--- title: "Gokarna, Murudeshwar & Honnavar Backpacking" description: "Kudle and Om Beach, a boat ride and snorkelling off Belekan, then the Murudeshwar Shiva statue and the Honnavar backwaters on the way home." url: "https://www.goweekender.in/escapes/gokarna-murudeshwar-honnavar-backpacking" --- # Gokarna, Murudeshwar & Honnavar Backpacking Kudle and Om Beach, a boat ride and snorkelling off Belekan, then the Murudeshwar Shiva statue and the Honnavar backwaters on the way home. - Destination: Gokarna, Karnataka - Departs from: Bangalore - Duration: 2D/1N (2 days, 1 night) - Price: from ₹4,999 - Categories: Beaches, Waves, Nature, Culture - Booking: in the GoWeekender app (iOS and Android), run by a verified host ## Upcoming departures - 30 Oct 2026: ₹4,999 - 6 Nov 2026: ₹4,999 - 13 Nov 2026: ₹4,999 - 20 Nov 2026: ₹4,999 - 27 Nov 2026: ₹4,999 ## About this trip If a beach weekend automatically means Goa to you, this is the argument for the other coast. Gokarna is quieter, cheaper and still shaped like a temple town, with a string of beaches that you reach on foot rather than by taxi. We leave Bangalore on Friday night and pull in on Saturday morning. After checking in and eating, the day starts slow at Kudle and Om Beach: a walk along the shoreline, the cafés behind it, and a long lunch. Later we head to the Belekan and Tadri stretch for a boat ride down the coast, with kayaking, snorkelling and a swim in open water. The same stretch gives you one of the best sunsets on this coast, and the evening after that is yours. Sunday morning goes to Murudeshwar, where the second-tallest Shiva statue in the world stands on a headland with sea on three sides. After lunch we stop at Honnavar, a quiet backwater stretch where you can take a boat out among the mangroves before the drive home. Travel is by AC Tempo Traveller or mini bus with a trip captain along, and stay is in four-sharing AC rooms. Breakfast on both days, tolls and driver bata are included. Water activities depend on sea conditions, safety and official restrictions on the day, and if they are called off we swap in a beach trek or another plan instead. ## Itinerary ### Day 1: Overnight Departure, Gokarna Beaches & Sunset Pickups begin the previous night at 8:30 PM from Udupi Grand (HSR), then KLM Fashion Mall (9:00 PM), Domlur Skywalk (9:30 PM) and Govardhan Theatre, Yeshwanthpur (10:00 PM), followed by a ten-hour overnight drive with the trip captain running an ice-breaking session on board. We reach Gokarna on Saturday morning, check into four-sharing AC rooms and ease into the day at Kudle and Om Beach: a walk along the shoreline, the cafes behind it and lunch by the water. Later we head to the Belekan and Tadri stretch for a coastal boat ride with kayaking, snorkelling and a swim, and one of the best sunsets on this coast. Water activities depend on sea conditions, safety and official restrictions; if they are called off we swap in a beach trek or another plan. - 8:00 AM Reach Gokarna & check in: We pull in on Saturday morning and check into four-sharing AC rooms. Time to shower and change before the day starts. - 9:00 AM Breakfast at the property: A hot breakfast before heading down to the beaches. Included in the package. - 10:30 AM Kudle Beach & Om Beach: A walk along two of the best beaches on this coast, with the cafe strip behind them and plenty of time to just sit. - 12:30 PM Cafe hopping & lunch by the water: The beachside cafes serve everything from seafood to Israeli plates. Lunch is self-sponsored, so carry cash or UPI. - 3:00 PM Boat ride from Belekan to Tadri: A scenic ride down the coastline past the cliffs and coves. Subject to sea conditions and safety clearance on the day. - 4:30 PM Kayaking, snorkelling & a swim: Open-water session at the Belekan and Tadri stretch. Cancelled for safety if the sea is rough, with a beach trek offered instead. - 6:30 PM Sunset & evening at leisure: The sky goes gold over the water, then back to the property to unwind with the group for the rest of the evening. ### Day 2: Murudeshwar Shiva Statue & Honnavar Backwaters Up with the sunrise, breakfast at the property, then we check out and drive south to Murudeshwar, where a 123-foot Shiva statue stands on a headland with the Arabian Sea on three sides and the twenty-storey gopura next to it. After lunch we stop at Honnavar, a quiet backwater stretch fringed with mangroves, where you can take a boat out on your own account before we start the drive back to Bangalore. Lunch and the Honnavar boat ride are self-sponsored. - 7:00 AM Sunrise & breakfast: Dawn over the water, then the last included meal of the trip before we pack up. - 9:00 AM Check out & drive to Murudeshwar: Bags on the bus and a coastal drive south along the Konkan road. - 10:30 AM Murudeshwar temple & Shiva statue: A 123-foot Shiva statue on a headland with sea on three sides, and the twenty-storey gopura beside it. - 1:00 PM Lunch on the coast: A seafood or thali stop before we turn inland. Self-sponsored. - 2:30 PM Honnavar backwaters boat ride: A quiet mangrove stretch on the Sharavathi. The boat ride is self-sponsored and depends on availability on the day. - 4:00 PM Return journey to Bangalore: We start back in the late afternoon and reach the same drop points in the city overnight. ## What's included - Toll charges and driver bata - Entire travel as per the itinerary by AC Tempo Traveller or Mini Bus - Breakfast on Day 1 and Day 2 - Trip captain throughout the trip - Experience of group travel and a lifetime of memories - Accommodation in 4-sharing AC rooms ## Not included - Anything not mentioned under inclusions - Costs arising from bad weather, landslides or public protests - GST @ 5% - Travel, accidental and medical insurance - All meals other than breakfast on Day 1 and Day 2 - Honnavar backwaters boat ride (self-sponsored) ## FAQs ### What should I carry? A government-issued ID (Aadhaar), swimwear and a change of clothes, a quick-dry towel, footwear with grip for the rocks between the beaches, sunscreen, a cap and sunglasses, a water bottle, a power bank, polybags for wet clothes and cash or UPI for meals. ### Will the water activities definitely happen? They depend on sea conditions, safety and government rules on the day. If the sea is rough, water levels are low or there are official restrictions, the session is called off for safety and we swap in a beach trek or another experience instead. ### How strictly is the timeline followed? We leave Bangalore at 8:30 PM on Friday for a ten-hour drive and reach Gokarna on Saturday morning. On-ground timings are indicative: sea conditions, crowds and traffic on the way back can move things by an hour or two. ### Is it safe to travel with strangers? Yes. Every departure travels with a trip captain, rooms are allotted by gender ratio and travellers are verified before the trip. Most people join solo and leave with a new set of friends. ### Terms & conditions The itinerary may be rearranged to suit availability without changing the total number of days or cutting any service. All guests must carry a government-issued ID. Confirmation of physical and mental fitness is required before the trip. No refund is provided for disruptions caused by government orders, harsh weather, protests, landslides or other unforeseen circumstances. ## Read before you go - [Bandaje Falls Trek 2026: Route, Rules, Cost from Bangalore](https://www.goweekender.in/blogs/bandaje-falls-trek) - [Karnataka Trek Online Booking 2026: Permits and Rules](https://www.goweekender.in/blogs/karnataka-trek-online-booking) - [Travel Buddies in Bangalore: Find Your Weekend Crew (2026)](https://www.goweekender.in/blogs/find-travel-buddies-bangalore)