Bengaluru (Bangalore) Travel Guide

Facts

Name: Bengaluru (Bangalore)
Area: 741 sq. km. (286 sq. mi.)
Population: 11,250,000
Language: Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Hindi
State: Karnataka
Currency: Rupee
Time Zone: UTC+5:30 (IST)
Religions and Beliefs: Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism and Christianity

As India’s third-largest city, Bengaluru, aka Bangalore, is the capital of Karnataka state. Known as the “Silicon Valley of India”, Bengaluru is a paradise for software engineers, featuring India’s highest concentration of IT companies especially on the Hosur Road. Also dubbed as the “Garden City”, Bengaluru houses plenty of beautiful gardens, among which the Lal Bagh is the most popular one. With the nickname of “the Capital of Bars”, Bengaluru’s nightlife is quite stylish and tourists can find lots of fashionable bars on Gandhi Road, Downtown, each with its own unique music and decoration styles. In addition, abundant decorated parks, peaceful lakes, delicate museums and palaces will also fill your Bengaluru travel list, which should include Cubbon Park, Bangalore Palace, and Ulsoor Lake.

Best Places to Visit

1. Lal Bagh Garden
2. Bangalore Palace
3. Cubbon Park
4. National Gallery of Modern Art
5. Bannerghatta National Park
6. Wonderla Amusement Park
7. ISKCON Temple
8. Ulsoor Lake
9. Bull Temple
10. UB City

With a plethora of places to visit in Bengaluru, travelers usually plan their Bangalore travel for 3 days. Lal Bagh Botanical Garden collects over 1,000 species of tropical plants and is home to many unique birds like purple moorhen and pond heron. Bangalore Palace is a blend of Tudor and Scottish Gothic architecture, with beautiful carvings and sumptuous decorations halls. Cubbon Park, an ideal place for nature lovers, has abundant flora and fauna. It features a concert stage and the Bangalore Aquarium is also situated in this park. Gallery of Modern Art and Wonderla are nice places for families with kids.

Best Time to Visit Bengaluru: October to February

The best time to visit Bengaluru is from October to February when the average temperature is more pleasant, hovering between 12℃ and 29℃ (53.6-84.2℉). However, in fact, Bengaluru can be visited throughout the year with a moderate climate. In summer from March to May, the weather remains mild and comfortable with a temperature ranging from 27-35℃ (80.6-95℉), also great for sightseeing. But sunscreen and parasol are necessary! Monsoon months from June to September bring rain showers, but rarely continuous. With the temperature between 19℃ and 29℃ (66-84℉), you can still plan a pleasant Bengaluru travel. Remember to bring an umbrella just in case.

Ranking List of Bengaluru Food

1. Mangalore Buns
2. Benne Masala Dosa
3. Chicken Thail

With over 51% of migrants inhabiting Bengaluru, the cuisines are ethnically diverse. Mangalore Buns is a slightly sweet and fluffy bread with banana inside, usually served with the spicy curry or coconut chutney. Benne Masala Dosa is a kind of rice pancake with chutneys and sambar. Much butter sprinkled on it makes this dish tempting in flavor and aroma. Chicken Thail includes a cup of rice served with lots of side dishes, savories and fried or curry chicken. If you’re a vegetarian, you can choose Thail without any meat. Besides, Momo, a type of steamed dumpling and Gadbad, an ice cream should be tasted.

Best Restaurants in Bengaluru

1. Time Traveller: Sai Vishram Business Hotel, Ground Floor, 144 - C/1, Bengaluru
This vegetarian-friendly restaurant offers an extensive buffet & an a la carte menu with Greek, Mexican, Oriental, and European dishes.

2. The Raj Pavilion: 25 Windsor Square Golf Course Road, Bengaluru
Located in a beautiful glasshouse, this restaurant provides the most authentic Indian and international delicacies. Dosa pancakes and omelets are great for breakfast.

3. Kebabs & Kurries: 1 Residency Road ITC Gardenia Hotel, Bengaluru
It serves a unique array of grilled food and a wide range of dishes from all over India. The Lamb Chops, Dal Bukhara and Biryani are the most enjoyable.

Where to Stay in Bengaluru - 57% People Choose M.G. Road

1. M.G. Road: 57%
2. Malleswaram: 22%
3. Koramangala: 14%

As the busiest part of Bengaluru city, M.G. Road is the best place to stay, where visitors can find famous attractions like Cubbon Park, excellent restaurants, shopping areas, pubs, theatres and so many 5-star, business & budget hotels. Malleswaram, located near Bangalore Palace, is the greenest neighborhood in the city, standing lots of hotels with a fresh fragrant and tranquil atmosphere, perfect for nature lovers. ITC Windsor is a rather popular luxury collection hotel here. The biggest new-age Forum Shopping Mall, upscale hotels, cultural centers and music bars, make Koramangala become a vibrant area to stay, especially for young people.

Transportation in Bengaluru

Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) is the third-busiest airport in India after Delhi and Mumbai, around 35.5 km (22 mi) from Bengaluru city center. It is connected to plenty of international destinations like London, New York, Singapore, Kuwait, and about 50 destinations across the country as well. Generally, it takes about 2.5 hours from Delhi and 1h and 45 minutes from Mumbai. Bengaluru has three main railway terminals, Bengaluru City Railway Station (SBC), Bengaluru Cantonment Railway Station (BNC) and Yelahanka Railway Station (YNK), respectively 3.5 km (2.2 mi), 4.5 km (2.8 mi) and 16.4 km (10.2 mi) from the downtown area.

There are two operational metro lines. Tourists can take Purple Line to Cubbon Park and Green Line to Lal Bagh. It costs around ₹10/2 stations, ₹16/5 stations, and ₹23/10 stations. Bus, taxi and auto-rickshaw are also convenient ways for internal Bangalore travel. The fares are about ₹15 for a distance of 7 km by bus; ₹80 within 4 km and then ₹19.5/km for the subsequent distance by air-conditioned taxi; ₹25 for 2km by auto-rickshaw.

Top Shopping Markets

1. Commercial Street: Commercial Street Tasker Town, Bengaluru
Commercial Street is a delight for shoppers to find everything from silver jewelry to ancient curios, fashion pendants and Kolhapuri chappals.

2. Chickpet Market: Chikpet Road, Chikpet, Bengaluru
The old commercial market boasts being one of the best wholesale markets in Bengaluru for saree and dress materials, which can match any occasion and have different prints, styles, and colors.

3. M.G. Road: M G Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka
M.G. Road is a popular address for high-end fashion shops, where you can choose exquisite hand-made silk products and colorful children’s clothing.