We are going Kurnool which is in Andhra Pradesh especially to visit the Belum Caves. It will be a short weekend break from Bangalore with my husband and kids. We will be leaving Bangalore on a Friday morning, and will reach Kurnool in about six hours which would include a couple of stops on the way. A few questions about Belum caves have been listed below. I would like to know how much is required to explore the Belum caves? Would a weekend be enough to travel from Bangalore to Kurnool and back and also explore the caves? Is the place crowded? What are the timings for visiting the caves? Would you suggest visiting any other places which are close by and we can fit in our weekend trip?
I've visited the caves once.... They were beautiful! I can't answer all your questions about I can tell you that when I visited the entrance fee was Rs.50.00 but I'm not sure about the price right now. It may have changed.
Hello, @Ramola! Welcome to the forum! The Belum Caves are about three kilometres long. You can finish exploring it in about two to three hours time, including the taking of pictures. They provide free guides per group so you can know the history behind the caves. So first, from Bangalore to Kurnool, that's about 359 kms and can take you 5 to 6 hours to reach the latter. Now, from Kurnool to the Belum Caves, it's about 107 kms, so you can reach Belum Caves in 3 hours or less. Taking these into consideration, you can reach the caves in about 9 hours. So your two days are already allotted for travelling back and forth. The one day can be allotted for sightseeing. You can leave during Friday night and check in at the hotel by Saturday morning. Then do some sightseeing during the day of Saturday. By Sunday, you can leave for home again. It can get crowded during the weekends, but the good thing is that it isn't that crowded that you have to line up for a long time to get tickets. At the most, it's probably at least 50 more people with you. If you cans schedule during the weekday, you'd probably find lesser crowds. The Belum Caves are open everyday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Here are the fees: Indian tourist: Rs. 45 for adults and Rs. 25 for children. Foreign tourist: Rs. 300 for adults and children. Here are some attractions nearby the Belum Caves: Gandikota Fort - This is about 70 kms from the Belum Caves. This was built by the Kappa King during the 13th Century. This fort is very much impregnable and has survived various attacks from the Vijayanagar Empire, Qutub Shahi and Golkunda Empires. Inside the fort, you'll find the Jamia Masjid, Madhava Swami Temple and Ranganath Swami Temple. There's also the Rayalacheruvu Lake inside which is said to originate from the Penner River. Bhagvan Mahavir Government Museum - This museum contains ancient artefacts like idols dating back to the 5th Century. These items were excavated not only in Kadapa, but also in Kurnool and Hyderabad. Sri Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuary - This is about 244 kms from the caves. It's worth a visit because of the diversity of wildlife you can see here. Some of them are: Asian elephants, leopards, sambars, spotted deers, slender loris and the Indian giant squirrel. Other attractions are too far away from Belum Caves. And since you only have a weekend to spare, it's better to choose one from this list to add in your visit to the Belum Caves. The nearest option is the Gandikota Fort and I'm sure you'd enjoy the ruins and the structures in the fort. I hope this helps!
