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 Once a sleepy regional capital, Bangalore today is a modern metropolis that will come as a big surprise to those who are visiting for the first time. Also known as Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka is the technological hub of India and the very place where the country’s new, confident and global identity is being forged. Although the city might somewhat lack in historical sites, its buzzing and liberal atmosphere provides the perfect base for exploring the beautiful temples and palaces of the Deccan.

currency

1 Rupee (Rs.) = 100 Paise
Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500
Banknotes: 10, 20, 50, 100, 500

Note: 1, 2 and 5 are available in the form of both coins as well as notes.

phone

Police: 100
Ambulance: 102
Fire Brigade:101

newspaper

Bangalore Mirror (in English) — bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com
DNA India (in English) — www.dnaindia.com
Deccan Chronicle (in English) — www.deccanchronicle.com
Economic Times (in English) — economictimes.indiatimes.com
The Times of India (in English) — timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Vijay Karnataka (Regional newspaper) — vijaykarnataka.com

hours

Shops are open from Monday to Saturday 10am–noon and 4pm–8pm, while restaurants and clubs have to close at 11:30pm. Banks operate Monday to Friday 10am–2pm and Saturday 10am–noon.

population

Metro area: 13 million (2022 estimate)

info

Ministry of Tourism
Government of India, 2nd Floor, Triumph Towers, 48, Church Street, Bengaluru
+91 80 2558 5417
Open Mon–Sat 10:30am–5:30pm
tourism.gov.in

TTD Information Center
16th Cross Road, near Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Vyalikaval, Malleshwaram West, Bengaluru
+91 80 2331 5361
Open Wed–Mon 9am–1pm / 2pm–6pm
www.tirumala.org/Advancebooking.aspx

Royal Tourist Office
Shop No.45, Govindappa Lane, Basavanagudi, Bengaluru
+91 80 4155 9419
Open Mon–Sat 7am–8pm
royaltourist.in

Bangalore skyline Snehal Jeevan Pailkar/Shutterstock.com

The City

Once known as 'The Garden City' of India, earliest records of a place named ’Bengaluru’ date back to a 9th century temple in an area that is now known as ’Old Bangalore’. And legends surround Bangalore: while one legend has it that Bengaluru (Town of Boiled Beans) got its name after an old woman served cooked pulses to a lost and hungry Hoysala king, another one has it that a feudal lord was hunting in the area when a rabbit turned and attacked his dog, and as this made a great impression on the lord, he gave the place the title of Gandu Bhoomi (the place of heroes).

Besides the magic atmosphere that old Indian traditions have created around the city, Bangalore is also a metropolitan hub, and constantly changing. Buildings rise up at a fast pace while a new city centre has come into the world, in a clutch of skyscrapers in the area surrounding Cubbon Park.

The city is split into two main districts: ’Urban’ and ’Rural’. Within the city itself, Mahatma Gandhi Road (M.G. Road), running from Trinity Circle at one end to Anil Kumble Circle at the other, is the main thoroughfare filled with banks, smart shops and restaurants. The city’s other main hub, Gandhinagar, in the western part of the city, is where you will find the central bus stand and the main railway station. Nicknamed “Majestic”, the area is crowded, busy and and full of shops, cinemas and budget hotels. In the northern part of the town reside the Raj-era buildings, the High Court and the racecourse. Bangalore Urban district contains the city itself and many of the main sights, and it is further divided into the North, South and also the Anekal districts, comprising more than 600 villages in total.

The Bangalore Rural district comprises 1,000 different villages and it is ideal if you fancy escaping from the chaos of the city life. Outside the city, Savandurga is a famous hilltop with temples dedicated to Gangadeshwara, Hanna Devi and a cave spring called Pattala, that – in a bull-shaped figure – has enchanted tourists for years.

Bangalore skyline Noppasin Wongchum/Shutterstock.com

Do & See

Despite Bangalore's sudden development, the city preserves its charm unaltered, in a plethora of old buildings, temples, colourful markets and peaceful gardens.

The extraordinary timber-built Tipu Sultan Palace in the heart of the city gives a fascinating glimpse into Bangalore's past, and a sense of perspective in this wannabe-modern city projected into the future. A renowned 17th-century temple and the ruins of Bangalore's fort are only a few steps away, creating a hub of historical constructions. Karnataka's State Legislature and Secretariat building, one of India’s greatest buildings, is located north-west of Cubbon Park.

