The honest distance
Honnavar is about 55 km south of Gokarna on NH-66, roughly an hour and a half by road through Kumta. It is not a place to stay if you want to walk to Om Beach every morning. If beach cafes, the cliff trail and the temple town are the whole reason for your trip, stay in Gokarna. If they are one part of a longer trip along the coast, read on.
Who Honnavar suits better
In our experience these are the guests who are glad they chose Honnavar.
- Families with children or older parents, who want calm water, short drives and home food rather than beach huts and steep trails.
- Road trippers driving between Goa and Mangaluru or Udupi. Honnavar sits in the middle of the coast, with Gokarna to the north and Murudeshwar to the south, so one base covers both.
- Travellers who have already done Gokarna and want to see the backwaters, which Gokarna does not have.
- Monsoon visitors. From June to September the sea at Gokarna is closed to swimmers and many beach cafes shut, while Apsarakonda and Jog Falls, both closer to Honnavar, are at their best.
What Honnavar adds to a Gokarna trip
The Sharavathi backwaters are the main reason: private boats through mangrove tunnels and coconut channels at the government rate of ₹1,500 per boat for an hour, from a jetty 100 metres from the homestay. Around them are Kasarkod Eco Beach, which has Blue Flag certification, the Kandla mangrove boardwalk, Apsarakonda Falls and its sunset point, and Murudeshwar 28 km further south.
A split stay that works
Many guests divide a four-night trip. Spend two nights in Gokarna for the beaches and the temple. Then drive south, stop at Mirjan Fort near Kumta on the way, and spend two nights in Honnavar for a sunset boat ride, the Eco Beach, Apsarakonda and a morning at Murudeshwar. You see far more of the coast than from one base, and neither drive is longer than ninety minutes.
Getting here from Gokarna
By car or taxi, follow NH-66 south through Kumta. Buses run from Gokarna to Kumta and from Kumta to Honnavar throughout the day. By train, Gokarna Road and Honnavar are both stations on the Konkan Railway, a short ride apart. We pick guests up from Honnavar bus stand or station on request.
Rooms and prices
De antique Pauli's is a 1960 laterite family home in Tari-Bagel, on the river side of Honnavar. Single rooms, AC or non-AC, are ₹1,500 a night with an attached bathroom, hot water, WiFi and TV. The family room takes four to six guests at ₹2,500 to ₹3,000. Meals are cooked at home on request.
Quick answers
How far is Honnavar from Gokarna?
About 55 km south on NH-66 through Kumta, roughly an hour and a half by road. Both towns are also on the Konkan Railway.
Is Honnavar a good alternative to staying in Gokarna?
Yes for families, road trippers and anyone who wants backwater boating and a quiet base. No if you want to walk to the beaches and cafes of Gokarna each day.
Can I visit Gokarna as a day trip from Honnavar?
Yes. Leave by 7 AM, walk the cliff path from Kudle to Om Beach, have lunch on the beach, visit the temple and drive back for dinner.
Does Gokarna have backwater boating?
The well-known mangrove backwater rides are on the Sharavathi at Honnavar. Many Gokarna visitors come here for half a day to take one.
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.
- 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.
- Family and Group Stay in HonnavarA family room for four to six, the whole house for bigger groups, food cooked for everyone and boats large enough to keep the group together.
- Places to visit in HonnavarNine places from the backwaters next door to Jog Falls, with distances from the homestay.
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