These are the hills you can leave for at 5 am and be back from by lunch or early afternoon. Distances are by road from central Bangalore. Weekend mornings fill up fast at the popular ones (Skandagiri especially), so book the permit slot early where one is needed.
11 hikes · reviewed 2026-11-01
A short forest walk to a waterfall and pool near the Tamil Nadu border
40 kmEasyPermit neededBest: Jul–OctDIY ~Rs 250
A massive monolith near the city — bare rock, steep slabs, big views
50 kmModeratePermit neededBest: Oct–FebFrom Rs 1,249 (Namma Trip)
A vulture sanctuary hill — the Sholay shooting spot
50 kmEasyNo permitBest: Oct–FebDIY ~Rs 300
A sacred hill with steep rock sections and the Pathalaganga spring
55 kmEasy–ModerateNo permitBest: Oct–FebFrom Rs 899 (Universal Adventures)
Bangalore's easiest sunrise — and a brutal Sunday traffic lesson
60 kmEasyNo permitBest: Oct–FebFrom Rs 1,090 (Muddie Trails)
Bangalore's famous sunrise-above-the-clouds trek
62 kmEasy–ModeratePermit neededBest: Nov–FebFrom Rs 699 (Namma Trip)
A friendly fort-hill with a lake view — good for beginners and families
65 kmEasyPermit neededBest: Oct–FebFrom Rs 699 (Namma Trip)
Boulder caves and a perennial spring on a volcanic hill
70 kmEasyNo permitBest: Oct–FebFrom Rs 1,150 (Adventure Nation)
Forest hill with two ancient temples and Namada Chilume spring
72 kmEasy–ModerateNo permitBest: Oct–Feb; green in Aug–SepDIY ~Rs 450
Asia's second-largest monolith — a fort carved onto granite
100 kmModerateNo permitBest: Oct–FebDIY ~Rs 600
A dense-forest hill fort with caves, ruins and hardly any crowd
100 kmEasy–ModeratePermit neededBest: Oct–FebDIY ~Rs 650
Muthyala Maduvu (about 40 km) and Savandurga and Ramadevara Betta (about 50 km) are the closest.
Aim to be on the trail by 6:30 am. The rock heats up quickly and weekend traffic builds after 11 am.