Our introduction to Hampi begins on the first day watching a stunning sunset over the landscape of Hampi. In the evening we will be hosted by a local family for dinner at their simple village home. This home cooked vegetarian meal with locally sourced ingredients will be the best food you will have in Hampi.
On our first day will engage in a full-day heritage tour that will take us through all the important sights within the UNESCO world heritage site of Hampi. We will learn about the History & Architecture of the medieval city of Vijayanagara, we will hear stories of origin, victory, celebrations and defeat.
On second day we embark on an adventure exploring the stunning landscape of Hampi in fun & engaging ways. We start with early morning hike to catch the sunrise from the tallest hill in the area. We discover hidden relief sculptures amongst the boulders on the riverside. We take a coracle boat ride on the river or lake. We explore the rural countryside on scooters or mopeds. We make pit stops along the way for for some local breakfast & coconut water.
For more details please refer to the detailed itinerary section.
Heritage Tours of Hampi
Mythical Landscape Tour
DAY 1
09:00 AM to 12:30 PM – Sacred Areas of Hampi
Sacred Center as the name suggests is the religion heart of Hampi, a number of ancient temples and structures are in this area. The area was established as an important place of pilgrimage well before the establishment of Vijayanagara empire, and to this day continues to be an important religious site. During the morning half of the day we will be exploring the riverside monuments of the Sacred Area. On this tour get a glimpse into thousands of years of History as it unfolded on banks of this mighty river. Learn about the rituals, festivals celebrated along the river. Learn about the birth of carnatic music and Haridasa movement. Visit the most beautiful and intricate of all temples in Hampi – Vijaya Vittala Temple & Stone Chariot.
Monuments Covered: Sasivekalu Ganesha, Double Stories Mantapa, Moola Virupaksha, Manmata Kunda, Virupaksha Temple & Vijaya Vittala Temple Complex
12:00 PM to 02:30 PM: Lunch Break
03:00 PM to 05:30 PM: Urban Core of Hampi
After lunch break we continue our exploration with the Urban Core area. This area was the Citadel of the Vijayanagara kings, it encompasses courtly and military structures of the core zone.
Here we have basements of palaces, administrative buildings, underground chambers, aqueducts, military structures etc. We will learn about social lives of people in the city through art, we will learn about festivals celebrated, irrigation and sanitation plans of the city.
Monuments Covered: Queens Bath, Mahanavami Dibba, Aqueduct, Secret chambers, Stepwell tank, Audience Hall, Public Bath, Hazara Rama Temple, Lotus Mahal, Elephant Stables, Underground Shiva Temple, Nobleman’s Quarters.
06:00 PM: Return to Hotel/Resort in Hampi
05:00 AM – Depart your hotel
05:30 AM – Meet your tour at the start point which is the parking lot near Virupaksha Temple. We will coordinate your pickup on the day of the tour.
05:30 AM to 08:00 AM – Sunrise hike to Matunga Hill & Riverside Adventures
First thing one notices when arriving to Hampi is its awe-inspiring landscape with stunning boulder strewn hills, lush green valleys, network of rivers, lakes and canals. The best way to soak in this stunning view is to hike up to one of the tallest boulder hill in the region, the golden light of early morning Sun is pure magic. From here you get a unique perspective of the landscape and crumbling ruins set amongst them. We continue on to the riverside to spot stunning works of relief sculpture hidden amongst the boulder rocks, getting to these will be an adventure as we hop boulders.
08:00 AM to 08:30 AM – Coracle Boat Ride
These round boats made of Bamboo have been in use here for over a thousand years. The fishing community depend on them even today to fish, ferry passengers and earn additional income by ferrying tourists. We take a coracle boat ride to cross the Tungabhadra river on to the northern bank.
08:30 AM to 09:00 AM – Local breakfast
We take a short pitstop to eat some food and then continue on our adventure.
09:00 AM to 10:30 AM – Moped Ride through Villages
We enjoy ride through quaint villages making stops to meet people, drink chai, see prehistoric cave paintings and more. The meandering village roads cutting through the lush rural farmland is a delight! We will be also stopping by villages and meet people within the community, learn about their livelihoods. Meet craftswomen who turn agricultural waste into beautiful products, and learn how to weave like them.
11:30 AM – Drop back to your accommodation / resort.
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THINGS TO REMEMBER
MOPEDS & ALTERNATIVES
Moped is a light motorcycle (engine power below 60cc). There are several tens of kilometers of rural roads winding between lakes, villages, hillocks and farms near Hampi. One of the best ways to explore this area is on Mopeds. If you have no prior experience riding a moped it is not a problem, one can get the hang of it within 10 -15 minutes of riding. It is one of the favorite pastimes and adventures that you can engage in Hampi. You don’t get a chance everyday to ride a light motorcycle through some of the most awe inspiring landscapes in the world, so we encourage you to try it. We will be filling your moped with enough fuel to ride at least 50 kms.
Mopeds will be provided on twin sharing basis, you can take turns as the rider and pillion. In case you do not want to ride a moped but still want to do this tour, then let us know in message section of the enquiry form. We will offer alternate arrangements. In case you want to speak to someone before making a decision then feel free to reach us through whatsapp, email or phone.
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