One Day In Bangalore: The Perfect Itinerary With Lots Of Options!

Bangalore was the first place that I ever travelled to in my life. I was just 13 years old then. I still remember how excited I was. Now so many years later, I have actually spent 6 years in the city and while it isn’t perfect, there are a couple of things to do in Bangalore in one day that should really be on your list.

In fact, a couple of years ago Bangalore was once known as the garden city. Rapid urbanization has changed the way the city looks today. There are still a couple of gardens around, but nothing compared to the green paradise I remember it to be.

My parents and grandmother often talk about the time when people would visit Bangalore to get away from the hustle and bustle of life. Today, the reverse takes place. People from Bangalore want to head out of the city to get a bit of peace.

That does not mean however that the city isn’t interesting. There is a lot to explore and see. Today, the city is considered to be an IT hub and is popular for its breweries and clubbing. There is lot to see in terms of culture, religious monuments and plenty of the famous south Indian food that you should taste.

With that in mind, I decided to write a post about how to spend one day in Bangalore. Before I start talking about the itinerary, let’s talk a little about how to reach the city, where to stay and a little bit about the transport in the city.

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How To Reach Bangalore

Bangalore is a metropolitan city and it has its own airport which caters to both domestic and international flights. It is also where people head out to when they want to explore other parts of Karnataka. The airports make it really accessible or well sort off… That’s because the traffic in the city is horrible.

Other ways to reach Bangalore are via bus and train. Majestic is the largest bus stop in the city and most of the interstate buses arrive and leave from here.

Bangalore also is one of the stops on many road trips, since it is really central. You can see why people would want to cover as much ground as possible when passing through the city.

Where To Stay In Bangalore

You would be surprised to know just how big Bangalore is. If you have just one day in Bangalore, you probably want to stay as close to most of the sites as you can. I would suggest staying in and around M.G. road or Brigade road. You will find that it reduces your travel time and you will be forever grateful because the gridlock traffic can take the fun out of the exploring the city.

Transport In Bangalore

One thing that I really do not like about the city is the traffic. I would say avoid rush hour traffic but it is really hard to define when rush hour really is. Luckily staying in the center of the city should help reduce the time to destination.

So how can you get around the city? There are a number of different bus routes that you can use. Uber is another popular option. The center of the city also has a lot of autos that can certainly make the transit easier. So, if you just have one day in Bangalore, know that you have options to start move about.

Spending One Day In Bangalore

Now that you have a feel for the city, let us start talking about how an ideal day in Bangalore would be spent. I know that there are a lot of things to do in the city, but you want to get a taste of the culture, the food, the architecture and everything else that the city has to offer.

Start Your Day With A South Indian Breakfast

The perfect south Indian breakfast for your one day in Bangalore.

One of the things that I love about Bangalore is the food. There are so many different places in the city that you can head to catch a bite to eat. I highly recommend eating a south Indian breakfast. There are so many different items to try and it would be wrong of me to tell you to just try one item when there are so many good ones out there.

Popular choices are idli and vada or dosa! But if you want you can read our guide to things to do eat in Bangalore.

Woody’s at commercial street is one of the old restaurants that is famous. One thing that I have learned however is that all local restaurants serving south Indian food are invariably amazing!

Head To KR Flower Market

Exploring K.R. market definitely should be on your list!

A lot of people fall in love with the K.R. Flower market. I have visited it in the afternoon hours, but I am given to believe that the best time to visit it is in the wee hours of the morning. Well… By wee hours I mean around 6 am.

So why is K.R. flower market so attractive? Well, you get to see the flowers of course. The whole area is filled with vendors stringing them together to form garlands. Just like most things in India, the flower market is really colourful and you will find that there is very little place to move around.

Once you are done with the flower market, pause a bit to wander around the other parts of the market. K.R. market is a bustling place and is a classic Indian market if you haven’t explored one before.

The Bangalore Fort

I definitely would suggest visiting this gorgeous fort in the city centre.

I believe that you definitely should visit Bangalore fort and it makes the most sense to do it immediately after visiting K.R. market since it is very close to it. The fort isn’t much to look at from the outside but that doesn’t mean you should keep it off your itinerary. The thick walls of the fort can only be appreciated once you step inside it. An enclosed garden was something that I never expected to see.

Tipu Sultan’s Palace

A glimpse inside Tippu Sultan’s palace.

