Pune to Bangalore Travel Itinerary
Arrival and exploration in Bangalore
- Pune–Bengaluru journey — Pune to Bengaluru by flight (~1.5 hours airborne; allow 4–5 hours door-to-door). Depart early morning, then use airport taxi or app cab from Kempegowda International Airport; avoid driving into central Bengaluru during peak traffic.
- Bengaluru Palace — Palace Grounds, Vasanth Nagar; tour the Tudor-style interiors and grounds. Late morning, ~1.5 hours.
- MTR (Mavalli Tiffin Rooms) — Lalbagh Road, Mavalli; enjoy classic Karnataka vegetarian food such as dosa and bisibele bath. Lunch, ~1 hour; approximately ₹250–₹500 per person.
- Lalbagh Botanical Garden — Lalbagh, near Mavalli; stroll through one of Bengaluru’s best-known gardens and see its historic glasshouse. Afternoon, ~2 hours.
- Toit — 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar; relax over craft beer and substantial pub food in a lively neighborhood setting. Evening, ~1.5–2 hours; approximately ₹900–₹1,500 per person.
Early Morning — Pune to Bengaluru
Take an early flight from Pune Airport to Kempegowda International Airport, with about 1½ hours in the air but realistically 4–5 hours door to door once you include airport transfers and check-in. From Bengaluru airport, book an app cab or prepaid airport taxi; the city centre can take 60–90 minutes in traffic, so avoid driving yourself during the morning rush. Ask the driver to go first to Bengaluru Palace in Vasanth Nagar, where luggage storage may be possible at the hotel or through your cab arrangement. The palace usually opens around 10:00 AM; allow roughly 1½ hours for the Tudor-style interiors and grounds, with entry commonly around ₹300–₹500 depending on the ticket and photography rules.
Lunch and Afternoon
From Bengaluru Palace, take a cab to MTR (Mavalli Tiffin Rooms) on Lalbagh Road—roughly 20–35 minutes depending on traffic. Go for the crisp dosa, idli-vada, or bisibele bath, followed by MTR’s famously simple filter coffee; budget ₹250–₹500 per person, and expect a queue around lunchtime. After eating, walk or take a short auto-rickshaw ride to Lalbagh Botanical Garden, which is generally open from about 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM and costs approximately ₹30–₹50 for entry. Spend two unhurried hours among the old trees, broad lawns, and the historic glasshouse; the garden is large, so comfortable shoes and water make a difference.
Evening in Indiranagar
Finish in Indiranagar, travelling by app cab from Lalbagh in around 30–45 minutes outside peak congestion. Settle into Toit on 100 Feet Road for local craft beer and substantial pub food—allow 1½–2 hours and roughly ₹900–₹1,500 per person. It is busiest after 7:00 PM, so arriving a little earlier improves your chances of getting a table. For the return journey, use a cab rather than driving: Indiranagar traffic and parking are both frustrating, particularly on a Monday evening.
Bangalore city highlights
- Cubbon Park — Central Bengaluru; begin with a shaded walk among mature trees and colonial-era landmarks. Early morning, ~1.5 hours.
- Vidhana Soudha — Dr Ambedkar Veedhi, central Bengaluru; admire Karnataka’s monumental legislative building from outside. Morning, ~30 minutes.
- Bengaluru Fort — Kalasipalya; see the surviving historic fort gateway and walls in one of the city’s oldest areas. Late morning, ~45 minutes.
- Vishvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum — Kasturba Road; explore hands-on science and engineering exhibits, a good contrast to the morning’s heritage sights. Early afternoon, ~1.5 hours.
- Indian Coffee House — Church Street; have a classic South Indian coffee and light snack in an old-school Bengaluru institution. Afternoon, ~45 minutes; approximately ₹150–₹350 per person.
- Bengaluru–Pune return journey — Fly from Kempegowda International Airport to Pune, allowing roughly 4–5 hours door-to-door. Leave central Bengaluru in the late afternoon or early evening, allowing 1.5–2.5 hours for traffic and airport formalities.
Morning
Start at Cubbon Park around 7:00–7:30 a.m., when the paths are cool, relatively quiet, and locals are out walking beneath the rain trees. Allow about 1½ hours for an unhurried loop, including the colonial-era buildings and flower-filled stretches near the park’s central avenues. From here, walk or take a short auto-rickshaw ride to Vidhana Soudha on Dr Ambedkar Veedhi; the monumental Karnataka legislature is best appreciated from outside, and 30 minutes is enough. Security barriers mean you cannot freely explore the building, so stay on the public pavements and avoid blocking the official entrances.
Continue south by auto or cab toward Bengaluru Fort in Kalasipalya—roughly 15–25 minutes depending on traffic. The surviving gateway and walls are compact, so allow about 45 minutes, but expect a busy, very local neighborhood rather than a polished heritage precinct. Wear comfortable shoes and keep belongings secure around the market streets. For lunch, eat near the fort or on the way back toward central Bengaluru; a simple South Indian thali or dosa is more practical here than detouring across the city.
Afternoon and departure
Return to Vishvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum on Kasturba Road, ideally just after lunch. Its hands-on galleries and engineering displays make a good change of pace after the heritage sights; plan around 1½ hours. It is generally open from about 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with modest entry fees, though Monday closures or altered hours can occur—check before setting out. Then head to Indian Coffee House on Church Street for an unhurried filter coffee and a light snack in its wonderfully old-fashioned dining room; budget approximately ₹150–₹350 per person and allow 45 minutes. From Church Street, collect your luggage and leave central Bengaluru by about 4:30–5:00 p.m. for Kempegowda International Airport. Take an app cab via the airport road or use the airport bus if timing is flexible, but allow 1½–2½ hours for traffic, plus check-in and security; for an evening flight to Pune, being at the terminal roughly two hours before departure is sensible.
