Shivanasamudra Falls
Twin Kaveri cataracts in full thunder after the rains
Best time to visit Shivanasamudra Falls
- Jan, shoulder season
- Feb, off-season
- Mar, best avoided
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, shoulder season
- Jul, peak season
- Aug, peak season
- Sep, peak season
- Oct, peak season
- Nov, shoulder season
- Dec, shoulder season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: July to October
- Shoulder: June and November to January, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: March to May
Shivanasamudra Falls season by season
Winter December to February Shoulder
Dec-Jan carries decent leftover flow with easy 28 °C weather; by February the curtains narrow to ribbons on the rock face.
Summer March to May Do not go
Mar-May is a trickle over bare basalt at 36 °C on the open Deccan; not worth the drive unless the dams release upstream.
Monsoon June to September Prime time
Jul-Sep is the spectacle: Gaganachukki becomes a churning wall of whitewater and the viewing rails pack out on weekends.
Autumn October to November Prime time
October is the sweet spot, full falls and washed air; November stays good, and coracles start running below Bharachukki.
What Shivanasamudra Falls is actually like
Weekend day-trippers from Bengaluru and Mysuru at the railings; sleep in Malavalli or a farmstay, not at the falls.
Getting to Shivanasamudra Falls
Buses from Mysuru 75 km or Bengaluru 130 km to Malavalli, then a local bus or auto 15 km to the viewpoints.
Practical ways in: road
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 1 day
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Busy at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 513 m
- State
- Karnataka
- Coordinates
- 12.2934, 77.1688
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Shivanasamudra Falls?
July to October is peak season in Shivanasamudra Falls. June and November to January is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid March to May. Jul-Sep is the spectacle: Gaganachukki becomes a churning wall of whitewater and the viewing rails pack out on weekends.
How many days do you need in Shivanasamudra Falls?
1 day is the usual stay. Weekend day-trippers from Bengaluru and Mysuru at the railings; sleep in Malavalli or a farmstay, not at the falls.
How do you get to Shivanasamudra Falls?
Buses from Mysuru 75 km or Bengaluru 130 km to Malavalli, then a local bus or auto 15 km to the viewpoints. Practical ways in: road.
Is Shivanasamudra Falls expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs busy at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
BR Hills (Biligiri Ranganatha)
Karnataka
Soliga tribal hills where the Western and Eastern Ghats meet
50 km from Shivanasamudra Falls, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Ramanagara (Ramadevarabetta)
Karnataka
Sholay granite domes and the first vulture sanctuary in India
70 km from Shivanasamudra Falls, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Mysuru
Karnataka
Palace city that peaks during Dasara in October
80 km from Shivanasamudra Falls, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Hogenakkal Falls
Tamil Nadu
Coracle rides into a Cauvery gorge of black carbonatite rock
90 km from Shivanasamudra Falls, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Melukote
Karnataka
Hilltop Vaishnava town of stepped tanks and Ramanuja
100 km from Shivanasamudra Falls, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Bandipur National Park
Karnataka
Deccan teak and elephant country on the Mysuru-Ooty road
140 km from Shivanasamudra Falls, roughly about 4 h by road
-
Kabini
Karnataka
Backwater safari base beside Nagarhole National Park
130 km from Shivanasamudra Falls, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Masinagudi (Mudumalai)
Tamil Nadu
Sigur plateau elephant country below Ooty's 36 hairpin bends
150 km from Shivanasamudra Falls, 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
- Bidar 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
- Sirsi & Sahasralinga Karnataka
- Sringeri Karnataka
- Udupi-Malpe & St Marys Island Karnataka
- Vijayapura (Bijapur) Karnataka
- Yana Rocks Karnataka
- Yellapur (Sathodi & Magod Falls) Karnataka