Karnataka

Home of early Chalukya temples on the Malaprabha river.

• HeritageBadami CavesRock-cut Hindu and Jain caves above Agastya Lake.
• HeritageAiholeCradle of temple architecture with over a hundred small shrines.
• HeritagePattadakalUNESCO group of Chalukya temples on the riverbank.
• OffbeatMahakutaOffbeatQuiet temple cluster with a sacred spring near Badami.

Iron ore country with the Vijayanagara outskirts and a fort town.

• HeritageBallari FortHilltop fort with panoramic views over the city.
• OffbeatSandurOffbeatGreen valley with Kumaraswamy temple and forest ridges.
• WildlifeDaroji Bear SanctuarySloth bear viewing from observation towers near Hampi.

Northwest border district with forts, falls and Maratha influence.

• HeritageBelagavi FortInner fort with ancient Jain temples and a mosque.
• NatureGokak FallsHorseshoe cascade on the Ghataprabha river.
• OffbeatKittur FortOffbeatFort of Rani Chennamma, a celebrated freedom fighter.
• SpiritualSavadatti Yellamma TempleHilltop pilgrimage temple with a large annual fair.

Green rural fringe with hills, lakes and vineyards around the capital.

• HillsNandi HillsSunrise viewpoint, ancient fort and cycling route.
• HeritageDevanahalli FortBirthplace of Tipu Sultan, with a modest fort.
• NatureHesaraghatta GrasslandsOffbeatOpen grassland and lake north of the city; birdwatching and cycling.

State capital: gardens, craft breweries, tech parks and old temple quarters.

• Must-seeLalbagh Botanical GardenGlasshouse and 240-acre gardens in the city centre.
• HeritageBangalore PalaceTudor-style palace with wood-panelled interiors.
• NatureCubbon ParkLarge green lung with a nearby State Museum.
• HeritageUlsoor and Gavi Gangadhareshwara Cave TempleRock-cut temple that aligns with the sun on Makar Sankranti.
• OffbeatBasavanagudiOffbeatOld quarter with Bull Temple and a street-food lane.

Fortress district in the far northeast with Bahmani monuments.

• HeritageBidar FortLarge Bahmani fort with palaces, gates and a moat.
• HeritageMahmud Gawan MadrasaPersian-style centre of learning with coloured tilework.
• OffbeatPapnash TempleOffbeatCave-style Shiva shrine with a natural water spring.

Southern border forest district of Biligiri Hills and Cauvery's gorges.

• WildlifeBR HillsTiger reserve and sacred forest with Biligiriranga temple.
• SpiritualMale Mahadeshwara HillsForest pilgrimage site with a large shrine.
• OffbeatGaganachukki and BharachukkiOffbeatTwin Cauvery cascades near Shivanasamudra, best from July to October.

Hill and lake district with granite outcrops and Sri Sathya Sai ashram at Muddenahalli.

• HillsNandi HillsCool sunrise hill station with fort and temple.
• AdventureSkandagiriPre-dawn trek above the clouds, with a daily visitor cap.
• HeritageBhoga Nandeeshwara TempleAncient Dravidian temple with stone carvings.

Where coffee was first grown in India, framed by Baba Budan Giri.

• HillsMullayanagiriHighest peak in Karnataka with an easy summit trek.
• SpiritualBaba Budan GiriHill shrine and coffee heritage ridge.
• HillsKemmangundiGarden hill station with Z Point and waterfalls.
• OffbeatHebbe FallsOffbeatTwo-tier waterfall reached through private coffee estates by jeep.
• WildlifeKudremukh National ParkHorse-faced peak and shola grassland trekking region.

Stone fortress district with windmills and rocky hills.

• HeritageChitradurga FortSeven-ring granite fort with temples, ponds and a legend of Onake Obavva.
• OffbeatJogimattiOffbeatForest and hill viewpoints with cool breezes near the fort.
• NatureVani Vilas SagaraKarnataka's oldest reservoir and lakeside viewpoint.

Coastal Tulu Nadu: fishing ports, temples, beaches and fiery cuisine.

