A small temple town named Gokarna is located in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. Gokarna is a Hindu pilgrimage destination. These days due to the advent of foreigners, hippie culture also prevails in this region. Additionally, if you want to dig deeper into Gokarna then you would probably require a travel guide or a local person.
It is one of the best offbeat places to enjoy your time peacefully relaxing and chilling on the beautiful beaches of south India along with a small touch of tradition and culture added to it.
This place has got so many things to offer right from nature, sightseeing, trekking, seafood. Beaches, temples, water, and other activities.
Goa is just a 3 to 4 hours ride from Gokarna( ie 150 km away) so a lot of people hop into this place. A contrast nature in the lifestyle of both these places can be observed clearly. Goa is more of life, party, entertainment, and a little crowded compared to Gokarna which is traditional, peaceful, and relaxing.
There is the historical significance of this place related to Hindu mythology which takes us back to the days of Ramayana. We will get to know about the story in the paragraphs below.
Note: The word Gokarna means cow’s ears.it is believed that Lord Shiva emerged from the ear of a cow (mother earth) in this place, hence the name Gokarna.
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How to Reach Gokarna
Reaching Gokarna wouldn’t be much of a problem as major cities of south India are just a few hour’s journeys from there. Therefore, no need to worry as there are multiple transport facilities available.
Rail Route
The nearest railway stations would be Gokarna and Ankola railway station which are 14 and 25km away respectively. Some trains won’t stop at Gokarna so get down at Ankola. Both these stations are connected to major cities likes Bangalore, Mumbai, Goa, and Mangalore.
Furthermore, the train from Bangalore will cost around 450 INR.
From railway stations either you can take an autorickshaw or there are plenty of local buses. In a bus, it cost around 40 INR and in Autorikshaw it might cost around 150 to 200 1NR.
Road
Major cities like Bangalore, Goa, and Mumbai are well connected to Gokarna. You can reach by taking a taxi or bus.
If you are traveling in a group I would suggest you take a taxi, it might cost you 10 or 12 INR /km. Prices make vary depending upon the luxury and number of people in the group.
We can travel in private and public buses to reduce cost if one or two people are travelling rather than taking a taxi.
Private buses from Bangalore will cost you around 700 to 1000 INR and will vary based on luxury you opt or based on seasons.
Public buses (KSRTC) are also available it will cost 500 INR / seat from Bangalore.
Also Read: How to Save money while traveling
Air
The closest airport to Gokarna is Dabolim airport in Goa which is 150 km away and Mangalore airport which is 230 km away.
From the airport to Gokarna you can take a taxi which will cost 3000 INR: can take a public or private bus which will cost around 300 INR/ person: train which will cost around 150 INR/ person.
Places to visit in Gokarna
These are some of the best things to do in Gokarna
Mahabaleshwar Temple
The temple was established during the 4th century CE and the main god worshipped here is Lord Shiva.
There is a small and interesting story of how this temple was originated: it takes us back to the Ramayana era. As a result, we can see a lot of religious people coming to this temple.
It is believed that the Srilankan king Ravana had performed immense penance to get “Atma Linga” from Lord Shiva as that would make Ravana very powerful and above all, no one can defeat him.
Lord Shiva impressed with Ravana gave him “Atma Linga” with an instruction that it should not be kept on the ground as it might lose its power.
Lord Ganesha played a trick on Ravana and made sure “Atma Linga” is placed on the ground in Gokarna. Ravana used all his might and tried to lift the “Atma Linga” but was not successful so he named Lord Shiva as Mahabala( one with great strength). The “Atma Linga” was called Mahabaleshwara and later after a few years temple was built.
One of the most famous pilgrimage place of Indians.
Never miss out on this place when you are visiting Gokarna.
This temple provides one of the simple and the best food to have with a touch of the authentic taste of that region. The temple food meals are absolutely free but you have to be present there at 1 pm.
The temple management gives free meals to a limited number of people.
Temple timings: 6 am to 12 pm and 5 pm to 8 pm.
Kudle Beach
Kudle Beach SunsetIf anyone wants to witness one of the most beautiful sunsets then you need to hop on to Kudle beach. Beach stretch with a cliff makes this place look very beautiful and picturesque. As a result, people always carry a camera along with them.
There are a lot of water activities like boat ride, dolphin spotting, and banana ride on this beach.
Best place to have your meal and stay. Kudle beach is less crowded compared to Om beach. Also, never miss out on a big glass of tea with a banana pancake and ice Nutella these things are very delicious and mouthwatering.
Om Beach
Om BeachThis beach is the most popular among the crowds and it is about 6 km from Gokarna’s main town. You can either trek or take a boat ride from Kudle beach to reach Om beach. The boat ride will cost you 10 TO 20 INR.
Om beach forms the shape of Om( a mystic syllable or Hindu symbol), hence the name.
The long white sandy stretch with small rocky structures makes it an amazing view. Sunset from this beach is a breathtaking view.
There are many fun activities like fishing, banana ride, parasailing, speed boating, etc makes this beach more entertaining and keeps people engaged.
We can find plenty of good restaurants and stays on this beach If you are a party freaky, you can find at least 1 or 2 parties at the weekend.
