Gokarna Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Land

Bus

From Gokarna’s bus stand (279487), one bus daily heads to Margao (Rs 65, four hours); alternatively you can go to Karwar (Rs 29, 1½ hours, three daily), which has connections to Goa. Direct buses run to Hubli (Rs 86, four hours, five daily), and a daily 6.45am bus goes direct to Mangalore (Rs 129, six hours), continuing on to Mysore (Rs 328, 14 hours). If you miss this, get an hourly local bus to Kumta, 25km south, then one of the frequent Mangalore buses from there. Daily buses set off to Hospet (Rs 165, nine hours) for Hampi at 7am and 2.30pm. There’s an ordinary bus to Bengaluru (Rs 257, 12 hours) at 5pm and a deluxe one (Rs 432) at 7pm.

Train

The Konkan Railway is the best way to reach Goa and Mangalore, among other destinations, though only slow passenger trains stop at Gokarna Rd train station (279487), 9km from town. A noon train heads to Margao (Rs 23, two hours); another leaves at 4.25pm (Rs 54, 1½ hours). For Mangalore (Rs 44, five hours), trains depart at 5pm and 3am. Trains head to Kochi (Cochin; sleeper Rs 281, 15 hours) on Saturday and Sunday; you must buy a sleeper ticket and upgrade, if you like, upon boarding. Many of the hotels and small travel agencies in Gokarna can book tickets.

Autorickshaws charge Rs 100 to take you out to the station, but buses go hourly (Rs 7) and also meet arriving passenger trains.

Several express trains stop at Ankola and Kumta stations, both about 25km from Gokarna and accessible by local bus.

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