Udupi Krishna Matha, Malpe and St Mary's Island
Udupi and the temple coast · 10 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.
Udupi's matha and its coast, in one unhurried day
Udupi is a temple town first: the Krishna Matha is the reason it exists, and the food that grew up around it is the reason everyone remembers it. Six kilometres west is Malpe, a beach beside a working harbour, and half an hour by boat from that is St Mary's Island, a strip of hexagonal basalt that looks like nowhere else in India.
The day goes in that order: the matha in the morning, then Malpe for the late-morning ferry, with the island while the sea is calm. After lunch there is time to rest, then the drive south to Kaup for the lighthouse, which only opens in the late afternoon, and sunset from the top.
None of it is far. The car is for the waiting: at the harbour while you are on the island, at Kaup while you climb, and in between when you want to go back for a sleep. It is yours for the day at one flat price for the vehicle.
Your day, stop by stop
1. Sri Krishna Matha
The thirteenth-century matha founded by Madhvacharya, where Krishna is seen through a silver-plated window of nine holes, and the window outside it named for the saint Kanakadasa. Car Street around it has two older temples and the best of Udupi's food.
2. Malpe Beach
Udupi's beach, six kilometres west, next to one of the busiest fishing harbours on the coast. The ferries to St Mary's leave from here.
3. St Mary's Island
A small island off Malpe made of hexagonal basalt columns, formed by volcanic activity tens of millions of years ago, with no shade and very clear water. The ferries run only outside the monsoon.
Ferry ticket at the Malpe counter
4. Kaup Beach and lighthouse
Thirteen kilometres south of Udupi, a lighthouse on the rocks above a long beach. It opens for climbing in the late afternoon, and the view from the top at sunset is the best on this coast.
Lighthouse entry ticket
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
- Waiting time at Malpe and Kaup
- GoExplorer support number for the day
Not included
- Ferry and lighthouse tickets
- Meals
- Anything personal
What you pay on the day
- Ferry ticket to St Mary's Island
- Lighthouse entry at Kaup
- Lunch and anything personal
Who this suits
Families, couples, anyone who wants Udupi's matha and its coast without a long drive. The island has no shade and uneven rock underfoot; the lighthouse is a narrow spiral of steps. 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 matha: men in a dhoti or trousers and ready to remove a shirt where asked, women in a saree or salwar, no shorts or jeans. Then beach clothes in a bag, a hat, plenty of water and sun protection for the island.
No island in the monsoon
The ferries to St Mary's stop for the monsoon, usually from mid-May until the sea settles in mid or late September, and on rough days outside it. When they are not running, the day goes ahead with a longer stop at Malpe and Kaup, or you can choose a free reschedule. A red alert on the coast gets 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
Run by a licensed local ground operator, one driver per vehicle, commercially registered and insured. Life jackets are worn on the ferry. Swimming off St Mary's and Malpe is risky in anything but calm sea; follow the lifeguards. The basalt on the island is sharp and slippery when wet.
Questions
Is the price per person?
No. It is one price for the whole vehicle for the day. Six of you in the Innova pay ₹4,990 between you, not each.
When is St Mary's Island open?
Outside the monsoon. The district stops the ferries from around mid-May and lets them restart when the sea settles, usually in the second half of September. We tell you at booking if the island is shut on your date.
Can non-Hindus visit the Krishna Matha?
Yes, visitors of all faiths come for darshan through the window. Dress traditionally and follow the matha's staff.
Can we stay longer on the island?
Yes, as long as the ferries run. The driver waits at Malpe, and the rest of the day moves with you.