Journal · South India · India
Hyderabad to Goa by way of Hampi and Badami
This route crosses the Deccan plateau from Hyderabad to the sea. Its heart is northern Karnataka: the ruined capital of Hampi and the early temples at Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal. Coffee country comes before them, and Goa after.
What is Hampi, and how long does it need?
The ruins of Vijayanagara, the capital of the last great Hindu empire of the south, spread across a landscape of giant boulders beside the Tungabhadra river. Temples, market streets, royal enclosures and elephant stables stand where they were left when the city fell.
Two nights is the least it deserves. The site is large, and the main groups, around the Virupaksha and Vittala temples, are some distance apart. The light is best early and late, and the middle of the day is hot.
Why go on to Badami?
To see where the southern temple began. Badami was the capital of the early Chalukya kings, centuries before Hampi, and its cave temples are cut into a red sandstone cliff above a lake. Nearby Aihole and Pattadakal hold dozens of early temples in which builders can be seen trying out the forms that later spread across India.
The three sites are close together and fit into a day and a night, on the way from Hampi to the coast.
How does the rest of the route join up?
- Hyderabad. Two nights for Golconda Fort, best seen with a guide, and the Salar Jung Museum.
- Bengaluru. A flight and a night, with the Bull Temple in the old south of the city.
- Chikmagalur. Two nights in coffee country, with the carved Hoysala temples of Belur and Halebidu and the Jain hill of Shravanabelagola.
- Goa. Two nights at the end, reached by road through the Western Ghats, with the churches of Old Goa.
Which are the long days?
Two of them. The drive from Chikmagalur to Hampi takes most of a day, and so does the descent from Badami through the Western Ghats to Goa. Plan nothing else on either, and leave early.
Several places to stay on this plan are left unnamed, in Bengaluru, Chikmagalur and Badami. They need choosing before the route is complete.
Quick answers
How many days do you need in Hampi?
Two nights at least. The ruins cover a wide area in two main groups, and they are best seen in the cool of the early morning and late afternoon.
Can you combine Hampi and Goa?
Yes. Going by way of Badami makes the journey a route of its own, with one long drive down through the Western Ghats to the coast.
Are Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal worth visiting?
Yes, for anyone interested in temples. They are much older than Hampi, close to one another, and far less crowded.
Before you book: check the whole trip at once
Three of the six places to stay on this plan are not named, and an unnamed night is the kind that is still unbooked when the trip begins.
Trips by Manr.ai puts your hotels and transport on one timeline and checks for gaps, overlaps and missing legs. Type a booking in, drop in the PDF, or paste the confirmation email. With an account and sync switched on, you can also forward confirmations to trips@manr.ai from the address you signed in with. Nothing joins your trip until you have seen it and added it.