Chikmagalur Tourism
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Chikmagalur Tourism

Chikmagalur Travel Guide

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Rank 4
Ranked 4 of 102
Karnataka Tourism Destinations
Destination Rating
5.8 / 7
9925 Ratings & 6761 Reviews

Chikmagalur Info

  • State: Karnataka
  • Famous for/as: Hill
  • Altitude: 1894 m
  • Pincode: 577101
  • District: Chikmagalur
  • Language: Kannada
  • STD code: 08262
  • Weather: Summer 21 to 35°C, Winter 14 to 32°C

History of Chikmagalur

Chikmagalur is a small town located at the foothills of the Mullayanagiri Range in the South Western part of Karnataka. It is a popular weekend getaway from Bangalore and Mangalore. The name ‘Chikmagalur’ translates into ‘younger daughter’s town’. It received the name because of a historical event in which the town was given as dowry to the younger daughter of Rukmangada, who was the chief of the place Sakrepatna. Chikmagalur was earlier known as ‘Kadur’.

Chikmagalur is known for its vast estates of coffee and tea plantations. The first coffee plantation in Chikmagalur was brought by Baba Budan Giri from West Asia.

People and Culture of Chikmagalur

The population of Chikmagalur mainly comprises Hindus and Christians. Kannada is the predominant language of the place. Ganesh Chatruthi, Ugadi, Dussehra and Deepavali are some of the festivals celebrated in Chikmagalur. Chikmagalur places to visit include waterfalls, lakes, hills and temples.

Things to Do in Chikmagalur

Among the many beautiful places to visit in Chikmagalur, Mullayangiri is the most popular place. Lying at an altitude of 1930 metres above seal level, it is the highest peak in Karnataka. It lies in the bara Budan Range of the Western Ghats. Tourists looking for adventurous things to do in Chikmagalur can enjoy activities such as Trekking, mountain biking, road biking etc. Regarded as sacred by both Hindus and Muslims, Inam Dattatreya Peetha is also an eminent Chikmagalur sightseeing place. A three-day celebration known as ‘Urs’ is held at the place every year.

Kudremukh National Park is also among the important places to see in Chikmagalur. Accredited as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, one can enjoy outdoor activities as well as sightseeing at the park. Tourists can explore the flora and fauna of the dense forest in a Safari.While sightseeing in Chikmagalur, one must not miss the Hebbe Falls which is a natural spring fall. The water stream is enriched with minerals and believed to cure skin diseases.

Food and Shopping in Chikmagalur

After exploring the various Chikmagalur tourist places, one can savour the local cuisine of the place which is known as ‘Malanadu’. The local dishes are generally flavoured with coconut milk and rice and fish curry are the staple dishes of the local cuisine. Some of the other specialties of the cuisine are Akki Roti, Kakadu and Banana Chips.

One must definitely take back different varieties of coffee and cashew nuts from Chikmagalur tour. National Coffee Research Station is where you can buy exotic varieties of coffee. Market Road is another place from where you can pick up souvenirs and other handicraft items.

Accommodation in Chikmagalur

Tourists who are wondering how to reach Chikmagalur can choose from among various options since it is well connected by road, air and rail. The closest airport to Chikmagalur is in Mangalore which is located at a distance of around 170 km. Daily buses ply from places such as Bangalore, Mangalore, Coimbatore to Chikmagalur. One can also rent a car and drive down to the place.

Homestays and guesthouses are the most popular form of accommodation in Chikmagalur. One can also look for resorts in Chikmagalur that lie close to the major Chikmagalur attractions.


Explore Chikmagalur through video reviews

Mullayanagiri, Chikmagalur

Awesome place to visit
00:31
Overall Rating
6.0/7

Hebbe Falls, Chikmagalur

A must thing to do in Chikmaga...
01:45
Overall Rating
7.0/7

Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, Chikmagalur

U need luck!
01:47
Overall Rating
6.0/7
View More Video Reviews

Most preferred by...

