Kemmangundi and Hebbe falls day tour
Chikmagalur · 10 hrs · Car and driver, all day · Pickup from your stay
From ₹2990 for the whole vehicle, up to 8 people. The price is per car, not per person.
Vehicles
- Swift Dzire: Sedan. Best for a couple or a small family. ₹2990 for the vehicle.
- Tata Sumo: Rugged 8-seater. The most room for the money. ₹3490 for the vehicle.
- Innova or Ertiga: The comfortable one on a long hill day. ₹4990 for the vehicle.
The Kemmangundi side, and the waterfall you cannot drive to
Kemmangundi was a hill retreat before it was a tourist stop, and it still feels like one: terraced gardens on the slope, mist coming through the trees, and paths that end at viewpoints nobody has fenced. This day pairs it with Hebbe, the best waterfall in the district and the hardest to reach.
Hebbe is the reason this day needs planning. It sits 8 km inside estate land down a track that is forded and rutted and strictly jeeps-only at the gate. Families in sedans stop at the viewpoints; the people standing under the falls got there in a registered estate jeep.
Your car and driver cover the whole day from your stay: Deviramma, Kallathigiri, the Hebbe gate, the gardens, and the Z Point trek at the end for sunset. The estate jeep at Hebbe and the trekking entry at Z Point are charged on site.
Why book the car for the day
One car, one price, ten hours
The vehicle is yours from 7 am to sunset at a fixed rate, including the long waits at the Hebbe gate and the Z Point trail.
Early is the whole trick at Hebbe
By late morning the jeep queue at the gate runs past an hour in season. A 7 am start puts you through it while it is still short.
A driver who waits
Z Point is a two-hour round trip on foot. Your driver is parked and waiting when you come back down, which a per-trip taxi is not.
Where you'll go
1. Deviramma Temple
A hilltop shrine on the way up, with the plains stretching out behind it. A short, steep approach and usually quiet.
2. Kallathigiri Falls
Water dropping straight past a temple at the base, so the shrine sits in permanent spray. A short walk from the road.
3. Hebbe Falls
A 168 m two-stage fall deep inside estate land. The last 8 km is a forded, rutted track that only estate jeeps are allowed to run.
Estate jeep and trekking entry, paid on site
4. Kemmangundi rose garden
Terraced beds laid out on the hill slope, with the ghats behind. Best in the cooler months.
5. Kemmangundi rock garden
Stone terracing cut into the hillside with viewpoints built into it, a short stroll from the rose garden.
6. Z Point
A trek out along a narrow ridge to a point that drops away on three sides. The sunset view people come back for.
Trekking entry fee, paid at the gate
7. Shanti Falls
A small fall on the Z Point trail, a good place to stop on the way back down.
How you get there
Your car covers the day; Hebbe needs an estate jeep
A Swift Dzire seats four, a Tata Sumo eight and an Innova or Ertiga six, each with a driver, for the whole route. The 8 km track into Hebbe is authorised jeeps only, and that transfer plus the trekking entry at Z Point are paid on site at the posted rates.
- Pickup: Your stay in or around Chikmagalur town, 7:00 am
- Vehicle: Swift Dzire up to 4, Tata Sumo up to 8, or Innova / Ertiga up to 6, with driver
- Distance: About 130 km across the day, the last stretch on ghat road
- Jeep segment: Hebbe Falls, 8 km each way, paid at the gate
- Walking: Z Point is about 4 km on foot, round trip
How the day runs
7:00 am: Pickup
The early start is what beats the Hebbe jeep queue.
8:00 am: Deviramma Temple
Hilltop shrine with the plains behind it.
9:15 am: Kallathigiri Falls
The temple in the spray, a short walk in.
10:30 am: Hebbe Falls
Estate jeep from the gate, then the walk in and time at the falls. About three hours all in.
2:00 pm: Lunch and Kemmangundi gardens
The rose garden and the rock garden terraces.
4:00 pm: Z Point and Shanti Falls
The ridge trek out for sunset, roughly two hours.
6:30 pm: Drop
Back at your stay.
In your price
- Private car with driver for the full day
- Pickup and drop at your stay
- Driver allowance, fuel and tolls
- All seven sightseeing stops on the route
- Entry fees and parking at the stops
Not included
- Hebbe Falls estate jeep charges
- Trekking entry fees at Z Point
- Lunch and personal expenses
What you pay on the day
- Hebbe Falls estate jeep
- Trekking entry fee at Z Point
- Lunch and anything you eat along the way
Who this suits
The Z Point trek is about 4 km round trip on an uneven ridge path and is the one demanding part of the day; you can skip it and wait at the gardens. Hebbe involves a bumpy jeep ride and a short walk with a stream crossing. Children over 8 usually manage the whole day well.
What to bring
Shoes with grip for Z Point, a change of clothes if you plan to get wet at Hebbe, a light rain layer, and cash for the jeep gate and entry fees.
Monsoon closures are normal here
In heavy monsoon the estate closes the Hebbe track and the forest department can shut the Z Point trail, sometimes on the morning itself. If two or more stops are unreachable you choose a reworked route, a free reschedule or a full refund.
Cancellation
- More than 24 hrs before: Full refund
- Within 24 hrs: 50% refund, or reschedule free once
- No show: No refund
Safety and the operator
Licensed local drivers on roads they run daily. The Hebbe jeeps are the estate's own authorised vehicles. At the falls, stay in the lower pool area; the upper stage is not accessible and guides do not take guests there.
Questions
Can we skip Z Point?
Yes. It is the longest walk of the day and plenty of guests spend that time at the gardens instead. The price is for the car, so skipping does not change it.
Why is the Hebbe jeep extra?
The estate jeeps run under their own gate rate that moves with the season and the queue. You pay it there in cash, which keeps our price honest rather than padded.
Can we swim at Hebbe?
You can get properly wet in the lower pool. Bring a change of clothes and expect to be damp for the drive back.
The Sumo seats 8 but costs less than the 6-seat Innova. Why?
Because you are paying for two different things. The Sumo is built for capacity and rough road, so it is the cheapest way to move seven or eight people. The Innova is the smoother, quieter ride, which matters on ten hours of hill road. If you are a large group the Sumo is your option; if you are four to six and want the easier day, take the Innova.
Is the price per person?
No, it is for the whole car. Six people in an Innova pay the same ₹4,990 as two would.