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Bangalore to Gokarna: Distance, Drive Time and Every Way to Get There

Gokarna is about 484 km from Bengaluru by road: up the NH48 past Chitradurga and Davanagere, then west through Sirsi and down the Western Ghats to the coast. Here is the distance, the drive time, what each way of getting there costs, and the places worth a stop.

Photo: Vinodtiwari2608, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Text added by Trip Under.

Gokarna is a long way from Bengaluru, and it is meant to be an overnight trip: the train and the buses both leave in the evening and reach the coast in the morning. Driving is faster, but most of a day.

How we worked it out. On 11 November 2026 we routed Bengaluru city centre to Gokarna town with OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM) and checked the towns along the route line. Karnataka Tourism gives the same distance, about 485 km. Drive times are routing estimates for an empty road. Train fares are the ones in our Gokarna by train guide. We give a price only where a dated source gives one.

Every way to get there

Many fast Konkan Railway trains skip Gokarna Road and stop at Kumta, 31 km away; the Bengaluru train does stop at Gokarna Road. Our Gokarna by train guide has the full list. Two days in Gokarna on a shoestring with the train both ways comes to about ₹3,600 per person in our model (full cost breakdown).

Open the route in Google Maps for live traffic.

The road and where to stop

OSRM takes the NH48 (the Pune–Bengaluru highway) north through Tumakuru, Sira, Hiriyur and Chitradurga, then past Davanagere and Harihara into Haveri district. Near Hangal it turns west on the NH766E to Sirsi in the hills of Uttara Kannada, drops down the Western Ghats to the coast near Kumta, and runs the last stretch up the NH66 and the Gokarna road.

• Chitradurga Fort, about 200 km from Bengaluru. The route passes within about 3.5 km of the fort. Called Kallina Kote — the 'stone fortress' — Chitradurga's fort wraps seven concentric walls around a granite hill, with hidden tunnels its defenders used to outlast sieges. Give it at least half a day (our Chitradurga Fort page).
• Yana Caves, near the Sirsi–Kumta road. Two towering black, crystalline karst limestone spires rise unexpectedly out of dense forest, one housing a small Shiva shrine. Less a trek than a striking short forest walk — easy enough for most fitness levels, and unlike almost anything else in Karnataka geologically. The base is Kumta / Sirsi, both about 30 km; taxi from Kumta (on the coast) or Sirsi (inland); the final approach is a forest road followed by a short walk through jungle. (our Yana Caves page).
• Jog Falls, a detour from Sirsi. About 57 km by road from Sirsi (OSRM). The Sharavathi river falls 253 metres in four separate streams — Raja, Roarer, Rocket and Rani — and in the monsoon it is loud enough to feel through your feet. It is at its fullest from July to September (our Jog Falls page).
• Murudeshwar, beyond Gokarna. About 75 km south of Gokarna. Local bus or train from Gokarna Road (our Gokarna page). A 37-metre Shiva statue looks out to sea from a rocky headland, with a working beach town around it that never became a party circuit. See our Murudeshwar page.

Best time to go and what a day costs

Best months: Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec. A day in Gokarna costs about ₹800 on a shoestring, ₹1,400 mid-range and ₹2,800 comfortable per person, for a bed, food, local transport and small fees (our Gokarna page).

Frequently asked questions

Sources and how we priced this

• Road distance, drive time and the route: OSRM driving route (router.project-osrm.org), Bengaluru city centre (12.9716, 77.5946) to Gokarna town (14.55, 74.32), and Sirsi to Jog Falls, 11 November 2026; towns from OpenStreetMap Nominatim reverse lookups along the route line, the same day. About 485 km and 10–12 hours by bus: Karnataka Tourism, as cited in our Gokarna trip cost guide (read 10 October 2026).
• Train: 16595 Panchaganga Express and 16515 Karwar Express fares and times, ConfirmTkt route listing read 5 November 2026 for travel on 6 November, and Gokarna Road station distance (OSRM, 5 November 2026), as used in our Gokarna by train guide. Booking sites are named, not linked.
• Bus fares: Karnataka state bus fare revision from 4–5 November 2026, Angel One ("Karnataka hikes BMTC and KSRTC bus fares", 4 November 2026) and The Week (4 November 2026). No route fare for Bengaluru–Gokarna was published in them.
• Fuel: Bengaluru petrol ₹110.82 a litre, The Hans India daily fuel prices, 6 November 2026. 15 km per litre is our assumption, not a measured figure. Tolls: NHAI's toll information site (tis.nhai.gov.in) did not answer on 11 November 2026, so no toll is given.
• Stops, season and daily costs: Trip Under's Gokarna, Chitradurga Fort, Jog Falls and Murudeshwar pages, the Yana Caves trek page, and our cost model.

Keep reading

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.