Gokarna & Murudeshwar

🌄 Gokarna & Murudeshwar Travel Blog – A 4-Day Journey to "The Dakshin Kashi"

Trip Duration: 4 Days

Transport Mode: Bus & Scooty

Best For: Nature lovers, solo travellers, peace seekers

Ideal Season: All year round (except peak summer to avoid extreme heat)

🛬 Day 1: Arrival in Gokarna

My journey to Gokarna began from Bengaluru. I boarded the train from Bengaluru in the evening and arrived in Gokarna Road around 7 am in the morning. By train, it is a 12-hour journey. The train will take you to Gokarna road, which is again 11km away from the main beach/Gokarna main town. After arrival, I took a shared taxi to Gokarna beach. Shared taxis are easily available just outside the railway station. I had previously booked the stay near the temple. It's a good and safe choice, especially for female solo travellers, to book a stay near the temple. The area is peaceful and safe. I will provide the stay details below. It's a great stay with a perfect location to cover all the places that were on my list, also Gokarna beach is just a walk away from the stay. Perfect! Right?

Anyway, I checked in my stay and rented a scooty. There are plenty of rental services available there, and they will drop the scooty at your stay location. I rested for some time and had lunch in a nearby local hotel. The local food of Gokarna is pure bliss! I would recommend that you taste the food from local hotels to get the authentic taste of Gokarna.

After taking some rest, I did darshan of the most revered temples of Gokarna, such as Shree Mahabaleshwar temple, Shree Maha Ganapati Dev temple, and Shiva cave.

I did some shopping at the beach market, explored local shops for authentic beach cuisines, and rested for the day.

Temple timings: 6 am-12:30 pm; 5 pm-8 pm

Tips: Cover the Shiva cave before evening, as it can be a bit scary. It's a great place for meditation, so do try to cover it first and then all the temples.

Scooty rent: 500 rs/Day

Stay :

🌄 Day 2: Gokarna Beach trek

So today I am going to do the most incredible and famous, The Gokarna Beach Trek- an unforgettable coastal hike through five stunning beaches.

As I had more things to check on my bucket list, I didn't have much time to cover all 5 beaches. So, I decided to trek the 4 beaches that include the most stunning route of the whole trek.

🏖 Trek Overview

Route: Kudle Beach- Om Beach - Half Moon - Paradise

Distance & Duration: Around 4-5 km, taking approximately 5-6hours, which includes a break for snacks, swims, clicking plenty of beautiful pictures all along the route, and coming back.

Difficulty: Easy to moderate—suitable for anyone with basic fitness. Expect rocky and sandy terrain, minor boulder climbing, and coastal ridges

I started from my stay around 5 am, early in the morning to catch the sunrise from the cliffs of Gokarna while trekking. Also, if you start early, it will be really great as you can avoid the afternoon heat waves if you finish early.

I reached Kudle beach on a scooty from Gokarna main beach, where I stayed. Along the way, I enjoyed riding through the mountain cliffs of Gokarna and witnessed a picturesque view of the beaches. As I reached there, I parked my scooty and started trekking. The trail is well marked, you'll pass through the forest and will have to climb some rocks. Only in some sections is the trail a little steep, but the view from the cliffs is completely breathtaking! As I reached Om beach, I was stunned by the beauty it offered as the sun was rising behind the mountains, reflecting its rays all along the sea. Mesmerized by the beauty, I enjoyed the sunrise and had breakfast in a nearby cafe. I trekked along the trail. Whenever I get confused about which way to go, I always ask the locals, and they help me out with directions. After reaching Paradise beach, I relaxed there for some time and also did some water activities like swimming and clicked a lot of pictures. There are a lot of beach shacks all along the route. It was a sunny day and I was really exhausted, so I decided to take the ferry to return to the point I started from. The ferries are frequently available going to and from. If you are in a group, you can take the whole ferry, but if you're a solo budget traveller just like me, then you've to wait for people to share! So, I waited for half an hour or so, relaxing on the beach, and then boarded the ferry with my fellow travellers.

