Gokarna Tourism (2024) - Karnataka > Top Beaches, Things To Do

Gokarna Travel Essentials

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Ideal duration: 2-3 days

Best Time: Throughout the year Read More

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"Land of palm trees, blue seas and golden sands"

Gokarna Tourism

With its pristine beaches and breathtaking landscapes, Gokarna is a Hindu pilgrimage town in Karnataka and a newly found hub for beach lovers and hippies. Situated on the coast of Karwar, every year Gokarna welcomes hordes of tourists from around the world in search of sanctity and relaxation. The out-of-town beaches like Kudle beach and Om Beach are a different contrast to life inside the town.

Palm clad beaches are dotted with foreign tourists in a majority and very few Indians are seen across. Gokarna is not very conventionally touristy. The beaches are meant for a slow, relaxed holiday and everything on the beach goes at the same relaxed pace. Full of coconut and palm trees, the ocean and clean sands, Gokarna is a 'one of a kind' place in the country.

Om Beach

Mahabaleshwara Temple

Kudle Beach

Water Sports in Gokarna

Places To Visit In Gokarna

Om Beach

Mahabaleshwara Temple

Paradise Beach, Gokarna

Kudle Beach

Water Sports in Gokarna

Gokarna Beach

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Gokarna Travel Packages

Compare quotes from upto 3 travel agents for free

2 Days / 1 Nights

Gokarna Tent Stay With Adventure Activities

Gokarna(1N)

$36/person

4 Days / 3 Nights

Goa & Gokarna Tour

Goa(3N)

$172/person

8 Days / 7 Nights

Holy Karnataka Pilgrimage Package

Bangalore(0N) → Kukke Subrahmanya(1N) → Mangalore(1N) → Udupi(1N) → Gokarna(1N) → Sirsi(1N) → Kollur(1N) → Horanadu(1N)

$466/person

27 Days / 26 Nights

Cycling Tour of South India

Goa(0N) → Karwar(1N) → Gokarna(1N) → Baindur(1N) → Koppa(1N) → Lakkavalli(1N) → Chikmagalur(1N) → Mudigere(2N) → Hassan(1N) → Coorg(1N) → Mysore(1N) → Mudumalai(1N) → Ooty(2N) → Nilambur(1N) → Kozhikode(1N) → Guruvayur(1N) → Kochi(2N) → Thattekkad(1N) → Dewalokam(2N) → Kumarakom(1N) → Alleppey(1N) → Mararikulam(2N)

$2,709/person

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Top Hotels In Gokarna

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Beaches in Gokarna - An Unexplored Beach Paradise

Over the past few years, Gokarna has become an important tourist destination owing to its alluring beaches that promise a peaceful vacation leaving behind the tourist rush of Goa. The sprawling beaches are the chief tourist attraction in the holy town of Gokarna. Gokarna has a vast sea line to offer to the visitors. They are calm and serene amid the waters, hills and sunlight.

The famous trio of beaches in Gokarna, the Kudle Beach, The Half-moon Beach and the Paradise beach are the most famous ones that have brought in international recognition. Surrounded by small hills and islands between them, these beaches are must-see places for all the passionate nature lovers.

While these beaches are famous amongst the tourist, the main Gokarna Beach is only preferred by the pilgrims. According to religious customs, pilgrims must take a dip in the waters of Gokarna Beach before entering the Mahabaleshwara Temple. One can find shacks, cafés and guesthouses in most of the beaches that serve delicious food in the evenings. Some of the beaches like the Half Moon Beach and Paradise Beach can only be reached by trekking or a boat ride. The main forms of leisure are the beautiful view of the Arabian Sea, star gazing at night and other activities like watersports, snorkelling, parasailing and boat rides.

History of Gokarna - The Legend

Gokarna means cow’s ear in Sanskrit. According to one of the Hindu Epics, Lord Shiva emerged from the ear of a cow here. It is at the ear-shaped union of two rivers Gangavali and Aghanashini. In the Shrimada Bhagavata Purana, Gokarna is mentioned as being the home of the brothers Gokarna and Dhundhakari. As per another legend, Ravana was given Atmalinga (a very powerful weapon) by Lord Shiva and instructed him that it would stay permanently where it was placed first on land.

While Ravana was performing a ritual, Lord Ganesha came disguised as a little boy and placed it in Gokarna. Ravana discovered that he had been deceived by the Gods to keep Ravana from getting a weapon as intense as the Atmalinga. Ravana tries to remove it, bringing about tossing the covers of the Linga to Surathkal, Dhareshwar, Gunavanteshwar, Murudeshwar and Shejjeshwar temples. Gokarna is known as one of the seven important Hindu pilgrimage centres.

Nightlife in Gokarna

Gokarna does not have much in terms of bars and pubs since it is considered as a holy city. Many of the shacks serve beer but do enquire before. One can get the finest wine that Gokarna can offer in the Hunters Lodge. The history of this place and its ties with royalty adds to its charm.

