Hampi, having been one of the largest and richest cities in India, today is a UNESCO world heritage site and the pride of Karnataka. It truly is an architect’s dream come true. Even though what stands are the ruins of the works of the 15th century, it describes true art like no other. Other than the rich ancient history, it is known for many old attractive Hindu and Jain temples, Palaces, Mosques, remains of the market streets of the Vijayanagara Empire, splendid viewpoints etc. and there are many things to do in Hampi which will make you stay there for some more time.
Location
Hampi is located 13 km Hospet and 353 km from Bangalore. It is surrounded by Tungabhadra river and hills.
Best time to visit Hampi
October to march would be the ideal time to visit the place. Hampi conducts an annual Purandara Festival in January-February in the Vittal temple to celebrate the birth anniversary of Purandar. This is the one chance to experience Hampi in all its glory and witness its rich culture.
It would be an injustice to the site if you are planning for a one-day trip. It will take you at least two and a half days to visit all the sites in Hampi.
How to reach Hampi
By train: Get to Hospet railway station which is well connected to various major stations. Hampi is 13 km away, take an auto or a bus.
By bus: There are many options for buses from KSRTC to private travel agencies.
By road: Driving to Hampi from the neighbouring cities is a good idea for a road trip as the roads are in good condition.
Now that you’ve got here, there are a few things you should never miss. Here are the top 10 things to do in Hampi.
Top 10 Things to do in Hampi
1. Watch the Sunrise from the Malyavanta Raghunatha Hill
The view of the valley from here is magnificent. Sunrise from this spot is a site to behold and one the best things to do in Hampi. Beware of the many resident monkeys as they are very quick and resilient, be careful of anything you are carrying. Malyavanta Raghunatha Temple is a functioning temple. The carvings on the boulder, architecture of the temple in which natural boulders are merged into the temple and a cave shrine under a boulder act as the cherry on top of the cake.
2. Be astonished by the Hampi Bazaar
Virupaksha Temple : It is one of the oldest monuments of the town. The main shrine is dedicated to a form of Lord Shiva, Virupaksha.
Hemakuta Hill: The hill contains early ruins, Jain temples and a monolithic sculpture of Lord Narasimha. Cover the Kadalekalu Ganesha and Sasivekalu Ganesha pavilion on the slopes of the hill facing the main road.
Vittal temple : Explore the magical creation of the artisans of the Vijaynagar Empire to realise why it is a world heritage site. Don’t miss out on the musical pillars!
3. Drop round at the royal center
There are many attractions in the royal center. The Lotus Mahal or Zenana Enclosure is a palace known for its well designed pavilion and the lotus bud caved on its ceiling. The Elephant quarter used to house the royal elephants.The Queen’s Bath is famous for its unique Islamic architecture. The Underground Virupaksha temple tells a fascinating story. The center is open from 6 am till 6 pm on all days.
4. Visit the museum
The Archeological Museum at Kamalapuram has a fine collection of sculpture from local sites, neolithic tools, 16th-century weaponry and a large floor model of the Vijayanagar ruins. The information panels provides some interesting details about the king’s daily rituals. It is open on all days except Friday from 10 am to 5 pm. Ticket prices are different for Indians and foreigners.
5. Good food for a good mood
Hampi being flushed with tourists doesn’t lack in restaurants serving delicious food. Mango tree restaurant is the most famous for its thalis. Sagar hotel is known for hot and yummy south indian dishes at affordable prices. The goan corner is worth a visit for its outdoor seating and reasonably priced food. Laughing buddha serves israeli cuisines with continental and indian options, the best part being the view! This is my favourite thing to do in Hampi.
6. Go rock climbing
Hampi is filled with rocky terrains and hills. Be it a beginner or an expert, there is a rock for everyone to start. Carry mini torch/flashlight as the paths aren’t well lit. Hanuman Temple on the top of the Anjaneya Hill, the birthplace of Lord Hanuman is about 4 km from Hampi village. This is an easy but quite a long climb through the stairway that you can start with. Matanga Hill offers a trek for around 30 minutes that will lead you to the Veerabhadra Temple sitting right at the top.
