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  • 01Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary

    Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary

    Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary in Shimoga district is a place worth visiting especially for bird lovers. The island amidst Tunga river offers food and shelter to a wide species of birds. On the way to Mandagadde, travellers can visit Sakrebyle elephant training camp and Gajanur dam site. Spanning over 1.14 acres, this bird sanctuary is an ideal picnic and camping spot too.

    Inside the sanctuary, there is a watchtower from where you can view different bird species with convenience. The forest department also offers boating services to watch birds and enjoy the beauty of nature. The period from July to September is the best season for a visit to Mandagadde Bird sanctuary.

    Mandagadde is 30 km from Shimoga. Frequent bus services are available to Mandagadde from nearby towns. Malur railway station is only 11 km away. The nearest airport is however in Mangalore. Cabs and other vehicles can also be hired from Shimoga or Teerthahalli to reach Mandagadde.

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  • 02Gudavi Bird Sanctuary

    Gudavi Bird Sanctuary

    Gudavi Bird Sanctuary, located amidst dense forests is a shelter and habitat for various species of birds. It is a heaven for ornithologists to watch and study varieties of birds. Here you can see lots of migrating birds starting from the month of June till December. The exquisite beauty of the natural lake is another major attraction in this bird sanctuary.

    Spreading over 0.73 sq km, the bird sanctuary provides shelter to birds like grey heron, jungle bowl, Indian shag, black-headed crane, little cormorant, Pariah kites and white ibis. It's one among the famous five bird sanctuaries in Karnataka.

    Gudavi Bird Sanctuary is at a distance of 15 km from Shimoga and 41 km from Sagar. The nearest railway station is in Shimoga and the closest airport is in Mangalore. Gudavi is well connected by road to nearby towns. You can travel by bus to reach Gudavi within 2 hours from nearby towns like Sirsi.

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  • 03Sacred Heart Cathedral

    Sacred Heart Cathedral

    The Sacred Heart Cathedral in Shimoga is popular for the architectural beauty. It also enjoys the status of being the second largest church in the country. The view of the main big hall of the large cathedral spanning over 18000 sq ft is unforgettable. The Cathedral looks quite exquisite with the brilliant Roman graphic architectural style and a lively big statue of Lord Jesus Christ.

    The main hall in the church can easily accommodate 5000 people. The Mangalore Airport is the nearest airport to Shimoga. The railway station in Shimoga is connected with rail roads of all major cities in Karnataka, including Bengaluru. After reaching Shimoga, hire a cab or an auto-rickshaw or catch the local buses to get to B.H. Road. The Sacred Heart Cathedral is visible from the B.H. Road.

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  • 04Tyavarekoppa Lion And Tiger Safari

    Tyavarekoppa Lion And Tiger Safari

    Tyavarekoppa Lion and Tiger Safari is a popular travel destination in the Shimoga district. This safari park was established in 1988. It is quite known for the blend of natural beauty and a rich mix of birds and animals including rare migratory birds, leopards, lions, tigers, deer and sloth bears.

    Nature lovers would definitely love this place. Every year thousands of people visit this safari park spread over 200 hectares of land. Post monsoon period from September to January is the best time to visit here.

    There are a lot of wildlife sanctuaries in the Shimoga district near Tyavarekoppa. Shimoga is the nearest railway station from Tyavarekoppa Safari Park, which is roughly 15 km away. There are plenty of bus services from places like Shimoga, Sagar and Bangalore to reach Tyavarekoppa faster. Cabs and autos are available from Shimoga and it will take hardly 20 minutes to reach the park.

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  • 05Sakrebayalu Elephant Camp

    Sakrebayalu Elephant Camp

    Situated 14 km from Shimoga town, the Sakrebayalu Elephant Training Camp attracts many visitors every year. The Gajanur dam site is a popular place near the Elephant camp. Orphaned baby elephants left by their herds are given shelter in this camp. The elephants in the camp are trained and tamed by experienced mahouts.

