Bengaluru
Capital Of Karnataka; India'S Technology Capital · Bengaluru, Karnataka
The capital of Karnataka, formerly Bangalore, India's technology capital and one of its fastest growing cities, set on a plateau at about nine hundred metres, which gives it a milder climate than most of the country. It was long known as the Garden City, and its two great green spaces still are its best sights: Lalbagh, a botanical garden laid out in the eighteenth century by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, with a glasshouse that holds flower shows around Republic Day and Independence Day, and Cubbon Park, around which stand the imposing Vidhana Soudha, the state legislature, and colonial buildings. Tipu Sultan's summer palace, the Bull Temple and the Tudor-style Bangalore Palace add history. For most visitors the draw is contemporary: craft breweries and restaurants, live music, bookshops and cafes, and the energy of a young, cosmopolitan city. It is also the gateway to Mysore, Coorg, Hampi and the Western Ghats. The traffic is infamous, and the Metro is the way to beat it. Nandi Hills, an hour away, is the classic sunrise trip.
Cubbon Park, Ambedkar Veedhi, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560001, India
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED; confirm before planning. The typical pattern: Lalbagh and Cubbon Park open early in the morning, around 6, and close in the evening; Tipu's palace and museums keep daytime hours and may close one day a week; Bangalore Palace keeps daytime hours; breweries and pubs open around noon and close near midnight by local rule. The traps: road traffic that can double every journey time, and weekend crowds at Nandi Hills that block the approach road before dawn.