15 Best Day Hikes Around Bangalore That You Can Do On Your Own

As much as all of us at Indiahikes office in Bengaluru love trekking, we are unable to spend extended periods in the hills. So what do we do?  We spend our weekends hunting for a one day trekking places near Bengaluru.

Of course, there are the mighty and the famous ones like Kudremukha, Kodachadri, or Kumara Parvatha. But if you include the travel time and back they take up the whole weekend.

On the other hand , these trekking places near Bangalore includes just the ones that are a couple of hours drive from Bangalore or even lesser.

So here’s a list of treks near Bangalore that can be completed in a single day.

We have listed our favourite treks around Bengaluru in this video. Watch it to get a good idea of how the treks look and their difficulty levels :)

With that, let's start with the complete list of great treks:

1. Channarayana Durga Trek

Highest Altitude: 3734 ft
Trek Starting Point: Channarayana Durga Village
Trek Duration: 3–4 hours
Distance from Bangalore: 97 km

Channarayana Durga Trek is located in the Tumakuru district of Karnataka. A trek that is very close to our hearts at Indiahikes since it reveals many surprises as you go climbing through each of its layers of the fort.

The beautiful majestic fort reminds you of medieval times that was used as a strategic fortress in this region of Madhugiri and Tumkur. It is one of the Navadurgas around Bangalore, the entire fort is divided into multiple layers and sections.

View Channarayana Durga Trek

2. Halu Chilume Ganga Trek

Highest Altitude: 3,310 ft
Trek Starting Point: Mallasandra
Trek Duration: 4 hours
Distance from Bangalore: 60 km

An easy, offbeat trek just over an hour outside Bangalore, Halu Chilume Ganga trek offers a dose of adventure with its thorny trails and unexplored nooks.

‘Thorn trek’ as we call it at Indiahikes, because of the the thorny bushes along the trail is an adventurous trail  that has rocky patches, boulder sections and forest trails, all packed into a short 5 km.

There’s also an interesting temple at the top, with bells on a rock. For the more adventurous trekker, there is an option to explore around on unmarked trails or the caves on the hill.

The trail is pretty easy. You get stony steps and a nice trek through the jungle. A stone ruin can be used as shelter in case of heavy rains.

View Halu Chilume Gange Trek

3. Minchukallu Betta trek

Highest Altitude: 3340 ft
Trek Starting Point: Masanipalya
Trek Duration: 3 - 3.5 hours
Distance from Bangalore: 85 km

Minchukallu Betta is a massive hill, located around 85 km from Bangalore. Not so popular among trekkers, this was once a three-stage fortified hill. The ruins of the fort wall and temple are some wonders to think about when you are trekking here.

For a short trek, the variety of landscapes it takes you through is unpredictable. A walk in the Masanipalya village, trek in the valley kind of a setting, walk in the water canal and trekking through rocky hill are something that you can expect on this trek.

View Minchukallu Betta Trek

4. Channnagiri/Channakeshava Betta

Highest Altitude: 4,478 ft
Trek Starting Point: North West of Nandi hills
Trek Duration: 2-3 hours
Distance from Bangalore: 55 km

Channagiri, towards the north west of the Nandi Hills chain, is a less-frequented trail in Chikkaballapura. Locally, it is better known as Channakeshava Betta. It is the source of the North Pinakini River and has an Omkareshwara Temple at the top. But there is more to this hill than its famous landmarks. It’s a great day trek.

The trail takes you through a surprising variety over two quick hours. What starts off through wild shrubbery and occasional eucalyptus and tamarind trees, enters dense deciduous forests, big boulder sections and reaches a pinnacle with a stunning 360 degree view of the plains and hills around.

View Channagiri Trek

5. Makalidurga

Highest Altitude: 4,430 ft
Trek Starting Point: Makalidurga Railway Station/Muthurayaswamy Temple
Trek Duration: 2-3 hours
Distance from Bangalore: 60 km

The Makalidurga hill stands tall at 4,430 ft and has an iconic hump that helps you spot it from a distance. The trail is not well defined. You can choose to take a path that matches the challenge you seek. All paths take you up to the fort, with occasional arrows painted on rocks to reassure you of your path.

