Bangalore to Kannur by Road: Distance, Route and Our Family Trip
Written in 2022, updated in October 2026. Prices and timings still change; check before you go.
When to go Kannur through the year
Easiest: Dec. Hardest: Mar, Jun to Sep. Tap + for the month-by-month weather and where these numbers come from.
- January: Mixed. Daytime about 33°, night about 22°. Rain: dry.
- February: Mixed. Daytime about 36°, night about 24°. Rain: dry.
- March: Hard. Daytime about 37°, night about 25°. Rain: some.
- April: Mixed. Daytime about 37°, night about 27°. Rain: some.
- May: Mixed. Daytime about 33°, night about 27°. Rain: wet.
- June: Hard. Daytime about 30°, night about 26°. Rain: very wet.
- July: Hard. Daytime about 29°, night about 25°. Rain: very wet.
- August: Hard. Daytime about 29°, night about 25°. Rain: very wet.
- September: Hard. Daytime about 30°, night about 25°. Rain: very wet.
- October: Mixed. Daytime about 30°, night about 25°. Rain: wet.
- November: Mixed. Daytime about 30°, night about 24°. Rain: wet.
- December: Easy. Daytime about 31°, night about 23°. Rain: some.
Nilabh: One clearly good month and a long hot, wet rest. December is the easiest, when the rain has gone and days are about 31°. January to April is dry but 33 to 37°, and June to September is the full monsoon.
Ten-year averages (2015 to 2024) from NASA POWER satellite data. Conditions change; check before you go.
Where do these numbers come from, and how far can you trust them?
The figures come from NASA POWER, a free NASA project that publishes weather estimates for every point on Earth, put together from satellites and weather models. We took every day from 2015 to 2024 for this place, and averaged each month: the usual daytime high, the usual night low, and the rain.
We compared it with official weather-station figures for a few places. Over flat land it matched closely; in the hills and on islands it can be a few degrees out, and then the strip says so.
In very wet places the satellite data tends to run low in the rainy season, so the rain is drawn as bars, from the driest to the wettest month, without millimetre figures.
Easy, Mixed and Hard are our rule of thumb, not a forecast. Hard means days above about 37°, rain of about 250 mm a month or more, or nights close to freezing. Mixed means days above about 32°, rain over about 100 mm a month, or cold nights (below about 8°). Easy is everything else.
An average is not the weather on your dates, and it knows nothing about festivals, crowds, road closures or this year's monsoon. Check a forecast a week before you go.
The quick answer
| You are asking | The answer |
|---|---|
| How far is it? | About 310–330 km by road, depending on where you start in Bangalore. We drove 325 km from south Bangalore; other guides say 311 km, and some up to 350 km. |
| How long does it take? | Plan on about 6 to 7 hours with breaks now that the Expressway is open. Guides from before it opened said 8 to 9 hours, and one suggested leaving at 4:30 am to reach Kannur by the afternoon. Leave early either way. |
| Which road? | Bengaluru, Mysuru (Mysore), Hunsur, Gonikoppal, Virajpet, the Makutta ghat, Koottupuzha on the Karnataka–Kerala border, Iritty, Mattannur, Kannur. |
| Any toll on the way? | The Bengaluru–Mysuru Expressway: ₹355 one way for a car since 1 April 2026. It goes up each April. Other tolls may apply further on. |
| Is there a ghat? | Yes: the steep, bendy stretch between Virajpet and Iritty, about 15 km by one guide's count (we counted 26 km, below). Rest before it and stay alert. |
| What if it has rained a lot? | The Makutta road has been shut for months for repairs after monsoon landslides. Check before you go in the rains. |
| By train? | The KSR Bengaluru–Kannur Express (16511) leaves at about 9:35 pm and reaches Kannur at about 10:55 am, roughly 15 hours, by Mangaluru. Timings and the departure station change, so check IRCTC. |
| By air? | Direct flights, about 1 hour 10 to 20 minutes, on IndiGo and Air India Express. Fares start from about ₹3,300; they change daily. |
Which way should you go?
| Way | Time | Best for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drive | About 6 to 7 hours with breaks | A family with luggage and a child; stopping where you like, Kodagu on the way | The Makutta ghat, traffic leaving Bangalore, monsoon closures, the toll |
| Train | About 15 hours, overnight | No driving; you arrive in the morning | It runs by Mangaluru on the coastal line, not the Mysuru road; check the timetable |
| Flight | 1 hour 10 to 20 minutes | A short weekend | Fares change daily; add the road from the airport |
Our Bangalore to Kannur trip (December 2021)
Bangalore To Kannur– Hey, December is a great month for travel, and why not it’s mine and our Son’s birthday, and shouldn’t we go to some nice place? but what about this pandemic?
Obviously, we will follow all protocols, but let’s go to some nice places and celebrate the time. Alright, I am done with Mahabalipuram and Pondicherry, why not this small beach town of Kannur?
Above were my and my wife’s conversation about our much needed yearly trip that we usually undertake in the month of December, however this year as for all of you, ours was the very different year of 2021,
so let’s experience our much needed Bangalore to Kannur trip & travelogue and I hope it also motivates you to go for your trip with your kid.
Bangalore to Kannur Why?
The reason I selected was that from Bangalore the nearest beach either lies 300+ Km east or west of Bangalore. We did a lot of Mahabalipuram and Pondicherry trips from Bangalore and I do not want to repeat the same again. No, not again. Bangalore to Goa was one choice by road but we omitted it for one obvious reason and that is covering 650 Km with a 1-year-old kid with us.
Therefore Kannur falls in a perfect destination for the nearest and a bit not so touristy beach town from Bangalore and I am very good at convincing to take the trip. I was also very excited to cross the western ghat patch by road to reach the Kannur town.