Despite the rush of modern life, Bangalore has a strong religious tradition, so make sure to head to Bugle Hill and the Bull Temple. As a favourite among travellers, this breathtaking 16th-century construction literally dwarfs whoever passes by.

Bangalore is a city to be experienced and explored. The Garden City is famous for its parks, with some of them dating back over 200 years, and the most impressive ones are the botanical gardens of Lal Bagh.

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Bangalore Palace

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Cubbon Park

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Government Museum and Venkatappa Art Gallery

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Vidhana Soudha

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Lalbagh Botanical Gardens

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Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace

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Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath Art Gallery

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Ulsoor Lake

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Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium

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Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technical Museum

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Iskcon Temple

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St. Marks Cathedral

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Ganesha Temple

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Wonderla Amusement Park

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Nandi Temple

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Flight 4 Fantasy

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BadAzz Combat Academy

Indian food specialties hlphoto/Shutterstock.com

Dining

Bangalore is a gourmand's paradise, as the local cuisine takes in influences from Andhra, Chettinad, Hyderabadi, Tamil, Mangalorean and Keralan dishes with a big emphasis on rice, sambar and rasam (vegetable stew and soup) dishes. As a global capital, Bangalore also offers a great variety of international cuisine but the real delight is to fully indulge in its delicious local cuisine, as there is something for everyone.

You should start the day with a plate of unbeatable masala dosa, a delicious crepe stuffed with spiced potatoes known as the “food of the gods”, accompanied by some chai tea. Lunch or dinner normally consists of steamed rice, curries, vegetable dishes and pickles, and one or two sweet dishes like poppadoms, buttermilk, curd and ghee. It is tradition to start the meal with a sweet dish and to finish it with curd rice, and everything is served on well-rinsed Banana leaf.

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Authenticook

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VV Puram Food Street

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Ebony

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Jamavar

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Karavalli

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Mavalli Tiffin Rooms

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Olive Bar and Kitchen

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Italia

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Blue Ginger

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The Fisherman's Wharf

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Barbeque Nation

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Dakshin

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Sattvam

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Chianti

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Millers 46

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Fava

Tea and pastry at a cafe vetrovamaria/Shutterstock.com

Cafes

With the emergence of a cosmopolitan cafe culture, new venues and fast food outlets pop up in Bangalore, and the high tea became a social event not only for the upper class but for everybody. While predictable café chain like Barista and Coffee Day soon settled, hip hangouts with DJs or live music as well as more traditional settings also rose up in the heart of the city, awaiting you for having a break.

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Brahamin's Coffee Bar

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Café Coffee Day

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Dyu Art Cafe

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Slimsins Cafe

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Om Made Cafe

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Mr. Beans - Home Café

stockphoto for you/Shutterstock.com

Alchemy Coffee Roasters

Visionsi/Shutterstock.com

Lavonne Café

ESstock/Shutterstock.com

Hard Rock Cafe

Bangalore by night Joydeep Mitra/Shutterstock.com

Bars & Nightlife

The tech-savvy denizens of Bangalore might work hard but they certainly know how to enjoy themselves, and the city has in fact seen a boom in the numbers of pubs, bars and clubs. Thanks to vigilant local authorities who have imposed a 11:30pm curfew, Bangalore’s parties have to power up early, with the only exception of the 24 hours coffee shops. Despite this hindrance, the city offers great nights out as long as you properly plan ahead, with a great majority of clubs and bars located at hotels.

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i-BAR

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The 13th Floor

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Blue Bar

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Polo Club

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Skyye

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Toit Brewpub

Jacob Lund/Shutterstock.com

Opus

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No Limmits

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High Ultra Lounge

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Pebble The Jungle Lounge

Shopping bags kikovic/Shutterstock.com

Shopping

Bangalore is an every shopper's paradise, as the cosmopolitan city features diverse trends and products ranging from pure silk saris over chic dresses to branded gold jewellery. With exclusive boutiques, modern shopping malls, traditional shopping markets and street side sellers, shopping in Bangalore is indeed a wonderful experience. Gaining recognition from the world, with the very first shopping mall in whole India, Bangalore soon became a hub for shoppers and it still remains until today.

