In this blog you will get to know how to reach Hampi, where to stay, what are the pros and cons of staying in different places around Hampi, food-related information around Hampi and Hospet, etc.
Please read all the information before jumping to the best hotels suggestion section.
Best time to visit Hampi?
Hampi is open all around the year but the best time to visit Hampi is from October to February. During summers the place becomes hot and dry. Unlike other tourist places in India, hotels in Hospet and Hampi are limited and during different seasons, one may face different scenarios with cost and availability. So plan your visit according to the season and plan well before you arrive at Hampi.
How to reach Hampi?
Hampi is connected by Bus services from various cities in India. Direct Buses to Hampi town are actually available from Bengaluru. By train, you have to reach Hospet ( HPT ). Hospet is well connected by train from many cities. From Bengaluru 3 trains are there every day to Hospet.
After reaching Hospet, you can take a local bus which costs INR 16 per person to Hampi.
By Auto rickshaw, INR 100-200 based on how well you bargain. The distance between Hospet town and Hampi town is 12 km by road. Every 15- 20 mins there is a bus to Hampi from Hospet.
Hospet Station Experience
We reached Hospet from Bengaluru at 7 am by YPR HPT express 16545.
By the time we could actually deboard the train Auto wallahs had started calling us from the train windows.
One autowala followed us to the outside of the station and finally spoke to us if we need a hotel or want to go to Hampi directly.
We had not booked the hotel online, but we had done our homework very well. We knew what would be the rates, how far we need to go to find hotels, etc.
How much I have to travel if I stay in different places near Hampi?
Hospet to Hampi - 12 km distance
Hampi town homestays to Virupaksha temple - 5 km
Sanapur to Hampi - by crossing the TB river by boat, By road, a round trip of 15 km
Hotels at Hospet
Within 2.5 km of the railway station, there are many hotels and lodges. Most of the good ones are near the Hospet Bus Stand which is 1.5 km from the railway station.
You can take an auto - Rs. 30 - 40 to take you to the bus stand area.
Once you reach there you can find a lot of hotels within walking distance.
Usually, the autowallas have connections with the hotel owners and they will suggest you if you tell them your plan. It may look creepy, but autowallas will ask you so many questions like budget, how many days of the trip, etc, based on which they will suggest you with the accommodations. This works for us all the time in all the tourist places.
We found these hotels very well placed as per their proximity, and facilities. These hotels can be booked on MakeMyTrip and Goibibo.
Best Five Star Hotels in Hospet for Hampi Tourism ( Avg cost per night Rs.3000 + for double occupancy)
1. Hotel Orchid Central
2. Hotel Hampi International
Best in Semi-Luxury Hotels in Hospet for Hampi Tourism ( Costs INR 1800 - INR 2800 for double occupancy )
1. Hotel Priyadarshini Classic
2. Hotel Priyadarshini Pride
3. Hotel Malligi
4. Hotel Krishna Palace
5. Hotel Ananya Comforts
6. Hotel Shanbag International
7. Hotel PBS Residency
These hotels have restaurants, provide travel car services and provide better rooms and ambience than any other hotel. If you wish to spend time in the hotel, these are the ones you shall choose.
Best Budget Stays at Hospet for Hampi Tourism ( Avg cost INR 1000 - INR 1800 for double occupancy )
1. Hotel Mega-Inn
2. Hotel Pratap Residency
3. Hotel Raj Residency
4. Hotel Shivananda
5. Hotel Pai Residency
6. Hotel Pallavi Residency
These hotels are budget-friendly, next to the bus stand and market area. We stayed at Hotel Mega-Inn and paid Rs. 1400 per night for Non-AC rooms. In the month of November and December, you actually don't need an AC room in Hospet. The temperature stays at around 28 degrees Celcius.
One of the best restaurants near the bus stand circle is Shanbag Restaurant. We had breakfast lunch and dinner here. Very nice food, budget-friendly and at the most accessible location.
