Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site nestled in Karnataka, India, was once the thriving capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, one of the most powerful and prosperous kingdoms in South India during the 14th to 16th centuries. This ancient city is a marvel of architectural brilliance, with intricately carved temples, majestic palaces, and awe-inspiring stone monuments that stand as a testament to its glorious past. The Virupaksha Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, and the Vittala Temple, famous for its iconic stone chariot, are among the many remnants that draw visitors to experience Hampi’s timeless charm. These sacred structures, adorned with delicate carvings and artistic sculptures, reflect the rich cultural and religious heritage of a bygone era.
Yet, Hampi’s splendor was not eternal. Following the empire’s defeat in 1565, the city was ransacked and left in ruins, its grandeur fading into history. Today, the remnants of this lost city tell stories of forgotten kings and abandoned temples, echoing the resilience of a kingdom that once ruled much of southern India. Despite its fall, Hampi continues to captivate travelers with its unique combination of spiritual significance and historical mystery, making it a place where the past seems to come alive among the boulders and temples that dot the landscape.
1. Virupaksha Temple
The temple is so constructed that its main entrance faces east and homes to two courtyards. No sooner you enter the temple, there is a statue of Nandi with three heads. There is a pillared hall in the center which is reckoned as the Ranga Mandapa.
In case you are an international traveler, you have to register yourself at a police outpost with all your essential details. Mostly, this temple remains crowded in December; whereas it celebrates its annual festival in February and it is one of the best places to visit in Hampi.
Location: South banks of Tungabhadra river, Hampi, Karnataka 583239
Timings: Virupaksha temple is open for the visitors from morning 9:00 am to 13:00 pm. After about 4 hours, again the doors are open visitors from 17:00 pm to 21:00 pm.
Price: There are no entry fees. However, you can hire a guide to give you complete information about the temple at its footsteps for a nominal charge of 50 INR.
2. Vijaya Vittala Temple
Vijaya Vittala Temple or Vijaya temple of Hampi amongst the ancient Places to Visit In Hampi worthy of visiting. There are fantastic stone structures all around, and the pillars here appear as if they are playing music.
This is true architectural excellence of Hampi as it exemplifies remarkable creativity and the beauty of architecture’s imagination. The architecture of this temple dates back to the Dravidian era and reflects South Indian traits.
Three towering gateways are encircling the temple along with high compound walls. Maha Mantapa, Stone chariot, musical pillars are amongst the tourist attractions of this Vijaya Vittala Temple.
Location: 8FRG+W3H,Hampi, Karnataka 583239
Timings: The doors of Vijaya Vittala Temple are open from morning 08:30 am to evening 18:00 pm.
Price: There are no entry fees to this temple
3. Lotus Mahal
Lotus Mahal or Kamal Mahal exhibits an explicit architectural design amongst all the other Hampi tourist places. It is so called as it more or less resembles the shape of a lotus flower.
Central dome of this Mahala resembles the bud of lotus and the balcony and passages as petals. The roof illustrates a multi-layered design reflecting and Indo architectural style. There are around 24 pillars to provide excellent support to the arched windows of this palace.
Location: SH 131, Hampi, Karnataka 583239
Timings: The Lotus Mahal Hampi is open for visitors from morning 08:00 am to evening 06:00 pm.
Price: The entry fees of Lotus Mahal Hampi is fixed at 10 INR per Indian, 250 INR per foreigner and no charges for children below the age group of 15 years.
4. Yantrodharaka Hanuman Temple
Yantrodharaka Hanuman Temple is present at a distance of around 2km from the famous Virupaksha temple. This temple is a part of a cave standing at the peak of a hill and is dedicated to the Hindu deity Lord Hanuman.
Also, the Tungabhadra river flows through the steps of this hill. Here, you can find Lord Hanuman indulged in a state of deep meditation. Within a distance of five minutes from here, you can find another temple dedicated to Lord Srinivasa. In case you feel hungry, you can approach small stalls nearby selling either mangoes, biscuits or cucumbers.
It is best if you plan on your itinerary to this place in between October to March.
Location: 8FM9+89H, Hampi, Karnataka 583239
Timings: You can visit this temple at any point during the daytime. It takes around one hour to cover your entire visit here.
Price: There are no entry fees here. Also, you can easily take in your cameras here to capture some beautiful pictures of this place.
