Hampi Tours & Experiences

Things to do in Hampi

The protected site runs along the south bank of the Tungabhadra and opens from sunrise to sunset, so days here start early, slow down at midday and end on a hilltop.

Spend a guided day in the ruins

Our Hampi ruins tour starts at the Virupaksha temple, still in worship, moves on to the Vittala temple's stone chariot and musical pillars, and takes in the Royal Centre's elephant stables, Queen's Bath and palace platforms. A private guide and vehicle come with it, plus help hiring bicycles, mopeds or auto-rickshaws to get about.

Watch the sunrise from Matanga Hill

Matanga, the highest point in Hampi, is climbed on rocky paths and old steps before dawn, for sunrise over the ruins and the river. Hemakuta Hill, with its small early Vijayanagara temples, draws people at both ends of the day.

Boulder on the granite

Our Hampi bouldering session collects you from your accommodation for a couple of hours on the rock, with a guide who knows the boulder fields, crash pads and problems chosen for your level. It runs early or late, when the granite is cool enough to hold. More in adventure experiences in Hampi.

Take a coracle on the Tungabhadra

Karnataka Tourism lists a ride in a traditional round coracle among Hampi's things to do. Our ruins tour can end with a boat or coracle crossing to Anegundi, a quieter village on the far bank, in country the district identifies with the Ramayana's Kishkindha.

See Hampi Utsav

Hampi Utsav, or Vijaya Utsava, fills the ruins with a folk procession, music, dance, floodlit temples and a light-and-sound show, on dates announced each year. Maha Shivaratri brings crowds of pilgrims to Virupaksha.

Choosing between our tours and experiences

The ruins tour, one of our Hampi tour packages, is the sightseeing day, with a guide to make sense of a site too large to read alone; the bouldering session is an active couple of hours that asks for grip and upper-body strength more than stamina. With two days, take the tour first and climb the next morning.

When to go for these

Karnataka Tourism's season is October to February, at around 15 to 30°C. Bouldering is best from about November to February, as from March the rock gets too hot to hold; in April and May the open ruins offer little shade.

Planning tips for Hampi

Carry water and sun cream in any month, as shade is scarce. For the monuments and the journey there, see our Hampi guide.