You’ll find everything you need to know to plan a trip to north Karnataka in this blog post. This guide contains a detailed day-wise itinerary for a one week north Karnataka trip along with some very easy-to-use guides for the places included in the list. 

Our experience of visiting north Karnataka

Having lived in Bangalore, Karnataka, it was quite easy for us to do a road trip to north Karnataka. We spend eight wonderful days in the last week of December, driving north from Bangalore to Chitradurga, Gadag, Badami, Vijayapura, Gulbarga and finally Bidar. We also planned to stop by at Hampi on the way back (which is also a great place to visit), so if you choose to include it to your one week north Karnataka itinerary, its perfectly doable!

Our fascination with North Karnataka began with food. As children, both of us loved eating traditional Jolada Rotti meals, the staple of this region. On this visit, we got to relish authentic meals as well as many more dishes which we’ll tell you all about. In addition, we were very curious to learn about the variety of history and architecture. It varied from classical Hindu architecture in Badami to the mesmerising Islamic monuments of Bijapur. Above all, it taught us a lot about the diversity of our home state and how underrated north Karnataka is, when it comes to travel!

So come checkout this post and plan your trip to Uttar Karnataka! 😍

Day 1: The Rock Fortress of Chitradurga

Chitradurga literally means “Picturesque Fort”, and once you arrive at the city, its not hard to see why! The city is layered with multiple fort walls encircled and thats how the name ‘yelu-suttina-kote’ came to be. There are seven circles (‘yelu-suttu’) of fortress (‘kote’) walls starting from the old town limits leading up to the top most gated wall in the rock fortress. Often seen in many Kannada movies, Chitradurga became a symbol of freedom and independence.

But what it truly represented was the courage of a woman who fought off the invaders while her husband on his lunch break from guarding the royal towers. This happened in 1779, but the locals and the guides will tell you this story like it happened yesterday. The fort is absolutely beautiful and takes a half day to explore the monument. The fort has some unique features that deterred many invaders and had left many impressed for centuries.

We highly recommend spending a day here, exploring the Chitradurga Kote (fort) and then feasting on a delicious meal at Sathya Narayana Khanavali or Basaveshwara Khanavali for under INR 80. Its totally worth it! It is also only 200kms or 4 hours away from Bangalore.

Day 2: Gadag, the impromptu stopover

After feasting on Benne Dosé at Davangere, head north to the very offbeat city of Gadag. It was only in 1997, that the Gadag district was carved out of neighbouring Dharwad which is famous for its Mishra pedas! Gadag has a few interesting sights and is also home to simple yet delicious food! We highly recommend eating Girmit and Mirchi bajji. There is a very famous Temple of Trikuteshwara and a giant statue of Basavanna in the city centre. At the foot of the statue, there’s a museum that you must visit!

If you spend a night there, like we did, you will be very glad to enjoy the cheap accommodation prices. It’s almost like taking the time machine back to the late 90s. Everything is a lot slower and simpler in Gadag!

See more about Gadag Tourist Places in this Offbeat Travel Guide

Day 3 and 4: Badami, Pattadakal and Aihole

A trip to North Karnataka is incomplete without a visit to the most beautiful cultural triangle of Badami, Pattadakal and Aihole. These are UNESCO World Heritage sites and feature some of the best architecture from the Chalukya dynasty in ancient South India. Badami is home to four rock caves with stunning carvings and a beautiful temple on the banks of an ancient man-made lake. There’s a very beautifully designed group of temples in Pattadakal and a unique temple in Aihole, just thirty minutes away from Badami.

We highly recommend spending two nights here to give a full day to explore Badami and another half day or more to explore Pattadakal and Aihole. However, you can also visit all three sites in one day if you are short on time. Accommodation in Badami is a little more expensive than the other cities listed here, because of its tourism.

Check out this Ultimate Guide To Badami Pattadakal Aihole

Day 4: Kudala Sangama and Almatti Dam

You can easily visit Kudala Sangama and Almatti Dam on your way from Badami or Aihole to Bijapur. Its a perfect three hour inclusion in the itinerary. Kudalasangama is a very unique temple. It is situated at the confluence of the Krishna and Malaprabha rivers and remains submerged underwater. A waterproof shaft has been constructed around the temple enabling devotees and visitors to enter. It is amazing! 

If you are there in the late afternoon, stop by Almatti Dam for a stroll in the Dam’s gardens. It’s very lush and even features a Japanese garden. There are some small snack shops and tea stalls around. In the evenings, there’s a musical fountain show as well. 

Day 5: Vijayapura or Bijapur

Bijapur became popular on account of the Adil Shahi dynasty that flourished in the region before the British colonised India. In fact, the monuments they constructed back in the 1600s are still standing tall and strong, as a remnant of the Islamic era of South India. If you love architecture, the Gol Gumbaz will blow your mind. The nearby monument of Bara Khaman tells a tale of lost ambition, while the Ibrahim Rouza mausoleum narrates a story of love and family.