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Chikmagalur Traveller Reviews

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Read 231 destination reviews
with average rating of 5.8/7,
out of 6761 Chikmagalur reviews
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Raj Deo

  • Tourist
  • Raj Deo
  • Lives in Bangalore
  • 65 photos
  • 1 Review
  •  3 helpful votes
  •  79 readers

"Perfect Hill Station for a weekend getaway from Bangalore" new review

  • 7.0/7
  • Posted 3 weeks ago
Chikmagalur is an amazing hill station (not yet completely commercialized, fortunately) and It hardly takes 5 hours to reach from Bangalore. The place can be explored in all seasons but Monsoon is what I would advise, for the entire western ghats become majestic with the valleys and the hills turning lush green, the rivers and the waterfalls reaching roaring speed and volume.

At around 60 km from the hill station, lies the highest peak of Karnataka - Mullayanagiri, which is a must-check-out place. Other good places to check out are Baba Budan Giri hills, Hebbe Falls, etc. Personal recommendation will be to take a bike and explore the offbeat routes around Attigundi, beyond Baba Budan Giri hills, etc.

It's a great place for hiking as well, from trails ranging from day-hikes to 3-4 days long hikes. I've been to Chikmagalur for more than 4 times in the past, mostly for hiking and camping and it has been an amazing experience. Just try not to camp anywhere inside the Bhadra Tiger Reserve (unless you are braver than Bear Grylls) and you'll enjoy the time there.

As for local food and shopping, the place has food street near the bus stand which offers pretty decent food at relatively low prices. The homemade chocolates are a delight and one should definitely buy more for later, else you will regret (like I did! ).
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Kiran B kutinha

  • Tourist
  • Kiran B kutinha
  • Lives in Bangalore
  • 22 photos
  • 13 Reviews
  •  4 helpful votes
  •  1407 readers

"Sometimes BEAUTY is best experienced!"

  • 6.0/7
  • Posted 3 months ago
1 photo with review
Traversing through Karnataka's stratosphere with good friends, awesome weather & the strong miff of clean air to keep company. Chikmagalur offered us a 2-fold excitement; from an adrenaline rush as we made our way through the clouds to one of the highest peak in South India and of course never ending breathtaking views that leave you feeling like you're witnessing a little of paradise on earth.
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Manjunathan Bellur

  • Scout
  • Manjunathan Bellur
  • 4 Reviews
  •  1113 readers

"Heart of coffee land"

  • 5.0/7
  • Posted 3 months ago
Chikmagalur is a central point in coffee growing area. It has moderate weather. One can stay here and explore many types of holidays including heritage, religious, adventure, or just rest and relax holidays. Heritage places include Halebidu, Belur, Belavadi which are all Hoysala period temples which are all with in a distance of 50 KMS from Chikmagalur. As for as religious tour is considered, There is Sringeri, which is the place of Shankar math and Sharada temple. Horanadu has Annapoornshwari temple flocked by thousands of devotees. There is Kalasa which has famed Shiva temple called Kalaseshwara. Chikmagalur is surrounded by mountains containing Coffee estate and drive through the hilly area amid coffee estates in a cool weather is a joy in itself. Nearby are Mullayanagiri mountain which is highest point in Karnataka. Many trekkers go-to Chikmagalur for enjoying trekking in surrounding mountains and forests . . This Chikmagalur satisfies many types of tourists.
Chikmagalur has many hotels catering to various budgets along with more than 500 homestay facilities in the district. It is connected only by road to Mysore, Bangalore and Mangalore. Nearest airport is Mangalore or Bangalore.
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Manjunath Tn

  • Tourist
  • Manjunath Tn
  • Lives in Bangalore
  • 1 Review
  •  1041 readers

"Rent a ride to Land of coffee"

  • 7.0/7
  • Posted Feb 18, 2017
Yeah !!! Now we can rent a bike and ride to Chickmagalur - land of coffee. Thanks to Royal Brothers bike rental company. For more details please check www. Royalbrothers. In. Royal Brothers are Operational in cities such as Bangalore, Mangalore, Manipal, Udupi, Mysore, Coorg, Trivandrum, Vizag and many more.
We can rent wide range of bikes and scooters including Royal Enfield Motorcycles, Bajaj Avenger Cruise, Pulsar, Yamaha FZ, Honda Activa, Mahindra Mojo, Suzuki Access, Dominar and many more
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Pulak Pramanik

  • Tourist
  • Pulak Pramanik
  • Lives in Bangalore
  • 3 Reviews
  •  1 helpful vote
  •  1091 readers

"Nice place to unwind in long weekend. Good drive from Bangalore. Plan at least for 2 night 3 days an"

