Hampi is famous for its ruins belonging to the erstwhile medieval Hindu kingdom of Vijaynagar and it is declared a World Heritage site. The temples of Hampi, its monolithic sculptures and monuments, attract the traveler because of their excellent workmanship. The Hindu style of architecture found at Hampi reflects the splendor of the Vijaynagar Empire. The rugged landscape adds to the historic ambiance of this site.

Hampi is located in the central part of Karnataka in the southern part of India. It is 353 km from Bangalore, and 13 km from Hospet. It is located on top of the rugged terrain and is 467 m above sea level. Tungabhadra River flows through Hampi. It has a tropical climate with hot summers (April-June), and cool winters (October-February). It experiences the southwestern monsoon rains from June to August.

Places to visit in Hampi

Virupaksha Temple

The temple is so constructed that its main entrance faces east and homes to two courtyards. No sooner you enter the temple, there is a statue of Nandi with three heads. There is a pillared hall in the center which is reckoned as the Ranga Mandapa.

In case you are an international traveler, you have to register yourself at a police outpost with all your essential details. Mostly, this temple remains crowded in December; whereas it celebrates its annual festival in February and it is one of the best places to visit in Hampi.

Vijaya Vittala Temple

Vijaya Vittala Temple or Vijaya temple of Hampi amongst the ancient Places to Visit In Hampi worthy of visiting. There are fantastic stone structures all around, and the pillars here appear as if they are playing music.

This is true architectural excellence of Hampi as it exemplifies remarkable creativity and the beauty of architecture’s imagination. The architecture of this temple dates back to the Dravidian era and reflects South Indian traits.

Three towering gateways are encircling the temple along with high compound walls. Maha Mantapa, Stone chariot, musical pillars are amongst the tourist attractions of this Vijaya Vittala Temple.

Lotus Mahal

Lotus Mahal or Kamal Mahal exhibits an explicit architectural design amongst all the other Hampi tourist places. It is so called as it more or less resembles the shape of a lotus flower.

Central dome of this Mahala resembles the bud of lotus and the balcony and passages as petals. The roof illustrates a multi-layered design reflecting and Indo architectural style. There are around 24 pillars to provide excellent support to the arched windows of this palace.

Yantrodharaka Hanuman Temple

Yantrodharaka Hanuman Temple is present at a distance of around 2km from the famous Virupaksha temple. This temple is a part of a cave standing at the peak of a hill and is dedicated to the Hindu deity Lord Hanuman.

Also, the Tungabhadra river flows through the steps of this hill. Here, you can find Lord Hanuman indulged in a state of deep meditation. Within a distance of five minutes from here, you can find another temple dedicated to Lord Srinivasa. In case you feel hungry, you can approach small stalls nearby selling either mangoes, biscuits or cucumbers.

Hippie Island

Another area which is amongst the most visited Places to Visit In Hampi is Hippie Island, named after its vibrant culture. Virapapur Gadde is a small island located across the Tungabhadra River. Known to be a backpacker’s delight, this island is stunning and is popular amongst the locals as well as tourists for its laid back ambience and cosy lodges.

Tourists can spend their time relaxing at one of the many cafes and shacks, like Green Garden Restaurant, Laughing Buddha Café, etc. while gorging on great food, and soaking in the view of beautiful rice paddies. This location is also known to be a centre for people to conduct sunset jam sessions with musical instruments for a fun party-like atmosphere.

Queen’s Bath

Reckoned as a large bath of Hampi, Queen’s Bath exemplifies the Vijayanagara’s architectural excellence. It lies close to one of the most awful places to visit in Hampi- the Royal Enclosure.

Although built around 500 years ago, this magnificent structure still remains intact in its construction. It’s simplest exterior perfectly blends with an ornate interior to embrace its overall appearance.

It a rectangular building admeasuring around 30 square meters and has a large sunken bath at its center. It may interest you to find arched corridors all around this Royal bath.

Matanga Hill

Out of all the places to visit in Hampi, Matanga Hill is the one which is most talked about. It represents the highest point of Hampi, and it’s a picturesque destination for the travel photographers to capture some aerial vies of Hampi.

North portion of this hill terminates into Tungabhadra river where you have another religious place to visit-Kodanda Rama temple. Towards the south of this hill, you have a twisting valley with a zigzag Turthu canal. Low-lying Northern section exhibits a trekking trail that connects straightaway to Hampi bazaar.

Elephant Stables

Elephant Stables is amongst the significant tourist places to visit in Hampi to witness a little to absolutely no destruction. It is a long building homing to a series of dome-shaped chambers which once were used for the parking of royal elephants.

These chambers are around 11 in their total count; some of which are interconnected. The whole building gives a symmetrical appearance, and the central hall tower reflects the shape of most of the temples here. This central hall has five domes on either side of it which reflects an Islamic style of architecture.

Monolithic Bull

Situated at the east end of the Hampi Bazaar, the Monolith Bull or Nandi is a grand piece of ancient architecture that is housed in a two-story pavilion. This huge structure, which mythologically is the vehicle of Lord Shiva, is placed just opposite to the famous Virupaksha Temple. This Monolithic Bull, although partially mutilated, exhibits a coarse style of carving. The statue is so beautiful that it attracts a large number of visitors every day. It is also one of the frequently visited historical Tourist Places in Hampi. It is also surrounded by huge boulders and rock pillars.