Gokarna – Udupi

Pickup from Dabolim or Hubli airport and a coastal drive south along the Konkan belt into Gokarna (2.5–4 hrs). Check in to your beach resort, then an easy afternoon at Kudle Beach — a broad crescent of sand backed by cliffs and shacks. Watch the sun drop into the Arabian Sea from the rocks at the southern end, followed by a fresh seafood dinner on the sand.

Morning at the 4th-century Mahabaleshwara Temple, home of the Atmalinga, and a walk down Car Street past tile-roofed wooden houses, brass shops and the Koti Teertha tank. Late morning, board a country boat from Om Beach for the classic beach hop — Half Moon and Paradise beaches, with dolphin spotting in the calmer season and a snorkelling stop. Return for the clifftop trail between Om and Kudle at golden hour.

Check out and drive south on NH-66 through areca and coconut country. Stop at Murudeshwar for the 123 ft Shiva statue on Kanduka hill, the 20-storey gopura lift and views over the sea on three sides. Optional halt at Maravanthe, where the road runs with the Souparnika river on one side and the ocean on the other. Reach Udupi by evening and check in near the temple square.

Early darshan at the 13th-century Sri Krishna Matha, where the deity is viewed through the silver-plated Kanakana Kindi window, followed by the eight mathas of Udupi's temple square and a traditional Udupi thali on a banana leaf. Afternoon ferry from Malpe to St Mary's Island — a protected geological monument of hexagonal basalt columns, white shell sand and palm groves. Sunset back at Malpe Beach.

A relaxed final morning — optional Kaup lighthouse climb, the Hasta Shilpa heritage village at Manipal, or shopping for Udupi filter coffee, banana chips and Kundapura cashew. Check out and transfer to Mangalore airport or railway station (1.5 hrs) for your onward journey.