Get there before the buses. Three hours, a borrowed bicycle, the Vijayanagara empire's stone city entirely to yourself.
Vijayanagara was among the largest cities in the world in the sixteenth century, and was sacked and abandoned in 1565. What remains is scattered across kilometres of granite boulder field, which is why a bicycle beats a car here.
Start at Virupaksha before the heat arrives, ride out to the Vittala complex and its stone chariot, and cross the Tungabhadra for the quieter side. It is a World Heritage site and still a working temple town.
Stay with us
A boulder-side guesthouse across the Tungabhadra in Anegundi.
