Places to Visit in Chikkamagaluru (Chikmagalur): 12 Best Peaks, Falls & Coffee Estates

Altitude: about 1,930 m | Hours: about 6 am to 6 pm | Distance: about 20 to 25 km from the town | Time needed: 2 to 3 hrs

Mullayanagiri is the highest point in Karnataka, in the Baba Budan range. A winding road takes you most of the way, and the final stretch is a climb on steps to a small temple at the summit, with views across the hills that are best at sunrise or sunset.

Plan it: Go early, because cloud and fog can hide the view later in the day. The road is narrow and steep, so drive carefully and avoid the wettest weeks of the monsoon.

Hours: about 8 am to 5 pm | Distance: about 29 to 36 km | Time needed: about 3 hrs

Baba Budangiri is a hill range with the Dattatreya Peetha, a shrine revered by different faiths, and it is tied to the story of the first coffee seeds brought from Yemen. A few kilometres away, Manikyadhara Falls drops about 30 feet through dense forest in small streams.

Plan it: Combine it with Mullayanagiri in the same morning. Shrine rules and road conditions change, so check locally.

Distance: about 60 km from the town | Best time: September to March | Time needed: half a day

Kemmanagundi is a hill station in the Baba Budan hills, with gardens, viewpoints and the Z Point trek, which crosses grassland to open onto a wide ridge view. It is a good base for Hebbe Falls and Kallathigiri Falls.

Plan it: Start early for clear skies and trails that are dry. Stay overnight if you want to combine it with Hebbe Falls without a rush.

Hours: about 6 am to 6 pm | Distance: about 6 km beyond Kemmanagundi, about 66 km from the town | Best time: October to January

Hebbe Falls drops about 550 feet in two stages, Dodda Hebbe and Chikka Hebbe, inside the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, surrounded by forest and coffee plantations. The approach is by jeep through estates and then a short walk.

Plan it: Wear shoes with grip, carry water and expect wet rocks. Jeep availability and access rules change, so confirm in Kemmanagundi.

Hours: about 7 am to 5 pm | Distance: about 23 to 24 km | Time needed: 1.5 hrs

Jhari Falls is a wide, milky waterfall dropping roughly 50 to 70 m over rocky terrain near Mullayanagiri, reached by a short trek.

Plan it: Go after the monsoon, October to January, when water is strong but the trail is safer. The rocks are slippery, so keep to the marked path.

Distance: about 100 km from the town, base at Kalasa | Permit and guide: mandatory | Best time: October to February

Kudremukh, named for its horse-face shaped peak, is a national park declared in 1987 with rolling grassland and evergreen forest. The summit trek is long, roughly 15 km one way in some descriptions, and needs a full day, an early start and a certified guide. Permits are booked in advance through the Karnataka forest department’s online system, and daily trekker numbers are capped.

Plan it: Book the permit before you travel, stay at Kalasa or Sringeri and do not attach it to another day. Rules change, so check the current process.

Hours: about 6:30 am to 9 pm, with pooja breaks | Distance: about 70 to 100 km from the town | Time needed: 1.5 hrs

Horanadu is a forest-ringed temple town on the Bhadra river, home to the Adi Shaktyatmaka Annapoorneshwari Temple, which is known for serving meals to visitors. It is about 42 km from Sringeri.

Plan it: Dress modestly, check darshan breaks and combine it with Sringeri and Kalasa on a western day.

Hours: about 6 am to 2 pm and 4 to 9 pm | Location: on the Tunga river | Time needed: 2 hrs

Sringeri is one of the most important pilgrimage towns in South India, with the Sharada temple and the Vidyashankara temple, a fine example of temple architecture beside the Tunga river. The mutt is a major centre of the Advaita tradition.

Plan it: Dress modestly, expect crowds on festival days and plan a stay if you also want to do Kudremukh and Horanadu.

Hours: daytime, check locally | Era: 13th century Hoysala | Time needed: about 1 hr

Belavadi’s Veeranarayana temple was built in the 13th century in Hoysala style, with a triple shrine, fine carved pillars and a quiet village setting. It pairs naturally with the Belur and Halebidu temples in Hassan.

Plan it: Visit in the morning light and dress modestly. See our Hassan guide for the bigger Hoysala temples.

Museum: about 10 am to 5 pm, reported closed Saturdays and Sundays | Estate walks: arranged by stays | Best time: November to March

The Coffee Museum, an initiative of the Coffee Board, explains the story of coffee from bean to cup. Estate walks show the harvest, usually from November to February, and the white coffee blossom appears around February and March.

Plan it: Book an estate walk through your homestay and confirm the museum’s days before you go, since reports on weekend hours differ.

Safari: morning and late afternoon slots, vary by season | Best time: November to February | Time needed: half a day

Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary protects dense forest, grassland and the Bhadra river, with elephants, gaur, deer and many birds, and a tiger reserve around it. Rafting and safaris are run by the forest department and approved operators.

Plan it: Book safari slots ahead, since timings and availability change with the season.

Falls: about 9 am to 5 pm | Location: near Kudremukh town | Time needed: half a day

Kalasa is a temple town on the Bhadra river and the base for the Kudremukh trek, with the Kalaseshwara temple sometimes called the Kashi of the South. Hanuman Gundi Falls, also known as Suthanabbe Falls, lies about 20 km from Kudremukh town.

Plan it: Combine it with the Kudremukh permit process and an overnight stay, and check falls access after heavy rain.