What to expect
Highlights
- The twin black karst rock spires.
- The Shiva cave shrine at the base.
- The forest walk through rich Sahyadri greenery.
Yana
Yana is famous for two towering spires of black crystalline karst rock — the Bhairaveshwara Shikhara and the smaller Mohini Shikhara — rising abruptly from dense Sahyadri forest, among the most unusual rock formations in the Western Ghats.
Practical guide
Plan Yana
Who's going?Tailor Yana to your trip
Typetrek
Nearest baseSirsi
DistrictUttara Kannada
Best timeOctober to February
Time needed2 to 3 hours including the walk
EntryFree
Places to visit8→A cave shrine to Shiva at the base of the Bhairaveshwara rock makes it a pilgrimage site as well as a trekking and nature spot, reached by a forest walk.
Getting there
How to visit
- ~40 km from Sirsi and ~25 km from Kumta; drive to the trailhead, then a forest walk of ~30 minutes to the rocks.
- Wear good shoes for the walk; it can be slippery and leech-prone after rain — carry water and go in daylight.
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 forest is lush just after the monsoon but wet and leechy.
Weather in YanaSeasonal guide
Live forecast loads in your browser.
Today at Yana
Sunrise6:23 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 · 45%
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 forest trail to a pilgrimage rock — footwear off at the shrine, wear shoes for the walk, and watch for leeches after rain.
Photos
Yana in pictures
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Stays, food & things to do near Yana
Verified hotels, homestays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and rentals around Yana — commission-free, with direct contact. Filter by what you need.
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List your placeRanked guides
Top experiences around Sirsi
7 more places around Sirsi. Open a guide to plan the visit and onward journey.
templeSirsi Marikamba Temple
The largest temple to the goddess Marikamba (Durga) in Karnataka, at Sirsi, famous for its biennial Marikamba Jatra — one of the biggest fairs in the state.
waterfallUnchalli Falls
28.0 km · ~47 min by cab
Also called Lushington Falls — where the Aghanashini river plunges about 116 m into a forested gorge near Siddapura, viewed from a platform after a short forest walk.
waterfallSathodi Falls
A wide waterfall where a tributary of the Kali drops into a pool amid forest near Yellapur, backed by the Kodasalli reservoir.
waterfallMagod Falls
A waterfall near Yellapur where the Bedti (Gangavali) river drops in two leaps of around 200 m into a wooded gorge, seen from a viewpoint.
heritageSahasralinga
Over a thousand Shiva lingas and Nandis carved into the bed and banks of the Shalmala river ~14 km from Sirsi — exposed in the dry season and submerged in the monsoon.
S
Sonda Vadiraja Matha
Place
heritageSonda Vadiraja Matha
The Vadiraja (Sode) matha at Sonda ~20 km from Sirsi — one of the Ashta Mathas of Udupi and a major Dvaita pilgrimage centre around the Vadiraja Brindavana, with a Jain basadi nearby.
M
Manjuguni Venkataramana Temple
Place
templeManjuguni Venkataramana Temple
11.1 km · ~19 min by cab
A forest Venkataramana (Vishnu) temple ~26 km from Sirsi — a regional pilgrimage sometimes called the “Tirupati of Uttara Kannada”.
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Add a nearby businessTrek facts
Yana — at a glance
TimingsDaylight; forest walk
Best timeOctober to February; wet and leechy just post-monsoon
Entry: Free or nominal
Getting here
How to reach Yana
~40 km from Sirsi, ~25 km from Kumta; drive to trailhead + ~30-min walk
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 Yana
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 Yana
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 Yana
waterfallVibhooti Falls
A multi-tier limestone waterfall in the forests of Ankola taluk near Yana, often paired with the Yana rock spires.
1.9 km · 23 min walk · straight lineM
Manjuguni Venkataramana Temple
Place
templeManjuguni Venkataramana Temple
A forest Venkataramana (Vishnu) temple ~26 km from Sirsi — a regional pilgrimage sometimes called the “Tirupati of Uttara Kannada”.
11.1 km · ~19 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.
11.4 km · ~19 min by cab · straight line
heritageMirjan 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.
19.5 km · ~33 min by cab · 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.
23.0 km · ~38 min by cab · straight line
beachParadise 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.
25.9 km · ~43 min by cab · straight line
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.
26.6 km · ~44 min by cab · straight line
beachOm Beach
A beach curved into the shape of the Om (ॐ) symbol south of Gokarna — the most popular of the town’s beaches, with shacks, water sports and a laid-back scene.
27.1 km · ~45 min by cab · straight line
templeMahabaleshwara 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.
27.4 km · ~46 min by cab · straight line
beachKudle 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.
27.8 km · ~46 min by cab · straight line
beachGokarna 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.
27.8 km · ~46 min by cab · straight linewaterfallUnchalli Falls
Also called Lushington Falls — where the Aghanashini river plunges about 116 m into a forested gorge near Siddapura, viewed from a platform after a short forest walk.
28.0 km · ~47 min by cab · straight lineOn the map
Where Yana is
Good to know
Yana — frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Yana?
October to February; the forest is lush just after the monsoon but wet and leechy.
What are the entry fee and timings at Yana?
Entry: Free or nominal. Timings: Daylight; forest walk.
How do I reach Yana?
~40 km from Sirsi and ~25 km from Kumta; drive to the trailhead, then a forest walk of ~30 minutes to the rocks. Wear good shoes for the walk; it can be slippery and leech-prone after rain — carry water and go in daylight.
How much time do I need for Yana?
2 to 3 hours including the walk.
What else is near Yana?
Nearby you can pair Vibhooti Falls (1.9 km), Manjuguni Venkataramana Temple (11.1 km), Benne Hole Falls (11.4 km), Mirjan Fort (19.5 km).
Read before you go
Yana guides, stories & itineraries
We have not published a story about Yana itself yet. These cover Sirsi and the wider district, with separate journeys between stops.
Karnataka-wide guides & itineraries
Route-level itineraries and practical guides for the rest of Karnataka.
Heritage guide
Mirjan Fort: Laterite Walls, Pepper Routes and a Monsoon Visit
6 min read · Read →
Regional guide
Banavasi: How to Read Karnataka’s First Historical Capital
6 min read · Read →
Day-trip guide
Magod Falls and Jenukallu Gudda: One Careful Yellapur Day
5 min read · Read →
Day-trip guide
Day Trips from Karwar: The Whole of Uttara Kannada from One Base
6 min read · Read →
Story
Tagore in Karwar: Four Months That Gave a Beach Its Name
5 min read · Read →
Story
The Last Ward: How Karwar Got Its Name, and Its Language
6 min read · Read →
Image credits
Photographs: Photos Worldwide, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0), VasuVR (CC BY 4.0). Wikimedia Commons.