Hampi trip
Hampi trip guide: how to reach, tickets, what to see
Hampi fits two or three days. Hosapete Junction is 13 km away, Karnataka Tourism puts the drive from Bengaluru at 6 hours, and the ASI monuments are open from sunrise to sunset. The official month table has the coolest nights from November to February, and hotels in Hosapete and Hampi fill up months in advance.
Sourced 5 Nov 2026. Travel lines are from Karnataka Tourism (page updated 4 November 2026) and Incredible India (undated), opening hours and tickets from ASI (undated), sights from Incredible India and the Vijayanagara district site (undated), and the Hampi Utsav from the official pages and a Deccan Chronicle report of 13 February 2026.
Getting to Hampi
From Karnataka Tourism (updated 4 November 2026):
- Road: "6 hours from Bengaluru via NH48/NH50".
- Train: "Hosapete Junction (HPT) is just 13 km away (well-connected)". Check when booking opens with our train booking date calculator.
- Air: "Jindal Vijayanagar Airport (Vidyanagar) is the closest (40 mins); Hubballi Airport is an alternative".
Incredible India lists three airports: Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) in Bengaluru, Jindal Vijayanagar Airport (VDY) in Vidyanagar and Hubballi Airport (HBX). Hampi is in Vijayanagara district.
Karnataka Tourism adds two rules: "Hampi is a strict plastic-free zone; carry reusable water bottles", and "Hotels in Hosapete and Hampi fill up months in advance".
Hours and tickets
The ASI Hampi page says the monuments are "Open from sunrise to sunset". Children below 15 enter free. The ticket covers the ticketed group as sold at the gate. For the fee for your group, use our ASI monument ticket finder. ASI's Hampi page prints Rs 40 per head on a line for the SAARC countries, listed by name, and BIMSTEC countries, and Rs 600 for other foreign visitors. It has no separate line for Indian citizens. Other ASI World Heritage pages, such as Agra Fort's, put Indian citizens on the same line as SAARC and BIMSTEC visitors, so our finder uses Rs 40 for Indians.
What to see
ASI says the monuments were built between AD 1336 and 1570, and it names Krishnadeva Raya (AD 1509 to 30) among the rulers.
Virupaksha Temple
Incredible India traces it "From humble origins as a modest shrine in the 7th century", with an entrance tower that "rises to a majestic 50 meters". The district site calls it "the only temple here that is still used", and ASI says it is "now in worship".
Vijaya Vittala Temple and the Stone Chariot
The district site calls it "Hampi's crowning glory, with a magnificent stone chariot". Incredible India describes the temple's musical pillars, carved to echo "81 different musical instruments". Purandara Mandapam lies "To the west of the Vittala temple".
The royal centre
- The Queen's Bath, the Elephant Stables and the Hazara Rama Temple (Incredible India).
- The Zenana enclosure (ASI) and the Lotus Mahal, or Kamal Mahal, on "two levels" (district site).
- The Mahanavami Dibba (district site) and the mint (Incredible India).
Hills, statues and the river
- Hemakuta Hill and the Achyutaraya Temple (Incredible India).
- Matanga Parvata, "the highest hill range visible to the east of the Therubeedi of Virupaksha temple" (district site).
- Ugranarasimha, a "6.7 meters high monolith" (district site).
- The Archaeological Museum, coracle rides on the Tungabhadra, Anegundi across the river, and bouldering (Incredible India). We found no official fares for coracles.
When to go
Incredible India prints a monthly temperature band but no best-season sentence. Read as a table, it points to November to February, with April and May the hottest:
| Month | Range, C | Month | Range, C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18 to 31 | Jul | 21 to 30 |
| Feb | 17 to 34 | Aug | 24 to 33 |
| Mar | 22 to 36 | Sep | 23 to 34 |
| Apr | 24 to 39 | Oct | 22 to 34 |
| May | 24 to 39 | Nov | 19 to 30 |
| Jun | 23 to 36 | Dec | 17 to 28 |
Hampi Utsav
The 2026 edition ran on 13, 14 and 15 February 2026, per Karnataka Tourism and Incredible India. On 13 February 2026 the Chief Minister said it would move to November every year from this year, as reported by Deccan Chronicle. As of 5 November 2026 the Karnataka Tourism page lists no new dates, so do not plan around a November festival until dates are published.