    The Sakrebayalu Elephant Camp is an ideal place to visit with children. Everybody will love the sight of majestic elephants from the camp taking a bath in River tunga. Visitors are also allowed to play with the giant elephants in the water. Visiting time is from 8:30 am to 11 am.

    This place is well connected by roads to nearby towns. Travellers can travel by buses, taxis or autos to reach the Sakrebayalu Elephant Camp from Shimoga. Bus services regularly ply to Sakrebayalu from Shimoga. You can also plan to travel by train to Shimoga and then get to this place by road.

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  • 06Sharavathi Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

    Sharavathi Valley was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in the year 1974. It is located in the Shimoga district of Karnataka. This Sanctuary has a total area of around 431 sq km. It has a vast tourist zone in addition to having a buffer and core zone. The famous Sharavathi river flowing through the thick forest is a major attraction of the sanctuary besides wildlife.

    The Sharavathi Wildlife Sanctuary provides shelter to animal species like black panthers, sambars, tigers, jackals, sloth bear, Malabar giant squirrels, barking deer, giant flying squirrels, wild pigs, pangolin and many more species of animals as well as birds.

    This place is known for the presence of reptilian species like cobras, pythons, rat snakes and crocodiles. The nearest town to the Sharavati Sanctuary is Sagar. Shimoga is well connected to cities like Bangalore by rail and road. From Sagar, it's a 7 km drive to the Sanctuary. From Mangalore to Talguppa, there are road transportation services via Bhatkal. This is the fastest route for travellers to reach Sharavati Wildlife Sanctuary by road.

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  • 07Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary

    Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary

    Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary in the Shimoga district is one of the famous wildlife sanctuaries in the state of Karnataka. November to December is the best season to visit the sanctuary. It spreads over 385 sq km of lush greenery. Unlike other sanctuaries, there are human settlements inside this sanctuary. This makes it quite unique.

    The Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary is also a home to many threatened and endangered species of animals like white-backed vultures, Indian Nightjar and white bellied drongo. Other animal species that you can find in this dense forest area include jackals, tigers, elephants, leopards, marsh crocodiles, king cobras, sloth bears, mongoose, langurs and pythons.

    The Shettihalli sanctuary is 30 km away from Teerthahalli. The Shimoga railway station is the closest railhead and Mangalore Airport is the nearest airport to Shettihalli. Bus services are available to and from Shettihalli to nearby towns like Shimoga and Sagar. The famous Jog falls is located near this sanctuary.

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  • 08Tunga Dam

    Tunga Dam

    The Tunga Dam built across the Tunga river is a marvellous sight for the visitors. Tunga Dam is about 535 m in length. Sakrebayalu Elephant Training Camp, another popular travel spot for people, especially kids, is near this dam, which is only about 3 km. Tunga dam is in a place called Gujanur which is on the way from Teerthahalli to Shimoga.

    The dam is well operated and maintained. It is one of the best picnic spots in the Shimoga district for enjoying family trips. The dam is 10 km away from Shimoga city and is just a 20-minute drive from Shimoga towards Teerthahalli. Local bus transportation services are also available to Tunga Dam. The nearest railhead is also only 12 km away in Shimoga main city.

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  • 09Shivappanaika Palace Museum

    Shivappanaika Palace Museum

    The Shimoga district in Karnataka is famous not just for the exquisite beauty of nature, waterfalls and wildlife sanctuaries, but also for places with historical significance. One such place of attraction is the Shivappanaika Palace cum Museum. The history of the palace dates back to the 16th century.

    The palace was completely constructed out of rosewood by Keladi King Shivappa Nayaka. The Archaeology Department of Karnataka is now administering this palace. There is also a museum in this building which reflects the rich history and heritage of the Keladi Kingdom. You can see an interesting collection of antiques, stone carvings, inscriptions and sculptures in the Shivappanaika museum.

    The Palace is located on the banks of the Tunga river. As the palace is in the centre of Shimoga city, road transportation is obviously the most convenient and quickest means of transport. There are local bus services available in plenty to the palace. You can even reach Shivappanaika Palace by taxis and auto rickshaws from anywhere in the Shimoga city within minutes.

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