One Day in Bangalore – What to See in a Short Time

There’s one thing I have to tell you before we come to the actual part of this blog post: One day in Bangalore is NOT enough.

I mean, is there a city anywhere in the world where only one day is enough?

I doubt it.

Now you probably think why the hell I spent only such a short time there. Alright, let me explain …

The main reason why I went to Bangalore was not to explore every corner of the city but to attend my friend’s wedding.

Due to very limited free time, I couldn’t plan a longer stay than just a few days. Thus I had only one full day to travel around and visit some of the main attractions there.

(This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking.)

If your time is limited too but you want to see as much as possible here’s how I spent one day in Bangalore to help you with planning. (I included everything I visited & it’s just a suggestion so you can change whatever you want!)

TIP: Book a 1-day tour with GetYourGuide to get the best experience!

If you have more than just one day in the city tho, check out my friend’s blog post about everything Bangalore is famous for! She mentions many other great activities to do there.

First Stop: Bangalore Palace

During my time in Bangalore, we stayed at the FabHotel Vibra Enclave – a 3-star hotel in an area called Koramangala. After having breakfast there – it was included in the price – it was time to explore the Silicon Valley of India.

The first place we decided to visit on one day in Bangalore was its most famous sight: Bangalore Palace.

This historic building is located in the northern part of the city and is probably the main tourist attraction. Nevertheless, it’s absolutely worth a visit because of its breathtaking interior.

Check out: Everything to Know if You Visit Bangalore Palace

Visit ISKCON Temple on One Day in Bangalore

After 1.5 hours at Bangalore Palace, we made our way to ISKCON Temple.

The city has many more temples than only this one, however, ISKCON is the biggest and most famous one.

The name ISKCON stands for International Society for Krishna Consciousness and was founded by Srila Prabhupada.

When we arrived at the temple (it was between 12:00 and 1:00 pm) it was really busy.

Since it was obvious that we’re foreigners, people at the entrance waved at us and we got a “special entrance” ticket for 500 Rupees (~ €6).

With that ticket, we could skip the queue of people who went there to pray.

Soon after we got our ticket the first thing we had to do was to take our shoes off. It’s not allowed to enter the temple area wearing shoes.

Luckily, there was a cloakroom so we put our shoes in a plastic bag that we got there and handed it over to the responsible staff.

In return, we got a chip with a specific number so we would get our shoes back later. Afterward, we had to go through security (like at the airport) before we could finally enter the temple.

BE AWARE that if you carry a proper camera you have to leave it at the entrance because cameras are strictly prohibited there!

I was super worried about it so a really lovely woman at the cloakroom took it and stored it in a small wardrobe behind her.

I was very thankful that I could visit the temple without worrying about my camera too much.

Inside The Temple

Before we entered the main building we had to walk for quite a long time, passing two “smaller” temples – both having statues of Krishna in them.

Admittedly, I felt a bit uncomfortable because we took a completely different way than all the other hundreds of people who came to pray.

Moreover, we could move closer to those statues than all others as their path was lined with railings.

After those two smaller temples we climbed up some stairs and found ourselves right in front of the huge main building.

Unfortunately, it was strongly prohibited to take photos inside (not even with your mobile phone) so I could only sneak photos from the two smaller temples we saw before.

Even then a security man shouted at me angrily so I put my phone back in my bag.

Guess it just means you have to go there on your own because it was totally breathtaking inside!

As soon as we entered the hall I was completely stunned and speechless. The magnificent golden decoration, all the small details, and see so many people singing and praying was absolutely incredible.

We followed the signs until we stood in front of a monk who did a special ritual with our hands. I don’t know for sure what it was but I think we got “cleaned”.

Only then we were allowed to continue our way to the front part.

There we experienced at first hand another holy ritual – conducted by three monks. A major part of it was chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra.

Honestly, standing there in the middle and being part of all this gave me serious goosebumps.

Leaving The Temple

After it was over, we made headed towards the direction of the exit but before we had to pass through a big shop and got a small lunch for free. Unfortunately, I have no idea what it was.

All I know is that it was yellow and served in a dried banana leaf. It tasted a bit spicy but super yummy and the consistency was similar to a mix of potatoes and lentils!

