15 Best Places to Visit Near Udupi (Within an Hour's Drive)
A local's guide to temples, beaches and viewpoints around Udupi — plus why a farm stay in Byndoor makes the perfect base to explore them all.
Udupi is best known for its temples and its food, but the coastline and countryside around it hide some of the most rewarding day trips in coastal Karnataka. If you're basing yourself in Udupi town, almost everything on this list is within an hour's drive — and a few make an even better case for staying a little further out, in the quieter countryside near Byndoor.
IN AND AROUND UDUPI TOWN
Sri Krishna Matha — Udupi's most famous temple, home to the Bala Krishna idol installed by the saint Madhvacharya over 700 years ago. Visit early morning to see the Kalasa Pooja rituals before the crowds arrive.
Malpe Beach — Udupi's main beach, and the jumping-off point for boats to St. Mary's Islands.
St. Mary's Islands — A set of small islands famous for unusual hexagonal basalt rock formations, formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago. Reachable by a short boat ride from Malpe.
Kaup Beach and Lighthouse — A quieter beach a short drive south of Udupi, with a working lighthouse you can climb for coastal views.
Manipal — Just 8 km from Udupi, worth a stop at the End Point viewpoint overlooking the Arabian Sea, and a very different, younger energy from temple-town Udupi.
TEMPLES AND HERITAGE SITES NEARBY
Anantheshwara and Chandramouleshwara Temples — Twin temples in Udupi town predating Krishna Matha, believed to be among the oldest in the region.
Kadiyali Someshwara Temple — A lesser-known Shiva temple worth combining with a coastal drive.
Kollur Mookambika Temple — Further out, roughly 75-80 km (2 to 2.5 hours) from Udupi via NH66 and SH52, but for many travellers this is the actual reason they're in the region.
NATURE AND VIEWPOINTS
Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary — Forested hills en route to Kollur, good for a short trek if you have an extra half-day.
Hoode Beach — Quiet and uncrowded, a favourite for sunset among locals rather than tourists.
Padubidri Beach — Popular for its calm waters, roughly 20-25 minutes from Udupi.
DAY TRIPS WORTH THE EXTRA DRIVE
Maravanthe Beach — Around 45-55 km north of Udupi, famous for the stretch of NH66 where the Arabian Sea sits on one side of the highway and the Souparnika River runs on the other — genuinely one of the more unusual coastal drives in India.
Murudeshwar Temple — Home to the second-tallest Shiva statue in the world at 123 feet, and a 20-storey Raja Gopura you can take a lift up for a coastal view. Roughly 90-100 km from Udupi.
Byndoor and Someshwara Beach — A quieter stretch of coastline between Udupi and Murudeshwar, where the Someshwara Temple sits directly on the shore.
Kundapura — The taluk town connecting all of the above, with its own beaches and backwaters worth a slow afternoon.
WHY BASE YOURSELF IN BYNDOOR INSTEAD OF UDUPI TOWN
If your itinerary includes Kollur, Murudeshwar or Maravanthe — and most of the best places on this list do — Udupi town isn't actually the most convenient base. Byndoor sits almost at the centre point between Murudeshwar and Kollur Mookambika Temple, roughly 20-25 minutes from Maravanthe Beach and under an hour from both temples. It's also just 2 km from Mookambika Road railway station, which helps if you're arriving by train rather than car.
Kalavady Farmstay, on a 4-acre working farm in Byndoor, is set up for exactly this kind of coastal circuit trip: real farm life, a private pool, nature walks, and easy access to Someshwara Beach, without the crowds or traffic of staying in a bigger town. Rooms range from around ₹2,500 for a family cottage up to full-property bookings for larger groups. If your "Udupi trip" is really a Udupi-Kollur-Murudeshwar trip in disguise, it's worth checking availability here before booking a hotel in Udupi town itself.
Call or WhatsApp 97312 58717 to check dates, or see current rates and photos at stay.kalavadyfarmstay.com.
kalavadyfarms@gmail.com
9731258717, 9449507266
