Bangalore is the second-most common origin city for visitors to Brihadeeswara, after Chennai. The route is shorter than it looks on the map — about 400 kilometres — and the Trichy airport means the temple is only a couple of hours from a Bangalore departure gate. The decision is between a half-day flight and a weekend drive.

The four routes — at a glance.

Fly to Trichy.

The fast option. IndiGo runs daily Bengaluru‐Trichy flights (BLR‐TRZ) at 06:15 and 19:30; flight time is 70 minutes; fares run ₹4,000 to ₹7,500 depending on advance booking. The morning flight, in particular, gets you to Thanjavur by 09:00 — in time for a full day at the temple before the heat builds.

From Trichy airport, the sixty-kilometre drive to Thanjavur takes about an hour on NH 38 and NH 83. A prepaid taxi is ₹1,800 (sedan) or ₹2,400 (SUV). Door-to-door, the air route is roughly three-and-a-half hours from a Bangalore residence — the fastest option by some margin.

By road.

The drive is via Hosur, Krishnagiri, Salem, Namakkal, Trichy and on to Thanjavur — about 400 kilometres, 7 to 8 hours of driving on well-paved divided highway. The route is on NH48 and NH44 to Salem, then NH38 and NH83 to Thanjavur. Tolls total around ₹700 for a car.

Three useful break points: Krishnagiri (90 km from Bangalore, breakfast), Salem (200 km, lunch), Trichy (340 km, the Rockfort Temple if you have time). A private car from a Bangalore operator one-way runs ₹8,500 to ₹11,000 for a sedan, ₹12,000 to ₹15,000 for an SUV.

A driving note

The Bangalore‐Hosur exit is notorious for evening traffic. Leave by 06:00 to clear the city before the bottleneck and reach Thanjavur by 14:00 — in time for the afternoon re-opening at 16:00.

Overnight bus.

SETC and KSRTC, plus private operators (SRS, Kallada, VRL), run overnight Volvo semi-sleeper services from Bangalore Majestic and Madiwala to Thanjavur. Departure 21:00–22:30; arrival 06:30–08:00. Journey time 9 to 10 hours; fare ₹900 to ₹1,500. Book via Redbus or AbhiBus.

The Volvo bus is the cheapest reasonable option and deposits you in central Thanjavur with the temple a five-minute auto ride away. The semi-sleeper coaches are tolerable for a single night; the full-sleeper berths on Kallada are noticeably better and cost ₹200 more.

By train.

Train options from Bangalore are limited. The Mysuru‐Mayiladuthurai Express (16232) runs three days a week — Tuesday, Friday, Sunday — leaving Bangalore Cantonment at 19:50 and reaching Thanjavur at 08:45 the next morning. Sleeper class is ₹480, 3AC is ₹1,250. The journey is 13 hours, but most of it overnight.

For other days, the workaround is to take any Chennai-bound train to Salem or Trichy and switch — slow and not recommended unless you enjoy connections.

The weekend itinerary.

Bangalore is well placed for a long-weekend Chola circuit. Our preferred shape:

  • Friday evening — 19:30 flight from Bangalore to Trichy, in Thanjavur by 22:30. Check in at Svatma or Sangam.
  • Saturday — dawn at the Big Temple, late breakfast, the Maratha palace and Saraswathi Mahal Library, golden hour back at the vimana.
  • Sunday — a half-day drive north to Gangaikonda Cholapuram (70 km) and Airavatesvara at Darasuram (50 km), back to Trichy airport by 18:00, Bangalore by 20:30.

Our heritage weekend tour arranges this exact sequence with a scholar-guide.

Common questions.

Are there direct flights to Thanjavur? No. Thanjavur airport is a military air base and not open to civilian flights. Trichy is the operational airport.

Can I do Bangalore to Thanjavur and back in a day? Possible only by air — the 06:15 flight to Trichy and the 19:30 return, with a Thanjavur taxi waiting at TRZ. Punishing but feasible.

Is the drive comfortable? Yes — the NH48 and NH44 corridor is among the best four-lane highway stretches in South India. Avoid driving overnight; truck traffic is heavy after midnight.