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Getting there · Karnataka
Dandeli Nearest Railway Station: Alnavar, the Local Train and the Fares
Dandeli, on the Kali river in the Western Ghats, is reached by train through Alnavar Junction, about 35 km away. Since February 2026 a local train runs on from Alnavar to Dandeli's own small station. Here are the trains and fares by class from Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Goa and Hyderabad, and the buses for the last stretch.
Photo: PiolAtif, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Text added by Trip Under.
Short answer
The railhead for Dandeli is Alnavar Junction (LWR), about 35 km by road. From Bengaluru the overnight 16589 Rani Chennamma Express leaves Yesvantpur at 23:12 and reaches Alnavar at 07:09, about ₹330 Sleeper, ₹880 3A. Since February 2026 a local train runs from Alnavar to Dandeli's own station, three times a day, about 45 minutes. The faster Vande Bharat goes to Hubballi (about 72 km), and buses run from Dharwad all day.
Dandeli is a forest town on the Kali river, known for rafting on the Kali and hornbills in the forest. It is close to the Bengaluru–Goa and Mumbai–Bengaluru rail lines, which makes it an easy weekend by train if you get the station right.
How we worked it out. On 6 November 2026 we read the lowest fare per class on ConfirmTkt's route listings for travel on 7 November, checked times on erail, and re-ran road distances with OpenStreetMap routing to Dandeli. Check IRCTC before you book. You book every piece yourself: Trip Under is not an agency.
Every railway station near Dandeli
| Station (code) | Distance to Dandeli by road | Drive | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dandeli (DED) | about 3 km from town | a few minutes | Only the local train from Alnavar: 3 a day, not Thursdays, since February 2026. |
| Alnavar Jn (LWR) | about 35 km | about 34 min | The real railhead: about 30 trains stop, incl. overnight trains from Bengaluru, Mumbai and Pune. |
| Londa Jn (LD) | about 36 km | about 40 min | On the Goa line; but the Dandeli branch leaves the main line at Alnavar. |
| Dharwad (DWR) | about 55 km | about 1 h | Vande Bharat stops; many buses to Dandeli. |
| Hubballi Jn (UBL) | about 72 km | about 1 h 10 min | The big junction; Vande Bharat and trains from Hyderabad. |
Infographic · the route
From the train to the river
Check the local train times on NTES; if they do not fit, take a bus or taxi from Alnavar.
Dandeli train ticket price by class
These are the lowest fares per class that ConfirmTkt listed on 6 November 2026 for travel on 7 November. Many classes were already on waitlist, so book early.
| Train | Fares | From → to | Departs → arrives | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16589 Rani Chennamma Express | SL ₹330, 3A ₹880, 2A ₹1,240 | Yesvantpur → Alnavar | 23:12 → 07:09 | Daily |
| 20676 Vishwamanav Express | CC ₹755, 2S ₹215 | Yesvantpur → Alnavar | 10:12 → 18:24 | Daily |
| 20661 Vande Bharat | CC ₹1,170, EC ₹2,220 | KSR Bengaluru → Hubballi / Dharwad | 05:45 → Dharwad 12:00 | Check NTES (sources differ) |
| 12079 Jan Shatabdi | CC ₹720, 2S ₹225 | Yesvantpur → Hubballi | 06:12 → 12:50 | Daily |
| 17318 Dadar–Hubballi Express | SL ₹400, 3A ₹1,050, 2A ₹1,485 | Mumbai Dadar → Alnavar | 20:05 → 08:39 | Daily |
| 17318 Dadar–Hubballi Express | SL ₹325, 3A ₹855, 2A ₹1,210 | Pune → Alnavar | 00:06 → 08:39 | Daily |
| 17310 Vasco–Yesvantpur Express | SL ₹150, 3A ₹520, 2A ₹725 | Madgaon → Alnavar | 23:35 → 03:10 | Daily |
| 17050 Hyderabad–Hubballi Express | SL ₹390, 3A ₹1,025, 2A ₹1,455 | Hyderabad → Hubballi | 15:50 → 05:55 | Daily |
For budgeting, Trip Under plans the Bengaluru train in 3A at about ₹880 each way. Here is how it compares:
| Way in | Route | Time | Fare (per person, each way) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Train + road | Bengaluru → Alnavar, then local train or bus | 8 h + 45 m | ₹880 | 16589 Rani Chennamma, Yesvantpur 23:12 → Alnavar 07:09: 3A about ₹880, Sleeper about ₹330 (ConfirmTkt, 6 Nov 2026). Alnavar is about 35 km from Dandeli; a local train runs on to Dandeli station three times a day. |
| Bus | Hubballi / Belagavi / Goa → Dandeli | 2 h / 3 h / 3 h | ₹200 | Reasonably well connected by bus from all three. |
| Drive from Goa | Goa → Dandeli | 3 h | ₹2,500 | A popular combination — many visitors add Dandeli onto a Goa trip for adventure sports. |
The last leg: local train, bus or taxi
The Alnavar–Dandeli local train restarted in February 2026: three each way, about 45 minutes, every day except Thursday. Sources give its fare as ₹10 or ₹30. Buses to Dandeli are run by NWKRTC (North West Karnataka), not KSRTC: an unofficial timetable updated in May 2026 lists about 64 buses a day from Dharwad, 06:00 to 21:15. We could not confirm the fares, or buses from Alnavar and Hubballi. A taxi from Hubballi is about ₹1,900–2,400 (an undated estimate).
