Last updated on December 28th, 2023 at 07:54 pm
Are you planning a road trip from Bangalore to Dharmasthala, Kukke Subramanya and other temples? We are here to make it easy for you to explore major temples in Malnad and Coastal Karnataka.
Karnataka is home to many famous and ancient temples. These temples in Karnataka are highly revered and visited by devotees. Fortunately, these major temples in Karnataka can be easily covered in a lovely Karnataka Temple Tour!
Here is a list of temples that will be covered in this itinerary
- Sri Subramanya Temple at Kukke
- Sri Manjunathaswamy temple at Dharmasthala
- Sri Durgaparameshwari temple at Kateel
- Sri Krishna temple at Udupi
- Sri Mookambika Temple, Kollur
- Sri Ganapathy temple at Hattiangadi and Anegudde
- Sri Sharadamba temple at Sringeri
- Sri Annapurneshwari temple at Horanadu
Alert – This is the Shabarimalai Ayyappa season and devotees of Shabarimalai will throng these temples and temples will be crowded till the end of January. Especially Kukke, Dharmasthala, Udupi and Kollur. Be prepared.
Roadtrip Details
Route Map – https://maps.app.goo.gl/VdYkskLcTjbJaWvG7
Total Distance – 967 KMs
Number of Days – 5 days
Road Conditions – Generally good with very few bad patches.
The Detailed Itinerary for Karnataka Temple Tour
Day 1 – Bangalore – Dharmasthala – Kukke
Bangalore – Dharmasthala Distance – 310 KMs
Route Map – https://maps.app.goo.gl/31C44U8mzi9ceDHKA
Dharmasthala – Kukke Distance – 54 Kms
Route Map – https://maps.app.goo.gl/cr2pyieX1HBBPCwu8
6 AM – Depart from Bangalore.
8 AM – Have Breakfast at Swathi Delicacy or Paakashala Or Iconic MTR or Dhruvataare
2 PM – Reach Dharmasthala. This is the first stop in this road trip covering Bangalore to Dharmasthala and other temples. Have lunch in the temple which will be open till 2.30 PM
3 PM – After lunch, visit the Gommateshwara statue, Manjusha Museum and the Vintage car museum. See details of places and timings here https://www.shridharmasthala.org/places-to-visit/
5 PM – Visit Sri Manjunathaswamy temple. Spend an hour here depending on the crowd.
6 PM – Depart for Kukke Subramanya. Stay for the night. Please note that departure to Kukke will depend on the crowd and waiting time for darshan in the temple.
7 PM – Arrive at Kukke Subramanya. Check into your place of stay. If you have energy, walk around the temple street.
Day 2 – Kukke – Kateel – Udupi
Distance – 157 KMs
Route Map – https://maps.app.goo.gl/QxCeiFoLMwqYKbvM6
6.30 AM – Get up early and go for early morning Darshan when crowds are less. The temple opens for darshan at 6.30 AM.
See all details regarding Kukke temple here https://itms.kar.nic.in/hrcehome/index_temple.php?tid=21&action=pooja_info
8 AM – After Darshan – depending on the crowd – come back to your place of stay, Pack and have breakfast in any restaurant on Temple Street or in your place of stay.
9 AM – Depart for Kateel
11.30 AM – Arrive at Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple, Kateel. Spend an hour here. Check all details on the temple here http://www.kateeldevi.in/
12.30 PM – Depart for Udupi.
1.30 PM – Arrive at Udupi. Check into your place of stay and have lunch.
4 PM – Visit Sri Krishna temple and spend an hour and a half exploring around the temple
5.30 PM – Go to Malpe Beach and enjoy the sunset and sea walk.
7 PM – Return to Udupi, Dinner. Night stay.
Day 3 – Udupi – Kollur – Hattiangadi – Anegudde – Udupi
Distance – 153 KMs
Route Map – https://maps.app.goo.gl/rZVEKLTGuNCDAMWf9
Today you can explore Udupi and the temples around it.
6.30 AM – Depart for Kollur
7.30 AM – Arrive at Kollur. Take a special darshan ticket.
9 AM – After darshan, have breakfast at any restaurant on Temple Street and head to Hattiangadi Vinayaka temple
10.30 AM – Arrive at Hattiangadi temple. Spend 45 minutes and head to Anegudde Ganapati temple.
11.45 AM – Arrive at Anegudde Ganapati temple. Spend 45 mins here.
12.30 AM – Depart for Udupi. Back to your place of stay and Lunch.
3 PM – Optional – Visit the lovely Hastashilpa Heritage Museum. Check details here https://www.heritagevillagemanipal.org/
After visiting the museum, head to Kapu beach which is 12 KMs from Udupi.
4 PM – If not going to Hastashilpa, go to lovely Kapu beach and spend time there till sunset.
7 PM – Back to Udupi, Dinner. Night stay.
Day 4 – Udupi – Sringeri – Theerthakere Falls – Horanadu
Distance – 138 KMs
Route map – https://maps.app.goo.gl/6LaXLueUrj5Vz13J6
6.30 AM – Depart for Sringeri via Agumbe ghat. Enjoy the lovely drive. Stop at Agumbe viewpoint and get fascinated by the magnificent valley view.
