Srisailam
Jyotirlinga above the Krishna gorge inside Nallamala forest
Best time to visit Srisailam
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, off-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 August to October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to June
Srisailam season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Nov-Feb is the window: 28 C, the Krishna gorge clear from the Patalaganga ropeway and darshan queues manageable midweek.
Summer March to May Shoulder
Apr-Jun the Nallamala road bakes near 45 C and the reservoir drops, so the gorge views go to dust and haze.
Monsoon June to September Shoulder
Jun-Sep the forest is at its best and the dam often spills, but ghat buses crawl and hill mist closes the views.
Autumn October to November Prime time
Oct-Nov the reservoir is full after the rains and the forest is green, with pilgrim numbers still manageable.
What Srisailam is actually like
Big pilgrim town with devasthanam dorms, cheap meals and buses at all hours; easy and safe to arrive alone
Getting to Srisailam
Road only: 210 km from Hyderabad or 180 km from Kurnool through Nallamala forest, 5-6 h by RTC bus
Practical ways in: road
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Busy at its peak
- Solo travel
- Easy solo
- Altitude
- 470 m
- State
- Andhra Pradesh
- Coordinates
- 16.0833, 78.8667
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Srisailam?
November to February is peak season in Srisailam. March and August to October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to June. Oct-Nov the reservoir is full after the rains and the forest is green, with pilgrim numbers still manageable.
How many days do you need in Srisailam?
2 days is the usual stay. Big pilgrim town with devasthanam dorms, cheap meals and buses at all hours; easy and safe to arrive alone.
How do you get to Srisailam?
Road only: 210 km from Hyderabad or 180 km from Kurnool through Nallamala forest, 5-6 h by RTC bus. Practical ways in: road.
Is Srisailam expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs busy at the busiest time of year. Easy solo.
Is there a festival in Srisailam?
Feb/Mar: Maha Shivaratri Brahmotsavam. Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Nagarjuna Sagar (Nagarjunakonda)
Andhra Pradesh
Buddhist ruins moved to an island in a Krishna reservoir
90 km from Srisailam, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Orvakal Rock Garden
Andhra Pradesh
Wind-carved pink quartz canyons around a green pool near Kurnool
120 km from Srisailam, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Ahobilam
Andhra Pradesh
Nine Narasimha shrines scattered up a Nallamala gorge
140 km from Srisailam, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Yaganti
Andhra Pradesh
Cave shrines and a spring-fed tank in a sandstone hollow
150 km from Srisailam, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Belum Caves
Andhra Pradesh
India's second-longest cave system, 1.5 km of it lit and walkable
180 km from Srisailam, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Hyderabad
Telangana
Old-city bazaars, Golconda Fort, and biryani everywhere
200 km from Srisailam, roughly about 4 h by road
-
Kondaveedu Fort
Andhra Pradesh
Reddy kingdom capital on a ridge you have to walk up
200 km from Srisailam, roughly about 4 h by road
-
Gandikota
Andhra Pradesh
'Grand Canyon of India' - a fort above the Pennar gorge
200 km from Srisailam, roughly about 4 h by road
More places to visit in Andhra Pradesh
- Ahobilam Andhra Pradesh
- Araku Valley Andhra Pradesh
- Belum Caves Andhra Pradesh
- Bheemili (Bheemunipatnam) Andhra Pradesh
- Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary Andhra Pradesh
- Dindi (Konaseema Backwaters) Andhra Pradesh
- Gandikota Andhra Pradesh
- Horsley Hills Andhra Pradesh
- Kondaveedu Fort Andhra Pradesh
- Lambasingi Andhra Pradesh
- Lepakshi 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
- 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