However, one can always enjoy their nights at the beaches that are open to the public at night. Each beach is unique to itself. The lack of industrial lightings in the area gives a perfect view of the starlit sky at night.

Gokarna - The Holy Town

Brimming with the rich history and culture Gokarna is the holy town which houses a number of temples and holds a great importance for Hindu religion. It is the holy land with various temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and hence a huge number of pilgrims visit this town to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva. Gokarna has also some of the Lord Shiva's temple with the original image of the Shiva Lingam. Mahabaleshwar temple, Murudeshwar temple, and Maha Ganpati temple are the must visit temples of the town.

Restaurants and Local Food in Gokarna

Since Gokarna is a religious place, the town has a lot of vegetarian- only places. At the same time due to the proximity to the seaside, finding seafood is not at all difficult. Beaches are lined up with small restaurants offering all kinds of exotic cuisines - Mexican, Israeli, English breakfast, Indian etc.
Fresh pineapple juice and Nutella pancakes in the area, are definitely worth a try. You can also find local cuisine of Karnataka and an authentic thali with some of the richest and traditional preparations. Other than this, the favorites of the town include Upma, Prawn Masala, Pomfret, Kingfish as well as some of the most delicious ice-creams to relish.
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Suggested Itinerary for Gokarna

Day 1- Arrive at Dabolim airport or Ankola railway station. Check-in at the hotel. Stay at the hotel.
Day 2- Visit the most famous Om beach of Gokarna, which makes the sign of Om with its shore and hence the name. Afterwards, visit the Kudle beach another attraction of Gokarna. Later visit the famous Mahabaleshwar temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Day 3- Visit the Murudeshwar beach and worship at the temple at the beach which hosts a huge silver idol by the sea. Then visit the Maha Ganpati temple and Koti Tirtha a very sacred lake for Hindus. You can also visit Gokarna beach and full moon beach to watch the sunset.

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FAQs on Gokarna

What are the things to do in Gokarna?

The top things to do in Gokarna are Om Beach, Mahabaleshwara Temple, Paradise Beach, Gokarna, Kudle Beach, Water Sports in Gokarna, Gokarna Beach. You can see all the places to visit in Gokarna here

What are the places near Gokarna?

The top places near to Gokarna are Goa which is 117 km from Gokarna, Jog falls which is located 64 km from Gokarna, Devbagh which is located 39 km from Gokarna, Karwar which is located 35 km from Gokarna, Murudeshwar which is located 54 km from Gokarna

What is the best way to reach Gokarna?

Gokarna is connected well by train and road from all major cities in Karnataka. The nearest airport is at Dabolim, Goa that is 150 km away. The Gokarna railway station is located 10 km from the centre of the city. Bus services are also available from Bangalore and Goa.
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What is the local food in Gokarna?

What is the best time to visit Gokarna?

The best time to visit Gokarna would definitely be from October to March when the humidity is at its very least. November to February is especially crowded with a lot of foreigners. The offseason, that is the rainy season, is not the ideal time to go to the beaches with all of them looking desolate and unkempt with limited food options. The temples in the town are most lively around festivals of Shivratri and Ganesh Chaturthi.
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Who should visit Gokarna?

Religious people, as it has a number of ancient temples. Also, perfect for the beach lovers.

What is not so good about Gokarna?

There aren't many things to do apart from sightseeing and visiting temples. Does not have its own airport.

What is famous about Gokarna?

Can be visited throughout the year. Best to enjoy the off-beat beauty of beaches.

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Gokarna Reviews

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Sangeetha Nath

5 years ago

Pathetic food.. With full attitude waiters.. Over hyped restaurant. We had ordered one chicken salad n veg noodles with two kinda juices.. Initially waiter was not willing to take orders only.. and s (Read More)aid it gonna take minimum 40mins for anything to order.. and left.. we had to call him again to take atleast the order.. after ordering our food.. then again he said.. first we need to pay the bill then only we get the order.. At last we got our food... noodles were ok..but Chicken salad was actually bad.. it had big big chunks of chicken which were not properly cooked and behavior of the waiter was also rude. Won't recommend anyone to come here

Pal Bele

2 years ago

We had a hassle-free trip to Gokarna, thanks to Goicar self drive car service. Gokarna is just 2 to 3 hours drive from Goa. You can easily reach Gokarna by hiring a self-drive car from Goicar just as (Read More) we did and enjoy the beautiful drive and the nature on the way. link: goicar.in

Meera Ramadas

5 years ago

Gokarna the Secret Paradise... Gokarna is known for its beaches and divine culture. It is a place where you can enjoy all types of beaches and water sports. Sometimes you can see similarities between (Read More) Goa and Gokarna, and both are situated on the same route. "Link Hidden"

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Gokarna

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Gokarna Travel Essentials

"Land of palm trees, blue seas and golden sands"

Gokarna Tourism

Must Visit Places in Gokarna

Places To Visit In Gokarna

Gokarna Travel Packages