Bangalore is the Silicon Valley of India. It is the hub of India’s IT industry. It is also known as the garden city of India. With its towering buildings, well-kept gardens and small cafes, Bangalore is truly a city worth visiting.

Whether you have 1, 2, or 3 days, there’s enough to do in Bangalore to fill your time. With the below itinerary you’ll be able to visit the major highlights of the city at a relaxed pace. If you only have one or two days just choose the days that are most appealing to you. The days are designed with the location of the activities in mind, you won’t be running all over town. Interested? Read on.

Day 1 Itinerary

Parks, tigers, and shopping

Morning

Visit: Cubbon ParK (Free) – 1 hour

Wake up early, by 7:30 or 8 AM, and start your day by visiting Cubbon Park. It is a huge park covering 100 acres located in the heart of the Bangalore city. The park was set up in 1870, more than 100 years ago. It was built by a Sir John Meade and is very near to the major administrative buildings of the capital. It has been majorly developed through time and now consists of more than 6000 plants and trees including a variety of indigenous species included.

Between 5 and 8 AM is declared a silent zone, so no traffic is allowed there during this time. Therefore it’s a great place to start your day to sit, relax, and meditate in the park.

Visit: Vidhana Soudha (Free) – 45 minutes

From the park, head on to Vidhana Soudha, the state legislative body of Karnataka to see it’s unique architecture. It’s built in a Mysore Neo-Dravidian style and is in fact, the largest legislative building in all of India. The construction of this impressive building cost more than 15 million rupees.

Eat: Church Street Social (Continental) or Vasudev Adigas (Indian & Chinese)

If you haven’t already eaten, Church Street Social is a classy place with great ambience. Their food is delicious, and they’ll offer you a plethora of options from anything to burgers, steaks, drinks and non-veg dishes. It is a little pricey but only 10 minutes walking distance from Cubbon Park. If you’d like a more budget friendly restaurant, Vasudev Adigas is a good choice.

Visit: Bannerghatta National Park – 4 hours

Our next and most exciting destination for the day is the Bannerghatta National Park. Head on over to Vidhana Soudha and catch a bus to Kempegowda bus station (10 min distance). Once you reach there, you can catch a bus heading directly to the Park. Opt for an A/C bus because that’ll be more comfortable. You can also get a 2-way bus (taking you there and returning on the same bus). It’ll take approximately 1 hour to reach there.

Bannerghatta National Park is a must-see place when you visit Bangalore. It has a number of species of animals, a zoo and a butterfly park too.

Eat: Mayura restaurant (Indian & Chinese)

There a few clean and nice restaurants just outside the park from where you can have your lunch. In addition to being affordable, they have a very decent range of options in the menu.

Afternoon

Visit: Bannerghatta safari

You’ll have to pay a ticket fee for the safari but make sure you do that because only that will give you the whole experience of the wildlife at the park. If you’re lucky enough, you can get accommodated into the safari bus of 11:45 AM. If not, you’ll have to wait for one more hour during which you can pay a visit to the zoo and pat the zebras or have a look at the giraffes.

The safari buses are quite comfortable and not crowded. Keep a close eye for any animal strolling in the jungle or most often, in front of the bus. Everyone will jump up to take pictures so you must be quick to get a good shot. It’s very common to spot majestic lions and tigers here.

After the jungle safari, the bus will drop you at the butterfly park where you can find a plethora of different varieties of beautiful butterflies. All in all, you’ll be spending about 4 hours in the National Park.

Evening

Later, the A/C bus will pick you up from outside the Park and leave you at Kempegowda bus stop.

Eat: Fatty Bao (Asian)

How about a rooftop restaurant? Nothing beats them. If you’re willing to spend some money to get an exceptional dining experience, then the Fatty Bao is an excellent place with a nice ambience. The food is heavenly.

You can catch a metro from the Vidhana Soudha metro station and get down at the Indiranagar stop (it’s on the purple line). From there, it’s a 15 min walk to the restaurant. You can even catch a rickshaw if you want.

If you don’t want to have your dinner at Fatty Bao, don’t worry. Indiranagar has plenty of multi-cuisine restaurants that are budget friendly and serve delicious food.

Extra Time: Shopping – commercial street or brigade place

If you aren’t dead tired after returning from the Bannerghatta National Park and if doing shopping sounds like a great idea to you, head over to Commercial Street. It is one of the most crowded markets in Bangalore for the mere fact that you can buy anything from here at the lowest price possible. Of course, you have to bargain, but then it’s a great deal. You can also find excellent restaurants here. You can catch a metro from the Kempegowda station and get down at Mahatma Gandhi road. The market is at a 10 min walking distance from there.

