Travel tips to reach Gokarna from Bangalore, Karnataka

Are you looking for information on how to reach Gokarna or Gokarna beach from Bangalore or other source of location? If so, you are in the right page to get the right travel and tourist information in time. I had recently traveled to Gokarna and would like to share my unique travel experience with you. If you are beach or natural lover and would like to visit a different place for a while as a change then Gokarna is one of the best places to visit in India. 

The thing is for Bangaloreans, beach in other state like Tamilnadu, Chennai is closer (around 400kms) than Karnataka state’s own beaches like Gokarna, Karwar, Udupi etc. which is around 700 to 800 kms via train. The closest beach in Karnataka for Bangalorean is most probably the Mangalore one, which is almost the same distance of Chennai. The difference is, Chennai beach is of Bay of Bengal direction and the Karnataka beaches are toward Arabian sea.

I was planning to visit Gokarna, Karnataka since many months but only recently I got an enough chances to be there. Yes, I went to Gokarna alone to see its wonderful beaches. The travel was by train, bus and a local auto. How to travel Gokarna and how I did? Though it was a challenges one for me since a long time but this time also had a toughest weather challenges in Bangalore till reaching Gokarna.  It was once easy for me to visit Mangalore, Coorg, Mysore and Goa etc. with friends and few trips alone as well. This one little tough as per my personal history of traveling.

Since I got a reasonable break from duty during recent festival holidays so I had to come out from ‘no enough time’ to go over there as an holidays. This travel helps for blogging and blogger’s life too to come out from a regular work and stress. One can re-freshen their mind and come back to work or write or share something new with their friends or blog visitors.

Due to travel postpone on weather condition in Bangalore (heavy rain and cold) and going to Gokarna next day, so, I had to waste my reserved ticket of Departure and had to buy a general ticket just ten minutes before train leaving, and getting sleeper by paying extra amount of berth. Initially, the plan was to enjoy two days in and around Gokarna but now I had to stay just one day and two nights travelling from Bangalore to Gokarna and return likewise for 800+ kms travel. I would have at least spent one night and two days in or nearby Gokarna if my plan would have done exactly.

How I reached Gokarna by train or bus from Bangalore

The next day after the cancellation of scheduled date travel due to weather reason, I cross checked some of the travel buses and train time table to plan exactly within shortest period of travel and return etc. So, I left the home knowing the departure and arrival train timings. I reached the SBC (Bangalore City) railway station, got a general ticket for ‘Talaguppa’ destination train which was scheduled to depart at 23:00 (11pm). Anyhow, the general bogies / compartments were full and no place to even stand since I came very late to catch the seat plus 'Deepavali leave started'.

The train was going via Arisekere, Shimoga to Talaguppa (321 Kms from Bangalore) instead of Gokarna Road railway station by Karwar express via Mangalore. The reason I got Talaguppa train to reach Gokarna is to save the time (at least five hours)  and distance which exactly I got the benefit through Kms and timing – check the detail below. I reached Talaguppa the next day morning around 6 am with fresh scenario in the early morning by train, and got a West Karnataka state transport to Sirsi instead of  getting a direct bus to Gokarna which comes rare, this was 70kms journey. I then enquired state transport authority and they directed me to get Karwar going bus and get down at Madanageri cross stop, the distance was around 80 kms from Sirsi to Madanagiri.

The beautiful scene journey began from Sirsi to Madanageri than Talaguppa to Sirsi route. Yes, it was curve road and greenery everywhere and found some dangerous road ahead. I reached Madanageri and got a local bus to Gokarna which the distance was just 10kms. I finally reached Gokarna. Thank God. It is overall 321+70+80+15 = 486 kms compare to 807 kms from Bangalore to Gokarna Road via Mangalore and Mysore route train (by Karwar express). 

However, upon returning to Bangalore, I had to leave early from other train than booked and just cancelled train one. Yes, I had to come with another Karwar express train departed at 3:30 pm via Bhatkal, Mangalore, Mysore and Bangalore with 807 kms distance. I reached Bangalore the next day morning around 8am.

The best places to visit in Gokarna

You may get more detail on visiting there itself, since Gokarna is a coastal area and one of the tourist hotspot location, you would find mild or heavy humidity based on the month or season. You would find so many foreigners or Europeans all around who come as tourist via ship or nearby tourist location like Karwar and Goa which is around 40 and 100 kms respectively. There are many temples all around in Gokarna and there are few well known beaches too to be there and enjoy as per your choice. Some local people wear different local cultural dress which hardly we can find those in Bangalore city. The famous beaches are like Gokarna beach, Om beach, Kudlee beach, Half moon beach and Paradise beach to name a few.

Gokarna beach is within city center and walk-able distance to enjoy.

Om beach is around 7 kms from the city center and one has to get the local auto or own transport to reach over there. The name Om came due to its rock / sea shape of Om, naturally.

Kudlee beach is that you have to walk around 2kms on the mountain to reach neat and clean beach. Few restaurant / huts are available.

Half moon beach is half of the attraction of the Om beach for its design and visitors.

Paradise beach is like dry one and no one allowed to be there at the moment.

You can enjoy the Gokarana beach, Om beach and Kudlee beach at most.

Wish you a very Happy Journey!