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Major city · India

Udupiಉಡುಪಿ

Give Udupi two nights: one for the Krishna temple and Ratha Beedi, one for Malpe and St Mary's Island. Skip it in June–August, when it rains 25+ days a month.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
INR
Best months
Oct–Mar
avoid Jun–Sep (monsoon, 25+ rain days a month); Apr–May are hot and humid
Airports
IXE · GOI
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6
  • South Asia ↗Trekking regions, border districts and several Indian states need separate permits on top of the visa; check the permit before you book transport into them.
  • South Asia ↗Remove shoes (and in many Jain and Hindu temples, leather) before entering; cover shoulders and legs; ask before photographing people or rituals.
  • India ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in); lookalike sites charge extra. Check the current rules, fees and how far ahead to apply.
  • India ↗Do not follow anyone who says your hotel is closed, the station ticket office is closed or a road is shut; use the prepaid taxi counter, the metro or an app car.
  • India ↗Carry Indian rupees in small notes (10, 20, 50, 100); change for 500 is often refused.
  • India ↗Parts of the Northeast, Sikkim, Ladakh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and all border belts need a Protected or Restricted Area Permit or an Inner Line Permit for foreigners; check before you book the route.

Udupi is a temple town on Karnataka's Karavali coast, 60 km north of Mangalore on the Konkan Railway. The Krishna Matha complex and its chariot street are the reason to come; Malpe beach and the basalt columns of St Mary's Island are the reason to stay a second day. Manipal, 5 km east, adds a student town with cafés and a river-view park. Two nights covers it; three if you add Karkala or a Yakshagana performance.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Udupi, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeFilter coffee₹15–40 (≈ under US$1)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmAutorickshaw, 5 km₹80–120 (≈ US$1–2)
  • Metro or bus rideCity bus ride₹5–20 (≈ under US$1)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week₹500–1,000 (≈ US$6–12)
  • Museum or sight ticketUdupi thali (unlimited, at a temple or city hotel)₹80–200 (≈ US$1–3)
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per person₹500 (≈ US$6)
  • Mid-range bedMid-range double room, a night, per room₹2,500 (≈ US$30)
  • High-end bedMid-range double room, a night, per room₹5,000 (≈ US$60)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget ₹1,500 (≈ US$18) · Mid ₹3,500 (≈ US$40) · High ₹8,000 (≈ US$95)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Sri Krishna Matha and the eight muttsUdupi cuisine (saaru, happala, guliyappa)Malpe beach and St Mary's IslandManipal university townYakshagana dance-drama
Airports
IXE Mangalore International (59 km south; prepaid taxi about 1.5 h, or bus to Udupi in about 1 h) · GOI Goa Dabolim (About 300 km north; only worth it if you are combining Goa)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Udupi: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

33°C

21°C

1 rd

Feb

34°C

22°C

0 rd

Mar

34°C

24°C

3 rd

Apr

34°C

25°C

24 rd

May

33°C

25°C

183 rd

Jun

30°C

23°C

1177 rd

Jul

28°C

23°C

1350 rd

Aug

28°C

23°C

787 rd

Sep

30°C

23°C

292 rd

Oct

31°C

23°C

191 rd

Nov

32°C

22°C

71 rd

Dec

33°C

21°C

16 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

City buses run from the main bus stand to Malpe, Manipal and the beaches; fares start around ₹5 per 2 km. Autorickshaws are unmetered in practice — agree the fare first (guide: about ₹25 for the first 1.5 km, then roughly ₹16/km). Hired cabs are unmetered and cannot be hailed on the street; about ₹15/km for a non-AC compact is a fair starting point. There are few footpaths, so walking means sharing the roadside with autos and bikes.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Malpe beach and St Mary's Island

go

Door to door: About 1 h to Malpe; add 30 min boat each way

Bus or auto from Udupi to Malpe (6 km), then the boat from the jetty

Boat about ₹300 return; first boat around 08:30, last back around 18:00. Go early or late — there is little shade at midday.

Manipal End-point Park

go

Door to door: About 20 min

Bus or auto from Udupi, 5 km east

Cliff over the Suwarna river; free. Popular with students at sunset.

Karkala

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Bus east on NH169, about 1 h

Gommateshwara statue and the Western Ghats foothills; pairs with a Karkala half-day.

Kundapur

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Bus or train north on NH66 / Konkan Railway, about 1 h

Coastal town with its own temple and beach; easy half-day.

Barkur

caution

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Bus north past Kundapur, about 1 h 15 min

Historic temple town; limited public transport, so a hired car is easier.

Byndoor

overnight

Door to door: About 1.5–2 h

Konkan Railway north, about 1 h 30 min

Beach and temple stop; better as a night on the way to Gokarna than a return day trip.

