Most people give Hampi one day out of Hosapete and see a quarter of it. Give it four, rent a scooter, and it becomes the cheapest great week in South India. The bazaar side is temple town — vegetarian, dry, asleep by ten. Across the river at Virupapur Gaddi are the cafés, the hammocks and everyone under thirty. Pick your side before you book, not after.
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When to go
November to February is the season — cool mornings, cold nights, everything walkable. April to June is 40°C on bare granite with no shade, and genuinely unsafe for children and older parents.
Hampi right now and the next 7 days
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Hampi, planned for you
A satellite map for every day with each stop pinned in order, photos of the places, timings, what each part costs, where to sleep and eat, and a checklist. One PDF that works offline: print it, or send it to everyone going.
- Day 1 Arrive in Hampi · Vittala Temple & stone chariot
- TravelSleeper train: SBC Bengaluru → Hosapete Jn₹690
- 11:00Vittala Temple & stone chariot₹40
- 14:30Coracle ride on the Tungabhadra₹300
- Day 2 Matanga Hill sunrise climb
- Day 3 Bouldering with a local guide
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Hampi on the map
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The area
Getting there
Places to see
Day trips
Hampi · Open in Google Maps ↗
Map by Google. Places are found by name, so check the exact spot in Google Maps before you go.
Step 3 of 11Next: Cost↓What your trip costs
Change anything and the numbers update. Every price is what the bus, room or ticket itself costs. We take no commission and sell no packages, so this is what you pay booking each piece yourself.
Ballpark ranges, not live quotes. Prices last updated 6 October 2026. Prices move with season and demand, so check live fares before you book. Spot a wrong price? Tell us and we fix it.
On the ground: stay, food, local travel and tickets. Pick a route above to add the journey.
Hampi in 3 days: a day-by-day plan
Our suggested plan, in a sensible order with times. Move things between days, remove them or add more. It saves on this device, and you can share it.
- 11:00Vittala Temple & stone chariot2 h · ₹40 each · Ticket also covers the Elephant Stables. Go at opening or after 4 pm.
- 13:30Lunch break
- 14:30Coracle ride on the Tungabhadra30 m · ₹300 each · Round wicker boat, spins the whole way. Children love it.
- 17:15Sunset from Hemakuta Hill1 h · free · Every evening, five minutes' walk from the bazaar.
- 05:45Matanga Hill sunrise climb1 h 30 m · free · Start at 5:45 am. The single best free thing in the state.
- 08:15Cycle the royal enclosure circuit4 h · ₹150 each · Queen's Bath, underground temple, Lotus Mahal, stepped tank.
- 13:00Lunch break
- 08:00Bouldering with a local guide3 h · ₹900 each · Hampi is a world-class bouldering site and almost nobody who visits knows it.
- 13:00Lunch break
How to get to Hampi
One-way prices per person. The cheapest sensible option is marked. Each button opens live times and fares for the date you picked above.
Sleeper train Cheapest
₹69016592 Hampi Express, 21:50 → 07:00 daily: 3A about ₹685, Sleeper about ₹260 (ConfirmTkt, 5 Nov 2026). Overnight both ways saves two nights of accommodation.
AC sleeper bus
₹2,000State-run is cheapest; private sleepers are more comfortable and run later.
Flight + road
₹9,000Rarely worth it unless fares crash. Vidyanagar has occasional flights and is closer.
Local bus, last leg Last leg
₹20KSRTC bus every 15–20 minutes from the bus stand, about ₹17 (Wikivoyage, 2023); women ride free under the Shakti scheme. An auto is about ₹250; agree first.
Getting around once you're there
Bicycle
₹150Fine for the bazaar-side ruins. Brutal after 11 am in any month.
Scooter
₹400The right answer here. Licence required; check the brakes before you pay. Fuel ≈ ₹200/day.
Motorbike
₹700Worth it only if you're doing Badami as a day trip.
Auto for the day
₹1,200Agree the stop list and the price before you start moving.
Car + driver
₹2,800Cheaper booked in Hosapete than in Hampi. The answer with elderly parents.
