Latur is a Marathwada city of soybean traders, coaching classes and wide, planned roads. It is not a conventional tourist destination, and it makes no effort to be. What it offers is a quiet base on the Deccan plateau, close to the Karnataka border, with a handful of real sights within a day's drive: two Deccan forts, a set of rock-cut caves and a goddess temple that sits at the very centre of the city.
The forts are the main reason to come. Ausa Fort, about 20 km from the city, is a large moated enclosure with bastions and cannons that changed hands among the Deccan sultanates. Udgir Fort, roughly 65 km away, is remembered for the 1760 battle in which the Marathas under Sadashivrao Bhau defeated the Nizam. Both are ruins in a loose sense, with few standing buildings, so they suit people who like walking walls and reading ground plans.
Kharosa, about 45 km from Latur, has a dozen rock-cut caves from roughly the 6th century, with carvings of several faiths. In the city itself, Ganj Golai is the circular market laid out around the Jagdamba temple, and the Siddheshwar and Ratneshwar temple, about 2 km out, is the town's main Shiva shrine.
Plan Latur as a slow, car-based trip of two days. Facilities at the sights are basic, timings and fees are rarely published, and the plateau is hot from March to May. Older travellers will be comfortable at Ganj Golai and in the city, while the forts and the caves are best taken in the cooler months with plenty of water.
Before you plan
Latur at a glance
- Best months
- October to FebruaryOctober to February, with November to January the most comfortable. March to May is very hot and June to September is the rainy season.
- Ideal trip length
- 2 days: one for Ausa, Kharosa and…2 days: one for Ausa, Kharosa and the city, one for Udgir
- Airport
- Latur AirportLatur Airport (LTU), about 12 km west of the city, has no scheduled flights at last check; Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (IXU), about 264 km, and Hyderabad, about 298 km, are the usual options
- Railway station
- LaturLatur (LUR) is the main station; Latur Road and Harangul also serve the district, and Udgir has its own station
- Getting around
- Autos work within the cityAutos work within the city; hire a car and driver for Ausa, Kharosa and Udgir. MSRTC buses link all the larger towns.
- Daily budget
- Roughly ₹1,500–₹3,500 per person per…Roughly ₹1,500–₹3,500 per person per day excluding the room, mostly for a car and meals; costs depend on distance driven
- Senior comfort
- Moderate: the city and temples are easyModerate: the city and temples are easy, but forts and caves involve uneven ground, little shade and basic facilities
- Language
- Marathi is the main languageMarathi is the main language; Hindi is widely understood and Kannada and Telugu are heard near the borders
Prices, opening hours and weather change. Recheck live details before booking.
Best time to visit Latur: January, February, November, December. Month-by-month weather →
How many days do you have?
Latur itinerary
One good day
1 day in Latur
Leave early for Ausa Fort, about 20 km away, and walk the walls and moat in the cool of the morning. Continue on the Latur–Nilanga road to the Kharosa Caves, about 45 km from the city, for an hour or so among the carvings. Return to Latur for lunch and rest, then spend the evening at Ganj Golai, the circular market around the Jagdamba temple, when the lanes are busiest.
Day-by-day plan →Two days
2 days in Latur
Visit Ausa Fort in the morning and rest through the afternoon. In the late afternoon, see the Siddheshwar and Ratneshwar temple, then finish at Ganj Golai for the evening aarti and a walk round the circular market.
Day-by-day plan →Three unhurried days
3 days in Latur
Take a slow day in Latur with the Siddheshwar and Ratneshwar temple, Ganj Golai and the city's gardens, such as Buddha Garden.
Day-by-day plan →