Half Moon Beach
This beach forms the shape of a crescent, hence the name. We can reach Half Moon beach by trekking or boat ride from OM beach. Trekking from Om beach would take around 1 hour. It is a small beach with 2 restaurants, There are no stays available here.
We can’t find any water sport activities in this area, hence we can barely find any tourists here. This place is very quiet and peaceful.
Paradise Beach
This is the last beach among 4 major beaches present in Gokarna. As the name suggests it does look like a mini paradise on earth. The water and the beach here looks very fresh and clean. As a result, we can see plenty of people camp here overnight, the view of the sky with plenty of stars looks wonderful.
The beaches here are very deep so be careful if you are swimming.
There are no restaurants or stays here so always carry food and tent if you are planning to stay here overnight.
Nirvana Beach
Go for a night walk on the Nirvana Beach to witness the shimmering Phytoplankton’s which turn the sea blue and is caused by a natural phenomenon called Bioluminescence
Yana caves
This is a small village in the Kumta forest, which is 50 km away from Gokarna. Yana caves are an unusual karst rock formation. Yana cave is a part of Sahyadri mountains of western ghats and surrounded by thick forest and streams. You need to trek for 3 km within the forest before reaching this place.
We can also find Vibooti waterfalls 8 km away from Yana.
How to reach Yana from Gokarna?
We can take a bus or a taxi from Gokarna. Yana comes in between Gokarna and Sirsi. You need to take a Sirsi bus from Gokarna and inform the driver where you need to get down because many buses won’t stop there without you requesting. The bus ticket would cost around 50 INR.
Mirjan Fort
This fort is located at a distance of 20 km from Gokarna. we can see architectural elegance and glimpses of the battle that took place in the Mirjan fort.
There are plenty of private and public buses are available to reach Mirjan Fort and it would cost 20 to 30 INR for a bus ticket from Gokarna.
You can even rent a bicycle, which will make us travel more responsibly and it would cost around 50 to 100 INR/ day.
Fort Timings: 8 am to 6 pm.
Things To Do In Gokarna
Beachside Trekking
It will be one of the best trekking experience. we will trek through four major beaches Kudle, Om, Half Moon, and Paradise beaches along the cliff. You can either start from Kudle or Paradise beach. It will take around 3 to 4 hours to complete the trek. The difficulty level will be easy to moderate.
Best time to trek will be early morning or during sunset time, it will be a magnificent view from the cliffs. You can notice one side with lush green trees and another side with a beach; you can notice boats, fishing, lots of people swimming Sunset, and other activities while you are trekking.
Always wear comfortable clothes because sometimes you will have to do a little jumping here and there.
These are very easy treks so don’t spend much of money on guides.
Water Sports Activities In Gokarna
You want to take up any ride always be careful about scams because there are people who would charge 2 to 3 times the actual price. It is better to ask hotel managers where you stay, they will guide you in a proper way and sometimes even arrange everything for you at a lesser price.
Pro Tip; always bargain and ask many people before you take up any activity as some people try to charge a huge amount.
There are package activity tours available, it will reduce the cost
If you are good at talking a local language Kannada it is always an added advantage. Therefore, if you have any knowledge about the local language use it as much as possible. Furthermore, water activities in Gokarna for cheaper rates wouldn’t have been possible with the local travel guide.
Water Activities in Gokarna
- Banana boat ride
- Bumper boat rides
- Jet Skiing
- Speed Boating
- Parasailing
- Snorkeling
- Surfing
- Dolphin Spotting
- Fishing Trips
What to Eat at Gokarna
Fish fryThis is a coastal region so seafood like prawns, fish, crabs are very famous. Beaches here are lined up with the best cuisines of the world like Indian, Italian, The Mediterranean, English, French, Mexican, etc along with local and authentic Karnataka style cuisines, hence you need not worry about food no matter which part of the world you belong to.
You can try prawn masala, pomfret fish fry, and Kingfish. The cost will be around 150 to 300 INR / meal based on what you order. Seafood is very good at Om beach.
Furthermore, you can eat at any restaurant in this area as it tastes the same in almost all the restaurants.
Never miss out on banana pancakes and ice Nutella these are very delicious and mouthwatering and it might cost around 100 INR.
Where to Stay at Gokarna
There are plenty of room stays, shacks, and a hostel in Gokarna. If you want to cut down on stay cost then you can opt for hostels. On average accommodations here might cost 400 to 500 INR / person.
Accommodation costs will be varying based on seasons.
Best Time to Visit Gokarna
You can visit this place any time of the year, it remains the same throughout the year. Maybe if you are concerned about heatwaves you can avoid summer from( March to May) as it is very hot. As a result, we can see a constant number of tourists and travelers coming to Gokarna.
The best time as per my suggestion will be to visit from December to February period.
Conclusion
For the people who are stuck up with their hectic scheduled work: who want to escape the actual reality of life and who wants to buy some time for themselves. I suggest these places gotta be on top of your list.
There will be a huge crowd during New Year and Mahashivarathri so avoid going there at this time. As you might not get accommodations and you might lose the sole purpose of visiting Gokarna.
Did you find this Gokarna travel guide helpful? Do you want us to include any more details? Then, please comment below and let us know. We are waiting to hear from you all!
Also, read: Things To Do In Goa
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