Experience Kid-Friendly Mysore: 10 Fun Activities
Traveling in India as westerners can be overwhelming, especially with children. That’s why we found our time in Mysore so refreshing. The weather during our time there (October – November) was not too hot, it was easy to get around, and we found quite a few fun activities that our almost-four-year-old daughter loved. Here are a few to consider pinning as you plan your trip. We also have some recommendations for accomodation, moving around and health-related concerns.
We stayed just north of Kalidassa Road, south of Gokulam at the Anmol Guest House. Right off the bat we can mention the Silverfish Bookstore with its nice children’s section. In case you can’t find it on the map, the bookstore is connected to Ritual Coffee House (also great).
1. Animals: Zoo and Aquarium
Since they’re within a short walk of each other we’ve lumped the zoo and aquarium together. You may want to split these two up depending on how much time or energy you and your kids have.
As of writing the zoo cost 100 rupees. Our daughter of three entered for free. I was glad I made the decision to pay an extra 200 rupees for the one-hour tram tour around the zoo. I had been told that walking the zoo would take around 2-2.5 hours but with a youngster you never know. The tram made three main stops (five or seven minutes) by the gorillas, the snakes, and the crocodiles, white tigers, and numerous other quick stops (just a minute or two). The driver moved quite slowly so we could observe just about all the animals that weren’t obscured in their enclosures. No doubt we could have hopped off and walked the rest of the way at any point if we had wanted.
Since the tram saved us so much time we walked over to the aquarium afterwards, about five minutes on a busy road. This cost about 550 rupees for one adult and one child. We bought a small jar of fish food for 50 rupees to feed the koi fish. The aquarium spaces are tighter so groups can form quickly in the tunnels and in front of tanks but we never felt short of space and our daughter enjoyed the experience. (That being said, you may want to consider avoiding weekends for these or similar activities.) We covered everything in about half an hour.
2. Museums: Railway, Natural History
Mysore has a few museums targeted to children, the Railway museum being our favorite. It is centrally located next to Mysuru Junction, the main train station. There is a small entrance fee of 50 rupees for adults and 20 for kids, which includes a fun train ride through the museum’s courtyard.
The museum has several exhibits of old trains outside, as well as some indoor exhibits of train carriages and related artifacts. The museum was renovated a few years ago, and this included new landscaping that blends with the exhibits. You can find a fish pond, sculptures, and a garden with local flowers and lush trees. There is also a small playground, a museum store, and two cafeterias. We were impressed with the cleanliness and overall maintenance of the place. If you are in the area, consider visiting the Cheluvamba park which has a playground for kids.
We also visited the Regional Museum of Natural History located near the Karanji Lake Park. It has engaging exhibits of animals, geology and climate. The surroundings are beautiful and you can take a stroll in the garden. Admission is free, making it an enjoyable spot for a brief visit if you are in the area. Note that there are no food vendors on the premises, so consider bringing snacks.
3. Karanji Lake Park
We had a wonderfully fun and peaceful time at Karanji Lake Park, which cost just 50 rupees per adult to enter. Shortly past the entrance we spotted a group of baboons (they weren’t there when we exited so your experience may vary). Follow the wide tree-lined pedestrian road upon entry and you’ll soon reach a playground with some creative climbing equipment. The playground was mostly well maintained at the time of our visit late in 2024. Nearby you can pay another 30 rupees per person to take a self-powered pedal boat around the lake, from which you can spot a beautiful variety of birdlife. We were advised that there is also an option to have an attendant accompany us on the boat but did not opt for this and didn’t ask how much it would cost. For those interested in a longer walk the path appears around much of the lake. The park is also quite close to the zoo.
4. Devaraja Market
This market is within walking distance of Mysore Palace, so you can explore the two places on the same day. We intentionally visited the market during Diwali, as we expected a lively atmosphere with the preparations for the festivities. The place was bustling with numerous vendors offering garlands and fresh flowers for the occasion. We also found items available year-round, such as local fresh fruits, vegetables, incense and kumkum powder. Keep in mind that there is a bargaining tradition at some stalls.
The market is colorful, and during our visit it wasn’t crowded. We stocked up with kumkum powder for Vienna’s art projects and garlands to decorate our house for the festivities. It was a great opportunity for our daughter to experience local traditions and sample some fruits she had never tried before.
5. Playgrounds
Being an open green city, we found that Mysore has several city parks with playgrounds scattered througout different neighborhoods. The one closest to our place was Jayalakshmipuram Kiki Park, a popular place for locals to stroll or relax. The children’s area has some old equipment and during our visit the grass was a bit overgrown. However, it was convenient to have a shaded playground within walking distance. Although we won’t suggest this park as a primary destination, it is worth visiting if you are near by. There are several ice cream places in the vicinity including Frosti and Kenvender’s.
We learned about other spaces that we didn’t visit during our stay including Kidspace, an indoor playground and GRS Fantasy, an amusement park.
6. Reading
The best children’s collection we found is at Silverfish Bookstore. The owner is incredibly friendly and let us browse through the collection on several occasions and even read some books during our visits. Books in India are generally cheaper than in the USA or Europe, so we treated ourselves to a few. We also found some great activity books for homeschooling.
We visited Just Books, a small private library that requires a minimum of three-month membership. While there isn’t a reading room available, members can choose some books to enjoy at home. Depending on how long you stay, it might be worth it.
