Karnataka

Nature & Adventure

What better way to spend a day in India than on a day tour of thrilling Bangalore? Take this sightseeing tour to see the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka, located on the Deccan Plateau. This city is full of bustle, due to its number of well-recognized colleges and research institutions, software companies, aerospace and telecommunication companies, and defense organizations. You can experience the day-to-day life in Bangalore as you travel to see its various sights. Breathe in the scents of flowers and water at Lal Bagh, a large botanical garden whose name translated means “The Red Garden”, and then visit Cubbon Park, a landmark “lung” area full of flora and fauna. While the gardens give Bangalore its nickname as “The Garden City”, you will also see many famous historic sights. The Nandi (Bull) Temple, built in 1537, is truly a sight to behold. This is said to house one of the largest Nandi murthi in the world, a huge statue representing the sacred bull. You will also see the imposing Vidhana Soudha, a massive, granite, Neo-Dravidian-style building that is the seat of the state legislature of Karnataka. As “The Garden City”, Bangalore has so much to offer. Take the opportunity to visit this unique green city and pay respect to its beautiful architecture and ancient monuments.

After hotel pick-up, stop at the ISKCON temple, a religious place known for its beautiful paintings and Vedic exhibitions. Do not forget to check out the artificial waterfall while you are here. Move on to the Tipu Sultan Palace to see the Indo-Islamic architecture, the famous painting of Tipu Sultan, and learn the history of the palace. Visit the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens to see 1000 species of trees, plants, and flowers, and the beautiful glasshouse, inspired by the Crystal Palace of England. Savor lunch at a local restaurant before your visit to Bangalore Palace, a Tudor-style architectural marvel, known for its graceful interior work. Check out the High Court, Cubbon Park, and the Vidha Sabha. See the highly popular Bull Temple dedicated to Nandi, believed to be a vahana (vehicle) of Lord Shiva, carved from a single rock. Visit the Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple, a religious place dedicated to Lord Shiva, before you head back to your hotel.

Early morning around 6.00 am in summer & 7.00 am in winter, you'll be  picked up from Bangalore Hotel and drive to Nandihill, around 60 -65 km from Bangalore city. The Nandi hill stands at 4,851 feet above sea leval.  On arrival,  enjoy the foggy view of Nandi hill, and later have breakfast in a local restaurant. After breakfast visit the Tipu’s Drop : a 600 meter high cliff face. It is believed that condemned prisoners were pushed to their death here. There are also several beautiful temples including the Gavi Veerbhadra Swamy temple. After a visit to the museum, it's time for Lunch at a local restaurant. After Lunch, visit Amruth Sarovar : a beautiful water lake that brims with lucid water all the year round. Then there's Arkavathi River Origi : Arkavathi River takes its birth on the south-west of the hill.  You will also see a view of beautiful bungalows (built by the British) and impressive laid out gardens. The forests surrounding the hills are bountiful with flora & fauna. During your drive you'll see sunflower gardens and wine yards.   Evening between 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm.  Driver will drop you back at Bangalore Hotel.    

The first stop of your Bangalore day tour is the 240-acre Lalbagh Botanical Garden. Home to more than 1,800 species of plants, shrubs, and trees, see why the garden serves as the lungs of the city and what makes it such a prominent landmark. Escape the concrete jungle of Bangalore as you take refuge here before heading to your next destination. Continue on to Bull Temple, dedicated to Nandi Bull the vehicle of Lord Shiva. Admire the temple's architecture and presence as one of the oldest temples in Bangalore that draws devotees from all over the country. Enter the temple to see the huge idol of Nandi Bull and learn about its mythical origins.  After the temple, visit Vidhan Soudha, one of the most famous buildings in Bangalore. As it houses the legislative chambers of the state government and is a working office, be impressed by the massiveness of the building while viewing it from outside. Hear about its construction and fine architectural details from your guide.  Head to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Bangalore temple cultural complex and learn about this interesting branch of the Hindu religion. Then go to Bangalore Palace which belonged to the Wodeyar Kings of Mysore. Built-in the Tudor style, the palace has fortified towers, battlements, and turrets. Its interior houses elegant wood carvings, floral motifs, relief paintings, and furniture in Edwardian and Victorian themes. Take an audio tour of the palace and hear in rich detail about the lives and times of the kings. During your tour, enjoy a stop for lunch that is included.

In the morning around 6:30 am, your chauffeur will pick you up from the hotel and drive to Shivasamudra falls situated on the banks of river Kaveri. It is the second biggest waterfall in India and also the location of one of the first Hydro-electric Power stations in Asia. The island, Shivasamudra, divides the river Kaveri into twin waterfalls named Gaganachukki & Bharachukki Falls. These magnificent waterfalls plunges 320 feet into gorge, breaking into a cloud of misty foam. The waterfalls are surrounded by the lush green hill forests of the Kaveri Wildlife Sanctuary. The spectacular waterfalls will certainly take your breath away. The sound of gushing waters has a soothing effect. Enjoy the calm and tranquil ambiance. The place is just picture perfect. Gaganachukki & Bharachukki Falls are at a distance of 13 km from each other. Later, drive to Somnathpur that was set up during the 13th century and was ruled by rich and powerful rulers. The Hoysalas were the last dynasty that ruled this region. They had played a major role in constructing temples in the region and surrounding places. Have a sumptuous lunch at a local restaurant. Later, proceed to visit the Chennakesava Temple, also known as a Keshava Temple. The temple is built on a star-shaped platform and has three carved pinnacles and shrines. The temple is dedicated to Lord Janardhana, Venugopala and Kesava. Somnathpur is also famous for sandalwood oil, incense sticks and other handicrafts. There are many local artisans that are involved in production of teak, ivory, rosewood and sandalwood carvings. Somnathpur is also famous for Mysore style painting of gods and goddesses. After your day tour, drive back to Bangalore. You will be dropped at the hotel. 

Enjoy a memorable day trip from crowded Bengaluru to the city of royalty. Start early from your hotel and relax on a 3.5-hour drive to Mysore. Your friendly local guide will walk you through the splendid buildings of the Mysore Palace and the Gothic-inspired St. Philomena's Cathedral. You will also have a chance to visit the Chamundeshwari Temple, located atop the Chamundi Hills, for a fascinating history of the people of Mysore. Start your day trip with an early morning pickup from your hotel. Sit back and relax on your drive to Mysore, which will take approximately 3-4 hours (depending on your pick up location and road conditions). Mysuru, formerly known as Mysore, is famous for its World Heritage buildings. Your first stop is the magnificent Mysuru Palace. Home of the Wodeyar dynasty, this grand palace is embellished with stained glass, majestic wooden doors, and intricate mosaic tiles. A fine collection of armors, sculptures, and paintings add to the glamour. Spend up to 1.5 hours exploring the Palace with your guide, building up an appetite for a traditional vegetarian lunch at a local's favorite spot. Next, head to the Chamundeswari Temple, located atop a hill. Dedicated to a form of Shakti, the goddess is revered by Hindus across the region. The location offers stunning views of the Karnataka countryside. Lastly, visit the St. Philomena's Cathedral which was built in 1941. Constructed in a Neo-Gothic style, its architecture is said to be inspired by the Cologne Cathedral in Germany and is one of the tallest churches in Asia. At the end of the tour, drive back towards Bengaluru where you will be dropped off at your hotel around 6:30-7 PM.

In the morning after breakfast, you will be picked up between 8:30 – 9:00am, a chauffeur and guide will pick you up from the hotel for Bangalore sightseeing. With its beautiful gardens, boulevards, wonderful cinema and shopping complexes, the city is full of life and vigor. Start your tour by visiting the ISKCON temple which offers a truly commendable experience to visitors and devotees from a spiritual and architectural perspective. A happy blend of tradition and modernity, the temple is built in a neo-classical style. Later, proceed to the Tipu's Palace which has now been converted into a museum. The two-storied palace is entirely built of teakwood with exquisitely carved pillars, arches and balconies.  Afterwards, move on to visit the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens which houses over 1000 species of plants. You will also find a glass house inspired by the Crystal Palace of England which was built to commemorate the visit of Prince of Wales. After Lalbagh, enjoy lunch at Local Restaurant and then drive to Bangalore Palace. Bangalore Palace was built by Rev. Garrett, who was the first principal of the Central High School in Bangalore, now known as Central College. This tour only includes the outside view of Bangalore Palace. You will also drive past through High court, Cubbon Park & Vidhan Sabha to take a look at this magnificent building. Vidhan Sabha houses the legislative chambers of the state government and presently accommodates around twenty-two departments approximately. Later, visit the old Bull Temple and Gavi Gangadhareshwara. Bull temple is dedicated to a sacred Hindu demi-god, Nandi who is a close devotee and attendant of Shiva and is a fine example of Dravidian-style architecture. Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and was cut out from rocks in the 9th century but later renovated by Kempe Gowda. It houses a unique image of Agni, the God of Fire, probably the only one of its type in all of South India. After visiting the temples, you will be driven back to the hotel/ your residence. Tour order can be changed based on your hotel location.

