Nandi Hills trek from Bangalore: Pottery, temple, silk

Hike Nandi Hills and shape clay with your hands

A full-day guided trek from Bangalore to Nandi Hills for small groups, combining an 11-hour hiking adventure with breakfast, lunch and hands-on stops at a pottery workshop, silk-processing unit, colonial railway station and 9th-century Yoganandeeshwara Temple. English-speaking guide and transport included. Minimum age 14.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Nandi Hills and local culture

• Meet tour leader at Hard Rock Café
• Drive to Nandi base
• Enjoy traditional breakfast at eco-resort
• Hike scenic trails with hilltop views
• Visit Yoganandeeshwara temple and fort walls
• Descend and visit silk-processing unit
• Tour historic temple in Bangalore
• Explore colonial-era railway station
• Participate in traditional pottery workshop
• Enjoy buffet lunch
• Drive back to Bangalore and drop off

The experience

You meet your guide at Hard Rock Café in central Bangalore and drive toward Nandi base, arriving at an eco-resort where a South Indian breakfast fuels the trek ahead. The hike itself runs through mist-covered trails past 9th-century fort walls, a stepped well and the intricately carved Yoganandeeshwara Temple, with panoramic views of the valley opening up as you climb. The landscape shifts as you descend: marigold farms, vineyards and sericulture units frame the base of the hills, setting the pace for what comes next.

After the trek, the stops are where the day becomes tactile. You walk through a silk-processing unit in Nandi village to watch how Bangalore's famous silk moves from cocoons to finished fabric, then step into the 100-year-old British railway station where your guide shares stories of colonial India. The pottery workshop is the centerpiece: you meet a 4th-generation potter, sit at the wheel and shape your own clay piece to take home. A buffet lunch follows before the drive back to your starting point.

What’s included

• Breakfast and buffet lunch.
• English-speaking professional guide.
• transport from Bangalore to Nandi Hills and back.
• entry to the Yoganandeeshwara Temple.
• visit to the silk-processing unit in Nandi village.
• pottery workshop where you shape and take home your own clay piece.
• stop at the colonial-era railway station.
• all taxes and fees.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:30

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (14 to 60 years) · Under 14: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 16 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Unventured Expeditions Pvt Ltd

Is this one for you?Small groups of up to 12 work best here, since the pottery workshop and silk unit visits move at a conversational pace and the guide's stories about the region's history land better when the group stays intimate. If you want a full day that mixes hiking with hands-on craft and cultural stops rather than pure trekking, the 11-hour itinerary fits that rhythm.

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Top questions

What's the Yoganandeeshwara Temple like, and how much of the hike goes past it?

The Yoganandeeshwara Temple is a 9th-century architectural masterpiece carved with intricate detail, reflecting five dynasties that ruled the region. You pass ancient fort walls and a stepped well on the mist-covered trails leading to it, and the temple sits along the route rather than as a separate detour.

Can I really make pottery on this tour, or is it just a demonstration?

You actually sit at the wheel and shape clay yourself at the pottery workshop. The artisan is a 4th-generation potter, and you can take home the piece you make as a souvenir.

How much walking and climbing is involved in the Nandi Hills hike?

The trek runs through picturesque trails with elevation gain to reach hilltop views, passing fort walls and a stepped well. The operator notes you should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness, and the full day is 11 hours from start to finish, though that includes breakfast, lunch and the pottery and silk workshops.

What's included in the breakfast and lunch?

Breakfast is a traditional South Indian meal served at the eco-resort before the trek begins. Lunch is a buffet served after you descend and finish the pottery workshop, before the drive back to Bangalore.

Is hotel pickup available, or do I need to get to Hard Rock Café myself?

The tour starts and ends at Hard Rock Café in central Bangalore. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so you'll need to arrange your own transport to the meeting point.

What's the group size, and will I be hiking with a lot of other people?

Groups stay under 12 people per booking, keeping the trek intimate and the pace manageable for conversation with your guide and the other travelers.