Ancient historical ruins of Hampi are considered world heritage sites and have been included in UNESCO so you need at least a couple of days to devour this city. Even the ruins of the forts and temples will give a glimpse of this magnificent historical era when Hampi was the capital centre city of the entire Vijayanagar empire. It is advisable to take help of a guide as each and every monument in Hampi has an intriguing historical story behind it.

Hippie Hut stay: If you visit Hampi, then a mud Hut stay along the Tungabhadra River is a must to experience the local flavour of Hampi. The city is roughly divided in two parts due to Tungabhadra River flowing through it. Most of the tourists who visit the Hampi ruins and temples, stay near that area which is south side of the river. The other side of the river is popular as the Hippie Island so you will find multiple Hut stays and cafes in that area. You can decide to stay on either side of the river; you can also go and visit the other side by enjoying a boat ride.

Coracle, small round bamboo boat ride in Hampi along Tungabhadra River: You can see the locals offering ride across the river for tourists but there are no fixed price for these boat rides so your negotiation skills will come handy here. In case there is no rush hour, try the experience of Coracle boat rides. They are very light small boats made out of bamboo but it can easily accommodate up to 6 people.

Ruins of Hampi: The most popular tourist attraction are the Hampi ruins which are an architectural marvel. The historical monuments like the royal palaces, shrines, pillared column structures, hall complexes and temples are known for their architectural beauty and has been registered under UNESCO. You can hire a guide to ensure you understand the historical significance of these structures but each of these ruins have a detailed description that gives an idea of the splendour of the city’s past.

Vitthala Temple and Stone Chariot: The temple has an iconic stone chariot which is built to look like it is carved out of a single stone but are actually designed by combining multiple stone slabs. The temple is open till evening so you can enjoy the chariot’s beauty better in the sunset light.

Shri Virupaksha temple and the temple elephant: The temple is still intact with shrine of God Shiva amongst the city’s ruins and the daily prayers are still carried out here. There is a famous elephant in the temple’s premises which is a famous temple attraction as the tourists can get direct blessings from the sacred elephant.

Hilly Hike to Temple Complex and Sunset point: Rock climbing and hiking are one of the common adventure sports for tourists in Hampi. Matanga Hill and Hemakuta Hill are popular choices of tourists to go for hiking and enjoy the sunset view from the top.

Underground Shiva Temple: One of the must visit places to explore in Hampi is the Ancient Underground Shiva Temple which has a shrine surrounded by a pool of water. The temple is built below ground level so even when it is not monsoon season, you will always find parts of the temple and the main sanctum submerged in water. You can walk-in knee-deep water to reach the shrine but in case you don’t want to wade in water, you can still explore the temple which is an architectural marvel itself with intricately carved pillars and halls surrounding the temple.

Hampi bazaar: The central market of Vijayanagar empire is now in ruins but you can now find the locals using it to set up shops and small restaurants alongside as it is common place where tourists can pick up the souvenirs for their trip.

Although Hampi is known for the ancient temples, it also encompasses other architectural gems of the old city which are now in ruins but still historically significant. Few of them are the Pushkaranis (every temple in Hampi has sacred water tanks required for temple rituals), Queens’s bath (The royal bath is a fortress monument in itself considering the number of halls and moat surrounding the area) and several Palaces like Lotus Mahal will give a glimpse of the grandeur of Vijayanagar empire.

Before leaving Hampi, don’t forget to try the famous banana crepes here: