Kakinada sits on the Bay of Bengal in the Godavari delta, about 55 km from Rajahmundry. It is better known as a port and industrial town than a tourist stop, which suits travellers who like places that still work for a living. The bay is sheltered by Hope Island, a long sandspit offshore, and that natural protection is why the port has existed here for so long.
What the city offers visitors is a quiet set of outings rather than a checklist. The Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, a mangrove reserve on the delta south of town, gives you a boardwalk and creek boat rides. A short drive brings you to Sarpavaram's Bhavanarayana temple, with inscriptions from the 11th century, and to the Pancharama Shiva temple at Samalkot. Gollala Mamidada has a Sun temple among palm groves, and Uppada up the coast is known for Jamdani weaving.
Eat the local sweet: Kakinada Kaja, a syrup-soaked pastry associated with a shop that opened in 1891. Winter, from November to February, is the comfortable season. From April to June it is hot and humid, and from October the Bay of Bengal can bring heavy rain and cyclones.
For families and older travellers, Kakinada is easy in the sense that distances are short, temples are mostly level and the pace is slow. Plan one outing a day, start early and rest in the afternoon, and use a hired car, as public transport to the outlying sites is limited.
Before you plan
Kakinada at a glance
- Best months
- November to February is the most…November to February is the most comfortable; April to June is hot and humid, and October is the wettest, with cyclone risk.
- Ideal trip length
- 2 days for the main outings2 days for the main outings; 3 days if you add Uppada and Gollala Mamidada
- Airport
- Rajahmundry AirportRajahmundry Airport (RJA), about 55 km away by road; Visakhapatnam (VTZ) is much farther, around 3 hours by road
- Railway station
- Kakinada TownKakinada Town (CCT) in the city; Samalkot Junction (SLO), about 13 km away, is the main junction on the Howrah–Chennai line
- Getting around
- Autos and app cabs in townAutos and app cabs in town; a hired car is the practical way to reach Coringa, Samalkot and Gollala Mamidada
- Daily budget
- Roughly ₹1,500–₹3,500 per person per…Roughly ₹1,500–₹3,500 per person per day excluding hotel; depends on car hire and dining choices
- Senior comfort
- Good: level sites and short distancesGood: level sites and short distances, but heat, humidity and sun exposure at the sanctuary need planning
- Language
- TeluguTelugu; Hindi and English understood in hotels and at larger sites
Prices, opening hours and weather change. Recheck live details before booking.
Best time to visit Kakinada: January, February, December. Month-by-month weather →
How many days do you have?
Kakinada itinerary
One good day
1 day in Kakinada
Leave early for the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary and take the creek boat ride and a short stretch of the boardwalk before the heat builds. Return to town for lunch and a rest. In the late afternoon, visit Bhavanarayana Swamy Temple at Sarpavaram, then end with a stop at Kotaiah Sweets for Kakinada Kaja and a sunset look at the beach.
Day-by-day plan →Two days
2 days in Kakinada
Spend the morning at Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, timing the boat ride for low tide if you can. Rest after lunch, then walk along the coast road at sunset and try Kakinada Kaja.
Day-by-day plan →Three unhurried days
3 days in Kakinada
Go early to the sanctuary, walk the boardwalk and take a boat ride. Rest in the afternoon and visit the beach near sunset.
Day-by-day plan →
