Bangalore City Tours
A city founded in 1537, and the one the British built beside it
Bangalore looks like a city built last week. Kempe Gowda founded his walled town here in 1537, but the story starts well before that — the Ganga dynasty held this land from the fourth century, the Cholas took it in the eleventh, and the Hoysalas after them. There are temples still standing in this city that were old when Kempe Gowda arrived.
Choose your city tour
DISCOVER BANGALORE THROUGH THE AGES TOUR
Bangalore gives you the impression of a modern new city, yet if you scratch the surface, you will uncover a storied past dating back over 1000 years. In this tightly paced tour, we will visit interesting sites of different eras – Historical Temples, Palaces, Heritage Buildings, Markets, Statues, a Fort, a Museum, a lush Park, and more and learn about their significance and contribution to the making of Bangalore. It’s a tour of the story of Bangalore – from its modest origin in pre-medieval times; to the era when it was just another place compared to its more illustrious peers, now long faded into oblivion, to the fascinating times when the city was traded, and gifted like a commodity; then fought over and retained like a shining possession; right down to the times when it reached an inflexion point and came into its own as a modern mega city. This is by no means an ordinary sightseeing trip, but a true journey of exploration with engaging commentary sprinkled with interesting facts and anecdotes. A tour sure to stimulate your mind and invigorate your senses.
BANGALORE THROUGH THE AGES – HALF DAY TOUR
Bangalore gives you the impression of a modern new city, yet if you scratch the surface, you will uncover a storied past dating back over 1000 years. In this tightly paced tour, we will visit interesting sites of different eras – A lush park, A historic temple, the oldest Market of the city, and the centre of state government to learn about their significance and contribution to the making of Bangalore. It’s a tour of the story of Bangalore – from its modest origin in pre-medieval times; to the era when it was just another place compared to its more illustrious peers, now long faded into oblivion, to the fascinating times when the city was traded, and gifted like a commodity; then fought over and retained like a shining possession; right down to the times when it reached an inflexion point and came into its own as a modern mega city. This is by no means an ordinary sightseeing trip, but a true journey of exploration with engaging commentary sprinkled with interesting facts and anecdotes. A tour is sure to stimulate your mind and invigorate your senses.
BRITISH HERITAGE TOUR
The legacy of over 150 years of British presence in Bangalore is hard to miss if you are in the city. For example, The broad roads laid out over 200 years ago for horse carriages, bullock carts, and horsemen do a fine job of carrying the chaotic traffic of this day. The British brought to Bangalore promenades, parks, churches, schools, hospitals, pubs, clubs, shopping centers, dance halls, race courses, golf ranges, cricket, etc where there was none before. In this specially curated tour, we will explore in detail many of the fascinating landmarks of that era as well as sneak a peek at a few more that have left an indelible mark on the cityscape of Bangalore You will also learn how events of that era have shaped a modest town to become one of the largest cities in India in a few generations; how the capital of an unknown state has become the outsourcing capital of the world.
EXPLORE BANGALORE'S WILD SIDE – A MEMORABLE BANNERGHATTA SAFARI!
Experience Bangalore’s wildlife with our Bannerghatta Biological Park Tour! Travel in an air-conditioned vehicle with an expert naturalist for up-close encounters with lions, tigers, leopards, elephants, bears, and antelopes roaming freely in the open. Enjoy skip-the-line access to the safari, butterfly park, and zoo — saving time and avoiding long queues. Your adventure begins with a 9 AM pickup from your location. After the safari and zoo visit, enjoy a delicious buffet lunch and unwind outdoors. By 5 PM, we’ll drop you back in Bangalore. Book now for a skip-the-line, stress-free, and immersive wildlife experience!
Older than 1537
Kempe Gowda founded his walled town in 1537. The Gangas, Cholas and Hoysalas were here centuries before him, and their temples still stand.
Temples still in daily worship
Shrines that were already old when the city was founded, and are still visited every morning five hundred years later.
The city the British built
After 1807 they laid out a Cantonment beside the old town. The churches, street names and parade grounds are still there.
Lalbagh and its 3.3-billion-year-old rock
240 acres of botanical garden built around a granite outcrop older than almost anything on the planet.
Lunch at MTR, since 1924
Bangalore's most famous restaurant, and the one that invented the rava idli. Closed Mondays — on those days we eat at Imperial or Nagarjuna instead, both institutions in their own right.
Never more than eight
Small enough that you can ask questions, change pace, and linger where something catches you.
Which tour is right for you
Discover Bangalore Through the Ages is the full picture — eight hours from the Ganga dynasty to the glass towers, with lunch at MTR, serving since 1924. If you have one day in Bangalore, this is the one.
The half-day version covers the essentials in four and a half hours, which suits business travellers with a free afternoon.
The British Heritage Tour concentrates on the Cantonment — the churches, clubs and parade grounds of the city the British laid out after 1807, and what happened to it afterwards.
Hotel pickup and drop is included anywhere in central Bangalore, and lunch is included on all three tours. Groups are capped at eight guests. All tours are conducted in English.