Best Treks Around Bangalore to Give Your Hiking Boots a Break
From virgin forests to towering mountains, India has a lot in store for everyone who loves trekking. A trek is a life-changing experience for people who wish to traverse uncharted trails. But sometimes there is a time crunch that restricts you to plan an extended escape from your Mundane life in the city. So, we bring you a list of short panoramic treks near Bangalore that will allow you to experience what it's like to stay away from the city even for a day!
Savandurga
Frequented by rock climbers, trekkers, and cave explorers, Savandurga is one of the most massive monolith hills in Asia. The half-a-day or day's trek starts from Sri Narasimha Swamy temple. The expedition is equally challenging because there are no stairs or support rail and there are steep, slippery paths at the 'fort of death.' You get to feed on the picturesque brilliance of the Magadi forest landscape.
Location: Karnataka
Duration: 5-6 hours
Difficulty level: Moderate
Best time: March-May
Skandagiri
If you are crazy about an early morning trek, you must try the Skandagiri trek. It is one of those journeys which will take you through ancient fort ruins and a path overlooking Nandi Hills. Rugged terrains, well-marked, semi-dry trails followed by some dense foliage promises a thrilling and refreshing journey. If you do plan to stay overnight after reaching the hilltop, start a bonfire, camp under starry skies, and capture the unparalleled view of the morning sun.
Location: Chikkaballapura, Karnataka
Duration: 5 hours
Difficulty level: Easy
Best time: November- January
Anthargange
Volcanic rock formations, cave exploration, night-time trekking, and camping…. This is Anthargange trek for you! The 3km journey will take on a path filled with broken rocks and a relatively easy route that becomes steep once you enter the forest. The boulder laden path will also allow you to try out adventure activities such as rappelling, rock climbing, chimney climbing.
Location: Antara Gange base
Duration: 4 hours
Difficulty level: Easy-Moderate
Best time: October- March
Makalidurga
Unlike other treks, this trail begins with a railway station at the base of the hill. The Muthurayaswamy temple is the actual starting point, but trekkers usually walk on flat ground for about two km from the station to the temple just for experiencing the thrill. From there, you will start with a small ascent over rocky and muddy terrain and gets steep after some time. The final stretch to the summit is moderately steep overlooking the Gundamagere lake.
Location: Makalidurga railway station
Duration: 1 day
Difficulty level: Easy
Best time: All season
Ramanagara
One of the closest trekking spots from Bangalore, a night trek, will allow you to stargaze while you light up a bonfire and camp to witness the break of dawn. It is one of the rare treks where ardent photographers can capture long-billed vultures. The rugged terrain will be an exciting experience for beginners and is perfect for adventure activities such as rappelling, cave exploration, jumarring, etc.
Location: Ramanagara, Karnataka
Duration: 12 hours
Difficulty level: Easy-Moderate
Best time: September- February
Curated by Ruchit Rastogi