9 AM – Reach Sringeri. Have breakfast at any restaurant near the temple. Visit the temple and riverfront. More details about temple – https://sringeri.net/
11 AM – Depart Sringeri to Horanadu.
( Route map – https://maps.app.goo.gl/1vyT8eyeZ61KgHWK7)
Enjoy the lovely drive through the hills. You will also be seeing beautiful Theerthakere Falls on the way.
Stop over for a cup of coffee at Horanadu Heights which is six Kms short of Horanadu and enjoy the beautiful valley view from this place.
1 PM – Arrive at Horanadu. Check into a guest house near the temple or stay in any homestay nearby. Have lunch in the temple.
2.30 PM – After lunch, visit the temple. Check out all the details about the temple and how to book a room in the guesthouse here https://shrikshetrahoranadu.com/#/
3.30 PM – Depending on the rush, after darshan, you may visit Ambatheertha on the Bhadra river and Drive around nearby Samshe which has lovely tea gardens and up to Kudremukh and return back
6.30 PM – Visit Kalaseshwaraswamy temple in Kalasa town and Back to your place of stay. Night stay.
Day 5 – Horanadu – Bangalore
Distance – 358 KMs
Route Map – https://maps.app.goo.gl/gs3t21NHKPofVyQA8
9 AM – After breakfast, Return to Bangalore via the Kottigehara – Mudigere – Belur – Hassan route. Have lunch or snacks at any restaurant between Bellur Cross and Kunigal ( See day 1 hotels above). Our favourite is Swathi Delicacy.
Reach safely and cherish the memories of the Karnataka temple tour covering Dharmasthala, Kukke, Udupi, Kateel, Kollur, Sringeri and Horanadu!
Travel Tips for Karnataka Temple Tour
1 This itinerary covers major temples in Malnad, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts. These are prominent temples and people go on pilgrimage tours regularly. We can also say this itinerary also covers Coastal Karnataka Temple tours.
2) If you want to explore beyond Udupi and want to cover Murudeshwar and Gokarna, please see days 4 and beyond in this detailed itinerary for exploring Coastal Karnataka.
Coastal Karnataka Tour in 7 days with detailed Itinerary!
3) The focus of this itinerary for the Karnataka Temple Tour is a religious tour. As such, we have not covered other sightseeing places in Udupi. Add an additional day in Udupi which will help you to cover places like St Mary’s Island, Padubidri beach, Varanga Jain temple etc. Similarly, one can spend one full day in Dharmasthala including a visit to Karkala and Moodabidri. Add an additional day if you wish to cover these places.
4) Be aware of darshan timings in the temples. Please check the official website links of which are given in this post.
5) The best season to do this Karnataka Temple Tour is from Oct – Feb. Summers will be hot and humid. The rainy season is from June to September.
6) Even during winter, the sun will be harsh during the day, Make sure that you are wearing a hat and drink a lot of water.
7) All temples in this region provide lunch. If you plan to wait for lunch, then adjust the time accordingly.
8) All timings are indicative and for cars/two-wheelers. Timings may change if there is a heavy rush in temples.
9) Men have to wear Panche/Dhoti in the Kollur Mookambika temple. Make sure you have packed one. Women are allowed in Saree and Churidar.
10) The itinerary given here is only for darshan at temples. If you are performing any special seva in any temples, taking bath in rivers etc adjust timings accordingly.
11) All places have guest houses by temple management and also hotels for stay.
12) Avoid auspicious days like Ugadi, Navaratri, Deepavali, Sankranti etc as all these places will be crowded. If you still want to do the trip during this time, please add more days accordingly. Weekends will also see heavy crowds in all these places. Apart from this, days which are auspicious for particular deities like Monday for Shiva, Tuesday for Subramanya and Friday for Devi also see crowds.
13) There are agencies who conduct Karnataka Temple Tour packages. One can google for it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1 How to plan a temple tour of Karnataka from Bangalore to Dharmasthala, Kukke, Udupi, Sringeri and Horanadu? – The temple tour to these places can be easily done in 5 days from Bangalore. Please see the detailed itinerary above.
2) How many days are required to visit Bangalore to Dharmasthala, Kukke, Udupi, Sringeri and Horanadu? – We would recommend 5 days for an easy road trip from Bangalore. We don’t recommend night driving as driving in the region during the day is a spectacular experience.
3) Which are the top temples in Karnataka? – The Top temples in Karnataka are
- Sri Subramanya Temple at Kukke
- Sri Manjunathaswamy temple at Dharmasthala
- Sri Durgaparameshwari temple at Kateel
- Sri Krishna temple at Udupi
- Sri Mookambika Temple, Kollur
- Sri Ganapathy temple at Hattiangadi and Anegudde
- Sri Sharadamba temple at Sringeri
- Sri Annapurneshwari temple at Horanadu
- Sri Chamundeshwari Temple, Mysore
- Sri Nanjundeshwara temple, Nanjanagudu
- Sri Yellamma temple, Savadatti
- Sri Banashankari temple, Badami
- Sri Mahabaleshwara temple, Gokarna
- Sri Murudeshwara temple, Murudeshwara
- Sri Ganapati temple, Idagunji
4) How to plan a tour of famous temples in Karnataka from Bangalore to Dhramasthala and others? – The famous temples in Karnataka which are in Malnad and Coastal region can be planned as per the detailed itinerary given above.
Thank You
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