5. Hippie Island
Another area which is amongst the most visited Places to Visit In Hampi is Hippie Island, named after its vibrant culture. Virapapur Gadde is a small island located across the Tungabhadra River. Known to be a backpacker’s delight, this island is stunning and is popular amongst the locals as well as tourists for its laid back ambience and cosy lodges.
Tourists can spend their time relaxing at one of the many cafes and shacks, like Green Garden Restaurant, Laughing Buddha Café, etc. while gorging on great food, and soaking in the view of beautiful rice paddies. This location is also known to be a centre for people to conduct sunset jam sessions with musical instruments for a fun party-like atmosphere.
Location: Virupapurgaddi, Hampi Island, Sanapur post, Hampi
Timings: Daily 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Price: Around INR 1,000 per day
6. Queen’s Bath
Reckoned as a large bath of Hampi, Queen’s Bath exemplifies the Vijayanagara’s architectural excellence. It lies close to one of the most awful places to visit in Hampi- the Royal Enclosure.
Although built around 500 years ago, this magnificent structure still remains intact in its construction. It’s simplest exterior perfectly blends with an ornate interior to embrace its overall appearance.
It a rectangular building admeasuring around 30 square meters and has a large sunken bath at its center. It may interest you to find arched corridors all around this Royal bath.
Location: 8F7C+9X9,Karnataka 583239
Timings: Queen’s bath is open for visitors from morning 08:30 am to evening 06:00 pm.
Price: Entry to the Queen’s bath is free from all charges.
7. Matanga Hill
Out of all the places to visit in Hampi, Matanga Hill is the one which is most talked about. It represents the highest point of Hampi, and it’s a picturesque destination for the travel photographers to capture some aerial vies of Hampi.
North portion of this hill terminates into Tungabhadra river where you have another religious place to visit-Kodanda Rama temple. Towards the south of this hill, you have a twisting valley with a zigzag Turthu canal. Low-lying Northern section exhibits a trekking trail that connects straightaway to Hampi bazaar.
Location: 8FJ9+M83, Hampi, Karnataka
Timings: There are no specific timings to climb on the Matanga Hills. However, tourists make it a point to climb this hill early in the morning to capture the allure of sunrise and carry ahead with their downward journey in the evening after sunset.
Price: Climbing Matanga Hill is absolutely free of cost.
8. Elephant Stables
Elephant Stables is amongst the significant tourist places to visit in Hampi to witness a little to absolutely no destruction. It is a long building homing to a series of dome-shaped chambers which once were used for the parking of royal elephants.
These chambers are around 11 in their total count; some of which are interconnected. The whole building gives a symmetrical appearance, and the central hall tower reflects the shape of most of the temples here. This central hall has five domes on either side of it which reflects an Islamic style of architecture.
Location: 8FCF+C3X, Hampi, Karnataka 583239
Timings: The doors of this Elephant Stables are open from early morning 08:30 am to evening 05:30 pm. It takes around an hour to complete your visit here.
Price: There is an entry fee of 10 INR for Indians and 250 INR for foreigners. Entry for children up to the age group of 15 years is absolutely free of cost.
9. Monolith Bull
Situated at the east end of the Hampi Bazaar, the Monolith Bull or Nandi is a grand piece of ancient architecture that is housed in a two-story pavilion. This huge structure, which mythologically is the vehicle of Lord Shiva, is placed just opposite to the famous Virupaksha Temple.
This Monolithic Bull, although partially mutilated, exhibits a coarse style of carving. The statue is so beautiful that it attracts a large number of visitors every day. It is also one of the frequently visited historical Tourist Places in Hampi. It is also surrounded by huge boulders and rock pillars.
Location: Nimbapura, Hampi
Timings: One can visit the Monolithic Bull at any given time of the day.
Price: No entry fee or photography charges
10. Badavilinga Temple
Badavilinga Temple is a beautiful temple of Lord Shiva and one of the most visited Hampi tourist places. It lies close to the Lakshmi Narasimha temple and homes to a beautiful Linga carved out of a black stone.
The linga is around 3 meters high and dates back to the era of the Vijayanagar Empire. This linga lies within a small stone chamber of this temple with only a single narrow opening and is without a ceiling. The pedestal is circular in shape and reflects as the Yone Pitha of Lord Shiva Linga.