If you’d like to visit a more spacious and breathable sort of a market, Brigade Place is a good option. Get down at the same station, and it’s only an 8 min walk. Popular food joints like KFC can also be found here.

Day 2 Itinerary

Bengaluru Fort, botanical garden, temples

Morning

Eat: Brahmin’s Cafe (South Indian)

Our recommendation for today is Brahmin’s Cafe & Coffee Bar at Ranga Rao Road in Shankarapura. This cafe has been here for more than a decade, and certain people come here religiously every day. They serve delicious South Indian food at a very affordable rate. There is no place to sit though.

Visit: Bengaluru Fort (Free) – 2 hours

After a hearty breakfast, head over to the Chamarajpete bus stop near the cafe and catch a bus to Krishnarajendra Market. From there, it’s a 3-4 min walk to the Bengaluru Fort.

It is the most famous historical site in the city of Bangalore. It was built by Kempe Gowda in the 16th century as a mud fort and later renovated to a stone fort by Haider Ali. Unfortunately, the British Army confiscated the fort in the 18th century. It was one of the most preferred forts of the great king and warrior Tipu Sultan. The location where the British army broke through the wall is still commemorated here by a marble plaque.

Keep on walking a little until you arrive at Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace. It’s the major attraction of the fort. This small double-storey Palace was the favourite summer retreat of Tipu Sultan. The entry is free, and there’s a lot to explore. The massive teak pillars, shapely arches and spell-bounding Islamic architecture is worth praises. There is a small well-maintained garden in front of the palace. There is also a museum nearby which was started not long ago.

Afternoon

After the Bengaluru Fort, it’s time for some natural beauty. After a 2 min walk from the Summer Palace, you’ll reach the Makkala Koota bus stop. From there, board a bus to Lalbagh Main Gate.

Eat: Mavalli Tiffin Rooms (South Indian)

Our next excursion might be a little time consuming, so you better fill up your belly. From the Lalbagh Main Gate, walk for three mins to reach MTR (Mavalli Tiffin Rooms). MTR restaurants are very popular in Bangalore because they cater primarily to the working class. The restaurant is hygienic and very affordable. It’s a vegetarian place though.

Visit: Lalbagh Botanical Garden (Free) – 2 hours

Walk back to Lalbagh Main Gate. Enter to our next destination: Lalbagh Botanical Garden. This breathtaking garden is one of the major attractions of Bangalore. Spread over 240 acres, it has acres of garden, a large lake and a big glass house where annual flower shows are hosted. This botanical garden has the country’s largest collection of tropical plants and also boasts of more than 1000 species of flora. Another fascinating feature of this place is the Lalbagh Rock which is one of the oldest rock formations in the planet (supposedly 3000 million years old). Besides this, you can check out the centuries old trees and just sit and relax while marvelling at nature’s wonders.

Another fascinating feature of this place is the Lalbagh Rock which is one of the oldest rock formations in the planet (supposedly 3000 million years old). Besides this, you can check out the centuries old trees and just sit and relax while marvelling at nature’s wonders.

Late afternoon / Evening

visit: bugle rock (free) – 1 hour

It’s time for another natural attraction of Bangalore. From the Lalbagh Main Gate, catch a bus to Hanumatha Nagar Ward Office. From there, it’s only a 3 min walk to yet another beautiful park called Bugle Rock.

Bugle Rock may not be as attractive or popular as Lalbagh, but it’s still worth a visit. The park garnered a lot of attention because of the interest of the scientific community in its 3000 million-year-old rock formations (yes, just like Lalbagh). The park is properly maintained by fountains, trees and flowers. More than a thousand people visit Bugle Rock every day. The lush greenery of this place will mesmerise you. Besides its natural beauty, there are two temples within the park: Bull Temple and Ganesha Temple. A lot of pilgrims visit these temples daily.

Eat: UB City (Multi-Cuisine), McDonald’s, Subway, or Vidyarthi Bhavan

After all the walking and exploring, you must be starving. There are various dining options near Bugle Rock. From Bugle Rock, you can walk 5 minutes to Kohinoor Ground. Catch a bus to Corporation, and from there, you can get a rickshaw or even walk (it’s only 1 km). You’ll reach UB City. It is the most luxurious commercial property in the capital, housing offices, restaurants and much more. You can be assured of getting a fantastic dinner in any restaurant here.

