One-day Trekking Places near Bangalore

Known as the Garden City, Bangalore has many magnificent and phenomenal trekking destinations surrounding it in its vicinity. Be it foggy or misty mountains or picture-perfect landscapes of beautiful hills, Bangalore has plenty of one-day trekking places to offer.

If you are longing for some adventure and wish to experience the ultimate fun then without any further delay, pack your bags, put on your trekking shoes and trek away to refresh yourself by heading to one of these captivating one-day Trekking places near Bangalore.

Best One-day trekking spots near Bangalore

Hutridurga Trek

A place of Historical Importance Hutridurga, also known as Uttari Betta is one of the ‘Navadurgas’, the nine hill forts around Bangalore. This unexplored place is one of the best one-day trekking destinations and is nestled between bunches of villages in Kunigal taluk of Tumkur District and located at a distance of around 65km from Bangalore.

Hurtidurga was built by Kempogowda and dates back to the 16th century. The ruins of the fort can still be perceived through the two hills surrounding the village. Shankareshwara temple situated on top of the hill is one of the highlights of this trek.

The total trek distance is just 5km both ways and can be easily completed. You can explore the surroundings and enjoy the panoramic view around them.

Savandurga Trek

Considered as one of the largest monolith hills of Asia, Savandurga is around 60 km from Bangalore. Situated at the base of the hills are two temples which are the Savandi Veerabhadreshwara Swamy temple and Narasimha Swamy temple.

There are two main Trekking trails, one is the Karigugga trail and the other is the Biligudda trail, which runs up towards the top of the hill. The Trek starts from the Narasimha Swamy temple.

As you Trek to the top of the hill, you can view the marvelous fort built by Kempe Gowda II from where you can get an excellent view of the outskirts of Bangalore. The Arkavathi river flowing into the Thippagondanahalli reservoir adds to the wide beautiful view and is a feast to the eyes.

Savandurga is noted for night Trekking and it is one of the most scenic trekking places around Bangalore, a paradise for nature lovers and adventure junkies.

Kunti Betta Trek

Kunti Betta is a popular night trekking destination and we can spot a lot of adventure enthusiasts and thrill-seekers here. Located in Pandavapura Taluk of Mandya district, Kunti Betta consists of two rocky hills standing tall and surrounded by attractive sceneries and landscapes.

The trek starts from the temple near the base and throughout the trek, you get to see huge boulders & rocky terrain and get some beautiful views of the surrounding sugarcane, paddy fields, and coconut groves. You can get a stunning view of Lake Thonnur, situated at the foothill.

The difficulty level of the trek is moderate. Rappelling, rock climbing, camping, swimming, kayaking, boating, and fishing are the other activities that you can enjoy here.

Makalidurga Trek

Situated within close proximity to the Doddaballapur town, Makalidurga is a massive granite hillock to climb on which is present near the village of Makali. There is a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna at the base of this hill.

The main highlights of this trek are the railway track that passes at the base of the hill and one cannot miss catching the glimpse of the passing train from here, and the other is the Makalidurga fort which lies at the summit.

This is a moderately difficult trek as the trekking trail here is not well defined but there are some directions marked on the boulders that will guide you throughout the trek.

The night trekking in Makalidurga is an experience you cannot miss. The best time to trek in Makalidurga is the months from September to February.

Nandi Hills

An ideal place for trekking, Nandi hills, or Nandidurga derives its name from Nandi, the mount of Lord Shiva. This ancient hill fortress with an altitude of about 1480 meters offers some pleasing views of the surroundings.

This place is popular among travelers for early morning treks to experience the most photogenic early sunrise. You need to climb around 1,200 steps to reach the summer palace of Tipu Sultan located at the peak.

Other attractions near Nandi Hills include Tipu’s Drop (from where he used to throw his prisoners), ruins of Tipu Sultan’s fort, Bhoga Nandeshwara Temple (houses a 1000- year-old sculpture of Nandi), The Yoga Narasimha temple, Sri Bhoga Narasimha temple, and Amrita Sarovar Lake.

Paragliding, Rock climbing, and Rappelling are the other activities that can be experienced and enjoyed by the adventure enthusiasts here.

Madhugiri Trek

Famous for a hill which is the second-largest monolithic rock hill in Asia after Savandurga, Madhugiri is a town in Tumkur district of Karnataka and situated at a distance of 106 km from Bangalore city.