Location: 8FH5+PJC, Hampi, Karnataka 583239
Timings: Badavilinga Temple doors are open for the devotees from morning 05:00 am to night 09:00 pm.
Price: There are no entry fees to make your visit here.
11. Zanana Enclosure
Once reckoned as a secluded area for the Vijayanagara Kingdom’s royal ladies, Zanana Enclosure reflects a sprawling compound with tall walls. Lotus Mahal is the center of attraction of this place.
You can either step in through its northern entrance or through its north-eastern entrance. Zanana Enclosure homes to three watchtowers each standing at eastern, south-eastern and northern ends of this magnificent structure.
The entire architecture here reflects an Indo-Islamic style. Lotus Mahal, queen’s palace’s basement, treasure building, and water pavilion are some key attractions of this place.
Location: 8FCC+88X, Hampi, Karnataka 583239
Timings: This place is open from morning 06:00 am to evening 06:00 pm
Price: Entry fee here is 10 INR per Indian, and for foreigners, it is 250 INR.
12. Lakshmi Narasimha Temple
Most significant of all the religious statues in Hampi, Lakshmi Narasimha Temple is the amongst the next best Hampi tourist places to visit. Here, the figure of Lord Narasimha sits on a coil of a snake with seven heads in a Yoga position.
This statue has an image of Goddess Lakshmi on his lap. It takes around one to one and a half hour to complete your visit here. The best time to visit this temple is in between October to February.
Location: Southern end of Hemakuta group of temples, Hampi, India
Timings: You can easily make your way inside Lakshmi Narasimha Temple from morning 06:00 am to evening 06:00 pm.
Price: There are no entry fees here. You can click photographs of the temple without any charges.
13. Hazara Rama Temple
This beautiful temple marks its presence at the central focus of a royal area and is dedicated to Lord Rama. The walls of this temple are eager to illustrate the entire Ramayana flow before its visitors.
Once you reach here, you can find bas relics of both Hindu deities Lord Rama and Krishna. Also, do not forget to miss on the remnants illustrating a Dasara celebration. Towards its northern side, you may find a sprawling lawn widely stretched apart. The temple has two huge getaways and the interior homes to sculpted columns.
Location: 8F99+4G2, Hampi, Karnataka 583239
Timings: Reaching this temple is no longer a whammy situation as the doors are open from morning 06:00 am to evening 06:00 pm. It hardly takes two hours to complete your visit here.
Price: There is no entry fee being charged by the temple authorities.
14. Riverside Ruins
Close to a river edge of Kodandarama Temple are a couple of lingas carved on a flat rock surface. The arrays of this Shiv Linga contains around 100 to 1000 such lingas. A little away from this array is Lord Vishnu’s carved sculpture.
Also, you can find a lot of tiny shrines that are submerged here and rock surfaces reflecting carved motifs. Be extremely careful while you step on the slippery rock surfaces especially in the monsoons. If the river is stable, you can head towards this place through a coracle ride at a nominal charge of around 25-50 per head.
Location: Near the Kodanda Rama Temple, Hampi.
Timings: You can visit riverside ruins at any point of time. Yet, if you plan to take a coracle ride here, you must cross-check with its availability in accordance with your chosen time of visit.
Price: There is no entry fee.
15. Sanapur Lake
One of the best places to visit in Hampi is Sanapur Lake. Located around 5 kilometres away from Hippie Island, this lake is surrounded by huge rocks and boulders. One of the most idyllic places in the region, tourists come here to spend some relaxing time and soak in the cool breeze.
A secret attraction in Hampi, this lake was formed by an irrigation reservoir. One of the major activities you can do here is cliff jumping or taking a ride in a coracle. Tourists also often come here for picnics. The water here is very clean, so even a swimming session here can make you feel rejuvenated.
Location: Sanapur, Hampi
Timings: Open 24 hours
Price: No entry fee
Famous Harket In Humpi
1. Hampi Bazaar
When you have a day reserved at leisure, do not forget to try a shopping hand at the Hampi Bazaar. It spreads more than a kilometer and the road that passes through this market exhibits pavilions on both roadsides.