Bijapur is reasonably cheap to stay at and explore, and if you are eager to taste the local specials, there are a few must eats in town! See the full guide to Bijapur right here.

See all Bijapur Tourist Places using this Photo Guide

Day 6: Kalaburagi or Gulbarga

Gulbarga came to be Karnataka’s second administrative centre after Bangalore, to cater to the needs and interests of north Karnataka. The city is home to great educational institutions and some very holy pilgrimage spots. The Sharana Basaveshwara temple is very dear to Hindus while the Hazrat Khwaja Banda Nawaz Dargah draws many Muslims from all over the region. Besides these, there is a beautiful white estate just outside the city, called Buddha Vihar. It features a beautiful meditation centre, lush gardens and Buddha temples. Well worth a visit, but the security prohibits photography.

This city makes for a good stopover while travelling from Bijapur to Bidar as it is exactly mid way on the 270 km stretch. We recommend staying near the railway station if you are looking for affordable accommodation. There is also a restaurant called Lingayat Khanavali just after Gurudev Deluxe Lodge that serves authentic local food for INR 50.

Day 7: Bidar, the northernmost city

Bidar is at the end of this amazing 900 km road trip. Connected very well by road and rail, and even an airport, Bidar is the northernmost district in Karnataka. Its only a few hours away from Hyderabad. The history of Bidar is very interesting. It was once the capital of the southern region under the rule of the Bahmani dynasty and then the Barid Shahi dynasty. There is a massive fortress in the city called Bidar Fort which has been well maintained by ASI. In addition there are a few other monuments in the vicinity including mausoleums and tombs. Bidar also features a combination of Karnataka and Telangana/Andhra cuisines because of its location. And if you are curious to know more about the advent of the Lingayat sect, you must visit Basavakalyan.

Plan a visit to The Old City Of Bidar, Karnataka

Stay, food, transport, weather and budget

Stay: We stayed at budget hotels in each of the above cities. Our stay recommendations are included in the city guides linked under each day above. You can select there and check prices of hotels here. Stays are as cheap as INR 500 per night for private rooms in Gadag and about INR 1,000 for a basic room in touristy Badami.

Food: Food was absolutely delicious! We’ve included detailed recommendations in each city guide above, but here’s a list of must eat dishes. Jolada Rotti meals, Girmit, Mirchi Bajji, Benne dose, Mandakki, Rice-chapati meals, street side Gobi Manchurian, and freshly squeezed Orange juice. Prices range from INR 20 to INR 80 per item. That’s cheap!

Transport: Getting between each of the north Karnataka cities is very easy. They are all connected by an excellent North East Karnataka Road Transport Co (NEKRTC) and NWKRTC. Fares are very reasonable as they are operated by the state government. There are many private buses as well. There are many overnight buses from Bangalore to Bidar if you choose to start at Bidar and make your way back. Ticket prices range from under INR 100 for short distances to INR 1,200 for overnight sleeper for long distances. However, taking a train is the cheapest option. All cities listed above are connected by train service except for Kudala Sangam. Train tickets are even more cheaper than bus tickets.

Weather: It is best to travel in north Karnataka in the months of November, December, January, February and the shoulder months before and after. This coincides with Winter which is dry and cool. During summer, the weather is terrible – so avoid it!

How much we spent on our trip

Considering we did a road trip over eight days, our total expense came out to be INR 21,000 for two persons. However, in this, our fuel expense (we drove our petrol Ford Aspire) was INR 12,000. If you choose to take public transport, like the bus and train service, this should fall well under INR 4,000. Of the remaining, we spent INR 5,500 on accommodation, INR 3,000 on food and about INR 500 sightseeing tickets and camera passes.

Overall, it is easy to keep one’s travel expense under INR 1,000 including transport and possible to travel slow for less than INR 500 per day if you are willing to compromise on some comforts.

Dressing and Photography

North Karnataka is more conservative than other parts of the state. It is best to respect local traditions, but also keep in mind the extreme weather. It gets quite hot during the day when the sun shines overhead. At night, there’s usually a chill or a calm breeze, depending on which city and season. Its best to dress in two layers to manage this better.

Since most of the monuments in these cities are maintained by ASI, there are a few rules. Camera permits are a must! You can buy one for each monument, at the ticket office. You can also buy them online by scanning the bar code at the entry gate of the monument. Some places allow video recording while others don’t, so read the signs at the gate. Some guards inside the monuments attempt to seek money from you by inducing fear for shooting with DSLR or mirrorless cameras. Don’t worry if you are following the rules on the board. We had some challenges, but stood our ground.

Checkout our camera gear here

North Karnataka is indeed a very special part of the state and south India! But if you are looking for more offbeat destinations in India, check them out here.

If you have more questions or want to explore north Karnataka with us, please write to us – we’d be very happy to help!

Useful links

Here are some useful resources to plan and book your next trip. These are the same websites and apps that we use for our own bookings! We may earn a small commission if you make your booking using the below link, at no extra cost to you. 🤓