Hampi - from Goa by scooter

A report on our independent scooter trip to a former imperial capital that is now a village with ruins — Hampi. On our own, by motorbike from South Goa. With stops in Gokarna, Murudeshwar, and at Jog Falls.

How to get from Goa to Hampi on your own by scooter

As always, there are several ways to get from South Goa to Hampi on your own:

Nonstop in 1 day. The distance from South Goa to Hampi is 365 km. By scooter that is about 7 hours on the road. It is not an easy ride for one day, but with rest stops it is quite doable;
The alternative is to split the trip into 2 days and spend the night roughly halfway, in the city of Hubli (Hubli-Dharwad);
And if you are not too pressed for time, you can do what we did — go through Gokarna, Murudeshwar and Jog Falls, staying overnight in Gokarna and somewhere between Jog Falls and Hampi (we found far from the best place to stay — see the post about Jog Falls). This option takes at least 3 days one way, but you get to add +3 more sights to your collection.

Hampi sights

Hampi is the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire and now a small village in the state of Karnataka, 400 km from Goa, with numerous monuments of the bygone empire or their ruins scattered across its territory. Hampi is divided by a river into 2 parts. There are many interesting places around Hampi, on both sides of the river. Mini ferries run across the river at 2 spots. You can get on the ferry with your bike.

The landscape around Hampi is very unusual and otherworldly — stone boulders of all sizes are scattered everywhere, and they are, in fact, what all the buildings of those times were built from.

We found a guide and rode around the sights with him — he on his bike, and we following on our scooter. We paid 500 rupees for 4 hours.

Ruins of ancient structures and a stone staircase on a site in Hampi — Ruins of Hampi, Karnataka

Stepped stone tank of the emperor in Hampi — The emperor's ancient pool

Stone lingam in a shaft of light in a cave temple in Hampi — An ancient stone lingam in a cave temple

Flooded hall of an underground temple in Hampi with columns and a bull statue — A flooded underground temple

And in the evening it is wonderful to go watch the sunset from a hill within walking distance of central Hampi.

Watching the sunset with monkeys on top of a rock, Hampi

Steps cut into boulders on the climb to the hilltop in Hampi — Climbing the hill, Hampi

A troop of monkeys on a stone ledge above the Hampi valley — Monkeys on the hill, Hampi

A curious monkey approaching the camera on a hill in Hampi — What're you shooting?

The infrastructure of Hampi is designed for short tourist visits — lots of little cafes, and almost no stores. You can rent a scooter on the other side of the river from the central part for ~400 rupees/day. We got a good room with air conditioning for 800 rupees/night. Accommodation in Hampi is easy to find on the spot or through online booking sites.

The place is very atmospheric and beautiful. If you are vacationing in Goa and want to touch Indian and Hindu history, and you have a couple of days to spare, we definitely recommend visiting Hampi.

The cost of an independent scooter trip from Goa to Hampi

A self-guided trip by scooter to Hampi for 2 days comes to roughly 4000 rupees for 2 people. That is based on: 300 (scooter rental) + 1600 (accommodation) + 960 (gas) + 1000 (food).