Bengaluru, India: travel guide
India's Silicon Valley — a cosmopolitan Garden City of tech campuses, Vidhana Soudha, Cubbon Park, and a buzzing craft beer and restaurant scene.
- Country
- India
- Currency
- INR
- Time zone
- Asia/Kolkata
- Nearest airport
- BLR
Top places to visit in Bengaluru
Nandi Hills
Viewpoint · 4.4 rating · about 3 h · entry INR 30
A 1,478 m hill fortress ~60 km from the city, famed for cloud-sea sunrises, Tipu's summer retreat, ancient temples and paragliding.
Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace
Heritage · 4.2 rating · about 0.8 h · entry INR 300
An elegant 18th-century teak palace of Tipu Sultan with ornate carved pillars, balconies and frescoes, a fine example of Indo-Islamic architecture.
UB City
Market · 4.4 rating · about 1.5 h
Bengaluru's premier luxury mall and high-rise complex on Vittal Mallya Road, with designer boutiques, rooftop fine-dining and a glamorous after-dark scene.
ISKCON Temple Bengaluru
Temple · 4.5 rating · about 1 h
A vast hilltop ISKCON temple complex on Hare Krishna Hill, a striking blend of modern and traditional architecture with shrines, a cultural centre and prasadam halls.
Bull Temple (Dodda Basavana Gudi)
Temple · 4.4 rating · about 0.5 h
A 16th-century Kempe Gowda temple in Basavanagudi housing a huge monolithic granite Nandi bull, the focus of the annual groundnut fair (Kadlekai Parishe).
Commercial Street
Market · 4.2 rating · about 1.5 h
A historic, perpetually bustling shopping street for clothing, jewellery, footwear and street food — Bengaluru's go-to bargain bazaar near Shivajinagar.
Lalbagh Botanical Garden
Nature · 4.5 rating · about 1.5 h · entry INR 200
A historic 240-acre botanical garden begun by Hyder Ali, with a glasshouse modelled on London's Crystal Palace, a lake, ancient rock and famous biannual flower shows.
Cubbon Park
Nature · 4.5 rating · about 1.3 h
A sprawling green lung in the city centre with shaded avenues, the State Central Library, museums and statues — a beloved spot for walks and weekend leisure.
Bannerghatta National Park
Wildlife · 4.3 rating · about 3 h · entry INR 120
A forested park ~22 km south with a zoo, a popular safari and a butterfly park, home to tigers, lions, leopards and elephants close to the city.
Vidhana Soudha
Heritage · 4.5 rating · about 0.5 h
Karnataka's grand granite legislative building (1956) in neo-Dravidian style, especially impressive floodlit at night — the symbol of Bengaluru's civic pride.
Bangalore Palace
Heritage · 4.3 rating · about 1.3 h · entry INR 460
A Tudor-revival palace built in 1878 by the Wodeyars, with fortified towers, ornate wood interiors and sprawling grounds that host major concerts.
MG Road & Brigade Road
Nightlife · 4.3 rating · about 2 h
Bengaluru's buzzing commercial and nightlife core, with shops, the Brigade Road strip, pubs, cafes and the leafy Boulevard — the city's social heartbeat.
Things to do
- Lalbagh Botanical Garden Walk Nature · 2 h · from INR 300 per person
- Nandi Hills Sunrise Trip Nature · 6 h · from INR 1,200 per person
- Bannerghatta Safari & Zoo Experience Wildlife · 4 h · from INR 1,500 per person
- ISKCON Bengaluru Visit Cultural · 1.5 h
- Bangalore Palace Tour Cultural · 1.5 h · from INR 460 per person
- Cubbon Park & Vidhana Soudha Heritage Walk Cultural · 2.5 h · from INR 600 per person
- Mysore & Srirangapatna Day Trip Sightseeing · 12 h · from INR 2,500 per person
- Skandagiri Sunrise Night Trek Adventure · 6 h · from INR 1,500 per person
Day trips and tours
- Bengaluru City Highlights 8 h · from INR 1,800
- Nandi Hills Sunrise Tour 6 h · from INR 1,200
- Mysuru & Srirangapatna Day Trip 13 h · from INR 2,800
Where to stay in Bengaluru
- Indiranagar about INR 4,500 per night
Upscale residential area with trendy cafes and shops
- Koramangala about INR 4,000 per night
Hip neighborhood with restaurants, bars, and nightlife
- Whitefield about INR 3,500 per night
IT hub area with business hotels and malls
- Brigade Road about INR 3,000 per night
Central shopping and commercial district
Hotels
- The Leela Palace Bengaluru 5-star · INR 12,000 to INR 25,000 per night
- Taj West End 5-star · INR 12,000 to INR 24,000 per night
- The Oberoi Bengaluru 5-star · INR 12,000 to INR 22,000 per night
- The Ritz-Carlton Bangalore 5-star · INR 14,000 to INR 32,000 per night
- ITC Gardenia 5-star · INR 11,000 to INR 20,000 per night
- JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru 5-star · INR 12,000 to INR 28,000 per night
Where to eat
- Mavalli Tiffin Rooms (MTR) South Indian, Vegetarian · about INR 300 per person
- Toit Brewpub Continental, Italian, Bar · about INR 1,500 per person
- Truffles Continental, American, Cafe · about INR 700 per person
- Vidyarthi Bhavan South Indian, Vegetarian · about INR 200 per person
- CTR (Shri Sagar) South Indian, Vegetarian · about INR 200 per person
- Koshy's Continental, North Indian, Cafe · about INR 700 per person
- Nagarjuna Andhra, South Indian, Biryani · about INR 500 per person
- Kritunga Restaurant Andhra, South Indian, Biryani · about INR 600 per person
Getting around
- Auto Rickshaw main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Metro main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Ride Hail main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking
Every city has walking. 2.5 km ceiling is a placeholder default, not a researched per-city figure -- Singapore is sheltered and air-conditioned, Bangkok often has no pavement.
Safety and scams to avoid
Pre-paid taxi "broken meter"
Airports, train stations, popular squares
Driver insists meter is broken, quotes ~3x the fair price; or detours via "shopping" stops earning commission.
How to avoid it: Use pre-paid taxi counter at airport, or Uber/Ola/Rapido apps. Insist on meter or agree price upfront.