Madhugiri Betta – A Quick Ride and a Challenging Trek

It had been a long time since my last trek. I couldn’t do any monsoon treks or rides this year, and the itch for adventure was real. On Saturday evening, while chatting with Kiran, I mentioned the idea of doing a short ride and trek near Bengaluru. Madhugiri Betta came to mind, and Kiran was instantly in!

We quickly decided to go for it. Madhugiri is about 110 km from Bengaluru and takes around 2.5 hours to reach. Our plan was to start early and begin trekking before 8 AM. We left at 5:00 AM, stopped for a quick breakfast on the way, and reached Madhugiri around 7:45 AM, just as planned.

Trekking here is allowed from 6:00 AM onwards. At the entrance, you need to register your name and show an Aadhaar card (one per group is enough). The entry fee is just ₹30 per person.

I had visited Madhugiri nearly 15 years ago, and honestly, I didn’t remember much. But as soon as we reached, we started our climb, hoping to finish before the sun got too harsh.

Madhugiri Betta, located in Tumkur district, is one of the largest monolithic hills in Asia. It’s crowned with an ancient Vijayanagara-era fort, making it a perfect mix of history and adventure. The trek starts with easy slopes but becomes quite steep as you go higher. Along the way, you’ll pass through old fort walls, gateways, and watchtowers that take you back in time.

Hike from this point will become little challanging!

At first, I thought we had reached the top of Madhugiri Hill, but I was completely wrong! We were only halfway there. The trek from this point becomes very challenging because there’s no support to hold onto while climbing. You really need to balance carefully from here.

I felt this was the scariest part of the trek — the path was very narrow, and the climb was steep and tricky!

And finally, we reached the summit of Madhugiri Hill!

The view from the top is simply breathtaking, with vast stretches of hills and plains all around. But make no mistake — this trek isn’t for beginners. The steep rocky paths really test your stamina and courage. I saw many people struggling along the way, so it’s best to go slow, carry enough water and snacks, and avoid trekking during summer or rainy days (the rocks can get slippery).

It took us about four hours to complete the trek. We had initially planned to visit Channarayana Durga as well, but the heat drained us completely. We dropped the plan and headed back home, reaching by 2:00 PM.

Overall, Madhugiri Betta turned out to be a perfect one-day getaway — a mix of adventure, history, and that satisfying exhaustion that only a good trek can give.