Gokarna Travel Guide

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Itinerary for 2 to 3 days

Things to do

Stay options

Visual journey of our trip

Gokarna Travel itinerary for 2 to 3 days

Day 01	First day make it a beach day. Explore Kudle beach & enjoy beach sports like paragliding, banana boat, etc. In evening, dress up modestly to explore the Krishna math area, visit temple and if you crave get Prasadam at the math which is served from 8pm for 45 mins.
Day 02	Wake up early morning to trek on your own or some trekking company. Read details below for trekking on your own. Rest in afternoon to recover. In evening dress modestly to visit the most famous temples of Gokarna: Mahabaleshwar temple and Maha Ganpati temple.
Day 03	Early morning catch mangla aarti at Gokarna temple, spend few hours at the temple to soak in the temple atmosphere. Enjoy lunch at Dattaprasad lunch home. Enjoy the sunset at the Belekan Beach, remotest beach of Gokarna.

Gokarna is a little quaint old town with historical importance in Bhartiya sanskruti. Located in Karnataka state on the west coast of India, Gokarna, means cow’s ear (GO is cow & karn is ear) in sanskrit and derives its name from a mythology story of Shiva when he appeared in this town through cow’s ear. Also if you check the shape of this town it resembles cow’s ear from top view.

Gokarna is known as one of seven important centers of pilgrimage in Hinduism. It lies on what was once unspoiled coastline at the estuary of the River Aghanashini. Due to an increase in tourism, the character of the town is changing, and is no longer just a center of pilgrimage, though large numbers of Shiva devotees continue to visit for prayer and worship. Along with pilgrimage site, Gokarna is the one of the beach destinations and it is popular for beach trekking. Gokarna is also a place where you will spot many foreigners living in the town while brushing their life with hinduism. one can spot few foreigners wearing typical “lungi”, some of them sporting dread locks, to resemble one with the Hindu population of India.

Gokarna has a warm climate (average of 30 degree Celsius) with presipitation level high during summer which peaks during monsoon. Winter season are just pleasant but not cold.

Things to do in Gokarna

1. Visit Temples – Gokarna is a holy temple with civilisational importance. It has 3 important temples of Hindu culture: Shri Mahabaleshwar temple, Shri Maha ganapathi temple, and Gokarna Athmalinga.
2. Hiking – Gokarna has hilly & beach terrain making it picturesque place for hiking. Here are some local companies ideally for an accomapanied hiking time: Nature Walkers, Avathi, and Plan the unplanned. Incase you plan to go hiking by yourself, here is a trail list that you can try.
3. Beach time – Gokarna has some really pretty beaches to explore from. There is Om beach which is the most popular beach of all. Lot of good stay options are closer to this place & is a good spot to see the day go by. Other beaches must visit are Paradise beach, Half Moon beach, Kudle beach, and Gokarna beach.
4. Water Sports adventure – Enjoy the ater sports such as jet ski, boat ride, banana boat ride, and paragliding. There is beautiful scuba diving in Netrani (60kms from Gokarna) which I have covered in Murudeshwar Travel Guide.
5. Yana Rocks – Embark on a thrilling trek to Yana Rocks, a unique rock formation nestled amidst dense forests. Marvel at the massive limestone monoliths, including the famous Bhairaveshwara Shikhara, and soak in the enchanting surroundings.
6. Waterfall bathing – Located amidst lush greenery and 42km from Gokarna, Vibhooti Falls is a scenic waterfall where you can bask in nature’s beauty. It’s named after “Vibuth” which means limestone, referring to the limestone rocks that the water passes through. You can trek to the location and take a refreshing dip in the cool waters or simply revel in the tranquil surroundings.
7. Enjoy sunset at Belekan Beach – Each of the Gokarna beaches are a mesmerising sight and Belekan Beach is no exception. Head to Belekan Beach in the evening and be treated to a breathtaking Gokarna sunset view. The serene surroundings and the play of colours across the sky make it a truly magical experience, paired with the waves.
8. Indulge in Ayurveda treatments & massages – Pamper yourself with rejuvenating Ayurvedic treatments and massages offered by renowned wellness centers in Gokarna. Experience holistic healing techniques that will relax your mind, body, and soul. Arya Ayurvedic Panchakarma Centre is one of the most renowned center in Gokarna.

Stay Options

Zostel is one of the best property to stay in Gokarna. The dorm & individual homes have really good vibes. Their restaurant is serves good food, also has live music on weekends and overall has good crowd. I would highly recommend this place. Also Zostel property is atop a small hill near Kudle beach, so it provides good view overlooking the beach. A small hill walk downwards will land you at the beautiful old shiv temple which has extremely beautiful view and serenity around. We ended up sitting at this place couple of times just watching the beach from far.

Some of the exquisite (expensive) stays at Gokarna are Swaswara and Kahani Paradise.

For total trip budget, refer Coastal Karnataka Travel Guide article.

Visual journey of our trip