12 Best Tourist Places in Udupi & Manipal You Shouldn't Miss

Udupi's most popular beach and the jumping-off point for boats to St. Mary's Island. Early morning and evening are the best times to visit, when the promenade fills with local families and the light on the water is at its best. It's also the easiest beach in Udupi to reach by taxi, with parking right along the promenade.

A short boat ride (around 20–30 minutes) from Malpe jetty, known for its unusual columnar basalt rock formations — among the few places in India where you can see them up close. Boats run through the day depending on tide and weather, so it's worth checking timings before you head out.

The spiritual heart of Udupi town, famous for its Kanaka Kindi window and the daily rituals that draw pilgrims from across India. The surrounding Car Street lanes — lined with udupi-style eateries and shops — are worth a slow walk for the temple-town atmosphere alone.

A quieter alternative to Malpe with a photogenic red-and-white lighthouse you can climb for coastal views. Sunset here is a favorite with photographers, and it's an easy add-on stop if you're already headed toward Udupi or Padubidri by taxi.

A cliffside viewpoint park on the edge of Manipal's campus town, popular for its sweeping view over the Western Ghats, the Swarna river and the coast. A good stop for students and visitors alike in the late afternoon — one of the most-searched things to do in Manipal.

A calmer, less crowded stretch of coastline near Padubidri, good for a relaxed walk without the crowds of the bigger beaches nearby. This is also where Travel Link Travels is based, so it's usually the first or last stop on a local sightseeing day.

One of Karnataka's most visited pilgrimage sites, roughly a 2–2.5 hour drive from Udupi through the Western Ghats. Most visitors combine it with Kodachadri on the same outstation trip — see our outstation cab packages for one-way and round-trip options.

A trekking and viewpoint destination near Kollur, known for panoramic Western Ghats views and the Mookambika wildlife sanctuary at its base. The upper stretch involves a jeep ride and short trek, so it's best planned as a full-day outstation trip rather than a quick stop.

Famous for the stretch of NH66 where the Arabian Sea sits on one side of the road and the Souparnika river on the other — genuinely one of the most scenic drives in coastal Karnataka. Worth timing for sunset if you're heading toward Kundapura or Murudeshwar.

A coastal town north of Udupi known for its seafood and as a natural stopover on the way to Murudeshwar or Gokarna. A good half-day or full-day outstation destination if you want fewer crowds than the bigger tourist beaches.

A monsoon and post-monsoon waterfall inland from the coast, reached by a short trek from the nearest drop-off point. Best visited between July and November when the water flow is strongest.

A quieter beach further up the coast from Kundapura, good for travelers looking to combine a longer coastal drive with a stop away from the main tourist crowds.