View Makalidurga Trek

6. Bananthimari Betta

Highest Altitude: 3467 ft
Trek Starting Point: Bananthimari Amma temple, Kanakapura
Trek Duration: 3 - 4 hours
Distance from Bangalore: 65 km

Bananthimari Betta forms a part of Bananthimari Reserve Forest, situated about 60 kilometers from Bangalore, close to Kanakapura. This area, although familiar to locals, remains relatively undiscovered by the trekking community. The trek to its summit crosses a picturesque landscape, including lakes, forests, and boulders dating back over 50 million years. This would be a great trek for people living near the South Bangalore region. 

The Bananthimari Betta Trek promises a rich array of landscapes, suitable for both beginners and experienced trekkers alike. Along the route, you'll encounter diverse birdlife, insects, and plant species, adding to the beauty of the trail.

View Bananthimari Betta

7. Handi Gundi Betta

Highest Altitude: 3100 ft
Trek Starting Point: Basavanapura, Ramanagara
Trek Duration: 2 hours
Distance from Bangalore: 50 km

On all counts, Handi Gundi is the perfect trek for beginners. The trail is easy yet exciting; providing the right dose of challenge and adventure while dishing out stunning views from the top. If you are looking to introduce children to trekking, Handi Gundi is an obvious choice.

The trail climbs through the grass and each time the grass changes color. Sometimes it glows golden in the setting light, at other times it turns a shade of purple. Black streaks through the grass in some places and when you least expect it turns a magical brown.

View Handi Gundi Betta

8. Kunagalu Betta Trek

Highest Altitude: 2788 ft
Trek Starting Point: Kunagalu Village, Ramanagara
Trek Duration: 2.5 - 3 hours
Distance from Bangalore: 57 km

Kunagalu Betta Trek has a rock structure that resembles the face of a cute puppy. This is why we, at Indiahikes, have nicknamed it as the Puppy Betta trek.

Kunagalu betta trek is of easy level. The rewards you get for the amount of effort you put in are much higher. Just an hour’s climb through a sometimes steep, sometimes gradual trail takes you to a vantage point with 360-degree views of the rural side of Ramanagara town. 

The short trek, combined with rewarding views make the Kunagalu Betta trek an ideal getaway from Bengaluru.

View Kunagalu Betta

9. Harihara Betta Trek

Highest Altitude: 3,456 ft
Trek Starting Point: Kavaranahalli/Hariharapura
Trek Duration: 2-3 hours
Distance from Bangalore: 65 km

Harihara Betta Trek is situated right off the Bangalore-Hyderabad highway and is located in the Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka. The hillock visible as twin-tower rocks from the main highway is a great offbeat, easy trek for a quick getaway from the city, and in fact very close to the Bangalore International Airport.

A marvelous isolated temple, untried trails, a gigantic flatland, and a stunning view from the peak is what you can expect from the trek of Harihara Betta. Spot the peaks of Nandi hills, Skandagiri, and the entire province of Chikkaballapur from the top.

View Harihara Betta Trek

10. Madhugiri Trek

Highest Altitude: 3930 ft
Trek Starting Point: Madhugiri
Trek Duration: 4-5 hours
Distance from Bangalore: 107 km

Madhugiri Trek is one of the most spoken- about treks, among the treks in Karnataka. This trek is to the peak of the second-largest monolith of Asia. The highlight is the rock dome, atop which stands a fort!

The trek will take you through a plethora of historical structures; half-ruined and through three walls of defense or gateways, before you reach the topmost fort, unveiling extraordinary views of the town; the forest; a few small lakes and the surrounding hillocks.

View Madhugiri Betta Trek

11. Skandagiri Trek

Highest Altitude: 4740 ft
Trek Starting Point: Papagni Mutt, Kalavara Village
Trek Duration: 3 - 4 hours
Distance from Bangalore: 60 km

Trek to Skandagiri is one of the prominent ones of the Panchagiris in Chikballapur district - Nandi Giri, Chandragiri, Skandagiri, Brahmagiri and Hema Giri. Skandagiri is located in a village called Kalavara Halli, and hence it is also known as Kalavara Durga. At the foothills of Skandagiri lies one of Karnataka’s ancient and oldest mutts, the Papagni Mutt.