• CultureMangaluru old portFishing harbour with Kadri temple and Mangalore tile heritage.
• SpiritualKukke SubramanyaSnake-god temple at the foot of Kumara Parvatha.
• SpiritualDharmasthalaLarge temple complex with free meals and Jain heritage.
• BeachPanambur BeachCity beach with water sports and camel rides.
• OffbeatSultan BatteryOffbeatOld watchtower on the Gurupura estuary reached by a short boat ride.

Central Karnataka city known for benne dosa and old Hoysala temples nearby.

• HeritageHarihareshwara TempleTwelfth-century Hoysala temple of Hari-Hara on the Tungabhadra.
• OffbeatSantebennurOffbeatLarge lake and old temple settlement.
• OffbeatBathi GuddaOffbeatHillside viewpoint over the city.

Culture and music town, famed for pedas and Hindustani classical musicians.

• NatureUnkal LakeLarge lake in Hubballi with Swami Vivekananda statue.
• OffbeatSadhankeri ParkOffbeatQuiet park with rocks and gardens in Dharwad.
• NatureNavilu TeerthaPretty lake and picnic spot in the foothills.

Temple-rich district with the Lakkundi group and Kalyani Chalukya art.

• HeritageLakkundiStepped tanks and carved temples of Kalyani Chalukya period.
• HeritageItagi Mahadeva TempleCalled the emperor among temples for its fine stone work.
• OffbeatKappataguddaOffbeatWildlife and herb-rich hill forest, with a trek to Kappatagudda.

Heart of Hoysala country with elegant temples and Jain pilgrim centre.

• HeritageBelur Chennakeshava TempleActive Hoysala temple with intricate bracket figures.
• HeritageHalebidu Hoysaleswara TempleWall friezes carved to remarkable detail.
• SpiritualShravanabelagolaMonolithic Gomateshwara statue atop a hill; Mahamastakabhisheka every 12 years.
• OffbeatDoddagaddavalliOffbeatSmall Hoysala Lakshmi temple with fine carvings.

Rice and cardamom town of north Karnataka, with the Tungabhadra river.

• HeritageGalaganatha TempleRiverside temple with Chalukyan architecture.
• OffbeatBankapura Peacock SanctuaryOffbeatFort town with a peacock sanctuary and ruins.
• SpiritualKaginele KanakagurupeetaSpiritual centre and pilgrimage site of the Kuruba community.

Deccan sultanate city with a huge fort and Sufi shrine.

• HeritageGulbarga FortBahmani capital fort with a giant mosque with a covered court.
• SpiritualKhwaja Bande Nawaz DargahRevered Sufi shrine with an annual urs.
• OffbeatSannatiOffbeatAncient Buddhist and Mauryan site along the Bhima river.

Coffee hills, Kodava traditions and monsoon-drenched ridges.

• NatureAbbey FallsCascade through coffee estates near Madikeri.
• WildlifeDubare Elephant CampRiver-side camp for feeding and bathing elephants.
• SpiritualTalakaveri and BhagamandalaSource of the Cauvery and a temple confluence.
• OffbeatChelavara FallsOffbeatQuiet waterfall tucked away in Kerala-border estates.
• AdventureTadiandamolHighest peak in Kodagu with a well-marked trek.

Gold-mining legacy, silk and ancient temples on the border with Tamil Nadu and Andhra.

• SpiritualAntara GangeHilltop temple with a perennial spring from a bull's mouth.
• OffbeatKolaramma TempleOffbeatTemple of a local mother goddess, with Chola inscriptions.
• SpiritualKurudumale GaneshaAncient Ganesha temple and nearby Someshwara shrine.

Hampi's northern neighbour, with Anegundi's riverside ruins and the Anjanadri hill.

• HeritageAnegundiVillage across the Tungabhadra with early Vijayanagara monuments.
• SpiritualAnjanadri HillHill shrine believed to be Hanuman's birthplace; 570 steps.
• OffbeatHampi (Virupapura Gadde)OffbeatRiverbank hippie island with rice terraces and guesthouses.
• HeritageKoppal FortLarge Deccan fort and citadel.

Sugarcane district of Cauvery, with Srirangapatna's island fort.

• HeritageSrirangapatnaIsland fort of Tipu Sultan with his summer palace and tomb.
• NatureKRS Dam and Brindavan GardensTerraced gardens with a musical fountain below the dam.
• WildlifeRanganathittu Bird SanctuaryBoat rides to roosts of storks and herons.
• SpiritualMelkoteHilltop Narasimha temple town with a stepped Kalyani.
• NatureShivanasamudra FallsCauvery falls near Malavalli at their fullest after the monsoon.