7. City Farm: Planet Earth Aquarium and Pets Park
Labeled as an aquarium and pets park, this can be better described as an educational farm just outside the city center. It took us only 15-20 minutes to reach it from our location. The entrance fee was 100 rupees for adults and 50 rupees for kids as of 2024.
Upon entering through a shark’s mouth, you will be received by an small yet interesting aquarium that has intriguing fish species. The place then opens up to a well appointed playground which also has aerial adventures for older kids (an additional fee applies). Beyond the play space, you can walk a loop path to see a variety of animals including birds, rescued dogs and kittens, miniature donkeys and bulls, ferretts, guinea pigs, goats and even a green iguana! There are a few ornamental animals that add a fun appeal to the experience.
You’ll see seasonal crops such as yuca, spinach, mango, and whatever is in season. We visited on a weekday and noticed young students from a few schools, but the space was big and well organized ensuring an enjoyable visit. During weekends there are pony rides. I wish we would have more of these spaces back home! Vienna truly enjoyed this place.
8. Swimming: Marlin Aquatics
During our month-long stay in Mysore, we enrolled Vienna in swimming lessons at the Marlin Aquatic Center. They have a clean pool and swimming packages ranging from 3 to 6 days a week, starting at 2,000 rupees for the month. Day passes are also available for 150 rupees but we recommend calling ahead for their hours. After a few weeks of lessons Vienna was more confident in the water and had some understanding about the general movements involved in swimming.
We went to Marlin but others include the East West Swimming Academy or the Ecopool (Tejasvi Swimming Academy).
9. Arts: The Hobby Place
This is a creative space with a big studio and plenty of indoor and outdoor tables to work on crafts, knitting, painting and pottery. It gives a sense of normalcy for long-term travelers, and a sense of inspiration for occasional visitors. The place offers classes, project kits with the necessary materials, kids’ camps and special events. Our daughter completed a few painting projects, enjoyed learning wheel pottery, and attended a kids party on Children’s Day. The place has a coffee shop and you can enjoy beverages or snacks while working. Next door is Myfroyoland, a frozen yogurt chain perfect for a treat after crafts.
10. Culture: Mysuru Palace
Although this is the most touristic place in Mysore, we intentionally placed it last in our list. We visited during Diwali, and the crowds were overwhelming. After paying the entrance fee and taking a short walk in the palace courtyard, we decided to leave. It was a hot day, we had walked from the Devaraja Market, and we found ourselves in a horde of tourists with no sense of distancing. The outdoor areas were well manicured, and I am sure the palace would be enjoyable under different circumstances. Maybe you’ll have better luck; as for us, we never attempted to go back.
Lodging with kids in Mysore
Our experience with accomodation was limited to our home stay off Kalidasa Road, in the VV Mohalla neighborhood. We also visited Gokulam quite often, and found both neighborhoods to be convenient as they are residential areas with plenty of shops nearby. You can move easily from these places using a tuk-tuk. There are a few playgrounds within walking or a short ride away. In our travels, we find that staying in apartments is more convenient than hotels or homestays, as it gives the flexibility of cooking at home and we can spread out more. There are numeous options on Airbnb, but we also recommend the two-bedroom apartment at Anmol Homestay.
Eating with young kids
We found that Southern Indian food, although delicious, tends to be quite spicy for our tastes, and even more so for our kid. We frequently visited restaurants offering western food, and there are plenty of those in Mysore. If your children, like ours, aren’t fans of spicy food, you need to be clear in your orders, and use terms like “zero spice.” Even innocent choices like chicken nuggets might arrive soaked in chili powder.
We can recommend Burgerie, a place across from our apartment, as the chef always accommodated our daughter with a zero-spice vegan meal. Another go-to was Sahib’s, which serves delicious pizza, pasta and soups. BurgerMan was a fun choice since they have a few games, although their food is quite normal. There are also plenty of ice cream options. During our stay we visited Frosti, Kevender’s and the interestingly-named Conical Gaufres.
Health Considerations
On our first day in Mysore our daughter was stung by an ant, and it was an intensely painful experience for her. We regretted not having antihistamine cream at hand (as her pediatrician had recommended), and were running to pharmacies looking for some relief. Ultimately, we opted for her regular pain medicine which helped to ease the discomfort. Although this is not a common occurrence, it is wise to have medicines handy with the correct dosage as prescribed by your pediatrician.
Another risk in India is food poisoning. We used regular precautions like avoiding juices in markets, skipping ice in our drinks and refraining from street food. We often cooked at home, and visited restaurants that seemed clean. Happily, we did not experience any stomach issues.
Since we are traveling long term, we took Vienna for a regular doctor check-up at the Kangaroo Care – Women and Children hospital, and had a great experience. The doctor was knowledgeable and was familiar with healthcare differences between India and the USA, particularly regarding medications and vaccinations. She noted that typhoid is a common occurrence in South India, and recommended vaccination. I’d suggest consulting with your pediatrician on this before your travels.
Transportation
We found tuk-tuks to be an easy way to move around but drivers usually drove like crazy. They frequently took the wrong side of the street, ignored red traffic lights, and crossed intersections when a vehicle was approaching. Eventually we were concerned and we opted to ask them to drive slowly. We remained alert and kept hold of our daughter. We are probably neurotic about this, but safety matters to us.
In general, we found Mysore to be a child-friendly city with plenty of activities for families. Perhaps, one the most livable cities in India for western families. Locals often go out of their way to accomodate kids, especially at restaurants and hotels. Don’t be surprised if people hand out candy or chocolates to your child without asking first, or try to intervene if your kid is crying. All are part of genuine appreciation for children.
