Looking for inspiration for your backpacking trip to India? Hopefully, this travel guide to Gokarna will convince you not to miss out on the often-overlooked state of Karnataka and put this dreamy beach town on its coast, straight on your itinerary.
On my six-week trip in India, Gokarna was the town I found it almost impossible to leave. I foolishly left it as my last stop, which meant I had no choice but to leave in order to catch my flight. Still, I fondly look back on those four days in Gokarna and want to share with you my experience and how to get the most out of this pilgrim-meets-backpacker town.
Travel guide to gokarna (2024)
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Where is Gokarna?
Gokarna is a small coastal town with a population of 20,000 located in the north of India’s southwestern state, Karnataka. Despite being only 1-2 hours south of Goa, it has a completely different culture—definitely less party-heavy.
For centuries, long before the flow of tourists, Gokarna has been a place of pilgrimage. In Sanskrit, the word Gokarna means cow’s ear. In one version of Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva returned to earth from the underworld through the ear of a cow. So, nowadays, you’ll find a mix of backpackers, old-age hippies, and pilgrims.
And just like Palolem in South Goa, the secret is out. It’s definitely not North Goa, but it’s not off-the-beaten-track, either.
How to reach Gokarna?
The best way to reach Gokarna from any Indian destination is by train. If you’re planning on visiting from Goa in the North or Kerala in the South, trains run all along the coast.
You can also easily catch a train from major Indian cities like Bangalore, Mysore, etc.
Once you arrive at Gokarna Road Railway Station, jump in a tuk-tuk to your accommodation. Pay no more than INR 200 (€2) from the train station to Gokarna town, which takes 20 minutes. Alternatively, you can jump on a public bus that runs to and from the train station. I’m not sure exactly about the price, but my guess is around INR 20 (€0.20).
Night bus to Gokarna
If you’re like me and arrive in Gokarna on a night bus (perhaps from Hampi?), you’ll arrive in the early hours of the morning. The bus usually drops you off on the main road near Gokarna Road railway station. I know the idea of being dropped off on a main road at 4 am feels a bit dodgy or scary, but don’t worry. Tuk-tuk and taxi drivers know what time the night buses arrive and will be waiting.
The rate for a tuk-tuk to Gokarna town is higher than in the day. We paid INR 200 (€2) per person for four of us to be dropped off near Revibe Hostel at the far end of Gokarna Beach. The journey was around 12km and 25 minutes.
If you feel uncomfortable about haggling, you can always pre-book a pick-up with your hostel or hotel in advance.
Getting around Gokarna
Next up in this guide to Gokarna is transport! Because Gokarna is spread out, you should definitely rent a scooter to get around. Scooter rental is easy to organise with your hostel or hotel. It will cost you around INR 300-500 (€3 – 5). One of my favourite things to do was to scooter around, riding past farm fields and stopping for chai at the little villages around Gokarna.
Alternatively, if you don’t feel comfortable on a scooter, you can catch a tuk-tuk anywhere in Gokarna. You just have to be willing to haggle a little!
When to visit Gokarna?
Unsurprisingly, like most South India, the best time to visit Gokarna is from December to April. As Gokarna is all about warm, lazy beach days, avoid visiting between early June and September, the monsoon season.
Also, if you can, avoid coming to Gokarna on weekends. It’s become popular with domestic holiday-making Indians, and the beaches can get very busy. The sweet spot is between Monday and Thursday.
Where to stay in Gokarna?
If you look at the map of Gokarna, it’s a little confusing to know the best place to stay. It’s basically split into three sections: the centre of Gokarna Town, the huge stretch of Gokarna Beach, and Om Beach.
The centre of Gokarna is not really a place you’d want to stay. It’s a cool place to visit for a few hours, but then you’ll want to leave because of the crowds.
Best hostel in Gokarna
Personally, I think the best hostel in Gokarna is Revibe Hostel, located on the far side of Gokarna Beach. The guys there are champion hosts. Set up in December 2023 by three friends who met at university, Revibe is just the place to go if you’re a solo backpacker and want to meet like-minded souls. You’ll also meet a mix of Indian and Western travellers, which I really liked.
