Best places to visit in Karnataka
39 curated destinations in Karnataka, each with its honest season window: when to go, when it is merely fine, and when to stay away.
When to visit Karnataka
Curated places in Karnataka that are in peak season, by month. Tap a month for the whole country.
January, February, November and December put the most of Karnataka in peak season. April the fewest, with 0.
All 39 destinations in Karnataka
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Agumbe
Karnataka
Rainforest village known as South India's Cherrapunji
Peak: Jun to Sep
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Badami-Aihole-Pattadakal
Karnataka
Chalukya cave temples and sandstone shrine cluster
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Bandipur National Park
Karnataka
Deccan teak and elephant country on the Mysuru-Ooty road
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Belur-Halebidu
Karnataka
Twin Hoysala temple towns carved in soapstone
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Bidar
Karnataka
Bahmani fort, a ruined madrasa and Bidriware workshops
Peak: Nov to Feb
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BR Hills (Biligiri Ranganatha)
Karnataka
Soliga tribal hills where the Western and Eastern Ghats meet
Peak: Nov to Mar
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Chikmagalur
Karnataka
Coffee-hill base for Karnataka's highest peak
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Chitradurga
Karnataka
Seven-walled hill fort spread over granite boulders
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Coorg (Madikeri)
Karnataka
Misty coffee-estate hills of the Kodava heartland
Peak: Oct to Jan
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Dandeli
Karnataka
White-water rafting base on the Kali river
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Gokak Falls
Karnataka
Horseshoe cataract with a century-old hanging bridge at its crest
Peak: Jul to Oct
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Gokarna
Karnataka
Temple town turned backpacker beach-hopping strip
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Hampi
Karnataka
Vijayanagara ruins amid giant granite boulders
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Honnemaradu
Karnataka
Island-studded Sharavathi backwater for kayak and coracle camping
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Jog Falls
Karnataka
India's second-highest plunge waterfall on the Sharavathi
Peak: Jul to Sep
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Kabini
Karnataka
Backwater safari base beside Nagarhole National Park
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Kalaburagi (Gulbarga)
Karnataka
Bahmani fort mosque and the Bande Nawaz dargah
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Karwar (Devbagh & Kurumgad)
Karnataka
Kali river mouth, island beaches and a naval town's coast
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Kemmangundi
Karnataka
Raj-era garden hill station with the Z Point cliff walk and Hebbe Falls
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Kodachadri (Kollur base)
Karnataka
Sharp Western Ghats summit above the Mookambika forest
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Kudremukh
Karnataka
Horse-face peak above rolling grass ridges of Kudremukh National Park
Peak: Oct to Jan
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Lakkundi (Gadag)
Karnataka
Fifty Chalukyan temples and stepwells in one village
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Maravanthe
Karnataka
NH-66 ribbon with surf on one side, the Souparnika river on the other
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Maski
Karnataka
The rock edict where Ashoka was first named in stone
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Melukote
Karnataka
Hilltop Vaishnava town of stepped tanks and Ramanuja
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Mudgal
Karnataka
Moated frontier fort the Bahmanis and Vijayanagara fought over
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Murudeshwar
Karnataka
Giant Shiva on a headland and scuba boats to Netrani
Peak: Nov to Jan
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Mysuru
Karnataka
Palace city that peaks during Dasara in October
Peak: Oct to Jan
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Nandi Hills
Karnataka
Sunrise fort above the Bengaluru plain at 1478 metres
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Ramanagara (Ramadevarabetta)
Karnataka
Sholay granite domes and the first vulture sanctuary in India
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Sakleshpur
Karnataka
Estate-trekking base for the Bisle Ghat viewpoint
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Sannati & Kanaganahalli
Karnataka
Buddhist maha stupa with a stone relief labelled Raya Asoko
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Shivanasamudra Falls
Karnataka
Twin Kaveri cataracts in full thunder after the rains
Peak: Jul to Oct
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Sirsi & Sahasralinga
Karnataka
Malnad temple town with lingas carved into a river bed
Peak: Oct to Jan
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Sringeri
Karnataka
Adi Shankara's first matha on a fish-filled bend of the Tunga
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Udupi-Malpe & St Marys Island
Karnataka
Temple town beside a basalt-column island
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Vijayapura (Bijapur)
Karnataka
Gol Gumbaz and the Adil Shahi capital of the Deccan
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Yana Rocks
Karnataka
Two black karst monoliths in deep Uttara Kannada forest
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Yellapur (Sathodi & Magod Falls)
Karnataka
Malnad forest town ringed by the Sathodi and Magod waterfalls
Peak: Sep to Dec
By theme in Karnataka
Offbeat (28)Heritage (17)Spiritual (10)Trek (9)Waterfalls (7)
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Karnataka?
Across the 39 curated destinations in Karnataka, January, February, November and December are the months with the most places in peak season. April has the fewest, at 0.
How many places are worth visiting in Karnataka?
This catalogue lists 39 in Karnataka, chosen for the landscape or the heritage rather than for size. Plain cities are deliberately left out unless the trip is the heritage itself. The strongest themes here are offbeat (28), heritage (17), spiritual (10), trek (9) and waterfalls (7).
What kind of places are in Karnataka?
28 offbeat, 17 heritage, 10 spiritual, 9 trek and 7 waterfalls. Every entry carries its own peak, shoulder and avoid months, so nothing is recommended in a month it should not be.
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