Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site — the ruins of Vijayanagara, one of the largest cities in the medieval world. At its height in the 15th and 16th centuries it had a population of half a million. The confederation of Muslim sultans who sacked it in 1565 spent five months burning and looting before moving on. What they left behind is extraordinary: 26 square kilometres of ruins scattered among a boulder-strewn landscape on the Tungabhadra River.
The site is large enough to need at least two full days. The Vittala Temple complex is the architectural highlight. Virupaksha Temple is still an active place of worship. The royal enclosure with the Lotus Mahal and Elephant Stables is a separate cluster to the southeast. Hiring a bicycle or auto-rickshaw is the practical way to cover the ground.