Mumbai to Hampi

The best means of transport to reach Hampi is via car, covering a distance of 755 kilometres approximately from Mumbai. It is feasible to drive down to Hampi as there are no buses plying directly between the two destinations and travellers can also explore and travel as ease via car.
Highlights and Suggestions
If travellers think the distance is too much, they can even have an overnight stay somewhere in the middle without having to plan for it in advance. There are two routes that travellers can choose from depending on the locations they would like to explore. It can be the best option for an exciting road trip with loved ones.

Cab Services
If travellers do not prefer self-driving, they can book cabs at one of the cab service providers either online or a travel and tours company in Mumbai. Travellers can choose a pickup and drop service or a complete tour package inclusive of overnight stays and sightseeing. Cab availabilities according to convenience and preference are as follows, sedan, hatchback or premium cars. Bigger groups with 6 to 15 travellers can take minivans, sports utility vehicles or tempo travellers. Instant online bookings can be made on websites like Clear Car Rental, Savaari, Rai Cabs, Book Cab etc.  

Route Options

Route 1:  The NH 65 Route:

Approximate Distance and Duration: 723 Kilometres, 18 hours approximately
Route:
Sion Panvel Highway – H B M I Ramkrushna Hari Kate Chowk – Sion Panvel Highway – Arjun Damji Gavand Chowk – Sion Panvel Highway – C M L R Flyover – Vashi Creek Bridge – MSH 4/ Sion Panvel Highway – Yashwantrao Chavan Marg – Yashwantrao Chavan Mumbai Pune Expressway - NH 48 – Mumbai Pune Expressway – Kivale Gaon Road – Ravet Road – Aundh Ravet Road – Aundh Phata – Aundh Ravet Road – Rushi Chowk on Aundh Ravet Road – Pune University Road – Pune University Road/ SH 60 – Late Bhausaheb Khude Naraygavkar Chowk – Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay Road – Abhiyantriki Raja Bahadur – RTO Chowk – Bund Garden Road – NH 65 – Pune Solapur Highway – Modi Khana Road – NH 52 – Bijapur Ring Road – NH 50/ NH 52 – towards Chitradurga – NH 67/ NH 50/ SH 52 – Hubli Bellary Road – Station Road – SH 49 – Hampi Hospet Road. Hampi is 11.3 kilometres ahead.

Route 2: The AH 47 Route

Approximate Distance and Duration: 755 kilometres, 18 hours approximately
Route:
Sion Panvel Highway – H B M I Ramkrushna Hari Kate Chowk – Sion Panvel Highway – Arjun Damji Gavand Chowk – Sion Panvel Highway – C M L R Flyover – Vashi Creek Bridge – MSH 4/ Sion Panvel Highway – Yashwantrao Chavan Marg – Yashwantrao Chavan Mumbai Pune Expressway - NH 48 – Mumbai Pune Expressway – AH 47/ NH 48/ Pune Bangalore Bypass – NH 67/ NH 52 – Karwar Road – Vanvela Circle – Gokul Road – Court road – NH 67/ Gadag Road – Hubli Bellary Road/ NH 67/ NH 50 – Station Road – SH 49 – Hampi Hospet Road. About 11 kilometres ahead is Hampi.

Road Conditions

Both the routes that lead to Hampi are well-constructed national and state highways. They have toll booths at regular intervals and are well-marked with road signs. Some internal patches might be affected like the service roads or city streets, but otherwise, the roads are well-maintained. Both routes have a high traffic capacity, and thick chances of heavy and slow-moving traffic during the peak hours, else the traffic is medium usually.

Duration of the Journey: 18 to 20 hours approximately

Approximate Cost

A one-way journey (drop only) without overnight stays would cost approximately INR 14,000/- for a sedan, INR 12,000/- for a hatchback, INR 40,000/- for a premium car and around INR 20000/- or INR 25000/- for a sports utility vehicle and a minivan.

Eating Options on the Way

There are a lot of restaurants between Mumbai and Hampi along both the routes. Some of the most famous ones are Copper Chimney, Kaveri Restaurants, Nirvana, Caffiesta, Rassaa, Toni Da Dhaba, Royal Punjab, Hotel Natraj, Virangula, Hotel Pangat, Sai Food Court, Thaska, Hotel Purab, Panchavati Group of Hotels, Paratha Corner, Brewberry’s Café, Café Coffee Day, Domino’s, The Sigdi, Khanawale and Muskan Tea House, Ashoka Garden Restaurant. They offer delicious local dishes that travellers can relish on the way.