Brahmavar

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Bus south on NH66, about 30 min

Small town with a church and market; combine with the coast road.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Ratha Beedi / Car Street

Steps from the Krishna temple; walkable to the mutts and the shopping street. Best for a temple-first trip.

Udupi city centre (service bus stand)

Buses to Malpe, Manipal and Mangalore leave from here; cheapest rooms and most restaurants.

Malpe

Beach and boat jetty to St Mary's Island on your doorstep; 6 km west of town, quieter at night.

Manipal

Student town 5 km east; cafés, guesthouses and the End-point Park. Good if you want evening life.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
₹1,500–3,000 (≈ US$18–35) excl. bed
Mid
₹3,000–6,000 (≈ US$35–70) excl. bed
High
₹6,000 (≈ US$70)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range double room1 × 2 nights × ₹2,500₹5,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × ₹3,500₹14,000
St Mary's Island boat, return2 × ₹300 · check₹600
Autorickshaw, Udupi to Malpe1 × ₹250 · check₹250
eSIM, about a week of data2 × ₹700₹1,400
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge₹2,130
Trip total≈ ₹5,850 per person per day, bed included₹23,380≈ US$300

2026 estimate in rupees; flights and rail excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Udupi thali (unlimited, at a temple or city hotel)₹80–200 (≈ US$1–3)
Filter coffee₹15–40 (≈ under US$1)
Goli baje / mangalore bajji plate₹40–80 (≈ under US$1)
City bus ride₹5–20 (≈ under US$1)
Autorickshaw, 5 km₹80–120 (≈ US$1–2)
St Mary's Island boat, returnAbout ₹300 (≈ US$4)
Kapu lighthouse entry₹10 (≈ under US$1)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week₹500–1,000 (≈ US$6–12)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Udupi is a calm temple town and generally safe for visitors. The real issues are monsoon flooding and damaged ghat roads, unmetered autos, and the lack of footpaths — plus strong sun and humidity outside the monsoon.
  • Monsoon June–September: 25+ rain days a month and over 1,000 (≈ US$12) mm in June and July. Ghat roads to Bangalore can be damaged — check conditions before a road trip.
  • Autorickshaw and cab drivers rarely use the meter. Fix the price before you get in.
  • St Mary's Island boats leave only with roughly 30 passengers; expect up to a 30-minute wait, and the last boat back is around 18:00.
  • Temple dress code: cover shoulders and knees; shoes off before entering the Krishna Matha complex.
  • No footpaths in town — walk facing traffic and expect bikes close to the kerb.

Emergency numbers

All services (police, fire, ambulance)
112
Ambulance
108
Tourist helpline (India, 24 h)
1363

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

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Udupiಉಡುಪಿ

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

ಈ ವಿಳಾಸಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಿTo this address, please

Emergency

  • All services112
  • Ambulance108
  • Tourist helpline (24 h)1363

Embassy

No embassies in Udupi. Consulates-general are in Bengaluru and Chennai; most embassies are in New Delhi. US citizens: consulate-general in Chennai (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • IXE airport → Udupi, prepaid taxi: about 1.5 h; agree the fare at the counter (check)
  • Udupi → Malpe, auto: ₹200–300 (≈ US$3–4) (check)
  • Udupi → Mangalore, bus: about 1 h, ₹60–100 (≈ US$1–2) (check)

Say or show

  • ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ — Hello / Namaste (namaskāra)
  • ಧನ್ಯವಾದ — Thank you (dhanyavāda)
  • ಎಷ್ಟು? — How much is it? (eṣṭu?)
  • ಬಸ್ ನಿಲ್ದಾಣ ಎಲ್ಲಿದೆ? — Where is the bus stand? (bas nildāṇa ellide?)
  • ಸಸ್ಯಾಹಾರಿ ಊಟ — Vegetarian food, please (sasyāhāri ūṭa)
  • ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಿ — Please stop here (illi nillisi)

Kannada and Tulu are the local languages; English works in hotels, Manipal and most restaurants.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Udupi. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Oct–Mar · avoid Jun–Sep (monsoon, 25+ rain days a month); Apr–May are hot and humid · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 7 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for IXE: prepaid taxi desk hours, last bus from Mangalore, and a night-arrival fallback in Udupi.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Krishna Matha and Ratha Beedi, the city bus stand, Malpe jetty, Manipal.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Krishna Matha, St Mary's Island boats, Kapu lighthouse, End-point Park) and eat pages with Udupi thali timings.
  4. Monsoon and festival fixtures (Paryaya handover on 18 January in even years) so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to India

Sources