Coracle crossing
₹50The river crossing to Virupapur Gaddi. Stops running around sunset — plan your evening around it.
Where to stay in Hampi
Price per night for the room. The buttons open live availability for your dates.
Dorm bed
₹450/nightWhere solo travellers find people to split a scooter with.
Basic double
₹900/nightCafés, hammocks, sunsets. Remember the coracle stops at dusk.
Homestay
₹1,600/nightThe village rather than the strip. Usually cheaper walked into than booked online.
Proper hotel
₹2,400/nightThe sensible base with children or in shoulder season. 35 minutes from the ruins.
What to eat, and what it costs
Idli, vada and chai at a bazaar stall
₹45Breakfast, before you climb Matanga Hill.
Unlimited veg thali
₹100Rice, sambar, two vegetables, curd, pickle, refills. Beats à la carte every single time.
Island-side café plate
₹250Banana pancakes and a river view for roughly double the bazaar price. Worth it once.
Bun, banana and chai at sunset
₹30The ₹195 day: stall breakfast, thali lunch, this, and refilled water.
Places to visit and things to do in Hampi
Tap “Add to my plan” and it goes into your day-by-day plan above.
Matanga Hill sunrise climb
FreeStart at 5:45 am. The single best free thing in the state.
Vittala Temple & stone chariot
₹40Ticket also covers the Elephant Stables. Go at opening or after 4 pm.
Cycle the royal enclosure circuit
₹150Queen's Bath, underground temple, Lotus Mahal, stepped tank.
Bouldering with a local guide
₹900Hampi is a world-class bouldering site and almost nobody who visits knows it.
Coracle ride on the Tungabhadra
₹300Round wicker boat, spins the whole way. Children love it.
Sanapur Lake swim and cliff jump
₹100Closed when the river runs high in monsoon.
Sunset from Hemakuta Hill
FreeEvery evening, five minutes' walk from the bazaar.
Day trips and next stops
Anegundi village
₹60Coracle across and walk, or scooter round by the bridge
Sanapur Lake
Scooter only — no bus goes there
Tungabhadra Dam & gardens
₹60Local bus from Hosapete
Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary
₹400Auto or scooter; arrive for the 4 pm feeding
Early bus from Hosapete, or a hired car split between four
Gokarna beaches
₹800Overnight bus — the classic Hampi → Gokarna pairing
Know before you go
Mistakes to avoid
- April–June heat is not a nuisance, it is a hazard. No shade, no water on the trails.
- The coracle stops at dusk. Being on the wrong side of the river at 8 pm means a 30 km road detour.
- Climbing on temple structures is banned and enforced. It is also how people fall.
Ways to spend less
- The ₹40 Vittala ticket is valid all day and covers three sites — keep it.
- Guesthouses on the island side are 30–40% cheaper walked into in September than booked online in December.
- Hampi to Gokarna by overnight bus is the best two-stop trip in Karnataka and almost nobody does it in that order.
Say it in Kannada
A few words go a long way, especially when you ask a price.
Hindi and English work in most towns and with drivers.
The pronunciation is a simple guide, not a native recording. Spot a mistake? Tell us.
Before-you-go checklist
Hampi in pictures
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Step 11 of 11Next: FAQ↓Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Hampi?
On our month-by-month scores, the best months are Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec. November to February is the season — cool mornings, cold nights, everything walkable. April to June is 40°C on bare granite with no shade, and genuinely unsafe for children and older parents.
How do I reach Hampi?
Sleeper train: SBC Bengaluru → Hosapete Jn, 9 h, about ₹690 one way. AC sleeper bus: Bengaluru → Hosapete, 7–8 h, about ₹2,000 one way. Flight + road: BLR → Hubballi, then 3 h road, 1 h + 3 h, about ₹9,000 one way.
How much does a 3-day trip to Hampi cost?
On the ground (stay, food, local travel and tickets), one person spends about ₹2,700 on a shoestring, ₹4,800 mid-range or ₹9,600 in comfort over 3 days. Add the journey: the cheapest sensible option is sleeper train (SBC Bengaluru → Hosapete Jn) at about ₹690 each way.