The Goko Social next door is also a beautiful place to stay and has more private room options.
Both Revibe Hostel and The Goko Social are surrounded by farm fields in the local part of Gokarna, away from the crowds.
Another option is at Om Beach. On the further side of the beach, there are cool, cheap bungalows to rent at Jungle Cafe Resort.
Camping in Gokarna
While I didn’t camp in Gokarna, camping is super popular. I saw many groups camping on the more secluded beaches like Paradise and Half Moon.
Best things to do in Gokarna
A travel guide to Gokarna wouldn’t be complete without a list of things to do there! But I’ll be honest: Gokarna is all about the chill life, so there are not a hella lot of things to do apart from enjoying the beaches, swimming, and indulging in lots of fish thali. But that’s what makes it so special!
Oh, and engaging in beautiful conversations. Gokarna attracts so many different people from all walks of life, and so I spent a lot of time chatting with other travellers and locals.
Best Beaches in Gokarna
- Om Beach, but not on the weekends.
- Gokarna Beach, but as far as you can walk down the beach away from the centre of Gokarna, preferably past Chez Christophe.
- Paradise Beach: a secluded beach only accessible by boat or hiking.
Om beach – Belekan Hike
All the guidebooks recommend the Om Beach to Belekan Beach hike. My honest opinion? It’s overrated.
But I would recommend doing it purely to reach Paradise Beach, which is only accessible by foot and boat. It’s beautiful, and you can spend a few hours there. But don’t expect to be wowed by the rest. Sadly, there’s a lot of litter along the trail.
After the hike, you’ll end up in Belekan, where a local bus heads to the centre of Gokarna. We were lucky enough to jump on a bus after 5 minutes of arriving at the bus stop, but from what I understand, they come every 30 minutes and cost INR 14 (€0.15!)
What to visit in gokarna town?
As I mentioned, Gokarna town is a place of pilgrimage and visiting its most revered temple – Mahabaleshwar Temple – is a must. It’s
Despite reports that foreigners can’t enter the temple, that’s false. You just need to dress appropriately. This strict dress code applies to both men and women.
“For men only dhoti is allowed. They can’t enter the temple wearing shirts, t-shirts and vests. Women are allowed only in salwar suit and saree. They can’t come wearing jeans pants”. Read more here.
After the temple, walk a few minutes to Koti Teertha, a sacred man-made tank whose holy waters are said to absolve all sins. In Sanskrit, it translates as a thousand springs.
I’d avoid the part of the beach located in Gokarna town; it’s full of rubbish. Instead, walk further along the beach as if you’re walking to Revibe Hostel.
Where to eat in Gokarna?
This travel guide to Gokarna only includes my favourite spots that I can assure you, won’t disappoint.
For breakfast, go to Djanardan Dhaba on Belehittal Rd. I always arrived around 7.30am and loved having the routine of chatting with a mix of locals and expats while enjoying some mangalore buns and chai. It’s also very affordable at INR 40.
For the most delicious fish thali, you have to visit Dattaprasad Tiffin Canteen in Gokarna town. It’s a no-fuss place where you can have unlimited rice and sauce for only INR 80.
Namaste Cafe at Om Beach consistently gets mentioned in guidebooks as the place to eat in Gokarna. But I can promise you, it’s overrated and overpriced. Walk further along the beach to find better and more local restaurants for half the price. I ate at both Ganesha Cafe and Jungle Cafe and the food was delish.
That’s a wrap on my travel guide to Gokarna: Karnataka’s best beach town. If you’ve made it this far, I’m going to share my secret with you: Gangavali Beach.
If you’ve rented a scooter, a great place to ride to Gangavali Bridge. Although it doesn’t look like it on Google Maps, it’s possible to cross the bridge to the wild Gangavali Beach; a beautiful quiet beach to watch the sunset.
Where should you head next after Gokarna?: Hampi, of course. Check out my guide to Hampi here.
