Bengaluru
India · Country profile
Bengaluru is the capital of the southern Indian state of Karnataka and the great technology hub of the subcontinent, a city that has risen from the garden town of the colonial era, with its tree-lined avenues and its lakes, into the enormous metropolis of the software world, the start-ups and the young professionals of the modern India. The city still shows its old character in the palaces, the markets and the green of its historic districts, while the new drivers of the city, the tech parks, the campuses, the cafes and the booming culture of the nightlife and the food, run the present. The city is famously cool and leafy for the Indian lowlands, and its mix of the old garden town and the new global city gives it a singular, confident character. Cosmopolitan, youthful and constantly reinventing, Bengaluru is the engine room of the new India.
About Bengaluru
Bengaluru is a city in India. The city's documented population is around 8,848,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Indian Rupee (INR) and Hindi and English are spoken; the dialling code is +91. It is served by 1 airport in our guide: Kempegowda International Airport.
The Garden Town, the Tech Parks and the Youthful India
Bengaluru is the fast-growing technology capital of the subcontinent, a city that has been transformed in a generation from the pleasant garden town into an enormous, traffic-heavy metropolis of the software campuses and the young, prosperous life. The city still holds its palaces, its markets and its parks, but the real Bengaluru lives in the cafes, the breweries, the concert halls and the restless energy of its millions of professionals. The weather is mild and pleasant for India, and the days reward the slow exploration of the historic quarters and the modern districts. It is less a tourist monument city than a living, working, youthful city of the new India.
The Mild Climate, the Rupee and the Traffic of the City
The city has the best climate of the Indian metros, mild and pleasant for much of the year, with the summer warm and the monsoon of the autumn months bringing the rain. The historic district of the city, the palace, the markets and the museum, is the essential walk, and the famous food, the cafes and the nightlife of the modern city fill the rest. The Indian rupee is the currency, the Kannada and the English are both widely spoken and the metro and the ride apps cover the enormous spread. The traffic of the city is famous, so plan the crossings around it, and the city is safe in its main areas with the usual care of the big city.
The Palace, the Dosa Bars and the Breweries of the Evenings
The historic heart of the city, with the enormous palace of the maharaja, the fortress and the markets of the old town, holds the royal Bengaluru, while the modern life runs in the tech districts of the outer ring with their campuses and their malls. The green spaces of the city, the gardens of the botanical park and the lakes of the districts, are the remnants of the garden town, and the celebrated food scene of the city, from the famous dosas of the local restaurants to the craft breweries and the fine restaurants of the new districts, is among the best of the country. The music scene of the city, the rock, the classical and the live venues, is the most celebrated of the subcontinent, and the cafe life of the cooling evenings is the daily rhythm of the young Bengaluru.
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- Country
- India
- Population
- 8,848,000
- Coordinates
- 13.1986, 77.7066
- Capital
- New Delhi
- Region
- Asia
- Currency
- Indian Rupee (INR)
- Languages
- Hindi, English
- Calling code
- +91
- Country code
- IN
Entry requirements for India
Visa status for travellers from common origins visiting India for tourism.
Getting to Bengaluru
Airports we list for Bengaluru:
Other airports in the area:
- Chennai International AirportMAA≈ 268 km from Bengaluru
- Rajiv Gandhi International AirportHYD≈ 456 km from Bengaluru
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International AirportBOM≈ 834 km from Bengaluru
- Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International AirportCCU≈ 1,547 km from Bengaluru
- Indira Gandhi International AirportDEL≈ 1,709 km from Bengaluru
Cities in India
Other cities we cover in India:
Frequently asked questions
Is Bengaluru the capital of India?
No — the capital of India is New Delhi.
What currency do I need in Bengaluru?
The local currency is the Indian Rupee (INR). Languages spoken in India include Hindi and English.
What is the dialling code for India?
The international dialling code for India is +91.
Which airport should I fly into for Bengaluru?
Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) is the airport we list for Bengaluru.
How far is Bengaluru from the nearest airport?
Bengaluru is about 268 km from Chennai International Airport.
Do I need a visa to visit India?
It depends on your passport. For the origins we track, the current tourism visa status is Morocco (e-visa), United Kingdom (e-visa) and United States (e-visa). Check the entry requirements tool for your own nationality.
Flying out of Bengaluru? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.