Hampi or, the Group of Monuments of Hampi is a heritage site and an important tourist attraction of Karnataka. In the past, Hampi was the capital region of the lush Vijaynagara Empire, which was at its prime during 14th century. Located close to Tungbhadra River, this region was very wealthy and bustling with culture. During the 2nd century, this region was second largest city in the world and the richest one in the country.
Later, during the invasion of Muslims, the region was conquered and destroyed. By 16th century, the total city became ruins. Today, this heritage site holds more than 1600 artifacts and remains of the once mighty kingdom. This includes statues, buildings, temples, water structures and much more.
Hampi lies in the great Deccan plateau and with Deccan Odyssey luxury train on its ‘Jewels of the Deccan itinerary,’ covers it. On the fourth day, the train reaches Hospet. Tourists are taken on a road trip to Hampi for sightseeing, river shore walks and exploring the royal center. By evening, tourists would reach back Hospet to board the train for the next destination.
Hampi is easier to reach once you are in Karnataka. During the peak tourism season (winter season), government adds additional transportation options and special buses to visit Hampi, directly.
The nearest airport is in Hubli. It is 166 km away from Hampi. The nearest international airport is located in Bangalore, which is 409 km away from the monuments. From Bangalore, you can find flights to Hampi, easily.
If you are reaching India via Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai or Trivandrum, you can find flights to Bangalore, every day. From the airport, you can find buses, cabs, autos and other public transportations to reach desired destination. You can also find trains from most of the cities with busy international airports to Hospet (a city closer to Hampi).
There is no railway station in Hampi. The nearest railway station is located 13 km away in Hospet. You can find frequent trains from Mysore, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai and others. The luxury train, Deccan Odyssey stops at Hospet to cover Hampi as a part of its itinerary. From the railway station, you can hire cabs or buses to reach Hampi directly
You can find a bus stop in Hampi. The nearest main city with a bus stand is Hospet. You can find direct buses to Hampi from limited destinations like Hospet and surrounding regions. The best way to reach Hampi is to take a bus to Hospet and then, board a bus in Hospet to reach Hampi. Hospet receives buses from numerous destinations around the country like Pune, Hyderabad, Mumbai and from the cities in Karnataka like Badami, Bangalore and others. You can also find private cabs from numerous important destinations in and around Karnataka to reach Hampi directly.
The city is located in a tropical region. The summers are very hot, dry and humid. The area is filled with hard rocks rather than vegetation. Thus, the place becomes very hot during summer season. It becomes uncomfortable to scale and enjoy. Hampi is an outdoor exploration area and you cannot enjoy, while you are exhausted, sweating and dehydrating. Summer starts in March and ends in June.
Monsoon starts in July and ends in September. Raining is not heavy here. However, the rare rain makes the place slippery for rock climbing, exploration, cycling or even casual sightseeing. During rains, boating and other water activities also become impossible to enjoy.
Winter starts in October and ends in February. This is the right time to visit Hampi. The weather is right with less humidity and heat. The place will be easy for trekking and other outdoor activities. This is also the time for Hampi festival.
Festivals of Hampi are closely related to the temples in this region. Most of the festivals take place in winter season and this is one of the reasons to visit the place during winter. Top festival to enjoy in this region are
