Since time immemorable we wanted to do a coastal Karnataka road trip. Driving through the beautiful, pristine, unexplored and lesser known beaches of Coastal Karnataka. Since the beginning of this year, we planned twice for this trip. And both the times we had to cancel. The first time was in January when we rather ended up in Goa once again, exploring Arambol beach Goa, experiencing the Artjuna Cafe at the Anjuna Beach Goa and our first time stay in an airbnb in India. Later, in June end, we again planned to do a coastal Karnataka road trip. We even booked our hotels. But then, due to heavy downpours, we had to cancel the plan last moment and instead had a trip to Badami, Pattadakal and Aihole.
Finally, in the middle of August, during the independence day weekend, we made a vert impromptu plan to take up the coastal Karnataka road trip. As the weather conditions were showing good for the next four to five days. So, in this article, I am going to provide all the details of the coastal Karnataka road trip and how to plan it. When is the best time to visit the places on the Karnataka coast. What to pack, what to do and what to see on a trip to Coastal Karnataka. Without delay, lets get started.
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Places to visit on the coast of Karnataka
Karnataka has one of the longest coastlines among the states of India. It is full of hidden unexplored beaches and beautiful islands. Here are some of the prime places to explore on a coastal Karnataka road trip at a glance. I will further elaborate about some of these in my future posts.
- Mangalore – the buzzing industrial hub & prime port town of Karnataka
- Udupi – Best known for it’s Sri Krishna Math & several other temples, along with some of the best beaches
- St. Mary’s Islands – A set of 4 islands off the coast of Udupi that are best known for their basaltic rock formation
- Murudeshwara – Known for the third largest statue of Shiva in the world, and a beautiful temple besides it, surrounded by sea on all 3 sides along with a beautiful turquoise blue water beach
- Netrani Island – A beautiful island near Murudeshwara, better known across India for scuba diving courses and certifications offered here.
- Marvante – One of the most senere beach drives in India, with the sea on one side and a river on the other.
- Gokarna – A quaint historical town famous for it’s Mahabaleshwar Temple (Dakshin Kashi) and several other temples , along with some of the most pristine beaches including the Om Beach and Paradise Beach.
- Karwar – Yet another port town at the north coast of Karnataka, with some beautiful islands nearby and.
A perfect coastal Karnataka Trip Itinerary
Also, during our coastal Karnataka road trip, we extended our trip a little bit into Kerala and covered Bekal as well. Bekal is a small town on the north coast of Kerala with some very clean beaches, beautiful backwaters, a couple of historical forts including the majestic Bekal Fort and some beautiful temples. We had a one night staycation in Bekal at the Lalit Bekal Resort and Spa before starting off on our coastal Karnataka road trip. Here’s our complete guide to explore Bekal. You can combine a visit to Bekal along with coastal Karnataka road trip like we did. Or you can just plan a weekend getaway from Bangalore to Bekal as well.
Day 1 & 2 : A Bangalore to Mangalore road trip & Exploring Mangalore
The first day of coastal Karnataka road trip starts with a Bangalore to Mangalore road trip. Although , you can do this whole trip in the reverse order as well. There are several routes to take from Bangalore to Mangalore and back. All of the routes from Bangalore to Mangalore require you to go through a section of ghat road on the western ghats. Some of these include –
Bangalore -> Hassan -> Sakleshpur -> Shiradi Ghat -> Mangalore
We took this route on our way back from Mangalore to Bangalore but were not impressed. Since there is a major highway widening work going on a major stretch from Mangalore to Sakleshpur. And the diversions were bone breaking 🙂 . There is a longer route from Bangalore to Mangalore. Till the expressway work continues it is better to take this route –
Bangalore -> Mysore -> Madikeri -> Mangalore
The above route on Bangalore to Mangalore road trip takes nearly an hour longer. But the road condition is excellent on this route.
There is one more road trip to take from Bangalore to Mangalore via Charmadi Ghat. This is also a very scenic route. But, is very twisty and gets dangerous during heavy rains.
Bangalore -> Belur -> Charmadi Ghat -> Mangalore
Where to stay in Mangalore
We stayed at Hotel Ocean Pearl in the center of Mangalore city. The location was excellent. With all the basic needs nearby. And the highway just 5 minutes drive from the hotel.
There are a lot of comfortable hotels with good reviews in Mangalore. You can browse the complete list of hotels in Mangalore here.
