What to expect
Highlights
- The Panchalingeshwara and Kalikamba temples.
- Medieval Tulu-capital ruins and inscriptions.
- A quiet, off-the-trail heritage town.
Barkur
Barkur, north of Udupi, was once a medieval capital of the Tulu country under the Alupa dynasty and a flourishing town, and it still holds a remarkable concentration of old temples and ruins.
Practical guide
Plan Barkur
Who's going?Tailor Barkur to your trip
Typeheritage
Nearest baseKundapura
DistrictUdupi
Best timeOctober to February
Time needed1 to 1.5 hours
EntryFree
Places to visit4→Listed businesses3→The Panchalingeshwara and Kalikamba temples and scattered shrines and inscriptions make it a quiet heritage stop for those interested in coastal Karnataka’s history.
Getting there
How to visit
- ~16 km north of Udupi off NH-66; reach it by bus or taxi.
- Living temples with few tourist facilities — footwear off at the shrines, dress modestly, and carry water.
Distance by road
- Mangaluru60 km
- Shivamogga145 km
- Chikkamagaluru145 km
- Karwar175 km
- Bengaluru400 km
Road km to Udupi; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.
Timing
Best time
October to February; morning light for the temples.
Weather in BarkurSeasonal guide
Live forecast loads in your browser.
Today at Barkur
Sunrise6:22 am
Sunset6:10 pm
Golden hour best light5:10 pm–6:10 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:10 pm–6:35 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 260°
Moon tonight🌓 First quarter · 47%
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
- Living village temples — footwear off, dress modestly, and treat the ruins with care.
Stay · eat · do · rent · see · shop
Stays, food & things to do near Barkur
Verified hotels, homestays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and rentals around Barkur — commission-free, with direct contact. Filter by what you need.
1 place to stay near Barkur
2 places to eat near Barkur
1 thing to do near Barkur
3 sights to see near Barkur
1 nature spot near Barkur
Top pick
Hotel
Blue WatersA mapped lodging option near the northern side of Kundapura’s central town and bus-terminal area.
Book with the place itself. India’s cyber-crime coordination centre warned in April 2025 that convincing copies of hotel and pilgrimage booking sites are being pushed through sponsored search and social ads, taking payment for rooms the property never hears about. Every listing here links to the business’s own contact details and its own Google or Bing profile — we take no commission and sit in nobody’s payment path. If a booking page reached you through an ad, check the address bar against the property’s own site before you pay. Fraud can be reported on cybercrime.gov.in or on 1930.
Ranked guides
Top experiences around Kundapura
3 more places around Kundapura. Open a guide to plan the visit and onward journey.
beachMaravanthe Beach
39.3 km · 31 min drive
A striking beach on NH-66 where the road runs on a narrow strip with the Arabian Sea on one side and the Souparnika river, backed by the Kodachadri hills, on the other.
K
Kundeshwara Temple
Place
templeKundeshwara Temple
18.9 km · ~32 min by cab
Kundapura’s namesake Shiva temple near the Panchagangavalli estuary, a living town shrine traditionally associated with the Alupa ruler Kundavarma.
beachKodi Beach, Kundapura
27.9 km · 27 min drive
The town-side beach west of Kundapura near the Panchagangavalli river mouth, with a long sandy shore and an active estuary landscape.
Roampedia is commission-free — own or know a stay, eatery, guide or shop near Barkur? List it and it appears here once verified.
Add a nearby businessBefore you go
Barkur — at a glance
TimingsDaylight (temple hours vary)
Best timeOctober to February; morning light
Entry: Free
Getting here
How to reach Barkur
~16 km north of Udupi off NH-66; bus/taxi
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 Barkur
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 Barkur
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 Barkur
viewpointManipal End Point
A landscaped viewpoint on the edge of the Manipal plateau overlooking the Swarna river valley and the Western Ghats — a popular garden-and-sunset spot in the university town.
11.3 km · ~19 min by cab · straight line
islandSt Mary's Islands
A cluster of small islands off Malpe famous for their columnar basalt — hexagonal rock pillars formed by ancient volcanic activity — reached by a short boat ride and declared a National Geological Monument.
12.9 km · ~22 min by cab · straight line
beachMalpe Beach
A clean, lively beach and fishing harbour ~5 km from Udupi — the boarding point for boats to St Mary’s Islands and a hub for water sports and seafood.