Around 7.30 am after having breakfast, you will board an AC car and drive to Bannerghatta Park . The park is around 24 km from Bangalore, and you'll arrive around 8.45 am. The ticket counter is open between 9.00am - 9.30 am. The representative will arrange the Grand Safari and entry ticket.  The safari will start between 10.00 am - 10.30 am, and during this time you may visit the zoo.   The mini zoo was created in 1972 for the increasing number of tourists for recreation/ education of younger generations; and also to create awareness of the importance of conservation of flora and fauna, in addition to the conservation of the gene pool of endangered species of wild animals of the region/country.   After boarding the safari truck, the first stop will be “Herbivore Safari”.  This area is dedicated for non flesh eating animals, and you'll see bison and large numbers of deer. For more extra cuteness, it's off to the “Bear Safari”, where you'll see many bears inside the forest.   Brace yourself for the exciting "Tiger Safari".  Here you can spot tigers and white tigers if you're lucky, and then you'll see some tigers on the road as well. Inside the Tiger Safari area, there's a special zone dedicated to white tigers including artificial space for recreation.   Now it's time to see the kings of the jungle in the "Lion Safari", where you can see some lions which are taking rest in bamboo parks and there may be some lions taking a bath also!   Towards the end, you will drop by "Butterfly Park Gate", where there are monkeys and thousands of butterflies swarming around. After Butterfly Park, you can go to the zoo or have lunch in a local restaurant or in the Dosa Camp Area (own expense).  Your driver will drop you back at your Bangalore Hotel around 4.00 pm.   BNP is a completely plastic free zone.  Camera fee INR 25 for digital & INR 200 for video camera.

Early morning around 6.30 am, the chauffeur and guide will pick you up from your hotel  for the tour. During this trip you will visit the Hoysala period temples of Belur, Halebeedu and witness Asia’s tallest monolithic stone statue of Gomateshwara at Shravanabelagola, which is a prominent Jain pilgrimage center. After reaching Yediyur village, enjoy your breakfast. The you will drive to Shravanabelagola, famous for the greatest statue of Lord Gomateswara, situated at the famous Manjunath Temple in Dharmasthala. Visit the shrine of Lord Bahubali. The statue symbolizes renunciation, self-control, and subjugation of ego as the primary steps towards salvation. Afterwards, have a sumptuous lunch at a local restaurant, and then drive to Belur which is located in Hassan district. Visit the Chennakeshava temple which is a fine example of Hoysala architecture. It was consecrated by the famous Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana to mark his victories in 1116 AD against the Cholas.   Later, drive to Halebeedu, which was the ancient capital of Hoysala dynasty. 'Halebeedu' actually means 'ruined city' as it was ruined by the Moghul sultanate twice. Visit the famous Hoysaleshwara temple which comprises of two shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva. Hoysaleshwara and Shanthaleshwara are the two deities in this temple. The walls of the temple consist of carvings of different deities of Hindu mythology and stories from Mahabharata, Ramayana and Puranas. Then it's time to drive back to Bangalore and your hotel. 

The day begins with early morning pickup at 5am from your hotel in Bangalore and heads to the airport for your flight to New Delhi which takes off at 7am. Enjoy a tasty breakfast on the flight and look out the window to admire views of the world below. Arrive in New Delhi where your driver is waiting to pick you up, then travel along the Speed Expressway directly to Agra. Meet your friendly guide in Agra and stop by a local restaurant for a hearty lunch to set you up for a day of exploring. After lunch, drive to India’s most famous and iconic landmark, the beautiful Taj Mahal. Upon arrival, immediately feel immersed in the peaceful atmosphere that emanates from the building. As you follow your guide around the Taj Mahal and learn about this UNESCO World Heritage Listed site, admire the building’s impeccable architecture, of which every corner, wall, and detail is beyond imagination. After an unforgettable tour of the Taj Mahal, hop in the car for the drive back to Delhi Airport. Board your flight to Bangalore at around 10pm and enjoy dinner on the plane. Upon arrival in Bangalore, your driver will be waiting in the arrivals lounge to drop you back to your hotel after a busy but worthwhile day.