However, there are not many known beach resorts in Mangalore itself. As it is a bigger city, a port and a big industrial hub of Karnataka as well.
Things to do in Mangalore
- Explore the beautiful beaches of Mangalore, spend evening time here
- Capture beautiful pictures of the sunset over the sea
- Offer your prayers in one of the many old temples of Mangalore
- Visit some of the beautiful churches of Mangalore
- Try some local cuisines of Mangalore like the Mangalore Bun, the Goli Bajji, Mandaki, Fish and sea food specialities like fish masala fry and some special chicken preparations like Gassi
- Visit one of the ports of Mangalore to see the buzz in action
- Take an evening sea cruise
- Do day trips to nearby places like Bekal and Kannur, Suratkal.
Top places to see in Mangalore
- Some of the most pristine beaches of Mangalore – Panambur Beach, Tannirbhavi Beach, Ullal Beach, Someshwara Beach
- Ancient temples and religious places – Kudroli Temple, Kadri Manjunath Temple
- Churches of Mangalore – St Aloysius Chapel, Roserio Cathedral, Milagres Church
- Sultan Bathery – A watch tower constructed by Tipu Sultan from where you can get excellent views of the city
- New Mangalore Port
Day 3 & 4: Mangalore to Udupi & Exploring Udupi
Udupi is one of the most revered religious places in South India. It is most famous for it’s Sri Krishna Math & temple. There are so many fascinating stories and tales associated with this Math & Temple. That I will dedicate a separate post to it altogether. Apart from this temple, there are several other temples to visit in Udupi, many pristine beaches to cover buzzing with activities and beautiful modern town of Manipal to explore. That a visit to Udupi requires a minimum of 2-3 days.
A road trip from Mangalore to Udupi takes around 1-1.5 hours depending on the traffic. Since the towns of Mangalore and Udupi are located less than 60km apart. On the way from Mangalore to Udupi on NH 66, one can also visit the Surathkal Beach – one of the most beautiful beaches with blue waters on the coast of Karnataka. The road trip from Mangalore to Udupi is very scenic. On the way you will pass over several bridges over the backwaters. And see several places where rivers meet the sea. Not every place is a designated view point or has a dedicated name. Keep your eyes for the beautiful scenes on the way and take pit stops as you go.
Upon arriving in Udupi, better to check-in into your hotel. And then explore some of the beaches in the evening. Reserve the next morning to visit the Sri Krishna Math and Temple. Visit as early in the morning as possible to avoid crowd here. Then spend more time through the day exploring some of the other places in and around Udupi. Refer to the list of places to see in Udupi and things to do in Udupi below to include in your list.
Things to do in Udupi
- Udupi is synonym to the best of dosas and idlis that you will find in Karnataka. Try the local rasam, dosa, Bisi belle bath, paysam, murukku, rava dosa and rava upma while here.
- Some of the best traditional restaurants to try in Udupi include the woodlands, Mitra Samaj, MTR and Gokula Krishna Veg.
- Try the food at the langar organised in the Sri Krishna Math & Visit the Sri Krishna Temple and Math – the most revered religious place and a must visit in Udupi
- Indulge in some water sports like zorbing, surfing, boat ride, scuba diving etc. on the beaches of Udupi
- Enjoy the sea walk and park and explore lot more to do at Malpe Beach
- Visit one of the ports of Udupi
- Take a kayaking ride on the Sita River in Udupi
- Try a boat ride on one of the backwaters of Udupi
- Visit the historical temples
- Try climbing up a lighthouse on one of the beaches of Udupi
- Take a sea cruise or boat ride to St. Mary’s Island
- Enjoy cycling on the beaches
- Visit the offbeat Kapu beach in Udupi
Top Places to see in Udupi
- Beaches – Malpe beach, Kaup Beach, Delta Beach & Delta point, Padukere Beach
- St. Mary’s Island to see the Basalmic Rock Structures and Enjoy a peaceful day out
- Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary & Jomlu Teertha Waterfall
- The modern town of Manipal that also offers excellent views of the western ghats from it’s view points
- Kudlu Falls – one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the region
- Sri Krishna Temple & Math
- Other temples – Chandramauleshwara Temple, Anantheshwara Temple, Mookambika Temple
- Kemmannu Hanging Bridge over backwaters
- St. Lawrence church
Where to stay in Udupi
Udupi has a lot of options to stay. Amongst all the places on this coastal Karnataka road trip, Udupi is one of the most popular. It has some beachside resorts and humble homestays, some properties along the backwaters and river banks and even some top end hotels in Manipal region. Some of these that we personally explored and shortlisted were –
Tents in between ocean and river
Click here to browse through the complete list of places to stay in Udupi.