As we were going back, the ferry driver showed us dolphins jumping in the sea. I enjoyed the ferry ride and reached Kuddle Beach. I headed back to my stay and rested for the afternoon. For lunch/dinner, I was totally vouching for the local restaurants.

In the evening, I checked out of my stay and headed to another beautiful stay right on the beach.

The Sunset Cafe Beach Stay literally has it all - the comfort and privacy of a hotel, the coziness of your all-favourite café, the chill vibes of a laid-back surf hostel, and the closeness to nature with a 5-star campsite!

After I checked in, I got freshened up quickly and relaxed at the beautiful sunset cafe, owned by the stay property itself. I witnessed the breathtaking sunset from the beach. It was magical as the sun was settling into the vast sea, painting the sky with red and orange shades. After spending a good time on the beach, I decided to explore some beach shacks that were laid all along the beach shores. And while I was hopping from one to another, I stumbled upon a cozy French shack in the middle of the beach, named "Chez Christophe". I truly enjoyed my time there. It has an amazing ambiance right on the beach with live music on Saturdays. The food menu is limited, but it has the best options, making it easy to choose from. After enjoying for a bit longer than I expected, I headed back to my stay and called it a night.

🏞Day 3: Vibhooti Falls-Yana Caves- Leave for Murudeshwar

After having breakfast, I left early for Vibhooti Falls, which is 42km away from Gokarna. It took me around 1.5 hours to reach the spot. There is an entry fee of 10/-rs and another 20/-rs for scooty parking. After parking the vehicle, I took a 20-minute short hike to reach the fall. As I reached the waterfall, it was a beautiful and refreshing spot surrounded by lush greenery. The water is crystal clear and perfect for a short dip or just relaxing by the rocks. The short walk to the falls is scenic and enjoyable. It's a great place for nature lovers and anyone looking for a peaceful escape.

After enjoying and clicking a lot of pictures, I went to Yana caves. It is another 10km away from Vibhooti Falls. After parking the scooty, I trekked for 15 minutes to reach the foothill of the magnificent caves, standing tall in front of me. To explore the caves from inside, there are steps to climb up and walk through the natural cave formation, which spans approximately 400–500 meters around the periphery. The view I got from the inside of the caves was stunning. I explored the caves and then left the place with a lot of pictures.

I returned the scooty, had lunch, and took the bus from Gokarna bus stand for Murudeshwar. It is an hour journey.

As I reached Murudeshwar, I checked into the hotel. No need to book the hotel previously, as one can get plenty of options after reaching there.

After checking in, I went to enjoy the evening view of the temple. I had taken the stay just within walking distance of the temple.

The Murudeshwar Shiva temple looked more vibrant, decorated in the evening light. It has a vast temple campus to cover, including gardens and the 123-foot Shiva statue perched on Kanduka Hill's top. All these are inside the temple only, and it's a great place to spend the evening.

After exploring the temple campus, I had dinner at a local restaurant and went back to my stay.

🌿 Day 4: Murudeshwar-Honnavar-Return to Banglore

I started the day early in the morning to catch the sunrise and witness the 123-foot Sri Shiva idol from the 18th floor of the Raja Gopura. There is a lift that takes me to the top and provides a stunning view of the entire city, along with the vast sea. The view was really astonishing! After that, I went to the beach and enjoyed the view from there for some time.

After having lunch, I went to the Murudeshwar railway station. It's 4km away from the Temple. You can take a bus from the bus stop near the temple or a taxi. I boarded my train and headed back to Bangalore, carrying a lot of memories and leaving behind my footprints and nothing else. Please always try to leave the place cleaner than you found it!

If you have some extra time, then you can explore Honnavar and Netrani Island (famous for scuba diving). The price for scuba diving was really affordable if you do it from Murudeshwar.

Temple timings: 6 am-1 pm; 3 pm-8 pm

Lift timing/price: 3 am-1 pm: 3 pm-8 pm / 10/-rs

🧳 Packing Tips:

Best time to visit: October to March

Footwear: Comfortable sandals or trekking shoes for the beach trek.

Carry sunscreen, a hat, a power bank, and enough cash (ATMs are limited).

-----------