Cheap and Best Hotels Hospet for Hampi Tourism ( Below INR 1200 )
1. Hotel Brindavan
2. KRK Residency
For Solo travellers in Hampi, you can get a dormitory here.
1. Hotel Mayura Bhuvaneswari
Hotels in HAMPI area near the tourist attractions
Hampi village is located 12 km from Hospet. Hampi is a pretty spread out area. Tourist places can be easily 3-4 km away from each other. People walk, cycle, take auto-rickshaws and use buggies to move around and see the tourist attractions. Hampi has a river called Tungabhadra. The area marked in red is Hampi and the other side of the river is Sanapur, also called the Hippie Island area.
People willing to stay near the tourist places can stay at small lodges and homestays near Hampi, Kamalapur or Sanapur.
Best budget stays in Hampi area
There are various stays, inside plantations, near the Virupaksha temple at Hampi Bazar, on the way from Hampi to New Hampi village, etc.
To find one you can browse through these stays.
1. Padma Guesthouse
2. Sudha Homestay
Important: There are various homestays around this area. Many homestays don't have their own restaurant but many have that facility too. Make sure while booking that you get one where food is available. Finding food could be a problem when staying in the interiors of villages.
Pros of staying near Hampi :
1. You can walk and visit tourist attractions.
2. You can hire bicycles
3. You can hire scooty
Cons:
1. Finding food options could be difficult sometimes.
Stays at such homestays cost from INR 900 to INR 1200. Single rooms and single person accommodation could cost from INR 300 to INR 600.
Best Stays at Kamalapur near Hampi
Kamalapur is around 6-7 kms from Hampi. Kamalapur also has stay options - mainly homestays, small lodges and a few good hotels.
Pros of staying at Kamalapur
1. Kamalapur is near tourist attractions
2. Finding food options is easier as it is near to the main road.
3. Walking, cycling is good options to wander around the area.
Cons of staying at Kamalapur
1. May feel lonely in interior areas if not staying with groups.
Most homestays are available. You can find options here.
Some good hotels are:
1. Hotel Mayura Bhuvaneswari
Stays start from INR 1000 to INR 2000 per night.
Best Hotels in Hippie Island, Sanapur area
Sanapur is located on the other side of the river, as shown in the image. Sanapur area along the river is also called the Hippie Island. There were a lot of homestays in this area but the government has demolished all those illegal establishments. The area belonged to the forest department.
Currently, all the homestays are there but a little far from this old point.
Pros of staying in Sanapur:
Nearby villages have homestays with food options.
You can find the scooters on rent very easily here. Scooter rental owners keep asking the tourists.
You can find alcohol here easily but at higher costs. Hampi being a holy place, non-veg food and alcohol are difficult to get.
To see Hampi you have to just cross the river with the boat and walk.
Cons:
Food costs may be higher.
Definitely need a scooter/ car/ own vehicle to move around.
Movement during evenings after dark should not be done, as it's near villages and wild animals are there in the area.
Finding a Doctor in case of a medical emergency could be difficult.
Some hotel and resort options are here.
1. Hotel Kishkinda Heritage resort
2. Hampi Boulder's Resort
Homestay options are here:
1. Golden Garden Hampi
2. Hotel Gowri
There are many homestays you can find on the Sanapur main road here.
Conclusion: Important things you must know before going to Hampi as a first-time traveller.
1. For solo travellers it's a safe place provided you take a good homestay and accommodation.
2. Hampi & Sanapur is basically a rural area and being outside after dark without a vehicle should be avoided for safety reasons.
3. Autowallahs know all the nooks and corners of this place, hence trust them for your regular daytime traveller. But bargain hard before taking their service.
4. Take your water bottle everywhere.
5. Please carry your medicines in good quantity. Finding medical help could be difficult. Have to travel to Hospet for proper medication.
6. Rash driving. Local people even the local buses drive rash on the main roads. New people in the area will not know about this and may get into accidents. ( Believe me, I saw an accident with the tourist on the main road to Hampi. Reason: Bad rented scooter and rash driving, as it was said to me)
Have a great trip.
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