foothills displaying hundreds of musical instruments alongside wax figures of musicians from India and around the world.
2.0 km · 3 min driveheritageMysore Palace
The Amba Vilas Palace, seat of the Wodeyar maharajas, rebuilt in 1912 in an Indo-Saracenic style; famous for its Durbar Hall, stained glass and its Sunday and Dasara-evening illumination of nearly 100,000 bulbs.
2.6 km · 4 min driveheritageDevaraja Market
A bustling colonial-era market of flower, fruit, spice and kumkum stalls in the old city, a photogenic slice of everyday Mysuru near the palace.
2.8 km · 4 min drivemuseumJaganmohan Palace
An 1861 Wodeyar palace now housing the Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery, with one of South India’s finest collections of paintings, including works by Raja Ravi Varma, and royal artefacts and instruments.
2.9 km · 4 min drivechurchSt. Philomena's Cathedral
A soaring Neo-Gothic cathedral completed in 1956, one of the tallest churches in India, with twin ~53 m spires modelled on Cologne Cathedral and a crypt holding a relic of St Philomena.
3.0 km · ~7 min by auto · straight lineheritageLalitha Mahal
A grand white Italianate palace built in 1921 for the Maharaja of Mysore to host the Viceroy, on rising ground below Chamundi Hills; modelled in part on St Paul’s Cathedral in London and now a heritage hotel whose public areas and grounds can be seen.
3.0 km · 4 min drivemuseumMysuru Rail Museum
An open-air railway museum with vintage steam locomotives, the Maharani’s saloon carriage and a small toy train, near the city railway station.
4.7 km · 6 min drivemuseumJayalakshmi Vilas Mansion (Folklore Museum)
A grand 1905 mansion built for the Maharaja’s eldest daughter, on the University of Mysore’s Manasagangothri campus, now the Folklore Museum with around 6,500 folk artefacts — puppets, masks, tools and everyday objects — from across Karnataka.
4.7 km · 5 min driveheritageKukkarahalli Lake
A historic lake of 1864 in the heart of Mysuru beside the University and CFTRI, ringed by a shaded walking path and home to over ninety species of resident and migratory birds — a favourite morning walk for the city.
6.3 km · 8 min drivetempleChamundi Hills
A hill about 13 km from the city topped by the Chamundeshwari Temple and a giant Nandi carved from a single boulder, with panoramic views over Mysuru and a stepped pilgrim path of ~1,000 steps.
9.6 km · 12 min driveWalking and driving times are real routed distances, except the few marked “straight line”, which are direct-line estimates and will read short.Routing: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
On the map
Where Karanji Lake is
Good to know
Karanji Lake — frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Karanji Lake?
October to February, and early morning for the best birdlife.
What are the entry fee and timings at Karanji Lake?
Entry: Approx. Rs 10–20; camera extra. Timings: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM; closed Tuesdays.
How do I reach Karanji Lake?
Next to Mysore Zoo, about 2 km from the palace; autos reach it directly. Buy the entry ticket at the gate; it is managed by the zoo authority.
How much time do I need for Karanji Lake?
1 to 1.5 hours.
What else is near Karanji Lake?
Nearby you can pair Mysore Zoo (1.3 km), Mysore Sand Sculpture Museum (1.9 km), Melody World Wax Museum (2.0 km), Mysore Palace (2.6 km).
Read before you go
Karanji Lake guides, stories & itineraries
We have not published a story about Karanji Lake itself yet. These cover Mysuru and the wider district, with separate journeys between stops.
Around Mysuru
These guides explore Mysuru and the surrounding area. Choose a visit that fits your interests, allowing separately for travel between stops.
Image credits
Photographs: Timothy A. Gonsalves. Feel free to use my photos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0), This Photo was taken by Timothy A. Gonsalves. Feel free to use my phot (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wikimedia Commons.