Tipu Sultan’s palace should be your next stop. It is a short distance away from K.R. market and the Bangalore fort. The palace is a popular tourist spot and while it isn’t really very big, you definitely should not skip it. Unlike the larger Bangalore palace, the ticket to the Tipu Sultan’s palace is much cheaper (15/- for Indians and 200/- for foreigners).

The palace is made of wood. It is beautiful and you will definitely enjoy taking a look at the intricate paintings on the walls. Some spots may have faded but you can definitely see the splendor that the palace must have had in the days of yore.

Lalbagh Botanical Gardens

The towering trees at Lal Bagh is a perfect quiet place to stop at during your one day in Bangalore.

Lalbagh is one of the largest forested areas in the city. It is impressive and a lot of the locals love to walk around here but it isn’t really crowded since it covers a large area of land. If you have just one day in Bangalore and you get stuck in traffic, you may want to pull this off your list. If you do have time, then head to Lal Bagh once you are done with Tipu Sultan’s palace. You could even buy some

Lunch

There are so many places to eat in Bangalore that it is hard to narrow it down. People in the city use the Zomato app to locate restaurants and read reviews about each place. I would suggest heading to a restaurant that serves south Indian cuisine and trying out what is called a meal. It comes on a steel plate (known as a thali) and is served with an assortment of dishes and Indian bread.

Usually it is unlimited and cheap! The MTR outlets are pretty popular. There is one outlet next to Lalbagh and there is one next to the Bangalore Palace which is the next stop on our one day in Bangalore itinerary.

Bangalore Palace

One of the places that you have to visit during your one day in Bangalore should be the famous Bangalore palace. It belongs to the Wadeyar family and is a rather magnificent building that has been opened for the public. I would really suggest heading here after lunch because it would mean that you would be walking in an area that was covered.

Of late Bangalore has begun to have rather unpredictable weather. On the days that it is hot, you will find that the heat can really give you a sun stroke. Staying out of the afternoon heat and keeping rehydrated is probably the smartest thing that you can do during your day in Bangalore.

Getting back to the topic, the Bangalore palace is rather interesting. From tea wood floors to the mounted head of an elephant, the palace has it all. It even has a courtyard which is decorated with tiles that were a gift from the King of Spain. You can even get an audio guide that will tell you about each part of the palace and about the history of various items in building.

Iskcon Temple

A glimpse of the famous Iskcon temple.

The next stop on your one day in Bangalore should be the Iskcon temple. Somehow, visiting the Iskcon temple had never made it to the top of our list till lately when we realized just how close to Bangalore palace it is. The temple is huge and has its own dedicated parking area which was a relief for us since we were driving with a baby.

While the temple does have similar architecture when compared to the famous south Indian temples one big glaring difference is that the temple is painted white. I have noticed that most of the south Indian temples are rather colourful.

At the end of the tour of the temple, you can buy prasad (or food offered to the Gods). We chose to buy some of the sweets which were insanely delicious. Just know that the sweets are often made using Ghee which isn’t vegan.

Orion Mall

Loads of malls have cropped up around the city. Orion mall is a huge shopping complex that lies very close to the Iskcon temple and you should have no trouble getting to it. It is a great place if you are looking for all the brands in one spot.

You can also catch a bite to eat in one of the numerous restaurants in the complex or even head out to try out a buffet at one of the restaurants in the Sheraton next door.

Other Attractions In Bangalore

As I mentioned before, getting around the city is probably the most time-consuming thing that you are going to face especially if you have just one day in Bangalore. This largely because of traffic and not because of the distance from spot to spot.

Most people measure distance by the time it takes from point A to point B, before heading out. Google maps is usually pretty accurate. There are a couple of things that you can swap around with the locations that I have given you. Let’s take a look at those shall we?

Shopping In The City

As I mentioned before, Bangalore has a lot of places that you can head out to if you love shopping. There are malls in all corners of the city if that floats your boat.

Popular ones are Phoenix Marketcity, Orion mall and the various Forum malls. UB city is a luxury mall that is located in the centre of Bangalore and has everything from shopping to spas and dining.

If you would love to visit a shopping district and not wander through a mall, then head to Brigade road, M.G. road and commercial street. You will find that there is a mixture of brands and local artisans sitting here. It is a fun place to wander if the weather is good.

Be forewarned that the crowds can get to your after a while and you have to factor in traffic! So if you have just one day in Bangalore plan with that time factor in mind!

Cubbon Park

Cubbon park is another gorgeous park in the city that deserves mention. It’s large trees and shaded area attracts people who live nearby. Quite frankly, if it wasn’t for the traffic, I definitely would visit Cubbon park more often. It may not have a lake like Lal Bagh but it is another one of the green lungs that the congested city depends on.

