Kudremukh Trek
Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka
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- Max altitude
- 1,894 m
- Days
- 1 day
- Distance
- 18 km
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Rated moderate by operators, but long for a day hike: about 18 km out and back with roughly 800 m of climb through shola forest, stream crossings and open grassland, ending in a steep ascent of about 3 km to the summit ridge.
Photos
On the trail
The route
Day by day
Day 1 · highest point
Mullodi APC forest office → Mullodi APC forest office
1,110 m → 1,894 m → 1,110 m
Ups and downs
Altitude profile
Where it is
Map
Trailhead and high point only — not a recorded track. Use it with a proper map.
Weather
Next 5 days on the trail
Live forecast for the trailhead and the high point. Mountain weather changes fast — check again on the morning you start.
Trailhead · Mullodi APC forest office, Mullodi village
at 1,110 mLoading forecast…
High point · Kudremukh peak summit
at 1,894 mLoading forecast…
Each day: high / low °C · rain mm and chance · snow cm · wind km/h
Weather data: Open-Meteo.comModel forecast, not an official warning. For alerts follow IMD and the local administration.
Plan the trip
How to reach
- Trailhead
- Mullodi APC forest office, Mullodi village (nearest town: Kalasa)
- Nearest railway
- Mangaluru Central (or Udupi)
- Nearest airport
- Mangaluru International (about 100 km)
- By road
- Kalasa (about 20 km; autos and homestay jeeps to Mullodi); Chikkamagaluru (about 100 km); Bengaluru (about 330 km; overnight KSRTC buses to Kalasa)
- Drive
- About 8 h from Bengaluru
Plan the trip
Permits and fees
We could not confirm the current permit rules and fees from an official source. Check with the local forest department or tourism office before you go.
Plan the trip
Cost
Self-guided
₹2,500–4,500
With an operator
₹3,950–4,839
Per person, ex-Bengaluru, for a weekend trip (overnight travel, one homestay night, meals and forest permit). Guided range from Bikat Adventures (₹3,950 + 5% GST), Treks and Trails India (₹4,200) and BMC Adventures (₹4,839), Oct 2026. Self-guided is an estimate: KSRTC bus Bengaluru–Kalasa and back, shared auto from Kalasa (₹300–400 per auto), homestay jeep to the start (₹150–200 each), homestay stay and food, and a share of the mandatory forest guide (Indiahikes reports ₹1,000 per guide for up to 10 trekkers). The online permit fee is shown only inside the portal booking, so it is not included.
Gear
Top picks for this trek
The gear that matters most on this route, chosen from its altitude, season and risks.
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Packing checklist
Matched to this trek: altitude, season, days and the risks on the route.
Packed 0 of 25
Monsoon months (Sep): pack everything in plastic or a dry bag and wear shoes with good grip.
Tick each item as it goes in the bag.
Know before you go
Good to know
- Mobile network
- Expect weak or no signal on the trail; coverage is better around Kalasa.
- Last ATM
- Kalasa (about 20 km from Mullodi)
- Nearest hospital
- Kalasa (about 20 km); larger hospitals in Chikkamagaluru or Mangaluru
- Water
- Streams cross the trail, full in the monsoon and after it; carry 2 litres in a reusable bottle, as packaged food and unaccounted plastic bottles are not allowed past the checkpost.
Highlights
- Summit of Kudremukh, the 'horse face' peak and one of Karnataka's highest at about 1,894 m
- Shola forest, stream crossings and wide rolling grassland inside Kudremukh National Park, part of the Western Ghats World Heritage Site
- The lone trees of Ontimara and the ruins of Lobo's house along the way
- Chance of spotting gaur, deer, Malabar giant squirrel or lion-tailed macaque
Risks
- Long day: Indiahikes advises turning around by 2 PM wherever you are; the forest office does not allow trekking after 6 PM
- Leeches and slippery mossy rocks in the forest and at stream crossings, especially June–September; streams swell after heavy rain
- The Forest Department suspends the trek at short notice in heavy rain (all Kudremukh Wildlife Division routes were shut in early August 2026; advance bookings were refunded)
- Thick monsoon cloud can hide the route; stay with the forest guide on the marked trail
- Summer (February–May) brings forest fire risk; the trail was closed from January to May in 2026
Know before you go
Questions
Do I need to book the Kudremukh trek in advance?
Yes. Book on the Karnataka Forest Department's Aranya Vihaara portal (aranyavihaara.karnataka.gov.in, Chikkamagaluru district, 'Kudremukha Trek'). The portal lists it as an 18 km, 8-hour trek that starts and ends at Mullodi APC. Bookings open up to 30 days ahead and close the day before. Older blog advice about queuing at the checkpost for one of 50 daily walk-in permits is out of date.
Is a guide compulsory?
Yes. Under the Forest Department's trekking SOP (rolled out in Kudremukh in July 2026), every batch of 10 trekkers must go with a forest guide. Indiahikes reports the guide is assigned at the forest office and costs ₹1,000 per guide.
How long is the Kudremukh trek?
The Forest Department portal lists 18 km from the Mullodi forest office and back (its description also says about 22 km). Indiahikes measures 16 km, while Bikat says 18 km and BMC and Muddie Trails about 20 km; most groups take 7–9 hours.
When is the best time to trek Kudremukh?
September to December gives green grassland, running streams and clearer views. June to August is popular but wet and full of leeches, and the trail can close in heavy rain. In 2026 the portal blocked all dates from early January to the end of May.
Can I carry snacks and bottled water?
Bags are checked at the forest checkpost. Packaged snacks such as chips, biscuits and chocolates are not allowed; pack food in a reusable box. Any plastic bottle you carry is counted and must come back, or you are fined, so a reusable bottle is easier.
How do I reach the start by public transport?
Take an overnight KSRTC bus from Bengaluru to Kalasa, then an auto (about ₹300–400, shareable) to a Mullodi homestay and a homestay jeep (₹150–200 each) to the forest office. The last bus back to Bengaluru leaves Kalasa around 10 PM.
In an emergency
Save these numbers before you lose signal. Tap to call.
- 112All emergenciesIndia’s single emergency number — works in every state
- 108Ambulance
- 1077District disaster control room
You are in
District: ChikkamagaluruKarnataka
- Nearest hospital
- Kalasa (about 20 km); larger hospitals in Chikkamagaluru or Mangaluru
- Last ATM
- Kalasa (about 20 km from Mullodi)
- Phone network
- Expect weak or no signal on the trail; coverage is better around Kalasa.
Before you set off
- Tell someone your route and when you will be back.
- Carry a charged phone and a power bank.
- Download an offline map of the route.
- Turn back if the weather turns bad — the mountain will wait.
Questions about Kudremukh
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Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Aranya Vihaara – Kudremukha Trek (Chikkamagaluru, trek id 112) — Karnataka Forest Department (official)
- Kudremukh Trek — Indiahikes
- Kudremukh Trek — Bikat Adventures
- Kudremukha — Wikipedia
- Kudremukh Trek — BMC Adventures
- Kudremukh Trek — Treks and Trails India
- Everything you need to know about Kudremukh trek — Muddie Trails
- Karnataka introduces trekking SOP in Kudremukh, enforces new rules on four trails (4 Jul 2026) — The News Minute
- Kudremukh trekking temporarily suspended due to heavy rain (5 Aug 2026) — Asianet Newsable
Photos: Ramesh Desai / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Prashanthmuthyalanaidu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Bhanurising / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