  • 6.0/7
  • Posted Feb 13, 2017
Visited in 1 st week of Feb 17. Day was hot, morning and night was very pleasant. We were returning from Sringare and we stopped for a night. We booked a hotel in City to avoid hassle to find out place inside plantation as read in few review on Home-stay in this place.
Visited Baba Budhan Giri Hill, nice road inside green forest and plantation. View was excellent. No time to visit any other place as we planned to return on same day to Bangalore.
Had lunch in Maharaja in IG road. Decent restaurant average decor. We tried chilli fish Dal fry and steamed rice. Chilli fish was very good. Do not forget to try fresh meant with soda as drink.
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  • 1 vote
Dinesh pancharath

  • Scout
  • Dinesh pancharath
  • 6 Reviews
  •  4 helpful votes
  •  4622 readers

"Enjoyable experience"

  • 5.0/7
  • Posted Jan 1, 2017
Chikmagalur is different from the usual hill stations which boast of a fleet of spots in a short radius. Each of the attractions is at least 10 to 60 kilometers away from the city centre. The attraction of this place is the drive to each of the destinations and the trekking options. The people are decent folks, unaffected by attention that a popular tourist spot gets. I stayed at Giri inn, loved the ambience and food at this place. Apart from shopping at MG road the only place I visited with my wife and kids was kemmanagundi. The drive from Chikmagalur was awesome, and in had to pass through a mountain to reach kemmanagundi. The garden at kemmanagundi is maintained well. Did some good selfies at the topmost point of kemmanagundi. On the way to kemmanagundi, we went to Kalhatti falls. At the bottom of the falls there is a small temple. Overall, had a nice experience.
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Pankaj chawda

  • Tourist
  • Pankaj chawda
  • 2 Reviews
  •  1 helpful vote
  •  1523 readers

"Very Good"

  • 6.0/7
  • Posted Dec 26, 2016
It's a good place but definitely not like Ooty and Coorg. Even in December there was no mist. Mulyanagiri is must visit place > Drive Carefully > Very very carefully. Buttermilk waterfall is also good place, you can't drive till there. Around 6 KM road to be covered by private jeeps, their driving is horrible :(. Food - Savi Veg Restaurant on Hanumanthappa Circle in Chikmanglur city is heaven for North India Vegetarians - very good food, we loved it. You must visit Belur, very nice and huge temple, must be older than 1000 years.
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  • 1 vote
Prakash kulkarni

  • Tourist
  • Prakash kulkarni
  • 2 Reviews
  •  1 helpful vote
  •  1686 readers

"Mind blowing location"

  • 7.0/7
  • Posted Dec 13, 2016
Visiting Chikmaglur and nearby places was our dream, and we are thrilled after reaching Chikmaglur, the dream city surrounded by tall mountains - totally dream come true trip. Pleasant atmosphere, relaxing location and stay. Stress relieving tour and tasty food - totally satisfied location.
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Mahesh Suthar

  • Tourist
  • Mahesh Suthar
  • Lives in Jodhpur
  • 218 photos
  • 27 Reviews
  •  316 helpful votes
  •  15755 readers

"Get lost in the clouds!"

  • 7.0/7
  • Posted Oct 6, 2016
7 photos with review
The main reason for me to visit Chikmaglur was to cover the three mighty peaks of Sheethalagiri, Bababudangiri and Mullyanagiri. After these three exhausting treks, I rode solo to Hebbe falls through forest ed paths to dive into the white frothy water that cascades down the hills. The final day of my trip was spent rafting down the Bhadra river which is definitely recommended for every adventure lover out there!
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Raghavendra Bhat

  • Guru
  • Raghavendra Bhat
  • Lives in Bangalore
  • 12 photos
  • 56 Reviews
  •  161 helpful votes
  •  63548 readers

"Good to visit during monsoon"

  • 6.0/7
  • Posted Sep 27, 2016
2 photos with review
Chickmagalur is a peaceful hill station. It is fun to visit here during monsoon when there are many waterfalls on the roadside and you will be literally walking in the clouds. Drive to the upper spots like Mullayyanagiri and Bababudangiri is worth it. There are also many religious places around.
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Shivaraj Sharth Mr.manjunath k r Kamal kumar Shivaraj, Sharth, Mr.manjunath k r and 9691 other people have been to Chikmagalur.
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