Mysuru

This seven-night journey through Karnataka strings together royal palaces, misty coffee hills, the finest temple carving in South India and the ruins of a great medieval empire. It begins in Mysuru, the former capital of the Wodeyar kings and the city of the famous Dasara festival, and ends among the boulders of Hampi.

In Mysuru you tour the Mysore Palace, which is lit by nearly 100,000 bulbs on Sunday and holiday evenings, climb Chamundi Hills to the Chamundeshwari Temple and see the musical fountains at Brindavan Gardens. The road then rises to Coorg, also known as Kodagu, a district of coffee and pepper estates, waterfalls and Kodava culture, where you visit Abbey Falls, Raja's Seat and the Tibetan Golden Temple at Bylakuppe. Next come Belur and Halebidu, whose 12th-century Hoysala temples are covered in some of the most intricate stone carving anywhere in India and are now part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, with a stop in the coffee country of Chikkamagaluru.

The finale is Hampi, the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, where temples, bazaars and royal enclosures stand among giant granite boulders along the Tungabhadra River. The stone chariot at the Vittala Temple, the living Virupaksha Temple and a coracle ride on the river are the highlights. It is a rich trip for families, history lovers and photographers, and Hampi is close enough to Hyderabad to drive home at the end. Distances between stops are moderate, and the route moves steadily north so there is no doubling back.