Horsley Hills
Rayalaseema's pocket hill station, 1250 m of gum trees and cool air
Best time to visit Horsley Hills
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, off-season
- May, off-season
- Jun, off-season
- Jul, off-season
- Aug, off-season
- Sep, shoulder season
- Oct, peak season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: October to February
- Shoulder: March and September, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: no month is a write-off here
Planning a specific month? JanuaryFebruaryOctoberNovemberDecember
Horsley Hills season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Dec-Jan is crisp single-sweater weather with mist in the eucalyptus; weekend crowds up from Bangalore, empty midweek.
Summer March to May Shoulder
Apr-May runs 25-32 °C, warm for a hill station but a full 10 °C kinder than the plains below; haze dulls the viewpoints.
Monsoon June to September Shoulder
Jun-Sep gets modest rain that greens the slopes without shutting anything; clouds swallow the sunset point some evenings.
Autumn October to November Prime time
Oct-Nov after the rains has the cleanest air of the year, long views over the Rayalaseema plains and cool walking weather.
What Horsley Hills is actually like
Bangalore couples and families at the Haritha resort, zipline and viewpoint circuit; gum-tree lanes go quiet midweek.
Things to do in Horsley Hills
The local places worth your time in and around Horsley Hills, with how far each sits from the centre. Tap a name to open it in Google Maps.
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Gali Bandalu
Viewpoint · 2 km out
Wind scoured boulders on the plateau edge, the one honest view here; fifteen minutes on foot, best in the last light
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Kalpavriksha
Park · 1 km out
A eucalyptus said to be over 150 years old, too wide for your arms to meet round it; signposted off the loop road
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Governor's Bungalow
Heritage · 1 km out
British era hill retreat on the ridge, now a state guest house; you can walk the lawns, inside depends on who is staying
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Mallamma Temple
Temple · 2 km out
Small shrine to Mallamma, the woman the hill is locally named after, Yenugu Mallamma Konda; a short climb up
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Besant Theosophical College
Heritage · 30 km out
Madanapalle college where Tagore made the English translation of Jana Gana Mana in 1919; ask at the gate on a weekday
Getting to Horsley Hills
Tirupati air/rail 125 km or Madanapalle Rd railhead 30 km; buses climb from Madanapalle, thin after dark.
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 1 day
- Budget
- Mid-range
- How busy
- Steady at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 1250 m
- State
- Andhra Pradesh
- Coordinates
- 13.6509, 78.3965
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Horsley Hills?
October to February is peak season in Horsley Hills. March and September is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. No month is a write-off here. Oct-Nov after the rains has the cleanest air of the year, long views over the Rayalaseema plains and cool walking weather.
How many days do you need in Horsley Hills?
1 day is the usual stay. Bangalore couples and families at the Haritha resort, zipline and viewpoint circuit; gum-tree lanes go quiet midweek.
How do you get to Horsley Hills?
Tirupati air/rail 125 km or Madanapalle Rd railhead 30 km; buses climb from Madanapalle, thin after dark. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Horsley Hills expensive, and does it get crowded?
Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs steady at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
What are the best things to do in Horsley Hills?
Gali Bandalu, Kalpavriksha, Governor's Bungalow, Mallamma Temple and Besant Theosophical College. Wind scoured boulders on the plateau edge, the one honest view here; fifteen minutes on foot, best in the last light.
Nearby, and where to go next
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Nandi Hills
Karnataka
Sunrise fort above the Bengaluru plain at 1478 metres
120 km from Horsley Hills, roughly about 3 h by road
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Lepakshi
Andhra Pradesh
Vijayanagara murals, a hanging pillar and a giant stone Nandi
110 km from Horsley Hills, roughly about 2 h by road
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Talakona Falls
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra's tallest waterfall pours 82 m out of Seshachalam forest
120 km from Horsley Hills, roughly about 2 h by road
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Penukonda
Andhra Pradesh
Vijayanagara's second capital: a walled town under a granite fort hill
130 km from Horsley Hills, roughly about 3 h by road
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Tirupati
Andhra Pradesh
Hilltop Venkateswara temple, one of the world's busiest
150 km from Horsley Hills, roughly about 3 h by road
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Vellore
Tamil Nadu
Moated Vijayanagara fort and the gold-clad Sripuram temple
150 km from Horsley Hills, roughly about 3 h by road
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Yelagiri
Tamil Nadu
Small hill station near Bangalore-Chennai, minus Ooty crowds
180 km from Horsley Hills, roughly about 5 h by road
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Madhugiri
Karnataka
Rock-cut stairs up a monolith fort with seven gateways
170 km from Horsley Hills, roughly about 3 h by road
More places to visit in Andhra Pradesh
- Ahobilam Andhra Pradesh
- Araku Valley Andhra Pradesh
- Atapaka (Kolleru Lake) Andhra Pradesh
- Baruva (Sompeta) Andhra Pradesh
- Belum Caves Andhra Pradesh
- Bhairavakona Andhra Pradesh
- Bheemili (Bheemunipatnam) Andhra Pradesh
- Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary Andhra Pradesh
- Dindi (Konaseema Backwaters) Andhra Pradesh
- Gandikota Andhra Pradesh
- Kondaveedu Fort Andhra Pradesh
- Lambasingi Andhra Pradesh
- Lepakshi Andhra Pradesh
- Mahanandi (Nava Nandi) Andhra Pradesh
- Manginapudi Beach (Machilipatnam) Andhra Pradesh
- Maredumilli Andhra Pradesh
- Nagarjuna Sagar (Nagarjunakonda) Andhra Pradesh
- Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary Andhra Pradesh
- Orvakal Rock Garden Andhra Pradesh
- Papikondalu (Godavari Gorge) Andhra Pradesh
- Penukonda Andhra Pradesh
- Srisailam Andhra Pradesh
- Suryalanka Beach (Bapatla) Andhra Pradesh
- Talakona Falls Andhra Pradesh
- Tirupati Andhra Pradesh
- Ubbalamadugu Falls (Tada) Andhra Pradesh
- Vanjangi (Paderu) Andhra Pradesh
- Visakhapatnam (Vizag) Andhra Pradesh
- Vizianagaram Andhra Pradesh
- Yaganti Andhra Pradesh