How many days do you need in Hampi?
3 days is right for most people. That covers Vittala Temple & stone chariot, Coracle ride on the Tungabhadra, Sunset from Hemakuta Hill, Matanga Hill sunrise climb without rushing.
Is Hampi good for families or solo travellers?
Out of 5 on our scores: solo 5, couples 4, families 3, groups 5. It is easy to do on your own.
Is vegetarian food easy to find in Hampi?
Hampi is vegetarian and dry — the temple town serves no meat and no alcohol. For a vegetarian traveller that makes it one of the easiest and cheapest places in India to eat well. Jain food is widely available; ask and it appears.
Will my phone and cards work in Hampi?
Phone signal: Full 4G in the bazaar, patchy across the river. Cards and UPI: UPI works in the bazaar, rarely beyond it. Cash: Carry notes from Hosapete. Stalls in the far villages take nothing else.
Guides for Hampi
Longer reads from our blog that cover this trip.
Bangalore to Hampi: Distance, Drive Time and Every Way to Get ThereBangalore to Hampi is about 338 km by road, roughly 4 h 15 min of driving. Cheapest: the overnight Hampi Express,…Read the guide →
Hampi Nearest Railway Station: Hosapete, Trains by Class and the Last 12 kmNearest: Hosapete Jn (HPT), 12.5 km. Hampi Express from Bengaluru: Sleeper ₹260, 3A ₹685, 21:50 to 07:00. Fares from…Read the guide →
How much a Hampi trip from Bangalore actually costsItemised cost of a 2-day Hampi trip from Bangalore: bus, stay, food, cycle hire and entry fees. Do it from about…Read the guide →
Best Places to Visit in December in India: 20 Picks by Region, with 3-Day Costs20 underrated places rated best for December in India, by region, each instead of a famous name. 3-day costs, snow,…Read the guide →Similar underrated places
Badami, Aihole & PattadakalFour rock-cut cave temples carved into a red sandstone cliff in the sixth century, above a tank full of…From ₹800/day · Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec
Chitradurga FortCalled Kallina Kote — the 'stone fortress' — Chitradurga's fort wraps seven concentric walls around a…From ₹800/day · Jan–Feb, Oct–Dec
Vijayapura (Bijapur)Gol Gumbaz has the second-largest freestanding dome on earth and a whispering gallery where a whisper…From ₹900/day · Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec
GandikotaA ruined fort on the lip of a red sandstone gorge, with a mosque, a granary and a Vishnu temple inside the…From ₹800/day · Jan–Feb, Oct–Dec
BidarA red-laterite fort city that was once the Bahmani Sultanate's capital, with tiled tombs, a 15th-century…From ₹800/day · Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec
Mysuru & SrirangapatnaA palace lit by ninety-seven thousand bulbs on Sunday nights, a hill temple above the city, and Tipu…From ₹900/day · Jan–Feb, Oct–DecTreks near Hampi
Yana CavesEasy · Half day · Oct–MarFrom ₹400 at the base
Baba Budangiri & ManikyadharaEasy · Half day · Oct–FebFrom ₹500 at the base
MullayanagiriEasy · Half day · Oct–FebFrom ₹600 at the baseSacred places near Hampi
Make the plan yours
Set your dates and group at the top, shape the days, then book each piece directly.
Back to the planner ↑Costs are indicative ballparks for doing it yourself and change with season and demand. Always check live fares, rates and opening rules before you book. Trip Under is not a travel agency: we don't sell packages or bookings, we take no commission, and we link to maps and official sites, never to booking sites. Every guide is free; our only paid products are optional downloadable trip plans and itineraries. Photographs come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; see credits.
By Gokul · Updated 6 October 2026 · Photo: Suraj S Rao · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · Photo: Dey.sandip · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · Photo: Basavaraj M · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · Photo: Ms Sarah Welch · CC0 · source · Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0 · source
