Ready-made routes
The Royal Centre
South of the river lies the royal heart of the old city: the Hazara Rama Temple with its carved Ramayana panels, the great platform in the Royal Enclosure, the stepped tank, the Queen's Bath, the Lotus Mahal in the Zenana Enclosure and the Elephant Stables. They are close together, so most of the time is spent looking, not travelling.
8:00 am to about 3:47 pm · 7 places · 2.9 km
By car, you drive wherever a road joins two places. You walk the rest: places a few steps apart, and stretches with no road, such as hill steps and the river path.
The route, with times
7 places · 25 min on the way · 2.9 km
- 8:00 am – 8:40 am
Underground Shiva Temple
One of Hampi's oldest shrines, the Prasanna Virupaksha Temple, built well below ground so its sanctum often stands in water.
- 4 min by road · 0.7 km
- 8:59 am – 9:44 am
Hazara Rama Temple
The royal chapel, famous for hundreds of relief panels narrating the Ramayana.
- 4 min by road · 0.7 km
- 10:03 am – 11:33 am
Royal Enclosure
The walled royal centre of Vijayanagara, holding the Mahanavami Dibba, stepped tank, palace basements and ceremonial platforms.
- 3 min on foot
- 11:39 am – 11:54 am
Stepped Tank
A perfectly symmetrical five-tier tank of black schist, unearthed in the Royal Enclosure in the 1980s.
- 5 min by road · 0.3 km
- 12:14 pm – 12:44 pm
Queen's Bath
A plain-walled pavilion hiding an ornate indoor bathing pool ringed by arched balconies.
- 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Lunch break
The middle of the day is the hottest. Eat, drink water and rest in the shade.
- 6 min by road · 0.8 km
- 2:06 pm – 3:21 pm
Zenana Enclosure
The walled 'ladies' enclosure' of the royal court, guarded by watchtowers and home to the Lotus Mahal.
- 3 min on foot
- 3:27 pm – 3:47 pm
Elephant Stables
A grand row of eleven domed chambers that once housed the royal war elephants.
The lines follow the roads and footpaths from Google Maps, checked in October 2026.
Directions for this dayBefore you go
- The Zenana Enclosure and the Elephant Stables are on the ASI ticket and open at 8 am.
- There is little shade between the ruins. Carry water and a hat.
Other routes
- Sunrise at Matanga HillClimb Matanga Hill for the sunrise, then walk down past Achyutaraya Temple to the river and Hampi Bazaar.5:45 am to about 3:35 pm · 8 places · 2.1 kmSee the route
- Riverside walk to VittalaFrom the Virupaksha Temple along the Tungabhadra to the Vittala Temple and its stone chariot, on foot.7:00 am to about 4:15 pm · 8 places · 2.9 kmSee the route
- Hampi in one dayThe Vittala and Virupaksha temples and the best places near them, in one well-paced day.7:00 am to about 5:23 pm · 8 places · 13.0 kmSee the route