Aura of India: Hampi Ruins: Entry Fee, Timings and How to Explore Vijayanagara

The stone halls of the Vittala temple at Hampi reflected in rainwater

Photo: Basavaraj M, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons

Hampi, Karnataka, in the first hour of light.

A landscape that happens to contain a city.

Boulders and courtyards

Hampi sits on the Tungabhadra River in central Karnataka, in a country of granite boulders the size of houses, balanced on each other as if someone stopped halfway through stacking them. Between them lie the ruins: temple courtyards, bazaar streets lined with stone pavilions, palace platforms, water tanks and gateways, spread over some forty square kilometres. There is no single complex. You cross open ground from one group of pillars to the next.

What is still alive

Hampi is not only a ruin. The Virupaksha temple, at the end of the old bazaar, is still in worship, and pilgrims arrive by the busload. People bathe at the river ghats, and coracles, round basket boats, still ferry people across. At the Vittala temple, the stone chariot, the one printed on the fifty-rupee note, stands in a courtyard of carved halls whose pillars were once struck to make musical notes.

Why people come

From the fourteenth to the sixteenth century this was Vijayanagara, capital of one of the richest empires in India. Persian and Portuguese visitors described its markets in wonder. In 1565, after a defeat at the Battle of Talikota, the city was sacked and abandoned. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Indian students come on school trips, pilgrims come to Virupaksha, and travellers from abroad come for the rocks at sunrise and often stay longer than they planned.

Getting there

The nearest railway station is Hosapete, about thirteen kilometres away, with an overnight train from Bengaluru. A small airport at Vidyanagar, about forty kilometres away, has a few flights. Hubballi and Bengaluru have more. In Hampi, hire a bicycle, a scooter or an electric rickshaw, or walk. The sites are spread out, and most people need two full days.

Two days among the ruins

Day one is the sacred centre. Start at the Virupaksha temple at the end of Hampi Bazaar, then climb Hemakuta Hill behind it, a sheet of granite covered with small early shrines. Take the path along the Tungabhadra past the river ghats and the old bazaar of Achyutaraya's temple to the Vittala temple, home of the stone chariot and the musical pillars. Its gates open at six; the light is best early or after about half past three. End the day on Matanga Hill or back on Hemakuta for the sunset.

Day two is the royal centre, a few kilometres south. The Mahanavami Dibba, a great stone platform carved with processions, hunts and dancers, is where the kings watched the autumn festival. Nearby are the stepped tank, the Hazara Rama temple with its carved walls of the Ramayana, and the Queen's Bath. The Zenana Enclosure, with the Lotus Mahal and the domed Elephant Stables, is on the same ticket as the Vittala temple, if you go on the same day.

Getting around the site

The monuments are spread over some forty square kilometres, and the walk between the two centres is long in the heat. Bicycles, scooters and electric rickshaws can be hired in Hampi and Kamalapura. Vehicles stop at a car park short of the Vittala temple, and battery buggies run the last stretch. A coracle crosses the river to Anegundi on the north bank, older than Vijayanagara itself.

For other temples across the state, from the Hoysala carvings of Belur to the caves of Badami, see Karnataka's temples and the Karnataka guide.

Among the rocks

Go early or late. Midday on the stone is harsh.
Climb Matanga Hill or Hemakuta Hill for sunrise or sunset.
Do not tap the musical pillars. They are protected now.
October to February is the season. Summer is very hot.

Sit on a boulder at the end of the day. The city is below you, and it is quiet.

Plan your visit

Entry fee	Most of Hampi is free. One ASI ticket covers the Vittala temple and the Zenana Enclosure (Lotus Mahal, Elephant Stables) on the same day: ₹40 for Indian, SAARC and BIMSTEC visitors (₹35 online), ₹600 for other foreign visitors (₹550 online), as of October 2026. Under-15s enter free. Virupaksha has its own small temple fee: check at the gate.
Opening hours	ASI ticketed monuments 6 am to 6 pm daily. Virupaksha, a working temple, keeps its own hours, closing for a few hours in the afternoon: check at the gate.
Best time	October to February. ASI lists October to January as the best season; March to May is very hot.
How to reach	The Hampi Express runs overnight from Mysuru and Bengaluru to Hosapete, about 13 km from Hampi. Buses and autos cover the last stretch.
Nearest airport and station	Vidyanagar (Jindal) airport at Toranagallu, about 35–40 km, with a daily flight to Bengaluru; Hubballi airport, about 145 km, has more. Hosapete Junction is the station.
Where to stay	Hosapete town for the most choice; Kamalapura near the royal centre; or the villages across the Tungabhadra near Anegundi, reached by coracle or by road.
How long to spend	Two full days for the main sites; three if you add Anegundi and the hills at sunrise.

Open Hampi, Vijayanagara district, Karnataka in Google Maps

Questions people ask

What is the Hampi entry fee?

Most of Hampi is free. The ASI ticket for the Vittala temple and the Zenana Enclosure costs ₹40 for Indian visitors and ₹600 for foreign visitors (₹35 and ₹550 online), as of October 2026, and covers both on the same day.

What are Hampi's opening hours?

The ticketed ASI monuments are open from 6 am to 6 pm. The open ruins can be walked from sunrise to sunset, and the Virupaksha temple keeps its own hours.

How many days do I need in Hampi?

Two full days: one for the sacred centre around Virupaksha and the Vittala temple, one for the royal centre. A third day allows Anegundi and a slower pace.

Can I play the musical pillars at the Vittala temple?

No. The pillars are protected and must not be struck. Guides can explain how they were played.

Pages

Hampi Ruins: Entry Fee, Timings and How to Explore Vijayanagara