Udupi sits between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats, and the escarpment is close enough that you can be in cloud forest an hour and a half after leaving the beach. Agumbe, 55 km east, is the closest hill station. Kollur Mookambika, 80 km north, is the biggest pilgrimage draw. Maravanthe, on the way to Kollur, is the best stretch of coastal road in the district.
One rule has changed and it catches people out: Forest Department treks now need a permit booked in advance. Details below.
Which hill station is closest to Udupi?
Agumbe, about 55 km east, at roughly 640 m in the Western Ghats in Shivamogga district. The drive takes around an hour and a half, and that is the hairpins, not the distance.
Why people go
Sunset point over the Arabian Sea on a clear evening. On a hazy one you will see nothing, and that is common
Barkana, Onake Abbi and Jogi Gundi falls
It is one of the wettest places in South India, which is exactly why a monsoon visit is either spectacular or completely fogged out
The Agumbe Rainforest Research Station area, known for king cobra research
When to go
October and November are the sweet spot: full waterfalls, clearing skies. June to August the falls are at their most dramatic and the sunset point is usually invisible. December to February is dry and clear but the falls are thinner.
The road
Agumbe Ghat has fourteen hairpin bends on the climb. It is a good drive and a demanding one. Not a night drive. Landslide closures happen between June and September.
Other hill options
Agumbe 55 km, 1 hour 30 minutes. Sunset point, waterfalls, rainforest.
Kudremukh About 100 km, 2 hours 30 minutes. National park and the peak trek.
Kodachadri About 110 km, 3 hours. Peak at 1,343 m, Hidlumane Falls, Sarvajna Peetha. The serious trek of the region, and it needs an overnight rather than a day trip. Full detail below.
Chikkamagaluru About 173 km, 4 hours. Coffee estates and proper hill town hotels.
Chikkamagaluru is a stretch as a day trip. Treat it as an overnight.
Kollur Mookambika
About 80 km north, roughly two hours, at the foot of Kodachadri hill on the Souparnika river.
One of the more significant Shakti temples in South India, drawing pilgrims from Kerala in particular. Vidyarambham, the ceremony marking a child's first lessons, is a major draw here.
Practical notes:
Nearest railway station is Kundapura (KUDA), about 35 km away
Pair it with Maravanthe on the way back, which costs you nothing in time
Kodachadri trek starts from near here and needs a permit
Dress code applies
Kodachadri
About 110 km from Udupi, roughly 3 hours by road. The most serious trek within reach of the coast, and the one that needs the most planning.
Kodachadri rises to 1,343 m (4,406 ft) in the Western Ghats in Shivamogga district, inside the Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary. The name means jasmine of the hills, after the kutaja flowers on its slopes. On a clear day you can see the Arabian Sea from the summit.
Why it matters beyond the view
Sarvajna Peetha, a small shrine at the peak, is held to be where Adi Shankaracharya meditated. Kodachadri is also tied to Goddess Mookambika, who is believed to have performed penance here. The Kollur Mookambika Temple sits about 21 km away at the base. For a lot of people who climb it, this is a pilgrimage that happens to involve a trek.
The routes
Three ways up, and they are not equivalent.
Hidlumane Falls route. The one most people mean by "the Kodachadri trek." Around 10 km with roughly 6 hours of walking including breaks, starting from Nittur or Marakutuka. It climbs past Hidlumane Falls, six cascades dropping 50 to 70 feet each. Moderately challenging, and the rock beside the falls is slippery.
Rough section timings:
Nittur or Marakutuka to the last hut at Hidlumane: about 2 hours
Last hut to the PWD guest house: about 2.5 hours
PWD guest house to the peak: about 1 hour 20 minutes
Peak down to the Valur road head: about 4.5 hours
Valur route. The usual descent if you are doing the full traverse up via Hidlumane and down the other side.