The trail starts from Papagni Mutt and follows its way to the top, where lies the ruins of a fort which dates back to the 18th Century. The top offers a panoramic view of the four neighbouring ‘Giris’ or hills and it is a sight to behold.

View Skandagiri Trek

12. Savandurga

Highest Altitude: 4022 ft
Trek Starting Point: Sri Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy Temple, Savandurga
Trek Duration: 4-4.5 hours
Distance from Bangalore: 60 km

Savandurga trek follows a trail to the top of Asia’s largest monolith hill. Located 60 km away from Bengaluru in the Savandurga state forest, this trail is famous for its challenging climb and amazing views of Magadi, Manchabele and Thippagondanahalli reservoirs and Arkavathi river.

The Savandurga hill is composed of two other hills called “Karigudda” (Black hill) and “Biligudda” (White hill). Apart from being the Asia's largest monolith, it has history that even dates back to 1340 AD.

Savandurga hill is off Magadi road and is easily accessible via buses, cars or two wheelers and this makes Savandurga an ideal all weather trek near Bangalore.

View Savandurga Trek

13. Mutturayaswamy betta

Highest Altitude: 3018 ft
Trek Starting Point: Muthurayaswamy Temple, Ramanagara
Trek Duration: 2 - 2.5 hours
Distance from Bangalore: 60 km

The Muthurayaswamy Betta Trek is a hidden gem. It is almost unknown and unheard of among local trekking circles. Yet, it holds a big bag of surprises waiting to be discovered.

The trek is on a barren hillock except for the sparse vegetation on the rocks. Views from the top are breathtaking, to say the least. The summit opens to unparalleled views of all the major hillocks around Ramanagara and a birds-eye view of the whole town itself!

This offbeat trek is an ideal one for you, if you're looking for an escape from the hustle of a city life.

View Muthurayaswamy Betta Trek

14. Bheemana Kindi

Highest Altitude: 3,412 ft
Trek Starting Point: Kanive Anjaneya Temple,Kanchana halli
Trek Duration: 2.5 - 3 hours
Distance from Bangalore: 85 km

Bheemana Kindi trek is one of the lesser-known treks around Bangalore. Even though it is close to the famous Kabbala Durga, not many know about the Bheemana Kindi trek. 

Loaded with some interesting historical stories, legends have it that while Kunti was bringing food to Bheema, she lost her way in the forest. To rescue her, Bheema hit the topmost cliff with his mace and paved an entry through the arch for his mother. However, Geologists believe that the arch was formed due to weathering and erosion.

The trail is well defined and can be done by beginners. Most of the trek is through sections of forest and grassland. During a weekend, you can spend some quality time with your friends or family on the top of this hill.

View Bheemana Kindi Trek

15. Huliyurdurga

Highest Altitude: 2,772 ft
Trek Starting Point: Huliyurdurga
Trek Duration: 2 -3 hours
Distance from Bangalore: 97 km

Huliyurdurga is part of the Navadurgas near Bangalore. The fortification of the hill is about 845 metres above sea level and were said to have been erected by Kempe Gowda, founder of Bengaluru. It is situated in a village by the same name as the fort of Huliyurdurga. Huli resonates to Tiger and Durga is fort. Legends say that tigers used to roam and rule this area during the 16th century. 

Huliyurdurga is about 80 km of Bangalore and a perfect trek for a challenging adventure. This is more of a climb than a trek but is a perfect getaway for beginners.

View Huliyurdurga Trek

Now you know how we keep our trek cravings at bay when we’re away from the Himalayas. Do keep in mind that we don’t organize these treks. We want you to give you all the information so that you can organize them on your own.

If you're looking for treks in your region, check out our trek library.

In order for you to help do these treks on your own, we provide gpx files of these trails. Use this link to know more about how to use the gpx files.

If you want to trek with Indiahikes in the Himalayas, check out our upcoming treks section.

What to do next

1. If you have any other treks you’d like to suggest, or if you have questions, drop in a comment below.

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