We began working on our Digital Guide for Hampi in June 2024. It has been a long, and educative journey. Reading through chroniclers, traveler accounts, books and books of Hampi’s forgotten stories left us much convinced of the need for them to be told. Something we felt convinced would change the way tourists viewed Hampi. Today as of 2025, our Digital Guides are live to be used for indepth information on Hampi – making your trip smooth and enjoyable. However, the more we ventured into helpful content for the destination, the more we realized the necessity of help with Hampi hotels, homestays, guest houses and the rest.
How much you enjoy your trip to a destination is much determined by the quality of your stay, the hospitality of your host, the food you enjoy perhaps much more than the visit to the monuments.
This is the first in our series of covering hotels in Hampi, based on extensive research on the Internet (so you do not have to browse the Internet for unending hours!). As a part of this, we will try to get together a broad map of Hampi hotels and the places of stay for your understanding. At the same time, subsequently cover individual hotels and their general feedback over the Internet.
A Broad Map of Hampi Hotels
If you are a visitor to Hampi who isnt really familiar with the layout of Hampi, before you select a place it is a good idea to understand the layout of the place. Also, specially with respect to the vicinity to tourist attractions, places to eat, and the nature of localities.
The most important aspect to know about Hampi is that it is a small town, all contained in about 40 square kilometers. You will not reach Hampi directly, unless you have rented a cab from your city of origin or are traveling on your vehicle directly. If you have taken a bus or a train, you will reach a larger township called Hospet (or Hosapete natively) – a township of medieval India established by Emperor Krishnadeva Raya in early 16th century.
Today Hospet is a larger urban area with nearly all amenities in a decently developed city. You will find cafes, modern hotels, adequate markets, shops etc. Some of these facilities are pretty developed and equipped to give you a very comfortable stay.
Hospet to Hampi is approximately about 12 kilometers distance with a well maintained, low to moderate traffic route. Travel is easy if you have a vehicle. Or there are local autorickshaws running that could be useful for the commute. Most autorickshaw drivers seem to be located in Hospet, though many conduct business in Hampi on account of the tourist traffic.
Hotels in Hospet
Staying in Hospet is a great idea. In 1 of my trips, I have personally stayed in Hotel Malligi (my experience is covered in the link). The stay was very comfortable and smooth. The staff was friendly and helpful.
Look up an OTA (makemytrip.com or cleartrip.com) for reviews and ascertain that the hotel is reasonably good. My criteria has been 4.2+ rating in the past and that has been helpful.
In general, travel from Hospet to Hampi takes approximately 25 minutes and is pleasant, especially on account of decent roads and low traffic. So, if you are finding a good accommodation here, rest assured logistically this is a good place for stay in your trip.
Hampi Hotels & Homestays – South of the Tungabhadra river
Most places to stay in Hampi, south of the river are Homestays run by local businessmen. They are generally hospitable and friendly, though smaller setups. If you are not accustomed to amenities of large hotels, then you may be comfortable here. However, if you are looking for more systematic and larger professional-setups, Hospet may be a better choice.
The undisputed advantage here is the proximity to Hampi (sometimes these are less than 5 kilometers to the heart of the tourist attractions. The surroundings are closer to nature. So early mornings you are likely to have pretty great views. And, if you are not here in the peak summers, then you are likely to enjoy excellent early mornings.
In the area of Kamlapur, there is a KSTDC (Karnataka State Tourism Department) run hotel called Mayura Bhuvaneshwari that you could explore. That is one of the few larger hotels located closer to Hampi’s heart.
There are a few hubs of homestays here. One of them is a couple of hundred meters from the Virupaksha Temple.
READ MORE: All about the Virupaksha Temple in Hampi
The locality is older part of Hampi. The roads and streets are narrower than the rest of the town. The area is adjacent to the river Tungabhadra and within walking distance of a number of monuments. The homestays are small establishments and generally have less than 10 rooms.
Hampi Hotels & Homestays – North of the Tungabhadra river
The northern part of Tungabhadra is accessible after a 22 kilometer drive from Hampi and then crossing over the river to the other side. There are some boats plying and so have a much shorter distance. But, that is not motorable and so may not be easily accessible if you are trying to reach it right from the Hospet railway station or Bus junction.
Nevertheless, there are a number of hotels that are in this part of the town. This area is called Anegundi and is an ancient place. Many stories from the epic Ramayana are said to have happened here. Here of the most important places is the Anjanadri Hill, which happens to be the birth place of Lord Hanuman. It is one of the most visited places in Hampi. A 575 step climb leads you up to the top of the hill from where you can have a panoramic view of entire Hampi!
EAD MORE: Outdoor Activities in Hampi: The Ultimate Adventure List
The accessibility of the southern part of Tungabhadra is a bit difficult. If you are interested in Ramayana and important sites related to it, the northern part of Hampi is a good choice. However the southern part is closer to the ruins of Hampi where the capital of Vijayanagar once was.
Since the town is not very congested, so traveling is not a nightmare. However, it is important you have a comfortable mode of transport. Many places in Hampi close down around 6 PM. It is advisable to plan so that you do not have to travel through the ruins or unknown places later in the evening. If you have arrived with your own conveyance, you will be much more comfortable. If not, try to get some reliable recommendation from the hotel staff.
This is part 1 of a series. Subscribe to stay tuned!