Jeep track. For anyone not walking up. Shared 4x4s run from a stand opposite Ambika Guest House, about 400 m from the Mookambika Temple in Kollur. Around 1.5 hours each way, roughly 45 minutes of paved road followed by 45 minutes of steep, narrow mud track. A shared jeep seats about nine and costs in the region of 2,000 rupees for the vehicle, plus a forest department fee per person.
The jeep is not a soft option. It is a rough ride and it stops short of the summit.
Permits, and the part that catches people out
Kodachadri is booked through the Aranya Vihaara portal, and the rules are stricter than most people expect.
Permits are issued by route. You book Hidlumane or Valur specifically, not "Kodachadri". Booking the wrong one means being turned back
A certified nature guide is mandatory, one per ten trekkers, on every approved route
Daily caps apply per trail, not per hill
Every trekker's ID goes in at booking, and the same ID is checked at the trailhead
The portal releases its full 30-day window at midnight, so everyone competes for the same slots at the same moment. Weekend and holiday dates go fast
Book at least a day ahead. Ten to fifteen days ahead is realistic in season
There is no spot booking
Is it a day trip from Udupi?
Honestly, no. Not a comfortable one.
Do the arithmetic: 110 km each way, a 1.5 hour jeep leg each way if you are not walking the whole thing, and a 6 hour trek in between. That is a 16 hour day before anything goes wrong, and you will be descending in the dark.
Better options:
Stay in Kollur the night before. Temple dharmashalas, KSTDC Hotel Mayura and local lodges. Start early, trek, come back to the coast that evening
Build it into a 4 day Udupi trip, with one night out at Kollur or Nittur
Treat Kollur and Maravanthe as the day trip and leave Kodachadri for a separate visit
If you have three days in Udupi, Agumbe is the realistic Ghats option. Kodachadri needs four.
When to go
October to February is the reliable window. The trail is at its greenest right after monsoon.
Monsoon is a different question. The falls are spectacular and the trail is genuinely slippery, with a stream crossing at Hidlumane that changes with the rain. Karnataka Tourism flags the trail as difficult in monsoon, and the Forest Department suspends routes when conditions warrant. Check the Aranya Vihaara portal for the specific route before assuming it is open.
Mist is constant on this hill in most seasons. Carry rain gear and something warm even in dry months.
Nearby on the same trip
Kollur Mookambika Temple, about 21 km from the peak at the base
Arasinagundi Falls, reachable off the Kodachadri trails
Maravanthe, on the coastal road back to Udupi
Getting there without a car: nearest railhead is Kundapura (KUDA), about 60 km, on the Konkan line. Nearest airport is Mangaluru (IXE), about 150 km.
Maravanthe
About 55 km north on NH 66, and the reason to drive to Kollur rather than take a bus.
The highway runs with the Arabian Sea on one side and the Souparnika river on the other, separated by the width of the road. It is a genuinely unusual piece of coastal geography and it photographs well in the last hour of light.
There is no swimming here to speak of. It is a drive and a stop, not a beach day.
Waterfalls
The Ghats above Udupi hold several falls that are at full flow from June through October and reduced to a trickle by March.
Jomlu Teertha, about 45 km. Short walk from the road, and popular because of it.
Kudlu Teertha, about 60 km. Longer trek in, forest permit territory.
Koodlu Theertha, about 60 km. Often confused with Kudlu. Check which one you are booking.
Barkana, near Agumbe. Viewpoint only, one of India's taller falls.
Onake Abbi, near Agumbe. Trek, permit required.
Jogi Gundi, near Agumbe. Short walk.
Monsoon warning: waterfalls are at their most impressive and their most dangerous in June to August. People drown at these sites every year, usually by entering the pool at the base. The current under a full-flow fall is not visible from the bank.
The permit rule that changed
Treks in Karnataka Forest Department areas now require a permit booked in advance through the Aranya Vihaara portal. There is no walk-up entry. Any older blog telling you to turn up at the trailhead is out of date.
