What to expect
Highlights
- The distinctive Om-shaped twin bays.
- Shacks, water sports and boat rides.
- The hub of the Gokarna beach trail.
Om Beach
Om Beach, a couple of kilometres south of Gokarna town, is named for its shape — two joined curves that together trace the Om (ॐ) symbol. It is the most popular and developed of Gokarna’s beaches.
Practical guide
Plan Om Beach
Who's going?Tailor Om Beach to your trip
Typebeach
Nearest baseGokarna
DistrictUttara Kannada
Best timeOctober to February
Time needed2 to 3 hours (or a full beach day)
EntryFree
Places to visit7→With shacks, water sports, boat rides and a relaxed traveller scene, it is the usual base for a Gokarna beach stay, and it links by cliff paths to Kudle to the north and Half Moon and Paradise to the south.
Getting there
How to visit
- ~6 km from Gokarna town by road, or a cliff walk from Kudle; autos run from town.
- Swim with care where flagged; the cliff paths are exposed — wear good shoes and carry water, and avoid them after dark.
Distance by road
- Panaji (Goa)100 km
- Hubballi165 km
- Udupi175 km
- Mangaluru270 km
- Bengaluru500 km
Road km to Uttara Kannada; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.
Timing
Best time
October to February; the monsoon closes most shacks and makes the sea rough.
Weather in Om BeachSeasonal guide
Live forecast loads in your browser.
Today at Om Beach
Sunrise6:22 am
Sunset6:31 pm
Golden hour best light5:31 pm–6:31 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:31 pm–6:56 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 271°
Moon tonight🌔 Waxing gibbous · 63%
South-west monsoon. June to September is monsoon season: the sea gets rough, swimming is often unsafe and boat services can be suspended. Follow lifeguard and local warnings, and expect changeable conditions.
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
- Rocky headlands and currents — swim in safe areas and take care on the cliff trails.
Photos
Om Beach in pictures
Stay · eat · do · rent · see · shop
Stays, food & things to do near Om Beach
Verified hotels, homestays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and rentals around Om Beach — commission-free, with direct contact. Filter by what you need.
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Top experiences around Gokarna
6 more places around Gokarna. Open a guide to plan the visit and onward journey.
templeMahabaleshwara Temple, Gokarna
2.9 km · ~7 min by auto
An ancient Shiva temple at Gokarna enshrining the Atmalinga, one of the most sacred lingas in South India (a "Dakshina Kashi") — a classic Dravidian temple by the sea and the centre of the Maha Shivaratri car festival.
beachGokarna Beach
4.0 km · ~10 min by auto
The long town beach in front of Gokarna, used by pilgrims for ritual bathing and by visitors for a relaxed shore walk; the starting point of the cliff trail to the quieter southern beaches.
beachKudle Beach
1.5 km · 18 min walk
A crescent of sand between Gokarna town and Om Beach, reached by a short cliff walk — a mellow backpacker favourite for sunsets and yoga.
beachHalf Moon Beach
610 m · 8 min walk
A small half-moon cove reached by a cliff trek or boat beyond Om Beach — quiet and secluded, with just a few shacks.
beachParadise Beach
1.3 km · 16 min walk
The most remote of the Gokarna beaches (also called Full Moon), reached by boat or a long cliff trek — an isolated stretch popular for camping where permitted.
heritageMirjan Fort
10.5 km · ~17 min by cab
A laterite-stone fort near Kumta on the Aghanashini estuary, with high bastions and stepped wells amid greenery, linked to the 16th-century pepper-trading queen Chennabhairadevi.
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Add a nearby businessBefore you go
Om Beach — at a glance
TimingsDaylight; shacks seasonal
Best timeOctober to February; monsoon closes shacks
Entry: Free (activities charged)
Getting here
How to reach Om Beach
~6 km from Gokarna town by road, or cliff walk from Kudle
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 Om Beach
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 Om Beach
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 Om Beach
beachHalf Moon Beach
A small half-moon cove reached by a cliff trek or boat beyond Om Beach — quiet and secluded, with just a few shacks.
610 m · 8 min walk · straight linebeachParadise Beach
The most remote of the Gokarna beaches (also called Full Moon), reached by boat or a long cliff trek — an isolated stretch popular for camping where permitted.
