Kollur Mookambika and Murudeshwar
Udupi and the temple coast · 11.5 hrs · Cab included · 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.
Two of the coast's great temples, in one long day
Kollur and Murudeshwar are the two names that come up most after Udupi itself, and they are both a couple of hours away in different directions: Kollur inland at the foot of the ghats, Murudeshwar up the coast past Bhatkal. Doing them as two days by bus is common. Doing them as one day needs a car that does not stop.
The order matters because both temples close in the afternoon. Kollur first, as early as the drive allows, while the queue is short. Then down from the hills and north to Murudeshwar before its darshan closes at one. The statue, the gopura lift and the sea front are open through the afternoon, and the drive home along the coast passes Maravanthe as the light drops.
It is a long day, about 235 km, and there is no getting round that. The car is yours from six in the morning at one flat price for the vehicle, with a driver who has done this loop more times than he can count.
Your day, stop by stop
1. Kollur Mookambika Temple
The goddess Mookambika's temple at the foot of the Kodachadri range, on the Sauparnika river, and one of the most important Devi shrines in the south. Pilgrims from Kerala come in great numbers. Get there early and the queue is manageable.
Special darshan or seva tickets at the temple counters, if you want them
2. Murudeshwar Temple and Raja Gopura
A Shiva temple on a headland with the sea on three sides, and a 20-storey gopura in front of it with a lift to a viewing gallery near the top. The darshan closes at one, so this day gets you there before it does.
Gopura lift ticket at the counter
3. The Shiva statue on Kanduka hill
Behind the temple, one of the tallest Shiva statues in the world, seated and facing the sea, with sculpted scenes from the Ramayana around the base of the hill. It stays open through the afternoon when the temple is shut.
4. Maravanthe
On the way back, a stretch of the national highway with the Arabian Sea on one side and the Sauparnika river a few metres away on the other. A stop for the beach and the light, not for swimming.
In your price
- Private vehicle with driver for the day
- Pickup and drop at your stay in Udupi or Manipal
- Fuel, tolls, driver allowance and parking at every stop
- A route timed around both temples' closing hours
- GoExplorer support number for the day
Not included
- Darshan, seva and lift tickets
- Meals
- Anything personal
What you pay on the day
- Special darshan or seva tickets, if you want them
- The Raja Gopura lift at Murudeshwar
- Footwear deposits at the temples
- Lunch and anything personal
Who this suits
Pilgrims, and anyone who wants the two great temples north of Udupi in one go. It is a long day in the car, about six hours of driving in total, so it suits people who do not mind that. The sedan seats four, the Tata Sumo eight and the Innova six, each at one flat price for the car.
What to bring
Traditional dress for the temples: men in a dhoti or trousers, women in a saree or salwar, no shorts. Something to cover the head from the sun at Murudeshwar. Cash for tickets and lunch, and water for the car.
The coast in the monsoon
June to September brings heavy rain to this coast and the day runs in it. The sea front at Murudeshwar and the beach at Maravanthe are closed to the water then. If the highway or the Kollur road is closed after a red alert you get a full refund or a free reschedule.
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
Run by a licensed local ground operator, one driver per vehicle, commercially registered and insured. The sea at Murudeshwar and Maravanthe has strong undertow; paddle where the lifeguards say, if at all. Festival days at Kollur, especially Navaratri, bring very long queues.
Questions
Is the price per person?
No. It is one price for the whole vehicle for the day. Four of you in the Swift Dzire pay ₹2,990 between you, not each.
Can we add Kodachadri?
Not on this day. The climb to Kodachadri is by jeep up a rough track from near Kollur and takes half a day on its own, which this route does not have.
Can non-Hindus enter these temples?
Visitors of all faiths come to both, dressed traditionally. Practices in the inner shrine can vary, so follow the temple staff on the day.
Is lunch served at the temples?
Kollur serves a free meal to devotees around midday, but this day is at Murudeshwar by then. Your driver will stop wherever you want to eat.