Things to Do in Chikmagalur: Peaks, Coffee and Falls

The things to do in Chikmagalur run to peaks, coffee and falling water. This Western Ghats highland — spelled Chikkamagaluru in full — is the birthplace of Indian coffee and home to the highest summits in Karnataka, from Mullayanagiri to the sacred Baba Budan range. The places to visit in Chikmagalur cluster into a few clear themes: the grassland peaks and treks, a scatter of monsoon-fed waterfalls, quiet irrigation lakes below the hills, and the Sringeri temples on the Tunga. One honest note up front for anyone searching for a Chikmagalur beach — there is no coast here. Chikmagalur is a hill and coffee district well inland; the nearest beaches are the Coastal Karnataka run around Gokarna and Mangaluru. What it offers instead are lakes that mirror the hills at sunset. Every place below links to its own Roampedia page, and Roampedia is commission-free: we point you to each site and its own listing, and take nothing from your trip.

Peaks and treks: Chikmagalur's high ground

The peaks are the reason many people come, and they double as the best Chikmagalur trekking places. Mullayanagiri, at about 1,930 m, is the highest peak in Karnataka and the crown of the Baba Budan range. A narrow motorable road climbs to a saddle below the top, from where a short stepped path leads to a small Shiva shrine and a 360-degree view over rolling grassland, coffee estates and, on clear mornings, a sea of cloud. Drive up early for sunrise, carry a windproof layer, and take the single-lane ghat road slowly.

Just north, Baba Budangiri is the range that gives Indian coffee its origin story — named for the 17th-century Sufi saint Baba Budan, who is traditionally credited with first bringing coffee seeds to India. Its cave shrine, the Dattatreya Peetha, is revered by Hindus and Muslims alike, and the grassy ridge offers trails and viewpoints wrapped in coffee estates and shola forest. Go on a clear morning and dress modestly for the shrine.

For a full day on foot, Kudremukh Peak is the classic. At about 1,894 m it is the second-highest peak in Karnataka; its name means "horse-face" for the mountain's profile. The permit-controlled trek crosses rolling shola grassland, streams and forest inside Kudremukh National Park. It is long and strenuous, so arrange the forest permit and guide in advance, start early, and carry water, food and rain cover. Best from October to February, when the park may still restrict monsoon access.

Waterfalls in Chikmagalur

The waterfalls in Chikmagalur are at their loudest from July to December, when the monsoon has filled the streams. Inside Kudremukh National Park, Hanuman Gundi Falls — also called Soojipara — drops around 30 m into a rocky forest pool, reached down a long flight of stone steps. Near Sringeri, Sirimane Falls is a gentler, tiered cascade in the forests near Kigga, with a shallow pool that is safe for a paddle when the flow is moderate.

On the Baba Budangiri slopes, Manikyadhara Falls is less a thundering drop than a fine sacred spray that pilgrims stand under for its blessing; it pairs naturally with the Dattatreya cave shrine. Over near Kemmanagundi, Kalhattigiri Falls slides down the rock past a Veerabhadra temple built into the cliff, both a pilgrimage stop and a scenic one. Steps and rocks at all of these turn slippery when wet, so wear proper shoes and keep back from the edges.

Lakes, not a beach

There is no Chikmagalur beach — this is an inland hill district, and for actual sand you would head to the Coastal Karnataka strip covered in our guide:things-to-do-in-gokarna. What Chikmagalur has instead are still lakes that reflect the hills. Hirekolale Lake, about 10 km from town, is a calm irrigation lake ringed by coffee hills and a favourite sunset spot with the Baba Budan range behind. Larger and quieter, Ayyanakere near Sakharayapatna is one of the biggest lakes in Karnataka — a centuries-old tank that is good for birdwatching from November to February. Both have open, unfenced banks, so keep back from soft edges and do not swim.

Temples and mathas

The spiritual heart of the district is Sringeri, on the bank of the Tunga. Sharadamba Temple, Sringeri is the seat of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, the first of the four mathas established by Adi Shankaracharya, and enshrines the goddess Sharadamba, a form of Saraswati. In the same complex, Vidyashankara Temple, Sringeri is a 14th-century marvel blending Hoysala and early Vijayanagara styles, famous for twelve zodiac pillars arranged so that sunlight falls on the pillar of the current solar month. Go early, footwear off and modestly dressed, and see the two together.

Two more temples reward a detour. Amrutesvara Temple, Amruthapura in Tarikere taluk is a Hoysala temple of 1196 CE on the classic star-shaped plan, with a well-preserved tower and finely carved friezes — a quiet, uncrowded relative of Belur and Halebidu. On the road to Kudremukh, Annapoorneshwari Temple, Horanadu sits on the Bhadra and is known for feeding every pilgrim a free meal, a key stop on the Sringeri–Kalasa temple circuit.

Wildlife: the Bhadra tiger reserve

For forests and safaris, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary is a Project Tiger reserve on the Bhadra river around Muthodi, about 30 km from Chikmagalur town. Its dry and moist deciduous forest shelters tigers, leopards, elephants, gaur, sambar and rich birdlife. Jeep safaris from the Muthodi range, best from October to March and early in the day, are the usual way to see it; book safaris and any forest-department stay in advance, as slots are limited and timed.

If Chikmagalur leaves you wanting more coffee country, pair it with Coorg a few hours south — another Western Ghats highland of estates, falls and viewpoints — in our guide:things-to-do-in-coorg. Between the two you have the heart of Karnataka's coffee hills.