When you spend five days glued to a desk and hidden behind your laptop screen, there's no reason why your weekends should not be any different. If you have hit every brewery in the city or been to all the parks, it's time to head out in another direction and a little far away from the busy city life. Since Bengaluru is surrounded by greenery, many trails are perfect for a short, one-day trek—most of them are also easy to moderate in difficulty. If reading this far has gotten you excited and ready for an adventurous weekend, pick one of the following trails and get going.
Paths lined with tamarind trees and tall shrubs leading to Omkareshwara Temple sitting grandly on top, Channakeshava Betta is a beautiful trail just 60 km away from Bangalore. Betta meaning hilltop, this trail is an easy to moderate path but can become difficult on rainy days. The best part about it is that the path is stretched across 3 km and only takes two hours to complete.
Situated 80 km from Bangalore, this easy-to-moderate trek is one of the best because of the stunning views of the surrounding hills. If you want to take your trekking experience a notch higher, opt for night trekking, as this trail is popular among seasoned trekkers. The trek is not too long and roughly takes three hours to complete.
Just 20 km from Bangalore lies the Turahalli forest, with diverse flora and fauna. This trail is perfect if you prefer cycling or mountain biking over trekking. Since it is not very steep, the course is excellent for beginners or first-timers and can be completed in just one and a half hours.
If you want a mix of forests, hills and forts on your trek, then Makalidurga is where you should be headed. This three-hour-long trek is relatively easy and could also be fun for kids. On your climb, you will not just come across beautiful views but also some history lessons as Makalidurga Fort, which belongs to the era of the Vijayanagara Empire, sits atop the hillock.