St Mary’s Basilica

St. Mary’s Basilica is the oldest church in the city and would definitely make a fine addition to your one day in Bangalore. The Basilica is in the Commercial street/M.G. road area.

In fact, you could head there in the morning before breakfast at Woody’s should you choose to. It won’t take you long to explore and the façade of the church is really worth taking a look at.

Venkatappa Art Gallery

It has been ages since I visited the Venkatappa Art Gallery. It is located close to Cubbon park. So you may want to add this to your list if you are in the area. If memory serves me right, you will find that the entry fees are not too expensive. It houses as many as 600 noteworthy pieces of art!

This is a place for people who are history buffs and/or art lovers. Definitely recommended for a pit stop on your one day in Bangalore itinerary.

Great Day Trips From Bangalore

If this isn’t your first visit and you have already seen the most iconic tourist spots, don’t give up hope. We’ve curated a list of great day trips that can give you a bit of inspiration on how to spend one day in Bangalore.

As we mentioned before, the city is pretty central when you see its location in the state. Traffic and road conditions can dissuade you but there are a couple of great places to spend one day in Bangalore, albeit on the outskirts.

Bannerghatta National Park

Bannerghatta National park is a place where you can spend one day in Bangalore away from the main city.

Bannerghatta National park is located just 35 kilometers away from the city. It is another one of the city’s attractions that I have not visited in a very long time. The park houses a number of enclosures where animals are housed. The experience involves tourists driving into the enclosure in a jeep or in a bus. It all depends on how much you want to pay.

The jeep is definitely more costly but there are less people and the experience is fun. What I liked about it was that the humans are in an enclosed space and not the animals. Well… At least they are not in a very small enclosure.

Please note that I have been to this park a very very long time ago. I have heard that things have changed and that the animals aren’t very well treated. So do your research before you visit.

Wonderla

In search of a bit adrenaline and fun? Wonderla is another great place to spend one day in Bangalore if you have finished the other touristic stuff. Wonderla is an amusement park that sits around 30 kilometers away from the centre of the city. It has loads of rides that include and exclude water.

Like most places close to the city, Wonderla too can get packed during weekends and holidays. It doesn’t mean that it is any less fun but you do have to wait in longer queues which can get frustrating. My advice would be to visit it on a weekday when you can get the maximum out of the place.

Nandi Hills

One of the places to visit near Bangalore is Nandi hills.

Located around 60 kilometers away from the center of the Bangalore, you will find that Nandi hills is one of the most loved getaways from the busy city live. Weekends are usually when the area is really crowded. I would suggest heading there on a weekday when you have the place all to yourself. What do you see there? Well you have a view from the hill, a temple and a summer palace.

Lepakshi

Another one of the places to visit near Bangalore is Lepakshi.

If you are headed towards Nandi hills, you may want to consider heading out a little further and visiting Lepakshi which is technically in Andhra Pradesh. It is contingent on having your own mode of transport of course. Lepakshi is popular because it is home to the Veerbhadra temple and a huge bull statue.

The small town is located around 120 kilometers away from the center of city. That means by combining it with Nandi hills, you will be out the whole day.

Best Tours In Bangalore

Bangalore Through the Ages – Full-Day Tour with Lunch

⭐️ Rating: 5/5 (253 Reviews) Price: $117 per person Duration: 7-8 hours 📍Meeting Point: Cauvery Emporium Details: Read more on Viator!

Sometimes the best way to see a city is through the eyes of a local. This is especially true in a city like Bangalore where there is a lot happening at the same time. So join a local and walk through the chaos that is Bangalore.

One of the real perks is that the transport to and fro to your hotels. Now if you’ve not been to the city before you won’t appreciate what a big benefit this is. Trust me. I’ve lived in the city for a decade and the traffic situation is crazy.

Where To From Bangalore?

Wondering where to head to after spending time in Bangalore city? Or just looking for some getaways? Don’t worry, we have you covered. Take a look at our list of places that you can visit within a 400 kilometer radius from Bangalore. You could also take a look at the following road trips that we have embarked on.

• Bangalore to Pondicherry via Mahabalipuram
• Bangalore to Nashik via Mahableshwar
• Bangalore to Mysore
• Bangalore to Munnar

Alternatively you could choose to fly out from the city or take the bus and train. There are so many amazing places to visit in India and there is so much to explore.

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