7. Take an adventurous ride through Hampi
Hampi is a small city and is best savoured with the wind sweeping your face. Hire a bicycle from the local vendors (60-90 rupees per day) or a scooter (150 rupees per day) and ride through the streets for an unrestrained adventure. It will also save you a lot of money and the trouble of bargaining with the rickshaw or cab drivers.
This temple has a rooftop, which is unarguably the best place to witness the sunrise and sunset over the lovely landscape of this historical Hampi town.
8. Coracle through Tungabhadra river
You can reach the river by walking through the back of the Virupaksha temple. The coracle ride through the river will definitely make you forget the city hustle, at least momentarily. You can sit at the banks and enjoy the quiet cool breeze and the serenity of the river.
9. Enjoy the sunset at the Anjanadri hills
After a pretty tough climb of around 500 odd steps but the view is unbelievably breathtaking. Anjanadri is higher than Mathunga and the entire landscape of the city can be viewed from the top. The colours of the sunset lights up the city and the cliffs. Welcome the night and watch the city come to life with bright lights.
10. Time for some street shopping
Get some hippie ornaments and fabrics from the small Hampi bazaar next to the Bus stand. The street is lined with ruins of pavilion.There is a pavillion in front of the nandi bull statue in the bazaar that plays host to the annual festival in Hampi. You will need at least an hour to go through the whole street, thankfully the bazaar is open from 6 am till 11 pm.
If you still have time up your sleeves visit the tungabhadra dam. You can take relaxing walks in the parks and witness the musical fountain which begins from 7 pm.
These are the few things to do in Hampi and make your time fly away while you visit it.
You can contact Adventuresome to book your trip to Hampi Tourism now.
Frequently Asked Questions on Things to do in Hampi
1. What are the other places to visit near Hampi?
You can visit Anegundi (apposite bank of Tungabhadra river), Aihole (140 km from Hampi), Badami (150 km from Hampi), and Pattadakkal (140 Km from Hampi).
2. What is the price range of places to stay in Hampi?
Stays in Hampi range from Rs. 250 per night (being the cheapest) to Rs. 23,000 per night (being the highest). Depending on the requirements and budget you can choose an appropriate stay for you.
3. What are the items to carry on a trip to Hampi?
Carry your caps and sunglasses and keep a bottle of water ready with you all the time to beat the heat.
4. How is the signal strength of networks in Hampi?
Mobile signals in Hampi are extremely poor, actually completely absent at most of the sites. BSNL network works well in most places. Plan your day in advance. Keep a map handy and finish all urgent calls before stepping out.
5. Where can you camp in Hampi?
There are many camping sites in Hampi which provide camping materials. Most popular camping place is Matunga hill.
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Hampi, a world heritage site, takes you back into time. And when I say time, it’s just not a few hundred years back, of which there are many ruins still in place. The visit takes you several thousand years back, into the Ramayan era. Of course, for that, you have to have some belief in the Ramayan.
Since you have to walk a lot to fully comprehend the place, its important that the timing of the visit is in winters. Even in December, I could feel the heat!!!
We started off by getting hold with Adventuresome. Some shops in the bazaar give out maps as well and a little advice for free. The map is little, but it is not difficult to see the history and heritage that is packed into this place…. and we have our guide and map to be more than enough to do our exploring.
One may even come across a lone pillar in the middle of a field, which may have been a part of some mighty structure that succumbed to the sands (or swords) of time.
2 full days are more than enough to explore Hampi.
Make sure your sightseeing checklist includes:
– Virupaksha Temple
– Vittala Temple area
– Elephant Stables
– King’s balance
– Lotus Mahal
– Narasimha Statue
– Queen’s Bath
– King’s Audience Hall (and surrounding area)
There is truly a LOT to see here, which makes it an explorer’s paradise!
Hampi, definitely is one of the most extensive & spectacular sites to be found anywhere in the world was the capital of the mighty Vijayanagara Empire, there are 500 plus monuments which have stood the ravages of man and time. and this is the best place to have Indiana style adventuring.
