Hampi Tourism And Travel Guide

Hampi, a UNESCO world heritage site today, was once upon a time a prosperous city of the 14^th century Vijayanagara kings, with a bustling marketplace, gardens, farms and huge temples. Today all that remains on the banks of the Tungabhadra River are the mute remnants of a majestic empire, with more than a thousand surviving relics. The Archaeological Survey of India still conducts excavations in Hampi and there are still more heritage treasures popping up every day, bringing a lot of tourism opportunities to Hampi too.

The ruins stand still and serene as tourists from world over visit Hampi for a sight into the past. If you are interested in visiting the iconic heritage town, our travel guide will help you plan a trip to Hampi.

Hampi’s nearest town Hospet, which is about 13 km away. The easiest way to reach Hospet would be by train and from Hospet you can travel by road to Hampi.

By Air:

Fly to Hubli International Airport, take a train to Hospet and then a cab to Hampi. If you have booked accommodation, the resort might help you book a cab in advance. Or hire a cab from the Hubli Airport to Hampi straight; that should take about 4-5 hours travel time. Domestic airports at Bellary and Belgaum are closer to Hampi and have connectivity to a few Indian cities.

By Train:

Several long distance trains from major cities across the country halt at Hospet. You can take a cab, auto rickshaw or a KSRTC bus from Hospet to Hampi.

By Road:

KSRTC buses cater to the routes between Karnataka’s cities and neighbouring states to Hospet. Disembark at Hospet and switch to a local bus to Hampi.

Hampi is beautiful all year round, but summers are hot and monsoons are moody, thus the best season for a visit is winter, from October to March.

Summer(March-May):

Summer season is typically hot and since Hampi’s ruins are vast open places, you could find the heat a little putting-off for a trip.

Monsoon(June-September):

Monsoon is rainy and wet, and travel, especially if you are keen on adventure sports might be cumbersome. You might find yourself cooped up in your room. It’s off season for coracle rides, too.

Post Monsoon(October-December):

Weather turns mild and pleasant. It’s the ideal time for exploring and trekking to the hill tops.

Winter(January-February):

Winter is dry and warm. Nights are cool, but days could be real pleasant and breezy. It’s the ultimate time for touring and photography.

Coracle Ride:
Among the slew of fun things you can do in Hampi is taking a Dongi or coracle ride on the Tungabhadra, with its high currents and crocodiles.

Tungabhadra Dam Park:
This is an idyllic place near Hospet to spend an evening. There’s a musical fountain, deer park and panoramic view of the dam’s backwaters.

Rent a Bicycle:
Hampi and the closest town of Hospet have shops where you can rent a bicycle or moped to get around town. You could even load your two wheeler on a coracle to get to the other side of Tungabhadra River.

Horse Cart Ride:
You’d find a lot of colourfully bedecked carts drawn by horses in Hampi. It’s fun to ride a horse cart to get around the town.

Vineyards:
If your penchant is a good glass of wine, you’d be interested in visiting Hampi’s vineyards on the slopes of Hampi Hill that produce some fine quality wine. Wine tours are arranged on request.

Rustic Life:

Across the Tungabhadra, there are charming villages which can be toured on horse or bullock carts. Enjoy home cooked meals with the villagers. Go on a camping Heritage trek to the villages too.

Tourism is never complete without memorabilia and souvenirs to take home. Hampi too has its fair share of stuff you can buy in the main bazaar or in push carts outside the ruins or temples. You can buy handcrafted stone engraved artefacts, puppets, wallets and footwear of leather, Lambani hand-woven colourful fabric with tiny bells and mirrors and cushions covers, bags and baskets handcrafted out of banana fibre.

Non vegetarian food and alcohol are allowed on the other side of the Tungabhadra but not on the banks where the temples are situated. Hampi’s specialities are the wholesome Thali meals and South Indian Idli and Dosa. While on the other banks, you’d enjoy the German, Italian and Israeli breads, cookies, cakes and pasta with loads of cheese on them.