Back outside we grabbed our shoes, my camera (yay it was still there!) and left the place – still amazed by that unforgettable experience!

Shopping + North Indian Lunch at Orion Mall

Not far from ISKCON Temple was the next stop of our itinerary for one day in Bangalore. Since it was already past noon, we decided to visit a shopping mall close by to have a proper lunch there.

We met an Indian friend and together we went to a restaurant called Rajdhani – a typical North Indian Restaurant.

A few seconds after we sat down, a waiter came and we washed our hands while he was pouring water over them.

Unlike any other restaurant I’ve ever been to, we didn’t have to order something. They didn’t even bring us the menu card!

Trust me, I wish you could’ve seen my face when they placed a large metal plate on the table for each of us and started filling it with countless different dishes + 4 or 5 different kinds of bread!

Of course, not everything was vegan so I was very grateful for my Indian friend who told the waiters what they shouldn’t place on my plate.

I really enjoyed most of it but I had to leave some dishes because they were simply too spicy for me! Nevertheless, the food at this restaurant was one of the best Indian food I tried during my time in Bangalore.

I’m also certain there are many many more good restaurants so reading a Bangalore food guide could be really helpful!

After we finished lunch, we left the restaurant to check out some Indian clothes stores. One thing I love the most about Indian dresses is how colorful everything is!

If you have enough space in your suitcase, traditional dresses are definitely some great things to buy in India!

We didn’t spend too much time at the mall tho because we really wanted to continue exploring Bangalore.

For the next place on our itinerary, we took the metro for the first time. Usually, we always took an Uber but this time our friend forced us to take the metro haha 😀

There are only two metro lines in Bangalore, but they were very modern and clean!

Admire The Impressive Vidhana Soudha

We got off the metro at the station called Dr. B R Ambedkar Vidhana Soudha and stood right in front of Karnataka’s most famous government building.

Vidhana Soudha is the seat of the state legislature of Karnataka and a really impressive building complex.

It’s possible to enter the government building but we decided against it. Not because we weren’t interested but it was already late and we had other plans.

Only a few steps away from Vidhana Soudha is the green lung of the bustling city: Cubbon Park.

Take a Stroll in Cubbon Park on One Day in Bangalore

Cubbon Park is the perfect escape from the super hectic, bustling and loud city of Bangalore.

Seriously, if there’s one thing I definitely won’t miss, it’s the ongoing and neverending honking of cars in the busiest traffic I’ve ever seen!

No wonder that all we wanted to do is to take an extensive walk and breathe some fresh air in Cubbon Park.

The park covers an area of 100 acres and has a total number of around 6000 trees and plants.

Moreover, there are many statues of famous personalities installed inside the park and there’s even a small amusement park for children.

I was forever grateful that we decided to come to Cubbon Park. As a true nature lover, I was dying to finally have some greenery around me!

After we spent some time in the green heart of Bangalore, we took an auto-rickshaw to MG Road. There we tried to find a postcard for me – rather unsuccessfully.

You have to know that I collect postcards from all the places I travel to but it was almost impossible to find a decent one in Bangalore!

Finally, after half an eternity, I found one that was quite ok. Then we decided to head back to our hotel’s neighborhood to have dinner in a restaurant nearby called Punjab Bistro.

And so a long, exhausting yet amazing and great day full of adventures came to an end.

I enjoyed every minute of it and really wish I had more time to explore the city itself a bit more and also visit other places near Bangalore.

I hope you’ll get the chance to discover Bangalore one day. Also, if it’s your first time in the country, have a look at these India travel tips to be prepared for your trip.

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Do you want to travel like me?
Here are some of my favorite travel tips and resources:

Flights: I prefer using CheapOair or Skyscanner to book flights. The destination everywhere feature is perfect for finding some cheap deals!

Accommodation: Booking.com is my favorite site to find some great hotel deals. I do love staying at a local place as well, thus I book an Airbnb every now and then.

Travel Insurance: There are many reasons why travel insurance is important and I never travel without having one. I use the simple and flexible one from World Nomads to be protected against unforeseen events.

Tours: I love taking tours to explore destinations like a local. My favorite website to book them in advance is GetYourGuide.

Camera Gear: I use a Nikon D5300 camera with an 18-105 mm and a 10-20 mm wide-angle lens to take my photos.