Hampi is a breathtaking natural landscape of huge granite rocks, a wide river, and an ancient city packed with temples and buildings dating back centuries. It’s a little off-beaten track but I got there by motorcycle tour on an Enfield Bullet with Adventuresome. Make sure you see the Monkey Temple at sunset, 600 steps straight up but well worth the climb.
very nice to explore Hampi. One should not miss anything at Hampi. Sad to note that the Tourists are used to spoil the environment by throwing water bottles and left-outs everywhere. There should be an entry fee to contain misuse.
Hampi is an ancient Hindu holy city in Karnataka which has been outstandingly preserved. The buildings, temples and carvings are stunning. Apart from a few additions I love that the major part of this site has been left natural and not been subjected to tacky add ons.
There is easily enough to see and do to complete a full day with a lovely spot to watch a sunset on top of rocks. Also, a great place to see macaque and monkeys close up.
Beware of the people in orange who are over-friendly and encourage you to take their photo then demand silly money. Also, beware of beggars as most are actually “professional beggars” – (a little tip buy food for them rather than money).
There are some reasonable places for food, drinks and snacks on the site itself but these do not intrude on the ambiance of the site.
An amazing place that really is a must-see for anyone travelling in India and it is obvious when you visit why this has been made into a UNESCO world heritage site.
Thanks, team Adventuresome for your assistance.
What an interesting place. So many things to see and experience. Thanks for sharing this special part of the country with us.
Oh wow, I’ve been to South India so many times but never heard of these ruins! They look amazing and I just might detour to Karnataka the next time I’m headed there!
How far is Hampi from Bangalore?
Spot on with this write-up, I honestly think this website needs much more attention. I’ll probably be returning to read through more, thanks for the advice!
Oh, your photos are so lovely. I have not heard of this place, I would love to visit. We want to get back to this region and spend more time…hopefully soon we will all be able to travel again. Great piece. I’ll save it for future reference.
What a detailed description of the place. Loved it. One can plan out the travel easily with your tips. I loved the in and around places of Hampi. I always felt that it has only architecture. I need to put this on my bucket list.
Always good travelling advice from you guys. At the end of 2018, when I was starting my travelling, I bought Matt’s ebook ‘How to make money with a travel blog’ and it really helped me to take off. I was very inspired mostly from NomadicMatt and Everything Everywhere.
Almost two years later I’ve got a pretty well known Spanish language blog about Asia, especially India and Thailand, that has been the base to start a small tour operator in Bangkok employing 6 people and many Spanish speaking guides and local drivers. Still a lot of work to be done but we are on a nice path.
If I were to start a travelling nowadays I would really focus on a small niche and forget about products or services at least until one year after been travelling twice a week.
Astonishing history, Great advice for new travellers such as myself. I especially loved the first tip to India. Although, sometimes I feel as though I spend too much time reading and not enough time putting the information I learn into practice. Thanks for the valuable information!
I’m impressed, I have to admit. Seldom do I encounter a blog that’s equally educative and amusing, and without a doubt, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is something which not enough men and women are speaking intelligently about.
I am very happy that I stumbled across this during my search for something regarding Hampi.
I appreciate these trips and emailed myself this article to review later. Google must think these places are dope as well because this article is at the top of organic search results. Thanks so much! Yes, it’s a bit frustrating that there are so many travel bloggers out there, but I like your point: it’s like any other business…it doesn’t mean someone can’t do their own thing and shine.
Great resource team. loved reading your blog post after searching on Google for Hampi India because I am running a travel blog since 2015 and I recently started working on it again and your blog post has helped. Thanks!
Well done sir! I truly admire your website and travel tips. Thank you for sharing this, I am fairly new to the “traveler,s family” and am currently trying to brand myself and stand out from the crowds. My first adventure was traveling the US in my custom camper van for the last six months. I am an artist and a self-proclaimed photographer. My goal is to sustain a nomadic lifestyle such as yours by monetizing my blog and gaining a following of devoted subscribers. These are helpful tools and I will put them to work immediately. I know perseverance and hard work WILL pay off and I am excited for that day! Thanks again for sharing the knowledge.
Check out my blog and give me some pointers!
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