List of Places to Visit in Hampi

Located approximately 340 kilometres from Bangalore, Hampi is a tourist destination that will leave you in awe. This list of places to visit in Hampi will help you explore the magnificent ruins easier. Navigate quickly through these top sights in Hampi.

1. Virupaksha Temple

2. Vittala Temple

3. Hampi Bazaar

4. Hippie Island or Virupapura Gadde

5. Gagan Mahal

6. Yantrodharaka Hanuman Temple

7. Queen’s Bath

8. Sasivekalu Ganesha Temple

9. Sanapur Lake

10. Hemakuta Hill Temple Complex

11. Archaeological Museum

12. Lakshmi Narasimha Temple

13. Daroji Bear Sanctuary

14. Matanga Hill

15. Tungabhadra Dam

Get to Know these Places to Visit in Hampi

Since there are plenty of places to visit in Hampi that will draw your attention to minute details of Indian archaeology, read on to see which of them allure you the most. The incredible landscapes, majestic boulders and hundreds of temple ruins make this place quite magical.

1. Virupaksha Temple

Going to Hampi and not visiting Virupaksha Temple is just like going to a restaurant and not eating anything. Virupaksha Temple is the most popular temple in Hampi, located approximately 1 km from the city centre. The temple is located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River and is the centre of pilgrimage at Hampi. It is also counted in the list of the oldest functioning temples of India.

Virupaksha Temple is devoted to Lord Virupaksha, an embodiment of Lord Shiva who was the consort of Goddess Pampadevi. Therefore, it is also known as the Pampapathi Temple by the locals. The temple was built by a chieftain named Lakkan under the ruler “Deva Raya II” of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 7th century.

You will always find locals as well as domestic and foreign tourists in the Virupaksha temple. The two huge courtyards inside the temple along with gateway towers, a pillared hall called Ranga Mandapa, the statue of three-headed Nandi and other ancient edifices will daze you with goosebumps. What makes your visit to this majestic temple more worthwhile is the underwater Shiva Temple inside the main complex.

Timings: 6:00 am to 6:00 pm throughout the week

Duration: 1.5-2 hours

Entry fee:

Indian tourists: INR 5
Foreign tourists: USD 5
Video Camera: INR 500
Still Camera: INR 50
Local Guide: Starts from INR 50 but varies according to various factors, packages, etc.
Shoe Safekeeping: INR 1

2. Vittala Temple

The Vittala Temple is the largest structure of all the monuments at Hampi and dates back to the 16th century. Devoted to Lord Vittala, an embodiment of Lord Vishnu, this iconic temple will impress you with its rich architecture.

Tourists from all over the world come to see the famous stone chariot at this huge complex spread across acres of land. Huge pillars with beautiful carvings, complex sculptures inside the courtyard and arched main gate of this temple are the finest examples of artisanship.

Timings: 8:30 am to 5:30 pm throughout the week

Duration: Around 2 hours

Entry fee:

Indian tourists: INR 10
Foreign tourists: USD 5

3. Hampi Bazaar

Situated on the foothills of Matanga Hill, Hampi Bazaar is another famous place that you should not skip a visit to. Stretched across one kilometre of land, Hampi Bazaar is a street dotted with busy shops, street food stalls, some ancient ruins and truckloads of handmade articles.

Also known as Virupaksha Bazar, this place is crowded with shoppers. You must roam around the streets to buy collectables and gifts for your friends and family. At the end of this Bazar rests the majestic Nandi bull statue and a photo gallery.

Timings: 6:00 am to 11:30 pm throughout the week

Duration: Around 1.5-2 hours

Entry fee: None

4. Hippie Island or Virupapura Gadde

Located across the Tungabhadra River, Virupapura Gadde (more popularly known as Hippie Island) is famous for its massive boulder fields and is one of the most popular rock-climbing areas in the world. Come December, this island is teeming with rock climbers from India, Europe and Americas. Don’t forget to attend one of the bouldering workshops conducted by many locals around Hampi. Due to its scenic beauty, it also attracts several hikers and nature lovers. Dotted with many lodges, cafes, etc. along with coconut and banana trees, this island has an ambience like none other.

Many of the tourists at the Hippie Island are groups of youngsters who love backpacking, road-tripping and attending music festivals. The island is famous for hosting sunset jam sessions to capture the mesmerizing dusk view from the naked eyes. Don’t forget to take your camera along and click amazing pictures at various sunset points on Hippie Island.