The distance from Bangalore to Kannur is around 320 Km and it will depend on where you start from Bangalore, we started from South Bangalore and hence the distance is around 325 Km from Bangalore. (2026: other guides give anywhere from 311 km to about 350 km, depending on where you start.)
Bangalore to Kannur Route?
Probably the most searched keyword on Google on the best route from Bangalore to Kannur, my answer is very simple and straightforward on this question, take the most famous route and keep it simple. The only condition is that please start as early as Bangalore to avoid deadly city traffic and please save on time.
- Bangalore city-> Nice Road->Mysore Bangalore highway-> bypass and take the highway to Virajpet
(2026: from Virajpet the road goes over the Makutta ghat, past Koottupuzha on the Kerala border, then Iritty, Mattannur and Kannur. The Mysore–Bangalore highway is now the Bengaluru–Mysuru Expressway: see the table above.)
Please remember, at the time of writing this time travelogue, the Bangalore-Mysore highway is getting widened and hence be ready to see very heavy traffic and diversions in the entire stretch. (2026: the Expressway has been open and tolled since March 2023; cars pay ₹355 one way from April 2026.)
Our Beach House in Kannur
Honestly, I am very choosy and specific about our stays, this doesn’t mean that I go for those fancy resorts, what I look for is unique stays where I am going, if the stay will give me an experience of a lifetime, it can be an offbeat resort, a homestay, a budget stays or a beach house.
Now, Kannur is not very high on tourist’s radar, I found it a bit challenging in finding my style of stay. However, my search ends at a wonderful property called ARU’s Beach house.
It truly justifies its name: the sea is barely 50 meters from ARU’s beach house. I booked for 4 nights and 5 days stay. (2026: it is still listed online as Aru's Beach Home, near Ezhara Beach Road in Edakkad.)
Driving on Bangalore Kannur Route
Yes, nothing short of pure adventure, frustration, and then a rewarding one. Let me explain, as of now the Bangalore-Mysore road is in the development phase and hence you can understand the n number of diversions here and there and top of that bumper to bumper traffic in a town like Mandya, Ramanagara, etc. However, I am very optimistic that once the expressway is built and opened, the same stretch will be the best one to cover (2026: it opened in March 2023.)
Once you take Mysore bypass and head towards Virajpet highway, things start getting better and better and then you cross Nagarhole reserve forest, which is like the best one, except ready to slow down on speed breaker after every 100 meters or so.
Things get for the best once you will reach Gonikoppal, the best roads, the clean town, and the mountain freshness will welcome you with open hands, remember to pull down your vehicle’s glass and enjoy the breeze. You will love it.
Driving in Ghat Section
This is where the challenge starts and you need to be the very best in your driving skill. I would definitely recommend you to take a good break before the ghat section and remain very attentive during the entire stretch of 26 Km of ghat section, horn, brakes, and precise attention will be your best friend. I really liked the ghat crossing, however, I will be honest to say, there were few blind and scary sections in the entire stretch. (2026: another guide counts about 15 km of ghat between Virajpet and Iritty; it depends where you start counting. The Makutta road has been closed for months after monsoon landslides, so check before you go in the rains.)
Once you cross the ghat or come down from the mountain and cross an old bridge, you will enter Kerala state, in case you are in a commercial vehicle, please stop by near to RTO and take your permit, else you can keep driving or refuel as you go.
Driving in Kannur
Ah! the best experience as per me, you will see a sea change as compared to Bangalore, the reason is that it’s a sleepy town, less population, greenery around, clean and green town, you will also see some good number of great villas around Kannur town.
One recommendation, as Kannur is a beach town and hence you might get lost in the narrow roads of the town in reaching the destination, please slow down and keep asking for directions or reconfirm your route.
Though language is a big problem, I strongly believe you can communicate in sign language for sure. Why not try it out on your next travel? I will be honest again to say that we got lost in a very narrow bylane of Kannur town. All thanks to Google Maps :)
What to do around Kannur
These are not from our trip; I have taken them from Kerala Tourism and its list of Kannur's sights, for planning.
- Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach, near Thalassery: Kerala's only drive-in beach, about 4 km of sand, with water sports.
- Payyambalam Beach, in Kannur city: a long, unbroken stretch of sand lined with palms and casuarina trees.
- St. Angelo Fort and the Arakkal Museum: Kannur's best-known historic sights.
Key points before you go
- Start early, as I say above, to beat the city traffic.
- Take the Expressway to Mysuru and keep the ₹355 toll ready.
- Break the journey before the ghat, and cross it slowly and attentively.
- Check the road after heavy rain. The Makutta road has closed for months before.
- In a commercial vehicle? Stop at the RTO after the Kerala border for your permit.
- Kannur's lanes are narrow. Keep Google Maps open and ask when in doubt.
- Not driving? The train takes about 15 hours and a flight about 1 hour 10: compare them again.
Planning another beach trip from Bangalore?
- Bangalore to Gokarna road trip
- Bangalore to Goa road trip
- A budget trip to Puducherry from Bangalore
- Bangalore to Wayanad road trip, if you would rather go to the hills
Driven this road lately? Tell us in the comments below how the Expressway and the ghat were: it helps the next family. And if you like trips like this, our community page has the monthly travel question and the WhatsApp group.
Thank you. Your comment will appear here once Nilabh has read it, usually within a few days.
That didn’t go through. Please check your name, email and comment and try again, or write to nilabh@travelescape.in.
Comments
Start the conversation.
Every comment is read before it appears here. Your email address is never shown; you get one email when your comment is up.