1.3 km · 16 min walk · straight linebeachKudle Beach
A crescent of sand between Gokarna town and Om Beach, reached by a short cliff walk — a mellow backpacker favourite for sunsets and yoga.
1.5 km · 18 min walk · straight linetempleMahabaleshwara Temple, Gokarna
An ancient Shiva temple at Gokarna enshrining the Atmalinga, one of the most sacred lingas in South India (a "Dakshina Kashi") — a classic Dravidian temple by the sea and the centre of the Maha Shivaratri car festival.
2.9 km · ~7 min by auto · straight linebeachGokarna Beach
The long town beach in front of Gokarna, used by pilgrims for ritual bathing and by visitors for a relaxed shore walk; the starting point of the cliff trail to the quieter southern beaches.
4.0 km · ~10 min by auto · straight line
backwaterAghanashini Estuary
The Ramsar-listed mangrove estuary where the un-dammed Aghanashini river meets the sea — rich in bivalve fisheries, birdlife and boat backwaters.
4.2 km · ~10 min by auto · straight lineheritageMirjan Fort
A laterite-stone fort near Kumta on the Aghanashini estuary, with high bastions and stepped wells amid greenery, linked to the 16th-century pepper-trading queen Chennabhairadevi.
10.5 km · ~17 min by cab · straight line
islandBasavaraja Durga Island
A 17th-century sea-fort island off the Honnavar coast built by the Keladi Nayakas / Vijayanagara — ruined ramparts and a lighthouse, reached by boat.
24.3 km · ~40 min by cab · straight line
waterfallVibhooti Falls
A multi-tier limestone waterfall in the forests of Ankola taluk near Yana, often paired with the Yana rock spires.
25.9 km · ~43 min by cab · straight line
trekYana
A pair of towering black karst rock spires — the Bhairaveshwara and Mohini shikharas — rising from dense Sahyadri forest, a pilgrimage and trekking spot with a Shiva shrine in a cave at the base.
27.1 km · ~45 min by cab · straight lineB
Benne Hole Falls
Place
waterfallBenne Hole Falls
A multi-tier forest waterfall ~25 km from Siddapur reached by a trek — its name means “butter pool”, for the milky look of its water.
32.2 km · ~54 min by cab · straight line
waterfallApsarakonda Falls
A tiered waterfall dropping into a pool near Honnavar, paired with an adjacent beach and a clifftop sunset point and Ganesha temple.
34.6 km · ~58 min by cab · straight lineOn the map
Where Om Beach is
Good to know
Om Beach — frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Om Beach?
October to February; the monsoon closes most shacks and makes the sea rough.
What are the entry fee and timings at Om Beach?
Entry: Free (activities charged). Timings: Daylight; shacks seasonal.
How do I reach Om Beach?
~6 km from Gokarna town by road, or a cliff walk from Kudle; autos run from town. Swim with care where flagged; the cliff paths are exposed — wear good shoes and carry water, and avoid them after dark.
How much time do I need for Om Beach?
2 to 3 hours (or a full beach day).
What else is near Om Beach?
Nearby you can pair Half Moon Beach (610 m), Paradise Beach (1.3 km), Kudle Beach (1.5 km), Mahabaleshwara Temple, Gokarna (2.9 km).
Read before you go
Om Beach guides, stories & itineraries
We have not published a story about Om Beach itself yet. These cover Gokarna and the wider district, with separate journeys between stops.
Around Gokarna
These guides explore Gokarna and the surrounding area. Choose a visit that fits your interests, allowing separately for travel between stops.
Heritage guide
Mirjan Fort: Laterite Walls, Pepper Routes and a Monsoon Visit
6 min read · Read →
Pillar guide
Things to Do in Gokarna
9 min read · Read →
Story
The Coastal Karnataka Road Trip: Gokarna to Mangaluru
9 min read · Read →
Karnataka-wide guides & itineraries
Route-level itineraries and practical guides for the rest of Karnataka.
Image credits
Photographs: Sourabh.biswas003, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0), Sourabh.biswas003 (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wikimedia Commons.