Before you arrive
Honnavar is on NH-66 and on the Konkan Railway, so it is easy to reach from Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Goa and Mumbai. Check-in at the homestay is at 12 noon, and we pick guests up from the bus stand or railway station on request.
Tell us your dates and whether you want a sunrise or sunset boat, and we will hold the slot. Nothing needs to be paid in advance for boating.
If you arrive on the early morning train
Many guests reach Honnavar before sunrise rather than at noon. The Panchaganga Express from Bengaluru gets in at about 6:25 AM, and the Matsyagandha Express between Mumbai and Mangaluru stops here at about 3:20 AM in one direction. Both land well before the 12 noon check-in, so it helps to plan those first hours separately from the Day 1 plan below, rather than waiting at the station.
We give early check-in whenever the room is already free. If it is not, leave your bags with us and go straight to the water: the sunrise boat ride starts around 6:00 AM, and the jetty is 100 metres from the house, so an early train can have you on the river before most of Honnavar is awake. Come back for breakfast once the room is ready, then pick up the Day 1 plan from lunch onward. Timings for both trains change, so confirm on IRCTC before you book.
Day 1: Arrive, beach, boardwalk and a sunset boat
The first day stays close to the house, so it works even if your train or bus is late.
- 12:00 PM: Check in and have a home-cooked lunch. Tell us in advance whether you prefer fish or vegetarian.
- 3:00 PM: Auto or car across the Sharavathi bridge to the Kandla mangrove boardwalk, about 4 km. Allow forty-five minutes.
- 4:00 PM: Walk over to Kasarkod Eco Beach, which is almost opposite. It is a Blue Flag beach with a clean park and very few people on weekdays.
- 5:15 PM: Back to Tari-Bagel for the sunset boat ride. One hour on a private boat is ₹1,500 for up to four guests, through the Kerala Spot and the mangrove tunnel to the open sunset stretch.
- 8:00 PM: Dinner at the house, and a campfire in the yard if you have asked for one.
Day 2: Choose one direction
Start with tea at the backwater view points two minutes from the door, then pick one of these. Trying to do two in a day means spending it in the car.
- South, for temples and the sea: Idagunji Ganapati temple, Apsarakonda Falls, then Murudeshwar, 28 km from Honnavar. Back by mid-afternoon. This is the easiest option and the one most families choose.
- North, for beaches: a full day at Gokarna, 55 km away. Walk the cliff path from Kudle to Om Beach, lunch on the beach, temple in the evening.
- Inland, in the monsoon: Jog Falls, 60 km up the Sharavathi valley. Leave by 7 AM, since cloud often covers the gorge after lunch.
Murudeshwar from Honnavar Gokarna from Honnavar Jog Falls from Honnavar Honnavar as a base near Gokarna
If you have a third day
Take the sunrise boat, which is quieter and better for birds than the evening ride, then do whichever direction you skipped on day two. Guests who stay three nights usually say the unplanned hours, sitting by the water or walking the village lanes, were the best part.
What it costs
Rooms at the homestay start at ₹1,500 a night for a single room and ₹2,500 to ₹3,000 for a family room. The boat is ₹1,500 per hour per boat. Meals are cooked at home and priced per head, and a car with driver for the day trips is quoted when you book, since it depends on the distance.
Rooms and rates Stay packages Best homestay in Honnavar, compared honestly Photos of the rooms and the river
Quick answers
Is two days enough for Honnavar?
Yes. Two nights gives you a sunset boat ride, Kasarkod Eco Beach, the mangrove boardwalk, Apsarakonda and one day trip to Murudeshwar, Gokarna or Jog Falls.
Can I do Murudeshwar and Gokarna in one day from Honnavar?
It is possible because Honnavar lies between them, but they are in opposite directions and the day becomes mostly driving. We suggest one per day.
What is the best month for this itinerary?
October to March for beaches and boating. Swap the day trip for Jog Falls if you come between July and October.
Do I need my own vehicle?
No. The backwaters are walkable from the homestay, autos cover the nearby places, and we arrange a car with a local driver for day trips.
Can I fit Mirjan Fort into the two days?
Yes, if you take the southern route. Mirjan Fort, near Kumta, is 31 km away, close to the road to Murudeshwar, so it works as an extra stop on Day 2 if you leave by 9 AM, or as a plan for a third day.
Is there a bigger room if we are travelling as a family?
Yes. The family room sleeps four to six, with bunk beds plus an extra bed, at ₹2,500 to ₹3,000 a night, in the same house as the single rooms.
Can we bring a pet for the two days?
Pets are welcome at De antique Pauli's on request. Tell us when you book so we can plan the room.
Do we pay for the boat and the car day trip separately?
Yes. The boat ride is the government-fixed rate of ₹1,500 per private boat for an hour, and a car with driver for the day trip is quoted separately when you book. Neither is bundled into the room price unless you choose a package.
My train gets in very early. What do I do before check-in?
Early check-in is given whenever the room is already free. If it is not, leave your bags with us and take the sunrise boat ride, which starts around 6:00 AM, while you wait.
Which early trains does this itinerary work around?
The Panchaganga Express from Bengaluru reaches Honnavar at about 6:25 AM, and the Matsyagandha Express between Mumbai and Mangaluru stops here at about 3:20 AM in one direction. Confirm both on IRCTC before booking.
I have a late evening train out on Day 2. Can I keep the room until then?
Check-out is 11 AM, with late check-out when the room is free. Otherwise leave your bags with us and spend the afternoon by the river before heading to the station.
More from Honnavar
- Honnavar Homestay with Backwater BoatingDe antique Pauli's is a Honnavar homestay with boating built in: one family runs the house and the boats, so the room and the ride are booked together instead of arranged with two different people. Sleep a hundred metres from the jetty and take the first ride of the morning or the last one of the evening.
- A Quiet Homestay near Murudeshwar, in HonnavarMurudeshwar is forty minutes down a four-lane highway. Visit the temple in the morning and spend the rest of your trip somewhere quieter.
- A Homestay near Gokarna: Honnavar as Your BaseHonnavar is not Gokarna, and that is the point. Here is an honest look at when it makes the better base, and when it does not.
- Homestay near Honnavar Railway Station and Bus StandMost of our guests arrive on the overnight train or bus from Bengaluru. Here is exactly how the first and last hours of your trip work.
- Places to visit in HonnavarNine places from the backwaters next door to Jog Falls, with distances from the homestay.
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