Bangalore City Tour by Metro Train: Full-Day, No Traffic

Eight stops across Bangalore's history, all by train and on foot: no car, no gridlock, no waiting.

A full-day private tour of Bangalore by metro train covers six major sites (the granite Vidhan Soudha legislature, Victorian Cubbon Park, a Chola-era temple, the ISKCON temple on a hill, the 240-acre Lalbagh botanical garden planted in 1760, and the Bull Temple built by the city's founder) with an English-speaking cultural guide, all metro travel, entry fees and a South Indian vegetarian lunch included. The tour runs eight hours and avoids Bangalore's notorious traffic by moving through the city at street level. Dress code applies: knees and shoulders must be covered at temples and selected sites for both men and women.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Vidhana Soudha45m
2. Cubbon Park1h · entry included
3. ISKCON Temple Bangalore1h · entry included
4. Lalbagh Botanical Gardens1h · entry included
5. Bull Temple1h · entry included

Explore Bangalore's heritage by metro

• Meet guide at hotel
• Visit Vidhan Soudha exterior
• Walk through Cubbon Park
• See Attara Kacheri building
• Visit ancient Shiva temple
• Tour ISKCON Temple on hill
• Explore Lalbagh Botanical Garden
• Visit Bull Temple in Basavanagudi

The experience

Bangalore's traffic is among India's worst, which is why this tour moves by metro train instead. Eight hours on foot and by public transport takes you through six centuries of the city's architecture and devotion: starting at the granite Vidhan Soudha, the state legislature that rises 46 metres and holds twenty-two government departments across three hundred rooms. You see it from outside, since it remains a working office, then walk into Cubbon Park, where nearly 300 acres of trees, statues and Victorian-era buildings offer the kind of breathing room the city itself rarely gives.

The route moves through a thousand-year-old Shiva temple built during the Chola period, its sanctum and pillared hall still holding sculptures from Indian mythology, then climbs to the ISKCON temple on a hill: the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, founded in 1966, now a sprawling complex dedicated to Krishna worship. Lalbagh comes next: 240 acres planted by Hyder Ali in 1760, now home to over 1,800 species of plants and shrubs and the site of Bangalore's famous flower show. The day ends at the Bull Temple in Basavanagudi, built by Kempe Gowda, the city's founder, in the 16th century. Inside stands a 4.5-metre-high Nandi bull carved from a single rock, with a small iron plate on its head said to prevent it from growing.

Your guide speaks English throughout and knows the lanes and stories behind each stop. All metro tickets, entry fees to the sites and a South Indian vegetarian lunch are included. The tour takes eight hours total, with travel time built in. Wear clothes that cover your knees and shoulders. Both men and women must comply with the dress code at temples and selected museums, or you risk being turned away. Infants can be carried in a baby carrier.

What’s included

• English-speaking cultural guide for the full eight hours.
• all metro train tickets.
• entry fees to Vidhan Soudha, Cubbon Park, the Shiva temple, ISKCON temple, Lalbagh botanical garden and the Bull Temple.
• South Indian vegetarian lunch.
• all taxes, fees and handling charges.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (12 to 80 years) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by 5 Senses Walks

Is this one for you?Choose this if you're navigating Bangalore without a car. The metro gets you through eight heritage sites in a single day while traffic-bound routes would take two or three.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

7 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What is Vidhan Soudha and why do we see it from outside?

Vidhan Soudha is the granite legislature of Karnataka state, rising 46 metres with three hundred rooms housing twenty-two government departments. Since it remains a working government office, the tour views it from outside rather than entering.

How old is the Shiva temple we visit on this tour?

The temple dedicated to Lord Shiva dates back nearly a thousand years to the Chola era and retains its original sanctum, vestibule and pillared hall, along with sculptures from Indian mythology.

When was Lalbagh botanical garden planted and how large is it?

Lalbagh was built by Hyder Ali in 1760 and spans 240 acres, now home to over 1,800 species of plants, shrubs and trees. It hosts Bangalore's world-famous flower show and serves as a major landmark of the city.

What should I wear to visit the temples on this tour?

Knees and shoulders must be covered for both men and women at temples and selected museums. Shorts and sleeveless tops are not allowed, and you risk being refused entry if you don't comply with the dress code.

Does the tour include lunch and drinks?

A South Indian vegetarian lunch is included in the tour price. Drinks are not covered and would be at your own cost.

How does the metro route avoid Bangalore's traffic?

By using the metro train system instead of private cars, the tour moves through the city at street level without sitting in traffic jams. All metro tickets are included, and the eight-hour duration accounts for travel time between stops.