Visiting the northern part of Karnataka for its historic and artistic monuments were long due. We thought of doing it two years back during 15th August long weekend but postponed the same due to late rain and high water level at Tungabhadra Rivers. This year we started to plan early and consulted two avid travelers and their guidance in setting up the itinerary. It was planned that we would use the 2 weeks school vacation for this trip, but then I personally felt it would be a great miss Durga pooja twice in a row. So we modified our itinerary again and split the same in two with 5/6 days of stay in Bangalore to celebrate Durga Pooja.
On the negative side it resulted in longer drive for me and dropping few destinations from Northern sea-side destinations. Now we have to do that another time as it would require another sojourn of a week to complete. Here is both the list for a easy reference.
| Days | Start | Activity | Distance | Stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Bangalore | Journey from Bangalore to Hospet - A leisurely drive | 365 KM | Hotel Malligey |
| 2nd | Hospet | Hampi - Day Trip in the Stone Age | 15 KM | Hotel Malligey |
| 3rd | Hospet | Explore Aihole and Pattadakal, followed by a night stay in Badami | 158 KM | Badami Court |
| 4th | Badami | Visit Banashankari Temple and Badami Cave, then journey to Bijapur, exploring as many places as possible | 142 KM | Hotel Pearl (consider other options) |
| 5th | Bijapur | Early morning visit to Gol Gumbaz - Be the first and only visitor to the Whispering Gallery. Depart for Bangalore by 9 AM, have lunch in Chitradurga, and visit the fort before heading back home | 527 KM | Sweet Home |