About 50 km downriver from Bhadrachalam, reached most pleasurably by boat along the Godavari, the Papikondalu Hills rise steeply from the water in a series of densely forested gorges. The combination of narrow rocky narrows, waterfalls tumbling into the river, and dense teak and bamboo forest makes this one of the more dramatic natural landscapes in Telangana.
Most visits are done as a full-day boat trip that leaves Bhadrachalam in the morning, passes through the gorge with stops at villages, a riverside shrine, and a waterfall, and returns by evening. APTDC runs organised tours from the river ghats with lunch included. The river is at its most impressive from October through February, when the water is clear and the forest still green after the monsoon. Some tour operators run multi-day trips with overnight stays in tribal villages.