Bidar
Bahmani fort, a ruined madrasa and Bidriware workshops
Best time to visit Bidar
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, shoulder season
- Aug, shoulder season
- Sep, shoulder season
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to February
- Shoulder: March and July to October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to June
Bidar season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Nov-Feb is the window: 27 °C, dry laterite light on the fort walls, and the tomb complexes empty on weekdays.
Summer March to May Shoulder
Apr-Jun runs to 42 °C on the open plateau; the fort has no shade at all and the Bahmani tombs even less.
Monsoon June to September Shoulder
Jul-Sep is mild by Deccan standards and green, with the old karez water channels flowing and no crowds at all.
Autumn October to November Prime time
October is still warm but the dust settles; by November the Mahmud Gawan madrasa is worth the trip on its own.
What Bidar is actually like
Very few travellers and a handful of plain hotels near the bus stand; Bidriware workshops welcome walk-ins
Getting to Bidar
Bidar airport has Star Air to Bengaluru; railhead in town, Hyderabad airport 170 km by road
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 670 m
- State
- Karnataka
- Coordinates
- 17.9133, 77.5301
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Bidar?
November to February is peak season in Bidar. March and July to October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to June. October is still warm but the dust settles; by November the Mahmud Gawan madrasa is worth the trip on its own.
How many days do you need in Bidar?
2 days is the usual stay. Very few travellers and a handful of plain hotels near the bus stand; Bidriware workshops welcome walk-ins.
How do you get to Bidar?
Bidar airport has Star Air to Bengaluru; railhead in town, Hyderabad airport 170 km by road. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Bidar expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Ananthagiri Hills (Vikarabad)
Telangana
Deccan forest ridge where the Musi river starts, 90 km out
100 km from Bidar, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Medak
Telangana
Gothic cathedral of 1924 under a Kakatiya hill fort
100 km from Bidar, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Kalaburagi (Gulbarga)
Karnataka
Bahmani fort mosque and the Bande Nawaz dargah
130 km from Bidar, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Hyderabad
Telangana
Old-city bazaars, Golconda Fort, and biryani everywhere
150 km from Bidar, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Sannati & Kanaganahalli
Karnataka
Buddhist maha stupa with a stone relief labelled Raya Asoko
180 km from Bidar, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Nanded (Hazur Sahib)
Maharashtra
Takht Sachkhand Hazur Sahib, a Sikh takht on the Godavari
180 km from Bidar, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Bhongir Fort (Bhuvanagiri)
Telangana
An 11th-century fort welded to one bald granite dome
200 km from Bidar, roughly about 4 h by road
-
Tuljapur
Maharashtra
Tulja Bhavani, Shivaji's family goddess, on a Balaghat ridge
200 km from Bidar, roughly about 4 h by road
More places to visit in Karnataka
- Agumbe Karnataka
- Badami-Aihole-Pattadakal Karnataka
- Bandipur National Park Karnataka
- Belur-Halebidu Karnataka
- BR Hills (Biligiri Ranganatha) Karnataka
- Chikmagalur Karnataka
- Chitradurga Karnataka
- Coorg (Madikeri) Karnataka
- Dandeli Karnataka
- Gokak Falls Karnataka
- Gokarna Karnataka
- Hampi Karnataka
- Honnemaradu Karnataka
- Jog Falls Karnataka
- Kabini Karnataka
- Kalaburagi (Gulbarga) Karnataka
- Karwar (Devbagh & Kurumgad) Karnataka
- Kemmangundi Karnataka
- Kodachadri (Kollur base) Karnataka
- Kudremukh Karnataka
- Lakkundi (Gadag) Karnataka
- Maravanthe Karnataka
- Maski Karnataka
- Melukote Karnataka
- Mudgal Karnataka
- Murudeshwar Karnataka
- Mysuru Karnataka
- Nandi Hills Karnataka
- Ramanagara (Ramadevarabetta) Karnataka
- Sakleshpur Karnataka
- Sannati & Kanaganahalli Karnataka
- Shivanasamudra Falls Karnataka
- Sirsi & Sahasralinga Karnataka
- Sringeri Karnataka
- Udupi-Malpe & St Marys Island Karnataka
- Vijayapura (Bijapur) Karnataka
- Yana Rocks Karnataka
- Yellapur (Sathodi & Magod Falls) Karnataka