If you have never trekked before, start here. These hikes are short, well-marked and rarely need more than a pair of grippy shoes and a litre or two of water. Most finish before lunch, so you can be home by afternoon. Check the permit column: a few (like Makalidurga) now need an advance online booking even though they are easy.
8 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 vulture sanctuary hill — the Sholay shooting spot
50 kmEasyNo permitBest: Oct–FebDIY ~Rs 300
Bangalore's easiest sunrise — and a brutal Sunday traffic lesson
60 kmEasyNo permitBest: Oct–FebFrom Rs 1,090 (Muddie Trails)
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)
A former hill-station of the Wodeyars — gardens, falls and sunset viewpoints
240 kmEasyNo permitBest: Oct–FebDIY ~Rs 1,300
The highest peak in Karnataka — a stepped climb anyone can do
250 kmEasyNo permitBest: Sep–FebFrom Rs 3,500 (Adventure Nation)
Coffee's birthplace — a mild ridge walk with a shared shrine
250 kmEasyNo permitBest: Sep–FebFrom Rs 2,999 (Trodly)
Ramadevara Betta, Muthyala Maduvu and Nandi Hills (walking up) are the gentlest, each under three hours on foot.
Not for the near-Bangalore hills. Forest-department trails deeper in the Ghats usually make a local guide mandatory.