What this means in practice:
Book online at the Karnataka Forest Department's Aranya Vihaara portal
Permits must be in the trekker's own name, with the same government ID presented at the trailhead
Daily numbers are capped. Kudremukh Peak allows 50 trekkers per day, and weekend slots go in minutes when they open
Booking opens up to 15 days ahead, and you need at least one day's notice
Entry and conservation fee for Kudremukh is around 275 rupees per trekker
A guide is compulsory on most routes
Spot booking does not exist
If a Ghat trek is the reason for your trip, book it before you book anything else. Everything else in Udupi can flex around it.
Closer than you think
Not everything worth seeing needs a two hour drive.
Kaup, 15 km south. Lighthouse from 1901, climbable, and better sunsets than Malpe.
St Mary's Island, by ferry from Malpe Jetty. Columnar basalt formations, a National Geological Monument. Half a day. Access is suspended from roughly mid May to mid September under Harbour Craft Rules.
Kemmannu hanging bridge, about 12 km. Crosses the Suvarna river to a small island. Kayaking and boating run here.
Kodi Bengre and Delta Beach, about 12 km. Where the Suvarna meets the sea. Backwaters, mangroves, toddy, and the quietest sunset in the district. Not swimmable.
Padubidri, about 25 km south. Karnataka's first Blue Flag certified beach.
Karkala, about 38 km. The 42-foot Gommateshwara monolith, carved in 1432.
Building a day around it
If you have one spare day and it is dry season: Kollur in the morning, Maravanthe on the way back for sunset.
If it is monsoon: Agumbe and the falls. This is the one time of year the Ghats beat the coast.
If you do not want to drive: Kemmannu, Bengre and Kaup. All within 15 km, all quiet.
If you want a trek: book through Aranya Vihaara two weeks out, then plan the rest of the trip around the date you get, not the other way round. Kudremukh works as a long day. Kodachadri needs a night at Kollur or Nittur first.
Three days is the minimum if any of this is going into your itinerary. See how many days you need in Udupi.
Frequently asked questions
Which hill station is closest to Udupi? Agumbe, about 55 km east and roughly an hour and a half by road, at 640 m in the Western Ghats.
How far is Agumbe from Udupi? About 55 km. The drive is 1 hour 30 minutes because of the ghat hairpins.
Is Agumbe worth visiting in monsoon? The waterfalls are at their best and the sunset point is usually fogged out. Go for the falls, not the view.
How far is Kollur Mookambika from Udupi? About 80 km north, roughly two hours. Nearest railway station is Kundapura.
Do I need a permit to trek near Udupi? Yes, for any Karnataka Forest Department area. Book through the Aranya Vihaara portal in advance. No spot booking.
How far is Kodachadri from Udupi? About 110 km, roughly 3 hours by road. Kollur is on the way and the peak is about 21 km beyond it.
Can I do the Kodachadri trek in a day from Udupi? Not comfortably. 110 km each way, a 1.5 hour jeep leg in both directions and a 6 hour trek adds up to a 16 hour day. Stay in Kollur or Nittur the night before.
How long is the Kodachadri trek? Around 10 km via the Hidlumane Falls route, roughly 6 hours of walking including breaks. The full traverse down to the Valur road head adds about 4.5 hours.
Do I need a permit for Kodachadri? Yes. Book on the Aranya Vihaara portal, and book the specific route, since permits are issued per trail rather than for the hill. A certified guide is mandatory, one per ten trekkers.
Can I drive or take a jeep to Kodachadri peak? Shared 4x4 jeeps run from Kollur, about 1.5 hours each way over 45 minutes of paved road and 45 minutes of steep mud track. They stop short of the summit and the ride is rough.
What is at the top of Kodachadri? Sarvajna Peetha, a small shrine held to be where Adi Shankaracharya meditated, and views over the Western Ghats to the Arabian Sea on a clear day.
Can I visit Agumbe and Kollur in one day? Not sensibly. They are in different directions from Udupi. Pick one.
What is the best day trip from Udupi? Dry season, Kollur with Maravanthe on the return. Monsoon, Agumbe and the waterfalls.
Sources and references
Permit rules and quotas change. Last checked 6 August 2026. Confirm on the Aranya Vihaara portal before travelling.