Royal city with silk, sandalwood and a famed ten-day Dasara.

• Must-seeMysuru PalaceIlluminated Indo-Saracenic palace; lit on Sundays and festival evenings.
• SpiritualChamundi HillHilltop temple above the city with a giant Nandi.
• WildlifeNagarhole and KabiniElephants, tigers and leopards on river-side safaris.
• HeritageSomanathapuraStar-shaped Hoysala temple with sculpted friezes.
• OffbeatTalakaduOffbeatTemple town half-buried in sand on the Cauvery.

Hot, historic northeast district between the Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers.

• HeritageRaichur FortKakatiya and Bahmani fortification with Persian inscriptions.
• OffbeatMudgalOffbeatHill fort with Bahmani ramparts and a mosque.
• CultureManviOld town with Jain and Shiva temples.

Granite hills and silk-reeling south of Bengaluru, renamed Bengaluru South in 2025.

• AdventureRamanagara hillsRocky outcrops used for climbing and the Sholay filming location.
• CultureChannapatnaToy town with lacquerware, with workshops that welcome visitors.
• OffbeatSavandurgaOffbeatOne of Asia's largest monolith hills, with a trek and a ruined fort.

Gateway to the Malnad: waterfalls, dams and old Keladi capitals.

• Must-seeJog FallsFour cascades dropping nearly 250 m, best July to December.
• WildlifeSakrebailu Elephant CampElephant camp on the Tunga river, near the city.
• HillsAgumbeRainforest village known for sunsets and king cobra research.
• OffbeatKeladiOffbeatFormer Nayaka capital with a Rameshwara temple and museum.
• AdventureKodachadriForest ridge trek with a sunrise view over the coast.

Coconut and granite belt, with fortified hills and Buddhist heritage.

• HillsDevarayanadurgaForest hill with temples and trek just off the Bengaluru highway.
• OffbeatMadhugiriOffbeatSecond-largest monolith in Asia with a fort and trail up its slopes.
• SpiritualSiddaganga MuttLarge monastery known for free education and meals.

Temple town with the famed Krishna temple and some of Karnataka's best beaches.

• SpiritualSri Krishna TempleTemple known for its unique window darshan and vegetarian kitchen.
• BeachMalpe Beach and St Mary's IslandHexagonal basalt columns off Malpe, reached by ferry.
• BeachMaravantheHighway skirting both sea and river in a thin strip.
• OffbeatKaupOffbeatSandy beach with a hilltop lighthouse and a Marigudi temple.
• OffbeatKudlu Theertha FallsOffbeatHidden multi-tier fall reached by a trek in the Agumbe forests.

Largest district: Western Ghats forest, rivers, Gokarna and quiet bays.

• BeachGokarnaSacred Shiva town with Om, Kudle and Half Moon beaches.
• OffbeatYana CavesOffbeatBlack rock pinnacles in dense forest with a cave shrine.
• AdventureDandeliWhite-water rafting and wildlife safaris on the Kali river.
• SpiritualMurudeshwaraGiant Shiva statue and temple overlooking the Arabian Sea.
• BeachDevbagh and KarwarQuiet beach island with a boat crossing from Karwar.

Created in 2021 around Hampi, with the empire's ruined capital.

• Must-seeHampiVirupaksha, Vittala and Hazara Rama temples among boulders.
• AdventureMatanga HillSunrise climb over the ruins; the scramble is steep.
• OffbeatTungabhadra DamOffbeatLarge dam near Hosapete with gardens and views.

Adil Shahi city of domes and whispering galleries.

• Must-seeGol GumbazHuge dome with a whispering gallery and city views.
• HeritageIbrahim RauzaDelicate mausoleum often compared with the Taj for its detailing.
• OffbeatBijapur Fort and Malik-e-Maidan CannonOffbeatOne of the largest cannons in the world on a bastion.

Remote northeast district with hill forts and a thin tourism footprint.

• HeritageYadgir FortHill fort with strong ramparts and an old mosque.
• OffbeatShahapurOffbeatSmall historic town and fort on the Bhima river.
• OffbeatSurpur FortOffbeatFort and palace complex of a former local dynasty.