13.0 km · ~22 min by cab · straight line
templeSri Krishna Matha, Udupi
The 13th-century Krishna temple founded by the saint Madhvacharya, where the deity is worshipped through a silver-plated nine-holed window (the Navagraha Kitiki); it is the seat of the eight Udupi mathas and the origin of the famed Udupi vegetarian cuisine.
14.0 km · ~23 min by cab · straight line
templeAnantheshwara Temple, Udupi
An ancient Shiva temple (Anantheshwara/Chandramouleeshwara) beside the Krishna Matha on Udupi’s Car Street, older than the Krishna temple and closely linked to Madhvacharya, who is said to have given his last discourse here.
14.0 km · ~23 min by cab · straight lineK
Kundeshwara Temple
Place
templeKundeshwara Temple
Kundapura’s namesake Shiva temple near the Panchagangavalli estuary, a living town shrine traditionally associated with the Alupa ruler Kundavarma.
18.9 km · ~32 min by cab · straight line
templePajaka Kshetra
The birthplace of the 13th-century philosopher Madhvacharya, about 12 km from Udupi — a quiet pilgrimage site with shrines and sacred tanks at the foot of a hill.
22.2 km · ~37 min by cab · straight lineK
Kemmannu Hanging Bridge
Place
heritageKemmannu Hanging Bridge
A 280-foot pedestrian suspension bridge built in 1991 between Padukudru and Timmanakudru near Kemmannu. The last verified status report recorded it closed as unsafe; confirm locally before travelling and do not plan on crossing.
26.9 km · 23 min drive
beachKaup Beach
A beach south of Udupi at Kapu, dominated by a 19th-century lighthouse on a rocky headland that can be climbed for sweeping coast views — known for its sunsets and rock pools.
27.0 km · ~45 min by cab · straight linebeachKodi Beach, Kundapura
The town-side beach west of Kundapura near the Panchagangavalli river mouth, with a long sandy shore and an active estuary landscape.
27.9 km · 27 min drivebeachMaravanthe Beach
A striking beach on NH-66 where the road runs on a narrow strip with the Arabian Sea on one side and the Souparnika river, backed by the Kodachadri hills, on the other.
39.3 km · 31 min drive
templeKollur Mookambika Temple
A revered temple to the goddess Mookambika (a form of Adi Shakti) at Kollur in the Western Ghats foothills on the Souparnika river — a major pilgrimage centre and the base for the Kodachadri trek.
44.7 km · ~74 min by cab · straight lineWalking and driving times are real routed distances, except the few marked “straight line”, which are direct-line estimates and will read short.Routing: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
On the map
Where Barkur is
Good to know
Barkur — frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Barkur?
October to February; morning light for the temples.
What are the entry fee and timings at Barkur?
Entry: Free. Timings: Daylight (temple hours vary).
How do I reach Barkur?
~16 km north of Udupi off NH-66; reach it by bus or taxi. Living temples with few tourist facilities — footwear off at the shrines, dress modestly, and carry water.
How much time do I need for Barkur?
1 to 1.5 hours.
What else is near Barkur?
Nearby you can pair Manipal End Point (11.3 km), St Mary's Islands (12.9 km), Malpe Beach (13.0 km), Sri Krishna Matha, Udupi (14.0 km).
Read before you go
Barkur guides, stories & itineraries
Stories & history of Barkur
Written about Barkur itself — its history, its legends and the arguments about them.
Around Kundapura
These guides explore Kundapura and the surrounding area. Choose a visit that fits your interests, allowing separately for travel between stops.
Story
How Kundapura got its name
5 min read · Read →
Story
Yakshagana nights on the Udupi coast
5 min read · Read →
Story
Kodi beyond the sunset
5 min read · Read →
In-depth guides to Kundapura
Written about Kundapura as a whole rather than about Barkur — its history, its streets, and how to spend a day in it.
Itinerary
One day in Kundapura
5 min read · Read →
Itinerary
Two days on the Kundapura coast
5 min read · Read →
Itinerary
A lower-step Kundapura plan
5 min read · Read →
Karnataka-wide guides & itineraries
Route-level itineraries and practical guides for the rest of Karnataka.
Image credits
Photographs: Abhijith sadanand, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). Wikimedia Commons.