If you’d like budget-friendly options, McDonalds and Subway are only at a 5 min walking distance from Bugle Rock. For a more Indian kind of meal, head over to Vidyarthi Bhavan which is also at 5 min distance from the park.

Extra Time: Gavi Gangadareshwara Temple or Sri Anjaneya Temple

It depends on how much extra time you have. At the beginning of the day, you can explore the KR Market in which Bengaluru Fort is situated. It is almost like a cultural market and an enjoyable walk if you can spare the time.

After visiting Bugle Rock, if you have the time and energy (and at least 1 hour to spare), catch a bus from Hanumatha Nagar Ward Office to Kempegowda and from there, walk for 3-4 mins to reach the Gavi Gangadareshwara Temple. The temple is flocked by tourists and pilgrims and all time. It is a cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiv. It also garnered lots of curiosity for its peculiar stone shaped disks at the front of the temple. A must visit for the mystery, and a fine example of Indian rock cut architecture.

If you have only 30 minutes to spare, you can walk for four mins for Bugle Rock to reach Sri Anjaneya Temple. It might seem insignificant at first sight, but it will spark an interest if you get to know that it’s more than 100 years old and surrounded by trees. Anjaneya is another name for Lord Hanuman and therefore, his idol is the primary focus in the temple.

Day 3 Itinerary

Bangaluru Palace, Ulsor Lake, technology museum

Morning

Eat: Cafe Coffee Day

Start your day by having some light snacks and a good cup of coffee from Cafe Coffee Day at Cunningham Road.

Visit: Bangalore Palace – 2 or 3 hours

Our first destination today is the majestic Bangalore Palace. Catch a bus from Cunningham Road to Furm City Apartments, and after a 5 min walk, you’ll reach Bangalore Palace.

This palace looks like a medieval castle from England, and honestly, it seems very out of place in the midst of a city with predominant Indian architectural monuments and temples. But that’s the beauty of Bangalore Palace and the reason thousands of tourists visit.

The palace consists of fortified towers and turrets. It’s built in a Tudor style architecture with floral motifs, elegant wood carvings and much more. You have to see it yourself to learn about its rich history and look at its sheer splendour. There is an entry fee to go into the palace, 450 INR for foreigners and 225 INR for Indians. It takes about 2 hours (maximum three if you’re really into slow exploration) to finish going through the entire palace.

Afternoon

Visit: Halasuru Temple (Free) – 30 or 45 minutes

After Bangalore Palace, our next destination is the Halasuru Temple. Catch a bus from Cantonment Railway Station Stop (near the Palace). Get off the bus at Vidhanasoudha and walk for 1 min to the Vidhanasoudha Metro Station. From there, get off at the Halasuru stop, and it’s only a 4 min walk to the temple then.

It is one of the oldest temples of Bangalore, so old that it dates back to the Chola period. It is dedicated to Lord Shiv, like many other temples of that time. You’ll reach the temple by early afternoon, and it will be a refreshing experience. The temple follows the plan of the then famous Vijayanagara architecture. There are several pillars and idols in the temple complex that are worth a visit.

Eat: Cafe Felix (Continental)

The Lido Mall is only a 10 min walking distance from the temple, and you’ll find plenty of good restaurants and cafes there (Cafe Felix is a good one).

Evening

Visit: Ulsoor Lake (Free) – 1 or 2 hours

The last evening in Bangalore is one for relaxation. The best place for that is the Ulsoor Lake. Take a bus from Halasuru Police Station stop and get down at Manipal Center. From there, catch a rickshaw to Ulsoor Lake (it’s a 20 min walk if you’d prefer that).

Spread over 50 hectares and having several islands, Ulsoor Lake is one of the biggest in the entire Bangalore. It is absolutely beautiful to watch. The lake was a bout of controversy and concern a few years back because of its increasing pollution. As a result, many tests were done, and extreme measures are taken to restore the quality of the lake. Since then, a notable difference is seen here.

The best part is that you can enjoy a 20 min boat ride in the lake and the cost is only Rs. 35 per person. It is open until 6 PM. Snacks are also available near the lake.

Extra Time: Visvesvaraya Technological Museum – 2 hours

You’ll most probably have some extra time. From the Vidhanasoudha metro station, get off at Cubbon Park and walk a little to reach the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum. As the name suggests, it is a Science Museum and holds many scientific experiments and engines. It’s an interesting place to check out, especially for science lovers. Entry fee is Rs. 40 per person.