Possible Stopovers on the Way

• Pune
• Satara
• Indapur
• Sholapur
• Bagalkot
• Kolhapur
• Belgaum
• Dharwad  

Stopovers depend on the route chosen.

Hampi is located approximately 755 kilometres away from Mumbai and is connected by Indian roadways. Buses frequently ply from Mumbai to Hampi, but no direct buses are going to the World Heritage Site. The closest location till where travellers can take a bus ride is either till Hospet, till Budugumpa or till Toranagallu.
Bus Services
Out of these, most buses ply between Hospet and Toranagallu while only one bus operates between Mumbai and Budugumpa. To cover the remaining distance, travellers have to hire a taxi/ cab to reach Hampi. Tickets can be booked according to one’s preference either at the ticket counters or online. Most evening buses departing from Mumba are A/C Sleeper buses, these allow travellers to plan their sightseeing and make the most of their day. The stop in between might be somewhat inconvenient for some travellers. So, this is not the best mode of transport, although it is the most affordable one.  

Type of Buses Available

Most of the busses that operate from Mumbai to Hospet, Toranagallu and Budugumpa belong to private bus operators. VRL Travels, SR Tours, SRS Travels and S. R. E. Travels are some of them. These are either Volvo, Luxura or Benz A/C Buses that depart almost every hour in the evening from Mumbai. They provide amenities like bottled water, reading light, blanket, pillow, snacks, m-ticket, movies, emergency services, including emergency exit and contact number.

Starting Points

• MSRTC Mumbai Central Bus Stand
• Private bus operators have set pick up points located all across Mumbai 

Drop Points

• Hospet
• Budugumpa
• Toranagallu

Route Taken

Buses plying to the drop points mentioned above are Hospet, Toranagallu and Budugumpa. These rides either take the NH 65 route via Indapur, Sholapur, Gulbarga, Bijapur and Bagalkot or the AH 47 – NH 67 route via Satara, Kolhapur and Belgaum.

Bus Timings

1. Mumbai to Hospet

1) VRL Travels (Multi-Axle Volvo A/C Sleeper)

Timing: Departure – 05:00 PM IST, Arrival – 09:00 AM IST
Duration: 16 hours
Fare: INR 1900/-

2) VRL Travels (Volvo A/C Multi-Axle Semi Sleeper)

Timing: Departure – 05:00 PM IST, Arrival – 07:30 AM IST
Duration: 14 hours 30 minutes
Fare: INR 1000/-

3) SR Travels (Bharat Benz A/C Sleeper)

Timing: Departure – 05:00 PM IST, Arrival – 05:45 AM IST
Duration: 12 hours 45 minutes
Fare: INR 1200/-

4) SRS Travels (Volvo A/C Multi Axle Sleeper)

Timing: Departure – 04:15 PM IST, Arrival – 07:30 AM IST
Duration: 15 hours 15 minutes
Fare: INR 1200/-

5) S. R. E. Travels (Luxura A/C Sleeper)

Timing: Departure – 05:30 PM IST, Arrival – 06:45 AM IST
Duration: 13 hours 15 minutes
Fare: INR 1100/-

6) S. R. E. Travels (Bharat Benz A/C Sleeper)

Timing: Departure – 04:00 PM IST, Arrival – 05:45 AM IST
Duration: 13 hours 45 minutes
Fare: INR 1100/-

2. Mumbai to Toranagallu

1) SRS Travels (Multi-Axle Volvo A/C Sleeper)

Timing: Departure – 04:15 PM IST, Arrival – 08:15 AM IST
Duration: 16 hours
Fare: INR 1600/-

2) VRL Travels (I-Shift Multi Axle Volvo A/C Sleeper)

Timing: Departure – 05:00 PM IST, Arrival – 09:55 AM IST
Duration: 16 hours 55 minutes
Fare: INR 2000/-

3) SR Tours (Bharat Benz A/C Sleeper)

Timing: Departure – 05:00 PM IST, Arrival – 07:00 AM IST
Duration: 14 hours
Fare: INR 1200/-

4) S. R. E. Travels (Luxura A/C Sleeper)
 
Timing: Departure – 05:30 PM IST, Arrival – 08:00 AM IST
Duration: 14 hours 30 minutes
Fare: INR 1100/-

5) S. R. E. Travels (Bharat Benz A/C Sleeper)

Timing: Departure – 04:00 PM IST, Arrival – 07:00 AM IST
Duration: 15 hours  
Fare: INR 1100/-

3. Mumbai to Budugumpa

1) VRL Travels (Volvo Multi-Axle A/C Sleeper)

Timing: Departure – 05:30 PM IST, Arrival – 08:30 AM IST
Duration: 15 hours 30 minutes
Fare: INR 1900/-

Duration of the Journey: 14 to 16 hours

Fare

The fare ranges between INR 1100/- and INR 2000/- per person.

