By virtue of its varied geography and long history, Karnataka hosts numerous spots of interest for tourists. There is an array of ancient sculptured temples, modern cities, scenic hill ranges, forests and beaches. Karnataka has been ranked as the fourth most popular destination for tourism among the states of India.[190] Karnataka has the second highest number of nationally protected monuments in India, second only to Uttar Pradesh,[191] in addition to 752 monuments protected by the State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums.
Overview
The districts of the Western Ghats and the southern districts of the state have popular eco-tourism locations including Kudremukh, Madikeri and Agumbe. Karnataka has 25 wildlife sanctuaries and five national parks. Popular among them are Bandipura National Park, Bannerghatta National Park and Nagarhole National Park. The ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire at Hampi and the monuments of Pattadakal are on the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. The cave temples at Badami and the rock-cut temples at Aihole representing the Badami Chalukyan style of architecture are also popular tourist destinations. The Hoysala temples at Beluru and Halebidu, which were built with Chloritic schist (soapstone) are proposed UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Trip Highlights
- Western Ghats
- Kudremukh
- Bandipura National Park
- Hampi – An Architectural Marvel
- Shivanasamudra Falls
- Gokarna
- Jog Falls
- Pattadakal