Two days, what it costs
Photo: sarangib, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Two days from Bengaluru by train come to about ₹4,200 per person on a shoestring and ₹6,600 mid-range, return train included, at Trip Under's Dandeli daily rates (₹1,200 shoestring, ₹2,400 mid-range). Rafting and camps are extra.
When to go
Infographic · month by month
Dandeli month by month
Month-by-month as text
Jan: Good · Feb: Good · Mar: Good · Apr: Passable · May: Best · Jun: Best · Jul: Best · Aug: Best · Sep: Best · Oct: Best · Nov: Good · Dec: Good
Rafting season runs roughly June to September/October when the Kali river has good monsoon-fed flow, though very heavy flood conditions can pause it — check current operator advisories. Wildlife safaris are better in the drier months, October to April.
Frequently asked questions
What is the nearest railway station to Dandeli?
Alnavar Junction (LWR), about 35 km by road, is the railhead with real trains. Dandeli has its own small station, served since February 2026 by three local trains a day from Alnavar.
Is there a direct train from Bengaluru to Dandeli?
Not to Dandeli itself. The 16589 Rani Chennamma Express runs from Yesvantpur (23:12) to Alnavar (07:09) daily, about ₹330 Sleeper or ₹880 3A; then take the local train or a bus.
Is Londa the station for Dandeli?
No. Londa is about as far by road, but the Dandeli branch line leaves the main line at Alnavar, and Alnavar has the trains from Bengaluru, Mumbai and Pune.
Does the Vande Bharat go near Dandeli?
It runs from Bengaluru to Hubballi and Dharwad, about 72 km and 55 km from Dandeli. Chair car was about ₹1,170 on 6 November 2026.
How do I get from Goa to Dandeli by train?
The 17310 leaves Madgaon at 23:35 and reaches Alnavar at 03:10, about ₹150 Sleeper. By road from Goa it is about 142 km.
How much does a 2-day Dandeli trip cost by train?
About ₹4,200 per person on a shoestring and ₹6,600 mid-range from Bengaluru, return train included; rafting and camps extra.
Sources and how we priced this
- Fares by class and times: ConfirmTkt route listings (Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad to Alnavar and Hubballi), read 6 November 2026 for travel on 7 November (Hyderabad 12 November); Goa fares: ixigo; times cross-checked on erail.in. Live fares: IRCTC.
- Alnavar–Dandeli local train: Asianet (restart 7 February 2026, timetable revised 12 March 2026); erail and etrain (times, fare). Trains stopping at Alnavar: etrain.
- Road distances: OSRM over OpenStreetMap data, 6 November 2026. Dharwad–Dandeli buses: tickettogetlost.com (updated 20 May 2026, unofficial). Taxi estimate: Rome2rio (undated).
- Stays, food, daily costs and the season: Trip Under's Dandeli page. Budgets: our cost model.
Keep reading
Plan your own Dandeli trip
Set your dates, group and travel mode on the Dandeli page and see the train, stay and food add up.
Open the Dandeli page →Costs come from Trip Under's place data and our cost model (see methodology). They are indicative ballparks for budget travel and move with season and demand. Check live bus, train and room prices before you book. Trip Under is reader-planned, not an agency, and takes no commission on any booking.