Typical Stop Points

These are the ideal stop points if the bus goes via NH 65 – NH 50:

• Pune
• Indapur
• Sholapur
• Bijapur
• Bagalkot

The typical stop points for route AH 47 – NH 67 are:

• Pune
• Satara
• Kolhapur
• Belgaum
• Hubli
• Dharwad

Road Conditions

Both the routes leading to Hospet, Budugumpa and Toranagallu belong to the network of national highways. They are four-lane, well-constructed highways with road signs and toll booths. Usually, the traffic is medium to heavy, but it also could be extremely slow-moving if there are obstacles or weathered patches in between.

Hampi does not have a railhead of its own. The nearest railway station is located in Hospet (Hosapet Railway Junction), but no trains are operating between Mumbai and Hospet. So, travellers can head to another closest one, the Hubballi Railway Station, in Hubli. It is well-connected by Indian Rail System to Mumbai, is located about 160 kilometres away from Hampi and has an ample number of trains operating in between the destinations. After Hubli, travellers would have to arrange for a different mode of transport to reach Hampi. Those who find train journies just as exciting as roadways must give it a try.  

Train Options Available

About four to six trains are operating between Mumbai and Hubli, but only one is scheduled once a day, while the others are expected for one of two days of the week. This pattern is subjected to change, so travellers need to keep a close tab on the train schedules. The train choices are as follows; LTT Hubli Express, Puducherry Express, AII MYS Express, JU SBC Express, BKN YPR Express and SBC Garib Nawaj.

Starting Station

• Lokmanya Tilak Railway Junction
• Kalyan Junction
• Dadar Railway Station

Drop Station
Hubbali Railway Junction

Train Timings

LTT Hubli Express operates every day of the week. It departs from Mumbai around 06:30 PM IST and reaches Hubli around 11:20 AM IST. The other trains that infrequently ply mostly operate in the evening (between 09:30 PM and 11:30 PM IST) or after midnight (around 01:00 AM IST).

Duration of the Journey: 15 to 20 hours 30 minutes

Fare

The cost of a train journey from Mumbai to Hubli depends on the class chosen by the travellers. A Sleeper class ticket (SL) would cost approximately INR 450/-, an AC 3-tier (3A) is priced around INR 1000/-, an AC 2-tier (2A) would cost about INR 1500/- and an AC First Class (1A) fare would be somewhere around INR 2500/- per ticket.

Preferable Local Transport from the Drop Station

From the drop station, i.e. the Hubbali Railway Junction, travellers would either have to book a cab or take a bus ride. Cabs directly reach Hampi via various national and state highways (161 kilometres). Whereas, buses would go till Hosapet and travellers would have to arrange for their travel henceforth to reach Hampi from Hospet. Therefore, rental cabs are more preferred to reach Hampi from Hubli.

Tips

• The route leading to Hampi from Hubli goes via NH 67 or the Hubli – Bellary Road and takes about 3 hours 30 minutes to reach.
• Travellers can make online cab bookings for pickup right from outside the Hubbali Railway Junction.

Hampi does not have an airstrip too of its own. The closest airport to the World Heritage Site is the Belgaum Airport, which is located about 295 kilometres away from Hampi. Mumbai is well connected by air to Belgaum and has about 4 to 5 planes scheduled almost every day of the week.

Drawbacks
The only drawback with flying from Mumbai is that all the flights are connecting ones and have at least two stops or one-stop and a layover. Also, from the airport, travellers have to arrange for another mode of transport to reach Hampi, which would extend the travel time and expense. But if one does not have another option, this might prove to be a decent option to reach at least more than half the distance between Mumbai and Hampi.

Nearest Airport: Belgaum Airport

Direct or Indirect Flight Options Available

As mentioned earlier, no direct flights connect Mumbai and Belgaum Airport. All of them are indirect ones with the flight time anything between 25 to 27 hours. Air India is the only airline that frequently operates between the two destinations.

Preferable Local Transport Available from the Airport

The preferred mode to transport to reach Hampi from Belgaum is by a rental cab. A pickup right from outside the airport is a convenient option. Driving down the entire stretch of 295 kilometres takes about 6 hours 30 minutes.

Bus Ride from Belgaum
The second most affordable option is to take a bus ride from Belgaum. But there are no direct buses to Hampi. Travellers can take a bus heading to Sindhanur or to Dharwad. From Sindhanur, they need to travel for about 83 kilometres and from Dharwad, they need to cover a distance of 76 kilometres by a rental cab/ taxi.