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Shop Ananya

Brandon Bourdages/Shutterstock.com

Deepam Silks & Sarees

Ryan/Flickr.com

Brigade Road

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Bangalore Central Mall

Florian Augustin/Shutterstock.com

KR Market

PREJU SURESH/Shutterstock.com

Mahatma Gandhi Road / Commercial Street

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Malleswaram

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UB City

Downtown Bangalore Ajay Bhaskar/Shutterstock.com

Tourist Information

Passport / Visa

All foreign nationals entering India are required to possess a valid international travel document with a valid visa. A visa is required for most nationalities, with the exception of Bhutan, Nepal and the Maldives (if not arriving from mainland China).

The visa has to be requested through an online application, and the instruction for filling in the application and for scheduling appointments can be seen at the visa department's website.

Be aware that a visa can only be acquired via this online application, and without any intermediary – do not follow agents who claim speedy/express grant of e-Visa.

Address:

Email:

Phone:

Website: www.indianvisaonline.gov.in

More Information:

Best Time to Visit

As Bangalore enjoys a moderate climate, the city can be visited at any time throughout the year. The season between June and September is characterised by monsoons, ranging from mild to heavy rainfall, whereas the winter months between October and February attract most tourists thanks to their mild temperatures, which are best enjoyed through the vibrant street life and beautiful nature.

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Kempegowda International Airport (BLR)

Bangalore International Airport is located 44 kilometres north of Bangalore and it is well connected to the city centre. Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation has in fact twelve bus routes with buses running every 15 minutes to and from the airport as the most convenient way to come and go here. Air Conditioned Taxi services to the airport are also available, and share taxis operated by Airlift are located just outside the terminal building next to the bus stand.

Address: Bangalore International Airport, Bangalore

Email:

Phone: +91 80 2201 2001

Website: www.bengaluruairport.com

More Information:

Public Transport

Bangalore has an extensive public transport system with frequent services: ordinary city buses are white and blue in colour. Buses with black display boards run within the city. Red board buses cover long distance routes to adjoining suburbs. Red Volvo buses, Vajra, operate on certain routes within the city, and as they are air-conditioned, these ones are the best option for tourists.

Ordinary buses only display the route number in English while destination and route information are given in Kannada. Bus maps and route information can be found at the service company's website as well as the main bus terminals: Kempegowda bus stand (also known as the Majestic Bus Stand) and Shivajinagar in the north. While bus services are less frequent after 10:30pm, do also try to avoid rush-hour between 5pm and 7pm on weekdays as the buses then tend to be packed. In the front of the vehicles, many buses have seats reserved for women.

With a daily bus pass you can travel in any bus (other than the Vajra) for the entire day. Try to avoid going by car, as lane discipline is less valued and the use of horns at all times mandatory.

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Phone: +91 80 0425 1663

Website: www.bmtcroutes.in

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Taxi

Bangalore's taxis are convenient and comfortable, and always featured with the logo of the fleet operator or taxi company on the sides of the car. Most of the vehicles are Maruti Omni Vans or Tata Indica cars and much safer than auto rickshaws. City Safari is quite known but there are also other services:

Gopinath Radio Call Taxi Service
+91 80 236 055 55

Spocity Taxi
+91 80 466 258 00

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Phone: +91 80 2553 4276

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Post

Post offices are located across the whole town, offering all services from buying stamps to sending letters. Small red postal kiosks, usually attached to poles, can easily be found among the intricate knot of streets. A main office can be found at Museum Road but there are many more:

India Post
Mahatma Gandhi Road, Bangalore
+91 80 255 872 70
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 10am-4pm

Domlur Post Office
1 Service Road, Bangalore
+91 80 253 569 66
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 8:30am-4:30pm

Address: Museum Road, Bangalore

Email:

Phone: +91 80 2559 9905

Website: www.indiapost.gov.in

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Pharmacy

Plenty of pharmacies can be found along Mahatma Gandhi Road as well as at other main streets. You do not need any prescription for over the counter drugs and ayurvedic medicine that are available for common ailments like headaches and fever. Most pharmacies will deliver 24 hours a day while usually charging a small surcharge. A main pharmacy is Apollo Pharmacy but there are other ones close by as well:

Bangalore Homoeo Pharmacy
84/1 2nd Cross, Bangalore
+91 80 231 230 20

Roop Medical & General Stores
1 2nd Main Road, Bangalore
+91 98 866 511 94

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Website: www.apollopharmacy.in

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Telephone

Country code: +91

Area code: 80

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Electricity

The standard voltage is 230V, and the standard frequency is 50 Hz,. The plugs and sockets are type C, D and M.

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