What to expect
Highlights
- The biological park (zoo) and boating lake.
- The Tulu-Nadu heritage village and artisan crafts.
- The science centre and planetarium.
Pilikula Nisarga Dhama
Pilikula Nisarga Dhama is a large nature-and-heritage park on the eastern edge of Mangaluru at Vamanjoor. It brings together a biological park (zoo), a boating lake, a botanical garden, a heritage village, an artisan complex and a science centre with a planetarium.
Practical guide
Plan Pilikula Nisarga Dhama
Who's going?Tailor Pilikula Nisarga Dhama to your trip
Typewildlife
Nearest baseMangaluru
DistrictDakshina Kannada
Best timeOctober to February
Time neededHalf a day (3 to 4 hours)
EntrySeparate tickets for zoo/boating/planetarium
Places to visit11→It makes an easy half-day family outing, combining wildlife, a Tulu-Nadu heritage village and hands-on science under one entry.
Getting there
How to visit
- ~12 km from the city centre at Vamanjoor; reach it by bus, auto or taxi.
- Separate tickets apply for the zoo, boating, planetarium and museums — allow a few hours, and go early on a weekday to avoid crowds.
Distance by road
- Udupi60 km
- Kasaragod50 km
- Madikeri (Coorg)135 km
- Mysuru250 km
- Bengaluru350 km
Road km to Dakshina Kannada; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.
Timing
Best time
October to February; weekday mornings are quietest.
Weather in Pilikula Nisarga DhamaSeasonal guide
Live forecast loads in your browser.
Today at Pilikula Nisarga Dhama
Sunrise6:20 am
Sunset6:41 pm
Golden hour best light5:41 pm–6:41 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:41 pm–7:06 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 278°
Moon tonight🌖 Waning gibbous · 64%
South-west monsoon. June to September brings heavy rain to Karnataka. Trails, falls and ghat roads can be slippery, swollen or closed at short notice, and forest departments sometimes suspend access. Check locally on the day before you travel.
Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.
Visitor notes
- A zoo and family park — do not feed or tease the animals, and keep to the marked paths.
Photos
Pilikula Nisarga Dhama in pictures
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Top experiences around Mangaluru
10 more places around Mangaluru, each worth a day of its own.
templeKadri Manjunath Temple
5.2 km · ~13 min by auto
An ancient temple to Manjunatha (Shiva) on Kadri hill in Mangaluru, renowned for its 10th–11th-century bronze idols — including a celebrated seated Lokeshvara — a stepped tank complex and links to both Hindu and Buddhist traditions.
templeKudroli Gokarnath Temple
6.2 km · ~15 min by auto
The Gokarnanatheshwara temple at Kudroli, consecrated in 1912 at the initiative of Narayana Guru for the Billava community — a bright, ornate temple famous for its grand Mangaluru Dasara celebrations.
templeMangaladevi Temple
3.9 km · ~10 min by auto
The temple to the goddess Mangaladevi that gives Mangaluru its name — a 9th-century Shakti shrine in a Kerala–Tulu style, central to the city’s Dasara festivities.
templeKateel Durgaparameshwari Temple
22.1 km · ~37 min by cab
A revered temple to the goddess Durgaparameshwari set on an islet in the Nandini river about 29 km north of Mangaluru, reached across a bridge, famed for its Yakshagana tradition and annual festivals.
churchSt Aloysius Chapel
4.8 km · ~12 min by auto
A chapel in Mangaluru whose walls and ceilings are covered in vivid frescoes painted by the Italian Jesuit Antonio Moscheni in 1899–1900, often likened to a miniature Sistine Chapel.
churchRosario Cathedral, Mangaluru
4.8 km · ~12 min by auto
The Cathedral of the Most Holy Rosary at Bunder, seat of the Mangalore diocese — a domed church rebuilt in the early 20th century in a Roman style, on a site dating to the 16th century.
heritageSultan Battery, Mangaluru
7.4 km · ~18 min by auto
A black-stone watchtower built by Tipu Sultan in 1784 at Boloor on the Gurupura river to guard the approach to Mangaluru harbour; a short climb up gives views over the backwater.
beachPanambur Beach
12.8 km · ~21 min by cab
Mangaluru's most popular beach beside the New Mangalore Port — a wide sandy stretch with lifeguards, camel and boat rides and an annual kite festival.
beachTannirbhavi Beach
8.6 km · ~14 min by cab
A quieter beach across the Gurupura river from the city, reached by ferry or road and backed by a tree park — a favourite for sunsets.
beachSasihithlu Beach
11.9 km · ~20 min by cab
A scenic beach where the Shambhavi and Nandini rivers meet the sea near Mulki, north of Mangaluru, known as one of the coast’s surfing spots.
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Pilikula Nisarga Dhama — at a glance
Timings~9:30 AM - 5:30 PM; some sections closed Mondays
Best timeOctober to February; weekday mornings
Entry: Separate tickets for zoo/boating/planetarium
Getting here
How to reach Pilikula Nisarga Dhama
Vamanjoor, ~12 km from the centre; bus/auto/taxi
Getting back
Work out your return before you settle in for the sunset. Public transport here thins out sharply in the evening, and Pilikula Nisarga Dhama is easier to reach than to leave. We do not publish departure times: there is no official live feed we are permitted to republish, and a wrong time here would strand you. Check the operator directly on the day.
- KSRTC — the Karnataka state bus operator; route and schedule enquiries. Online booking.
- Indian Railways — live running and seat availability for the nearest railhead, named under “Getting here” above.
Ask at the bus stand for the time of the last service back, not the next one. If you miss it, an auto or app cab is the fallback — agree the fare before you get in.
Getting around Pilikula Nisarga Dhama
We have not assessed physical access at this place yet. Across India, step-free routes, handrails and accessible toilets are the exception rather than the rule, and pavements are often interrupted — if step-free access matters to you, contact the site or a local operator before committing to the trip.
If you need help at Pilikula Nisarga Dhama
112All emergencies (police · fire · medical)The single number to call in any emergency (ERSS).100Police101Fire108Ambulance (emergency / EMS)1091Women’s helpline (distress)1098Child helpline1363Tourist helpline (India, 24×7, multilingual)
Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.
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On the map
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Good to know
Pilikula Nisarga Dhama — frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Pilikula Nisarga Dhama?
October to February; weekday mornings are quietest.
What are the entry fee and timings at Pilikula Nisarga Dhama?
Entry: Separate tickets for zoo/boating/planetarium. Timings: ~9:30 AM - 5:30 PM; some sections closed Mondays.
How do I reach Pilikula Nisarga Dhama?
~12 km from the city centre at Vamanjoor; reach it by bus, auto or taxi. Separate tickets apply for the zoo, boating, planetarium and museums — allow a few hours, and go early on a weekday to avoid crowds.
How much time do I need for Pilikula Nisarga Dhama?
Half a day (3 to 4 hours).
What else is near Pilikula Nisarga Dhama?
Nearby you can pair Mangaladevi Temple (3.9 km), Rosario Cathedral, Mangaluru (4.8 km), St Aloysius Chapel (4.8 km), Kadri Manjunath Temple (5.2 km).
Read before you go
Pilikula Nisarga Dhama guides, stories & itineraries
We have not published a story about Pilikula Nisarga Dhama itself yet. These cover Mangaluru, the town it sits in, and the wider district.
Around Mangaluru
Pilikula Nisarga Dhama sits in Mangaluru, so these cover the streets, buildings and surroundings around it.
Image credits
Photographs: Aviator423, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0), Athulvis (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wikimedia Commons.