Lalbagh+Bull Temple+Tipu Palace+Market+Lunch=Bangalore City Tour
Description
Welcome to Bangalore! This city is at the forefront of a new, empowered & transformed India! Our city tour captures the essence of Bangalore in all aspects-art, architecture, culture, colors, cuisine, history, religion, shopping, etc. Join us on this tour to: - Listen to the growth story of Bangalore; from boiled beans to Kempegowda to Silicon valley; - Know why Indians are among the World's best in IT; - Stroll through Lalbagh, the famous botanical garden; - Watch Hindu devotees throng the Big Bull & Ganesh temples; - Marvel at the perspectives offered by the 230 year old Tipu palace; - Feel the heartbeat of old Bangalore & its flower markets; - Experience a short tuktuk ride amidst crazy traffic & honking; - Enjoy a delicious South Indian vegetarian lunch; - Click pics of the magnificent facades of Vidhana Soudha & Bangalore Palace (except on Monday); - Shop for souvenirs & handicrafts from across India - pashminas, silk, cotton, sandalwood, jewelry, Indian ethnic wear, bronzes etc.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Lalbagh, literally the red garden, is the famous botanical garden of Bangalore. It was laid down by Hyder Ali in the 1760's. Spread out over an area of 240 acres (about 100 hectares) this garden boasts of 800 genera, 2,100 species of plants and nearly 8,500 trees. Some other highlights of Lalbagh are - a 3 billion year rock; a 20-million year old fossil; the iconic Glass House modeled after the Crystal Palace in London; a mango tree planted by Hyder Ali himself; a British-era band stand; a tree branch which appears like the face of Ganesh; a 200-year old and most ominous-looking White Silk Cotton tree; a 300-ft tall Cook Pine tree named after the famous Captain Cook; trees planted by famous visitors to the Park over the years such as Queen Victoria, Khan Abdul Gafar Khan, Nikita Krushchev, Dag Hammerskjold, etc; and so on. A walk through the park is not only refreshing but also informative and invigorating.
The Big Bull of Bangalore has been drawing visitors to himself since 1537 when he was created by the Founder of Bangalore Magadi Kempe Gowda. Apparently, Kempe Gowda found a huge monolithic rock here which looked like a bull in its natural form and so he decided to give it a real look. The Bull (or Nandi) is the vehicle of Lord Shiva who is one of the three principal Hindu Gods. This is the fourth biggest among the seven monolithic big bulls found in South India. The Bull Temple and its environs are famous for Ground Nut Fair which is held in November every year. At the foothills of the hillock where the Nandi sits, there is a Ganesh temple famously called the Butter Ganesh. There are many more temples which are found in the whole complex which are worth visiting.
Vidhana Soudha is the most important landmark of Bangalore. It is the Parliament of the State of Karnataka and the seat of power. It was built in 1956 by Kengal Hanumanthayya, the then Chief Minister. It is very interesting to note that a critical remark made by a Russian delegation member in 1950 prompted the CM to initiate this building. And he chose to build it right across the British vestige in a way to dominate it. Built in neo-dravidian architecture, Vidhana Soudh can be considered as one of the Top 10 parliament buildings in the World. This building can only be seen from the outside since entry is not allowed.
Tipu Palace is a 220 year old palace which served as the summer residence of the King. It is built in teak wood and in typical Islamic architecture, showing the diwas-e-am and diwan-e-khas. A brief history of Tipu Sultan, his trysts with the French, the Anglo-Mysore wars, his contributions and controversies are all worth discussing at this venue. A visit to the Museum in the premises throws more light on how he came to be known as the Grandfather of Rocket Science in the whole world!
If you ever wanted to see typical India in action, the Krishna Rajendra Market is the place. There is enough and more in this Market and its environs for all your sensory organs. Vendors, workers, coolies, hawkers, buyers, cows, dogs, cylces, rickshaws, bikes, scooters, etc jostle for space with each other. Heaps of vegetables, fruits, flowers, spices, etc are found everywhere. But there is order, in this disorder! Come and experience this pulsating and throbbing Indian Market of essentials.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Please inform the name of the location from where you need to be picked up from.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The Bangalore Palace is closed on Mondays; We may replace this by St. Mary's Basilica
Reviews(10)
I had an amazing full day in Bengaluru with my guide, Vanaja! I would definitely recommend to anyone looking to see the city.
Phaneesh was a great guide! He knows the city inside and out and was able to give us a truly local experience in between the the normal tour sites. Our group happened upon a wedding, where we were welcomed like family and sent home with favors. We also got the tea shop experience, which was a fun surprise. We felt safe the entire time, enjoyed the local customs, and the great conversation. Highly recommend!
Very nice experience in Bangalore with Ramakrishna, French speaking guide, and his driver sidekick with whom I spent an intense day exploring the city I did not know at all. This was my first trip to India and I was not disappointed: full immersion with Hindu temple, flower market, typical meal (safe for Western stomachs), botanical garden, Parliament, Tipu palace and final shopping with typical tea. I learned a lot about India, Hinduism and everything in good humor and kindness. A little extra for me, it was Independence Day with a special Mood in the streets. I recommend! Namaste 🙏🏻🇮🇳
Vasuki was simply incredible! I'd originally booked a solo tour but was able to add a coworker at the last minute who is also in town for work. Vasuki is so kind, knowledgeable, and accommodating! He allowed a couple extra/unscheduled stops so I could get a snack at a food stall, shop for a beautiful scarf and outfit, and really took his time explaining India's history, culture, and Hindu topics. This was a fantastic way to spend a day (and helped me get on the right schedule after traveling 20+ hours from the US!) 10/10 recommend!
Had a very exciting day visiting Bengaluru with guide Raghu. It was a very full day strolling past trees and flowers in the lovely Lalbagh botanical gardens; receiving a blessing at the Bull Temple (almost 500 years old) and Ganesha Temple; admiring the arches and teak columns of Tipu Sultan's summer palace, taking in the chaos and colors of the KR Market, eating traditional lunch from a banana leaf, and ending my day with shopping. It was interesting to experience the city while hearing stories of Bangalore's history.
i was lucky enough to find this tour as getting an approved tour guide is difficult, you will not find a more friendly and trustworthy guide which has a great knowledge of the Bangalore city, i would book with K.R. Phaneesh for your tour guide as you will not be disappointed
this is a must do tour, you get an approved guide that is very trustworthy, kind and will work hard to give you the best experience, it is very informative with life time experiences, you can trust this tour and im sure he will make you feel safe as he did me , i would highly recommend
Our tour was fantastic! Or tour guide Raghu and the driver met us at our hotel on time, gave us a quick overview of the itinerary, and e we started the tour. Everything in the itinerary was covered, and Raghu helped explain not only the things we were seeing, but also the context and history of the various locations. The traditional lunch was especially nice — we were able to try a large number of local foods, and it was all very delicious. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to see the best sights in Bangalore!
A day filled with the most incredible experiences and memories. We had one day available to catch the highlights of Bangalore and this did the trick over and above what we were expecting. Phaneesh, our guide, was so knowledgeable, full of facts, fun and trivia. He even added in a "wedding crashers" moment in which we were able to experience a local Indian wedding. Absolutely incredible. The flower market was brilliant and Praneesh even threw in a local rickshaw trip. The local lunch as part of the tour was outstanding. Couldn't have asked for more. Would highly recommend this outstanding day tour.