Alternatively, this shoppers stop is known as Virupaksha Bazaar which is one of the best Places to Visit In Hampi, Towards the eastern side, you can find a street to be occupied by the local villagers. There is a large Nandi bull statue at the east end of this Hampi Bazaar street. Nearby pavilion exhibits photos of Hampi right from the ancient times.
Location: Hampi Bazaar St, Karnataka 583239
Timings: You can stop and shop at any time from morning 06:00 am to night 11:00 pm.
2.Hampi Flea Market
One of the famous Tourist Places in Hampi, the flea market is small, yet has a lot of things to offer to tourists. It has an overall hippie ambience, which is great due to the number of hippie items one can find here. From ornaments to a wide variety of hippie fabrics, the Hampi flea market is a shopper’s paradise.
One can also find various kurtas, baggy harem pants, loose cotton dresses as well as beaded and silver jewellery here. It also has a few shops wherein you can get Buddhist antiques, banana fibre handicrafts and handmade leather notebooks. The market also has a lot of small restaurants for satiating your hunger after shopping.
Location: Vittala Bazaar, Hampi Bazaar
Timings: Ideal time to visit is between 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Best cafes and restaurants in Hampi
The famous Mango Tree restaurant of Hampi is now open but has been moved to a different location. The once famous restaurant in the temple town was shut for a long time since 2022 and was open in 2023 for a short while but in a different location. You should try the thali here. I haven’t eaten at this place yet but will surely make the point of trying it on on my next trip to Hampi.
1. Taste of Brahmins
Taste of Brahmins is an authentic South Indian restaurant, which you cannot miss when in Hampi. It’s a pure veg restaurant that serves mostly breakfast. Every dish that you try here is delicious. The restaurant is run by a very hospitable local family. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating and everything that they serve is cooked right in front of your eyes.
This is one of the best places to have breakfast in Hampi, the only drawback this place has is it closes early by 11 a.m. You can not miss the paddu, idli, and filter coffee from this place, truly authentic!
Location: Taste of Brahmins
Timings: 6:30 am – 11 am
Price: ₹100-₹200 for 2 people
2. Shambhu Dosa Centre
There are only two great spots to have breakfast in Hampi, the first one is Taste of Brahmins and the other one is Shambhu Dosa Center which is situated near it. Santosh Anna makes some of the best dosas and uttapams. I even stayed at their accommodation and the view during the sunset from the roof is something you cannot miss.
This is not a pure veg restaurant and they’ll serve you eggs when requested. Overall, it is a great budget place to have your breakfast!
Location: Shambhu Dosa Centre
Timings: 7 am – 12 pm
Price: ₹100-₹200 for 2 people
3. Old Chillout Ganesh Restaurant
This is my favorite and one of the best restaurants in Hampi. Old Chillout Ganesh Restaurant is a sit-down restaurant that Hampi is famous for. As the name says a great spot for chilling and a perfect spot for having dinner in the temple town!
Everything that I have had here was delicious! The place is very ambient and has some great vibes during the night.
Don’t miss the pasta and the starters here and the staff too is very friendly.
Location: Old Chillout Ganesh Restaurant
Timings: 7 am – 11 pm
Price: ₹400-₹500 for 2 people
4. Laughing Buddha Restaurant
Earlier situated on the hippie island and very close to the ferry point, the restaurant has been moved to Sanapur Lake since 2022. The restaurant no longer has riverfront views, but the new location is still very ambient. They still serve some really good and delicious food.
It’s a perfect place for lunch, whether you’re visiting Sanapur Lake or heading back to Bangalore. Don’t forget to try cliff-jumping at Sanapur Lake as it’s one of the
One thing that you should probably not order is the Pineapple pizza (why do restaurants even have it on their menu?). Yes, we made a mistake because one of my friends wanted to try it, probably one of the worst decisions taken!
Location: Laughing Buddha Restaurant
Timings: 9 am – 10 pm
Price: ₹500-₹600 for 2 people
5. Brown Elephant Cafe
Brown Elephant Cafe is very close to Hippie Island which is now closed. The restaurant is very secluded but serves some amazing food with great views! The place also has a great sunset spot, do ask the staff there for this!
You might also be able to spot the crocodiles from here. The path to reach the restaurant is difficult by car so it’s better to park it before and walk the last few hundred meters.
Location: Brown Elephant Cafe
Timings: 9 am – 10 pm
Price: ₹400-₹500 for 2 people