Day 5: Udupi to Gokarna via Murudeshwar
After exploring Udupi, head to Gokarna via Murudeshwar. Start as early as possible as it is going to be an action packed day. From Udupi to Murudeshwara is a beautiful drive of a little over 2 hours. That will take you through some winding hills and some beautiful beaches. The views of Western Ghats on this stretch of road trip from Udupi to Murudeshwara is breathtaking.
On the way, stop at the famous Marvante beach with the beach on one side and a river on the other side. One of the most perfect places for a drone shot.
Murudeshwar Temple & Murudeshwara Beach
Once you arrive in Murudeshwara, visit the Murudeshwara Temple. It is a temple particularly famous for it’s Shiva statue on the bank of the sea, which is the third largest Shiva statue in the world. Also, the temple itself is vast and beautiful, constructed on the slope of a hill. The temple is located besides beautiful Murudeshwara beach. So, you can visit the beach as well after visiting the temple. The water color of this part of the sea appeared most beautiful to me among all the beaches that I visited on my coastal Karnataka road trip. It was a beautiful shade of turquoise blue, indigo blue and aqua – something I have only seen in Dhanushkodi or during my trip to the Andaman Islands, particularly at Vijayanagara Beach and in Port Blair.
Near Murudeshwar lies Netrani Island where you can do a course on scuba diving. If you intend for the same, then you should add a day to this trip. And take an overnight halt in Murudeshwar. However, if you don’t then drive further to Gokarna. The drive from Murudeshwara to Gokarna is also very beautiful. Continuing uphill and downhill, with pit stops from where you can get excellent views of the sea from the hill top.
Places to stay in Murudeshwara
RNS Residency – A sea facing hotel near Murudeshwar beach
Day 6 & 7 : Gokarna
There’s a plethora of things to do in Gokarna. Since, Gokarna has something for everyone. Religious places, pristine beaches, hills that you can trek to, camping on the beach & water sports! So, 2 days are actually very short to explore Gokarna. Include few more days in your itinerary for Gokarna if you can. Here’s a list of places to see in Gokarna & things to do in Gokarna.
Things to do in Gokarna
- Camp overnight at the beach
- Enjoy hearty meals at the Om Cafe with pristine views of the Om Beach
- Shop for beachwear and souvenirs from the beach shacks as well as the streets of Gokarna
- Trek through one of the many trekking trails to get awesome views of the Arabian sea from the hill tops. And also explore some of the unreachable patches of pristine beaches that can be reached only via hiking.
- Visit some of the ancient temples.
- Enjoy a staycation in Gokarna in one of the many luxury resorts that this small town hosts.
- Try some water sports in Gokarna
Places to see in Gokarna
- Om Beach – for it’s perfect shape in the form of an “om”
- Half moon beach and Paradise beach – crowd devoid beaches that can be reached only via a boat ride or via a trekking and hiking through the hills
- Kudle beach – another beautiful beach which has some beautiful beach side resorts
- Mahabaleshwar Temple also known as Dakshin Kashi as it is deemed as important as the Kashi Temple in Varanasi
- Maha Ganpati Temple – another beautiful ancient temple to visit in Gokarna
- Bhadrakali Temple dedicated to Goddess Uma
- Koti Teertha – a sacred manmade water tank
Check out : Our one day exploring Gokarna
Where to stay in Gokarna
Gokarna has several options to stay, I feel the most amongst all the tourist places along the coast of Karnataka.
We had stayed at Stonewood Nature Resort in Gokara and it was very beautiful
Swa Swara By CGH Earth is a luxury stay option in Gokarna
Some others with great reviews are :
Pineapple Hostels (economical)
Here’s the complete list of accommodations to stay in Gokarna.
