Bengaluru (Kannada: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು Bengaḷūru), formerly Bangalore, is the largest city in southern India and the capital of the state of Karnataka. A cosmopolitan city, Bengaluru was developed around what was once a mud fort of a feudal lord. The city has a population of nearly 13 million (2025), making it India's fourth-largest city. Known worldwide as the "Silicon Valley of India", Bengaluru is at the core of India's information technology (IT) industry. In addition, the city is nicknamed the "Garden City" for its large array of parks and greenery.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
This article covers the Bengaluru Urban district, which has been divided into the following travel districts. Central Bengaluru is the heart of the city. For a long time, it was the city, or rather the agglomeration of two cities: Bengaluru Pete and Bengaluru Cantonment. The older Pete has narrow alleys and dense living, while the newer Cantonment has wide streets and more greenery.
Bengaluru (BAYNG-guh-LOO-roo) is a bustling metropolis with a large working population from different parts of India. The city's fast-paced culture provides a sharp contrast to much of the rest of India. The earliest records of a place named "Bengaluru" (Kannada: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು Bengaḷūru) are found in a ninth-century temple in present-day South Bengaluru. A popular myth explaining the name is that it originated from Benda Kaal Uru (Town of Boiled Beans). The story is told that the name was given to the city by King Vira Ballala, who, while lost in the area, was offered boiled beans by an old woman. The name was officially changed from Bangalore to Bengaluru in 2014.
Traffic in Bengaluru is generally appalling: it's often ranked as one of India's most congested cities. Allow plenty of time to get around, especially anywhere near rush hour. Heavy rains often cause flooding that can bring traffic to a complete standstill. The schedules of the metro and buses are integrated into Google Maps. The Namma Metro is an efficient cross-city rail service in Bengaluru that provides the only realistic way to escape the traffic, but its coverage of the city remains limited.
Individual listings can be found in Bengaluru's district articles There are city tours that can show you the city efficiently if you are short on time. Typically, tours do not include entry fees into the attractions. Bengaluru, like the rest of India, has a habit of charging foreigners a lot more than locals for attractions. For example, Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace, which is on the half-day tour, charges ₹15 for Indians/SAARC and ₹200 for non-Indians.
Individual listings can be found in Bengaluru's district articles Bengaluru is bestowed with rock climbers, aqua sportsmen and aero sportsmen. There are several clubs, including Nature Admire, Care, Spark, KMA, Capture, Mars, Angel, Wildcraft and Adventure Works. Camping facilities are available at Savandurga, Gunjoor Lake, Bhimeshwari, Rangaswamy betta. The Art of Bicycle Trips organises bicycle tours in and around the city, which combine cycling with art and heritage. The Koramangala Club in Koramangala, and the Swimming club at the National Games Village (NGV), have facilities such as swimming pools and tennis courts. Balahalli Reserved Forest is a UNESCO World Heritage Site Cricket B…
Individual listings can be found in Bengaluru's district articles Bengaluru has a wide variety of food options. Foreigners will want to look for cleanliness in choosing a place to eat. Also don't expect the exterior to be too fancy, observe the cleanliness of the inside and the servers when choosing a place to eat! Eating options include high end restaurants to chains to temples to mom and pop shops and of course street vendors! Restaurants usually label if they serve only vegetarian (veg or pure veg) or both veg and non-veg cuisine. If you haven't been in India long, it is safer to take bottled water.
Individual listings can be found in Bengaluru's district articles In Koramangala, Legends of Rock is near the Pizza Hut on 80 ft. Road. Also great is the Jimi's Beer Cafe nearby, has a really nice ambience. Costa Coffee, Barista and CCD have their presence near Maharaja Hotel. Young working people spend a lot of their time here. You can get a truly multi national multi cultural feeling as there are several restaurants serving Spanish, Italian, Thai, Chinese, Indian, Mexican food. Hence, it is really popular with expatriates. The area around Jyoti Nivas college is a popular hangout for the college going crowd, with a lot of eateries and cafes in the area.
Bengaluru is a relatively safe city at that time. However, most of Bengaluru practically shuts down a little before midnight, even very safe residential areas can be very desolate by 11PM. In the morning, people start getting out from 5AM or 6AM, but it's usually still dark outside at that time, so exercise caution if you are in an unfamiliar area. Some of the lower-income areas can be somewhat unsafe once it gets dark. Exercising caution and good sense will increase your chances of staying safe. It is not advisable to walk alone along deserted alleyways or lanes after dark.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Oct, Bengaluru typically sees ~27°C daytime highs and 22 rainy days.
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