A simple two-day plan
- Day 1: Virupaksha Temple and Hemakuta Hill in the morning, then the royal centre: the Zenana enclosure and Lotus Mahal, the Elephant Stables, Hazara Rama and the Queen's Bath.
- Day 2: Vijaya Vittala and the Stone Chariot early, Purandara Mandapam to its west, then Matanga Parvata, a coracle ride or Anegundi.
Traveling with children
Children below 15 enter the ASI monuments free. Carry water in reusable bottles: Hampi is a plastic-free zone.
Hey UlaYour AI travel companion
- You: Two of us, Hampi in January. Train or fly?
- Hey Ula: Hosapete Junction is 13 km away, and Jindal Vijayanagar Airport is about 40 minutes per Karnataka Tourism. I'll check trains and flights for your dates, and book the hotel early, because rooms fill up months ahead.
- You: Will it be hot?
- Hey Ula: Incredible India's January band is 18 to 31 C, one of the coolest months. Start early at Vittala.
What we could not confirm
- A fee line labelled for Indian citizens on the ASI Hampi page, which prints none, and which monuments the ticket covers.
- Coracle and ferry fares to Anegundi, the Vittala battery cart fare, and the Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary hours and fees.
- Hampi Utsav dates for 2026 to 2027, Vidyanagar flight schedules, and Hosapete train and auto fares.
- An official best-time sentence: the month table above is the only official climate data we found.
Hampi in December? See our December guide. Starting from Bengaluru with a free day? Try the day trips from Bangalore.
Sources
- Archaeological Survey of India, Hampi (undated): asi.nic.in, sourced 5 November 2026
- Archaeological Survey of India, Agra Fort (undated): asi.nic.in, sourced 5 November 2026
- Karnataka Tourism, Hampi Utsav and how to reach (updated 4 November 2026): karnatakatourism.org, sourced 5 November 2026
- Incredible India, Hampi (undated): incredibleindia.gov.in, sourced 5 November 2026
- Incredible India, Virupaksha Temple (undated): incredibleindia.gov.in, sourced 5 November 2026
- Incredible India, Hampi Utsava (undated): incredibleindia.gov.in, sourced 5 November 2026
- Vijayanagara district, tourist places (undated): vijayanagara.nic.in, sourced 5 November 2026
- Deccan Chronicle, Hampi Utsav to return to November (13 February 2026, news): deccanchronicle.com, sourced 5 November 2026
- Share image photo: Raghaven97, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped, headline added.
Questions
How do I reach Hampi?
By train to Hosapete Junction (HPT), 13 km away; by air to Jindal Vijayanagar Airport at Vidyanagar, about 40 minutes, or Hubballi; or by road, 6 hours from Bengaluru via NH48 and NH50, per Karnataka Tourism.
What are Hampi's timings?
The ASI monuments are open from sunrise to sunset, per the ASI Hampi page.
Do children pay at Hampi?
No. Children below 15 enter free. For the fee for adults, use our ASI monument ticket finder.
What is the best time to visit Hampi?
Incredible India prints no best-season line, but its month table has the coolest nights from November to February, with lows of 17 to 19 C, and the hottest days in April and May, up to 39 C.
When is Hampi Utsav?
The 2026 edition was 13 to 15 February. The Chief Minister said in February 2026 that it would move to November, as reported, but no new dates were published as of 5 November 2026.
Which is the only temple still in use in Hampi?
The Virupaksha Temple, per the Vijayanagara district site. ASI says it is now in worship.
Can I carry plastic bottles in Hampi?
Karnataka Tourism says Hampi is a strict plastic-free zone and asks visitors to carry reusable water bottles.
How many days do I need in Hampi?
Two days covers Virupaksha and the royal centre on one day, and Vittala, a hill and the river on the other.
Can Hey Ula plan my Hampi trip today?
Not yet. Hey Ula is in early access with a waitlist and is letting travelers in gradually.