Day 8: Gokarna to Karwar
On your final day in Gokarna you drive from Gokarna to Karwar. The drive from Gokarna to Karwar is very beautiful and scenic. You will drive close to the sea at several places and get glimpses of the sea from across the hilly western ghat terrains. A drive from Gokarna to Karwar takes only a little over 2 hours. Karwar is a perfect combination of historical places, beaches and Islands. Once you reach Karwar, some of the best things to do and places to see in Karwar would be :
Things to do in Karwar
- Shop for muslin cloths, sarees and dress materials which are a speciality of Karwar
- Hop through many of the beautiful beaches of Karwar
- Sail to one of the nearby Islands
- Capture beautiful sunset views
- Checkout the lighthouse on Oyster rock
Places to see in Karwar
- Kurumgad Island : Visit during sunset. It is a beautiful tortoise shaped Island that also has the famous Narasmiha temple. And sunset views that you get from here are mesmerising.
- Sadashivgadh Fort : Amongst the many forts on the west coast of India, this is the one you can visit in Karwar. It is located near the Kali River and is built on a hill top.
- Devbagh Beach : one of the cleanest fine sand beaches in Karwar
- Nagnath Temple and Narashimha Temple : for religious and tranquil experience
- Beautiful Binaga Beach and Our Lady of St. Anne’s Church located on the beach
If you want to do all of the above, then it will make sense to stay for one more night at Karwar.
Where to stay in Karwar
Here’s the complete list of hotels in Karwar to browse for you.
Day 9: Karwar to Bangalore road trip
Finally we arrive at the end of our trip. Today, post breakfast, you can proceed from Karwar back to Bangalore. It will be good to start early today as the distance from Karwar to Goa will take around 10 hours to complete.
Bonus Places to add to your coastal Karnataka Road Trip
There are a few other places to add to your coastal Karnataka Road Trip if you have more time at hand. Some of these include –
Bekal and Kannur
Two sleepy coastal towns of Kerala – Bekal and Kannur are very near to Mangalore. Bekal is located just ~60km south of Mangalore. And Kannur is further ~50km south of Bekal. Both of these places have old churches, forts, beautiful sea beaches and some wonderful resorts for a perfect staycation away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Kannur even has India’s one and only drive in beach. Where you can actually drive your vehicle on the beach, through the waves.
On our own trip to Coastal Karnataka, we included Bekal in the plan. Here are our resources from our trip to Bekal that can help you plan your trip –
Our Bangalore to Bekal Road Trip
Bekal – things to do and places to see
A virtual tour of the Bekal Fort
Shimoga and Jog Falls
Jog Falls are one of most majestic waterfalls of India. They are located just 2 hrs drive from Udupi and hardly 1 hour drive from Murudeshwara. You can include them in your road trip to Coastal Karnataka.
Shimoga is one of the most green and beautiful fairy tale towns in Karnataka. It has a lot to offer to it’s visitors in terms of unexplored trekking routes, wildlife safari, Jog falls, beautiful green meadows and mystic weather almost all through the year. If you can, I will highly recommend adding Shimoga to your coastal Karnataka road trip.
What is the best time to do a coastal Karnataka road trip
Winter season from November to February is considered the peak season to visit coastal Karnataka. Although the temperature here is warm and humidity is high all through the year. It is more bearable and pleasant in the winter months. However, the winter months also see a lot of crowd. We visited coastal Karnataka during the monsoon season. As a result, we encountered much less crowd. And got our accommodation at much lower rates. Having said that, you must keep a tab on the weather if you also want to visit off-season during the monsoons. Since, sometimes it rains heavily in this region. And the downpours make it almost impossible to visit places. Also, places like St. Mary’s Island are off limit until september due to the rains.
So, I will say, winter season is the best to do a coastal Karnataka road trip. And the dry spells during the monsoons are the second best. Temperature usually hovers around 30-32 degrees for the most part. Only in peak summer season of April and May it goes beyond 35 degrees and this time is really very uncomfortable to visit here.
What to pack for a coastal Karnataka road trip
Generally, anything that you would pack for a coastal trip to a tropical place. But, since the coastal Karnataka road trip also involves visiting a lot of religious places, you should include some traditional wear as well in your list of things to pack. Here’s a crisp list of things I packed for my coastal Karnataka road trip. You can improvise on it. Do check our travel packing tips and tricks to get more insights on packing like a pro for your trips.
- Sunglases
- Sunscreen lotions
- Hats & Umbrellas to protect from both sun and rain
- Light cotton cloths, preferably full sleeves otherwise you will get a very dark tanning
- Traditional wear – saree or salwar kameez for women for visiting temples, shirt & full pants or dhoti / pyjamas for men
- Lots of water to drink and keep you hydrates
- Comfortable footwear, including hiking shoes if you will plan to go hiking in Gokarna.
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