Hampi is a temple town recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in southern Indian state of Karnataka. Hampi is situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. The ruins of Hampi, as it is known today, was once the largest and richest cities in the world. This anicent ruined town of architectural wonder can be considered as a huge open museum of architecture, history and religion on display. Spread around the area of more than 25sq.km, Hampi is full of ancient temples, splendid palaces, monuments, fortifications, and stone carved structure. Thousands of boulders of different sizes, lush palm, paddy fields and banana plantations is simply stunning. Hampi ruins will leave you spell bound the moment you lay your eyes on it. Hampi’s archaeological, religious and historical signigicance makes it a perfect tourist spot. In Hampi at every turn there is a surpise and every monument hides more than what it reveals.
Hampi and its neighbouring areas find mention in the Hindu epic Ramayana as Kishkinda, the monkey (Vanara) kingdom.
Emperor Ashoka’s Rock Edicts in Nittur & Udegolan (both in Bellary district) suggest that this region was part of the Maurya Empire during the 3rd century BC.
In 1336, Telugu prince Harihararaya chose Hampi as the site for his new capital Vijayanagar, which from 1343 to 1565 grew into one of the largest Hindu empires in Indian history. By the 16th century, it was a thriving metropolis of about 500,000 people, its busy bazaars dabbling in international commerce, brimming with precious stones and merchants from faraway lands.
However, once-magnificent city was besieged, destroyed and pludered by combined Deccan muslim sultanates comprising of five dynasties namely, Bijapur, Golkonda, Ahmadnagar, Bidar and Berar. The ruins of the palaces in Hampi, the temples and the royal buildings stand testimony to the wealth and grandeur of the Vijayanagar Emperors.
Directions by road from the nearest airport
Weather forecast
Feb 14, 2025
33°C
Getting there
Closest By Air
The nearest airport is at Hubli, 143km away from Hampi, but this is not preferred by most visitors. Flying from Goa means that you have to change planes in Mumbai (or Bengaluru), making it an expensive and time consuming trip, and therefore useless. Consider flying into Bangalore, a major international hub.
Arrive at Mysore airport or Bangalore airport. Proceed further by bus or train. Alternatively you can also reach Mumbai or Pune airport and take an overnight bus/train to Hospet and reach Hampi from there.
Closest By Rail
Hampi does not have its own railways station. Nearest railway station is Hospet Junction(13km).
Overnight trains run several times a week from Bangalore, Hyderabad and Goa. The trains are a much cheaper and more comfortable route than the tourist buses. You can also catch an overnight train from Mysore (Mysuru JN – MYS) to Hubli (Hubballi JN – UBL) and from there to Hospet (Hosapete JN – HPT) and then to Hampi. You can also get an overnight train, the Hampi Express, direct from Mysore to Hospet Junction. It departs Mysore at 19:00 and is scheduled to arrive at 07:10 the next morning.
In short, reach Hospet station from any major city. From there, take a cab or a local bus to Hampi. However, there are very few train to Hospet and they are mostly sold out well in advance during the season.
It is very easy to get local bus from Hospet train station. The bus frequence is quite good. Rickshaw drivers are not reliable in the area. Some will overcharge for the minimal distance between the bus station and the rail station. The buses are very frequent. It’s about a kilometre and a half walk from the train station to the bus station.
Closest By Road
Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation operates daily buses to Hospet from Bengaluru, Mysore and Gokarna. From Hospet, it takes around 40 minutes by a local state-run bus to reach here. Public buses from Hospet bus station to Hampi are frequent and cost 13-16 rupees. [Jan 2016]
There are private bus companies operating from most places in Goa and from Gokarna which run an overnight service to Hampi. Unfortunately, there is no direct return so you take a local bus (or taxi) to Hospet and take it from there.
There are many accommodation options in the city. Visitors can find many budget, mid-range hotels and cottage with modern amenities. Karnataka State Tourism Department Corporation hotel is also a good option.
There are many multi-cuisine restaurants in Hampi. You will find a lot of restaurants serving Italian and Israeli food, along with the usual Indian food. Most of the restaurants serve only vegetarian food, as Hampi is a religious centre. Beers and alcohols are not available at local restaurants. However, Hotel Mayura Bhuvaneshwari in the neighbouring town of Kamalapur has a bar that serves beer and wine. Few hotels across the north side of river do serve beer and hard liquor.
Restaurants here, are usually ambient with pleasant music and some scenic views, but expect leisurely service.
For exploring this ancient city, the best way is either by foot or on a bicycle. You can hire a bicycle or mopeds (a gearless 2-whealer). But due to rocky terrains, you cannot take the cycle to several attractions. A little bit of walking is always required for exploring sites inside and out. Keep in mind that you’ll have to walk around 5-6kms during the day. Autorickshaws are available for sightseeing, and will drop you as close to each major ruins as they can. A five-hour autorickshaw tour costs around 500Rs.
If you want to hire a Guide, approach the Tourist office at the Virupaksha temple and hire a guide from the office. Fix the rate and list of places that they will cover.
Alcohol and narcotics are illegal in Hampi and possession can get you in trouble.
Leopards and sloth bears frequent some of the rocky hills. They can be dangerous when encountered, so be careful.
If you are staying at Virupapur Gadde side of the river, plan and return by 18:00. If you have a train/bus to catch in the night, checking out before 18:00 helps. If the ferry closes, the auto/car option becomes a much longer and costlier affair.
Some guest house and restaurants close down during off season (April to September). Please check the availability before you reach.
Coracle ferry may not be functional during rainy season, especially between June to August, as Tungabhadra river is usually very high then.