What to expect
Highlights
- The summit trek through shola forest and grassland.
- The Sarvajna Peetha shrine at the top.
- The link to the Kollur Mookambika pilgrimage.
Kodachadri
Kodachadri is a forested peak of about 1,343 m in the Mookambika range, one of the highest in the region and a classic Western Ghats trek.
Practical guide
Plan Kodachadri
Who's going?Tailor Kodachadri to your trip
Typetrek
Nearest baseHosanagara
DistrictShivamogga
Best timeOctober to February
Time neededA full day for the trek
EntryForest entry/jeep charges
Places to visit2→It is tied to the Kollur Mookambika temple below and is topped by the small Sarvajna Peetha shrine, with grasslands and shola forest along the way.
Getting there
How to visit
- Reached from the Hosanagara/Nittur side or via Kollur; the upper stretch is a trek, with rough jeep rides available part-way.
- A demanding day-trek — go with a guide or group, start early, and carry water and food.
Distance by road
- Chikkamagaluru90 km
- Udupi120 km
- Mangaluru185 km
- Hubballi200 km
- Bengaluru275 km
Road km to Shivamogga; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.
Timing
Best time
October to February; avoid the leech-heavy monsoon for the trek.
Weather in KodachadriSeasonal guide
Live forecast loads in your browser.
Today at Kodachadri
Sunrise6:22 am
Sunset6:09 pm
Golden hour best light5:09 pm–6:09 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:09 pm–6:34 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 260°
Moon tonight🌔 Waxing gibbous · 59%
Sunset is in about 59 minutes.
Retreating monsoon. October and November still see spells of rain from the retreating monsoon, though it is usually lighter than mid-year. Conditions are generally good but worth checking.
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 strenuous forest trek — go with a guide, start early, carry water and food, and do not attempt it alone or late in the day.
Photos
Kodachadri in pictures
Stay · eat · do · rent · see · shop
Stays, food & things to do near Kodachadri
Verified hotels, homestays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and rentals around Kodachadri — commission-free, with direct contact. Filter by what you need.
Verified inventory is being added here.
Verified places are being added. The category filters will fill in as approved stays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and nature listings go live.
List your placeRanked guides
Top experiences around Hosanagara
One more place around Hosanagara worth a day of its own.
heritageNagara Fort
17.8 km · ~30 min by cab
The hill fort of Nagara (Bidanur/Bidnur), the last capital of the Keladi Nayakas near Hosanagara, with moats, ramparts and the ruined Neelakanteshwara temple.
Roampedia is commission-free — own or know a stay, eatery, guide or shop near Kodachadri? List it and it appears here once verified.
Add a nearby businessTrek facts
Kodachadri — at a glance
TimingsDay trek; start early
Best timeOctober to February; avoid the leechy monsoon
Entry: Forest entry/jeep charges
Getting here
How to reach Kodachadri
From Hosanagara/Nittur or via Kollur; trek with part-way jeeps
Getting back
If you are travelling by bus or ferry, check the return service with the operator before setting out. Leave time to reach the stop or jetty after your visit.
- 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 Kodachadri
If you need step-free access, contact the site before travelling. Ask about a level entrance, steps along the route, the nearest drop-off point, seating and accessible toilets.
If you need help at Kodachadri
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.
Nearby
What’s near Kodachadri
heritageNagara Fort
The hill fort of Nagara (Bidanur/Bidnur), the last capital of the Keladi Nayakas near Hosanagara, with moats, ramparts and the ruined Neelakanteshwara temple.
17.8 km · ~30 min by cab · straight line
heritageKavaledurga Fort
A ruined hill fort near Thirthahalli strengthened by the Keladi Nayakas, with concentric stone ramparts, temples and a palace site reached by a forest climb that opens up wide Malnad views.
30.9 km · ~52 min by cab · straight line
templeIkkeri Aghoreshwara Temple
A large stone Shiva temple at Ikkeri, a later Keladi-Nayaka capital, built in a distinctive Vijayanagara–Hoysala hybrid style with a granite Nandi pavilion and carved outer walls.
34.4 km · ~57 min by cab · straight line
backwaterHonnemaradu
A spread of islands and calm backwaters on the Sharavathi (Linganamakki) reservoir near Sagara — a long-running base for kayaking, coracle rides and camping amid forested shores.
35.3 km · ~59 min by cab · straight line
waterfallJog Falls
One of India’s highest plunge waterfalls, where the Sharavathi river drops about 253 m in four separate cascades — Raja, Rani, Rover (Roarer) and Rocket — over a sheer cliff on the Sagara–Siddapura border. The flow is fullest in the monsoon and is regulated upstream by the Linganamakki dam.
41.5 km · ~69 min by cab · straight line
templeKeladi Rameshwara Temple
The 16th-century Rameshwara temple at Keladi, the first capital of the Keladi (Nayaka) dynasty, blends Hoysala, Dravidian and later styles with finely carved pillars; a small museum of Keladi history stands nearby.
43.2 km · ~72 min by cab · straight line
hill stationAgumbe
A small Ghat village nicknamed the "Cherrapunji of the South" for its very heavy monsoon rainfall and surrounding rainforest, known for its sunset viewpoint over the coastal plain, king-cobra research, and as the setting that inspired R. K. Narayan’s fictional Malgudi.
45.9 km · ~76 min by cab · straight line
viewpointKundadri
A monolithic hill near Agumbe topped by a 17th-century Jain temple and two small ponds — a popular sunrise and monsoon viewpoint reached by a motorable road and a short climb.
46.3 km · ~77 min by cab · straight line
wildlifeMandagadde Bird Sanctuary
A small river-island bird sanctuary on the Tunga near Thirthahalli where egrets, cormorants and darters nest in large numbers, best seen from the watch-tower in the breeding season.
64.6 km · ~108 min by cab · straight line
wildlifeSakrebailu Elephant Camp
A forest-department elephant camp on the Tunga river near Shivamogga where captive and rescued elephants are bathed and fed in the morning, open to visitors at set hours.
69.1 km · ~115 min by cab · straight line
wildlifeTyavarekoppa Lion and Tiger Safari
A safari park about 10 km from Shivamogga on the Sagara road where visitors ride through fenced enclosures to see lions and tigers, alongside a small zoo and deer park.
69.2 km · ~115 min by cab · straight lineOn the map
Where Kodachadri is
Good to know
Kodachadri — frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Kodachadri?
October to February; avoid the leech-heavy monsoon for the trek.
What are the entry fee and timings at Kodachadri?
Entry: Forest entry/jeep charges. Timings: Day trek; start early.
How do I reach Kodachadri?
Reached from the Hosanagara/Nittur side or via Kollur; the upper stretch is a trek, with rough jeep rides available part-way. A demanding day-trek — go with a guide or group, start early, and carry water and food.
How much time do I need for Kodachadri?
A full day for the trek.
What else is near Kodachadri?
Nearby you can pair Nagara Fort (17.8 km), Kavaledurga Fort (30.9 km), Ikkeri Aghoreshwara Temple (34.4 km), Honnemaradu (35.3 km).
Read before you go
Kodachadri guides, stories & itineraries
Stories & history of Kodachadri
Written about Kodachadri itself — its history, its legends and the arguments about them.
Image credits
Photographs: Rayabhari, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0), Anoop K (CC BY-SA 4.0), Akshaya govindasamy (CC BY-SA 4.0), Vidhu Krishna (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wikimedia Commons.