VANAMCOVE 
Belum Caves
Longest caves in India
Why this weekend?
The day-by-day plan
- Drive to the caves
- Guided gallery walk
- Sanyasi well
- Light shaft
- Museum, then Gandikota or return
Geography & terrain
Belum Caves open on the plateaus of Kurnool district's Banaganapalle country, 110 km from Kurnool town and 70 km from Gandikota — among the longest limestone caves of the subcontinent, with over three kilometres mapped and about one and a half open to walking visitors in lit galleries.
History & culture
Discovered for science in 1884 by the British surveyor H.B. Foote and opened to the public in 2002, the caverns carry centuries of older human trace — pottery and modest finds suggesting long habitation; the local name 'Belum' and the shrine corners within still keep the cave's village-past alive.
Where to stay
Budget
₹1,000–2,500/nightMid-range
₹2,500–5,000/nightComfort
₹5,000+/nightThings to do
Stalactite halls
Sanyasi well
Light shaft
Formation gardens
Museum
Eat & drink
- Hyderabadi biryani
- Gongura pachadi
- Pesarattu with upma
- Rayalaseema chicken curry
- Pootharekulu sweets
Getting there
- Fly
- Visakhapatnam (VTZ) / Vijayawada (VGA)
- Train
- Vijayawada & Visakhapatnam junctions
- Road from Hyderabad
- varies by region — 250–600 km
- Getting around
- Auto-rickshaws, city buses, app taxis in cities
Budget snapshot
- Total
- ₹5,000–11,000 (2 days)
- Per day · Stay
- ₹1,000–5,000/night
- Per day · Food
- ₹600–1,000
- Per day · Transport
- ₹600–1,000
- Per day · Activities
- ₹700–1,100
Month by month
Practical info
- Language: Telugu (English understood in tourist spots)
- Best window: Oct–Mar
- Connectivity: good 4G in towns
- UPI/cards widely accepted; keep small cash for hill and market stops
Practical tips
- The walkways are wet and slick in places — grip-soled shoes matter
- Guides run each batch; tipping a good one pays in stories
- Combine with Gandikota for the paired wonder-day of caves and canyon
Frequently asked questions
About 1.5 km of lit and walked galleries — the full mapped length runs past 3 km, mostly closed.
Yes — the paths are fixed metal walkways and the tour is guided, though the stairs and humidity ask for steady legs.
A deep, dark shaft chamber named for the ascetics who wintered in the cave's constant cool.
Longest caves in India
Take the break. We'll take the planning.
Tell us your dates, budget and travel style — we'll build your Belum Caves plan with day-by-day routing, stays, food and bookings.