Deriving its names from the honey bee colonies, Madhugiri has a fort built by Hyder Ali on the slopes of the hill with three gateways Antharalada Bagilu, Diddibagilu, and the Mysore Gate. One of the finest architectural piece and now in ruins is the temple of Gopalakrishna, located atop.

The Madhugiri trek is of moderate to difficult level due to the steepness of the terrain with precipitous rocks to climb and steps present right up to the hilltop. You will be rewarded with some amazing views of the surroundings and greenery as you reach the peak.

The months of October to March are the best time to visit this place.

Skandagiri

One of the best one-day trekking places near Bangalore is Skandagiri, also known as Kalavara Durga and is a perfect destination for night trekking, camping and bird watching. This ancient mountain fortress houses a dilapidated fort which belonged to Tipu Sultan at the top.

The trek at Skandagiri begins from the Papagni Temple located at the foot of the hill and as you trek uphill, you can find two caves. The trek is moderately difficult since you will have to make your way through dense shrubs.

This place is more famous for night trekking and sunrise view. A lot of tourists throng this place during weekends to view the glorious sunrise from the peak.

The scenic beauty of the lush green hill accompanied by the spectacular sunrise view makes this trek worth it. You can visit Skanda Giri from the month of May to December.

Channarayana Durga Trek

Yet another adventurous and unexplored trekking place is the Channarayana Durga Trek which is a hill fort near Tumkur district. It takes about half a day to ascend to the top and explore the Maratha fort which consists of a few temples and old structures inside.

The fort has three stages with the lower portion covered with steep rocks and the upper portion formed by thick vegetation and a pond filled with water.

The trek is of moderate difficulty and the trek trail begins from a small village present near the base of the hill and passes through the rocky terrain. Mystery and excitement unfold along the trek as there are no signboards to guide the trekkers.

You can visit Channarayana Durga from September to December as the smooth rock turns slippery during monsoons making it difficult to trek.

If you are planning for a weekend getaway, seeking some adventure and thrill then you cannot afford to miss to make a trip to one of these one-day trekking destinations near Bangalore.

Kaurava Kunda Trekking

Kaurava Kunda is a lesser-known destination located at Chikkaballapur in Hariharapura village at a distance of 75 km from Bengaluru. This is a twin hill and there are 2 peaks at the top and it has been told that the name of the hill is derived from the Indian Mythological story Mahabharata, As this is twin hill, one hill is called Kaurava and another one is called Pandava. In a wider sense “Kauravas” represents the descendants of Kuru clan, this also includes “Pandavas” and hence they named this hill as Kaurava Kunda. 

There is a Shiva temple in the midway before you reach the peak. We can spot a lot of devotees and local people gathering near the temple and meditating in the morning.

Once you reach the top you can find clouds passing beneath you, mesmerizing view of a valley filled with greeneries and you can even see the outline of Nandi Hills and Skandagiri.

Kaurava Kunda is a perfect and peaceful trip away from the usual crowded places across Bangalore.

It is a more challenging trek compared to other treks around Bangalore as we have to undertake a steep climb and pass through sandy steps, thorns, shrubs to reach the peak of Kaurava Kunda This hike is extremely slippery and risky especially when carried out during night time.

Ramadevara Betta

Ramadevara Betta located at Ramanagara District at a distance of 60 km from Bengaluru, is well known for its Country’s only Vulture Sanctuary and this is where the Famous Bollywood movie Sholay was shot. One has to initially climb more than 400 steps amidst the dense forest and huge rocks structures to reach the temple that is halfway mark and after this climb to the peak is a little hard as the path gets narrower and steepness increases. The view from the top is magical & surrounded by rock boulders and lush greenery everywhere.

This place is popular among rock climbers and adventure enthusiasts.

Ramadevara Betta is declared as eco-sensitive zone. You can visit this place early in the morning to spot long-billed, Egyptian, and white-backed vultures.

Conclusion

Bored with your routine weekend stuff, then try hitting any of these beautiful trekking spots near Bangalore with your dear ones and let the kid within you dance with joy.

Have you ever been to these one-day trekking places near Bangalore? Which one did you like the most? We would like to hear from you please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Also, read: Best weekend getaways from Bangalore