Places to visit in Karnataka
These are the places Karnataka trips are built from. Each trip page lists exactly which of them it covers, and a private trip can swap one for another.
- Hampi: The ruined Vijayanagara capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site among granite boulders on the Tungabhadra: Virupaksha temple and the bazaar, the Vittala temple with its stone chariot, and the Royal Enclosure with the Lotus Mahal and the elephant stables.
- Badami cave temples: Four rock-cut cave temples of the early Chalukyas, carved into red sandstone cliffs above the Agastya lake, with the Bhoothanatha temples on the water.
- Aihole and Pattadakal: The two Chalukya temple towns near Badami: Aihole with its Durga temple and early shrines, and Pattadakal's group of temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Chitradurga Fort: The hill fort of seven concentric walls among the boulders, on the Bengaluru road and an easy stop on the way to or from Hampi.
- Gokarna: The temple town of the Mahabaleshwar shrine, with Gokarna, Kudle and Om beaches along the cliffs, and the Yana caves and Vibhuthi falls inland.
- Murudeshwar: The giant Shiva statue and the tall temple tower on a headland with the sea on three sides, and the beach below them.
- Udupi and Malpe: The Sri Krishna temple and its mathas, Malpe beach a few kilometres away, and the boat to St Mary's Island and its basalt columns, which usually runs only outside the monsoon.
- Kollur Mookambika: The Mookambika temple in the forested foothills of the Western Ghats, inland from Murudeshwar and Udupi.
- Jog Falls: The Sharavathi river dropping over a cliff in four separate falls, among the highest in India; at its fullest from July to October and thin in summer.
- Honnavar and Mirjan Fort: The mangrove boardwalk and backwater boats at Honnavar and the laterite Mirjan Fort, on the coast road between Gokarna and Murudeshwar.
- Dandeli: The forest on the Kali river near Hubli, with jungle resorts and water activities; our Dandeli plans include boating, kayaking and zorbing.
- Coorg and Mysuru: Coorg's coffee hills around Madikeri, with Abbey Falls, Raja's Seat, Mandalpatti, the Dubare elephant camp and the Tibetan Golden Temple at Bylakuppe; and Mysuru on the way, with the palace, Chamundi hill and the Brindavan gardens.
What to eat
Udupi gave its name to the South Indian vegetarian breakfast, and the dosas, idlis and filter coffee near the Krishna temple are worth the early start. The coast from Gokarna to Malpe is known for fish thalis and fish fry; Mysuru for Mysore pak and the Mysore masala dosa; Coorg for Kodava pandi curry with akki roti and kadambuttu. Vegetarian food is easy to find everywhere on these routes, and the Hampi bazaar and Hippie Island cafes cater for both.