Timings: 7:00 am to 8:30 pm throughout the week

Duration: 4-5 hours

Entry fee: None

5. Gagan Mahal

With its main structures under ruins, the Gagan Mahal is a splendid place you must visit in Hampi. Built approximately in 1561 AD, the Gagan Mahal was the palace and court of Adil Shahi dynasty which was ruined after the defeat of the Kingdom by Mughals. The palace has arched gates with decorated windows and a huge dome on the top.

Timings: Throughout the day

Duration: 45 minutes - 1 hour

Entry fee: None

6. Yantrodharaka Hanuman Temple

Located on the top of Anjaneya Hill, the birthplace of Lord Hanuman, the Yantrodharaka Hanuman Temple is a structure that talks beyond religious beliefs. This hill is located around 2 kilometres away from the Virupaksha Temple where the Tungabhadra River flows at the foothill.

To reach the hilltop, tourists must take a small boat and walk up the stairs to a panoramic view of this majestic temple as well as the scenery around. This temple is also known as the Monkey Temple as you will find hundreds of monkeys around.

Timings: From sunrise to sunset, throughout the week

Duration: 45 minutes - 1 hour

Entry fee: None

7. Queen’s Bath

Queen’s Bath is a huge royal pool dating back to ancient times. This enormous bathing pool has an excellent architecture inside and simple artistry outside. A rectangular pool surrounded by arched corridors, small windows with intricate design and symmetrical balconies, Queen’s Bath will take you back into royalty within a glimpse.

The royalty had to cross a huge courtyard with a dome-shaped roof before getting into their pampering session in this 30 square meters pool. The architectural design of Queen's Bath indicates that it maintained the privacy of the royal queens and princesses at its best, ensuring no outsiders could come in.

Timings: 6:00 am to 6:00 pm throughout the week

Duration: 30-45 minutes

Entry fee: None

8. Sasivekalu Ganesha Temple

Famous for the enormous 8 feet tall monolith sculpture of Lord Ganesha, Sasivekalu Ganesha Temple in the southern part of Hemakuta hill entices tourists from around the globe. Locals call it “Sasivekalu” as it means mustard seed which resembles Ganesha’s belly.

The giant statue also features a snake around Ganesha’s belly as a depiction of the incident when the Lord consumed a lot of food and tied a snake around him to stop his stomach from bursting. This temple was built in the year 1506 AD and continues to attract people due to its exquisite carvings.

Timings: 6:00 am to 6:00 pm throughout the week

Duration: 45 minutes – 1 hour

Entry fee: None

9. Sanapur Lake

Surrounded by rocky hills, Sanapur Lake is located around 5 kilometres away from the Hippie Island. The lake was made by an irrigation reservoir and is fed by the Tungabhadra Dam canal. You will observe deep, clear water in this lake while experiencing a refreshing, cool breeze. The road to Sanapur Lake will take you through paddy fields and banana trees.

Not only the location is iconic, but the lake is also very calm and serene. You can relax your busy mind at Sanapur Lake and enjoy some water sports such as boating, cliff jumping, swimming, and coracle riding.

Timings: Throughout the day

Duration: 3-4 hours

Entry fee: None

10. Hemakuta Hill Temple Complex

Dotted with ruins and remains of over thirty-five temples, the Hemakuta Hill Temple Complex epitomizes the architectural excellence of the Vijayanagara Empire. These temples are devoted to Lord Shiva and vary completely in their architectural styles.

Krishna Temple, Virupaksha Temple, Moola Virupaksha temple, shrines of Lakshmi Narasimha and Badivilinga are some of the complexes that you will explore across the huge hill. Once you reach the hilltop, the sunset view is worth waiting for.

Timings: 6:00 am to 6:30 pm throughout the week

Duration: 2.5-3 hours

Entry fee: None

11. Archaeological Museum

A small paradise for museum buffs, the Archaeological Museum of Hampi is worth spending some time. From artefacts to paintings, plates to coins, statues to sculptures, armoury to royal remains, this museum has a lot of historic pages to turn.

The Hampi museum exhibits four major sections related to the history of this village. In the first section, you will find the model of Hampi along with some unknown facts about this ancient village. The second section exhibits various sculptures and idols found in the ruins of Hampi during excavation.

The third section introduces you to the tools and weapons of the royal empire. Lastly, you will find various historic artefacts in the fourth section. Although you can take your camera along, it is not permitted to take pictures inside the museum.

Timings: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, throughout the week except for Fridays

Duration: 1.5-2 hours

Entry fee: INR 5 per person above the age of 15

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