Lalbagh Botanical Garden
Mavalli, South Bengaluru
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Distance
- 4 km away
- Entry
- ₹30 per adult, ₹20 for children under 12
- Best time
- Oct – Feb, early morning
Lalbagh predates the city's IT boom by two centuries. Hyder Ali started the garden in 1760, his son Tipu Sultan brought in fruit trees from Persia, Afghanistan and France, and the British added the wrought-iron Glass House in 1889, modelled on London's Crystal Palace. It still anchors the Republic Day and Independence Day flower shows, when the crowds triple.
The 3,000-million-year-old Peninsular Gneiss rock outcrop near the south gate is one of the oldest exposed rock formations on the planet, and most visitors walk straight past it without noticing the small ASI plaque. The lake on the west side draws a steady population of herons and cormorants, and the bonsai garden near the west gate is worth the short detour.
Highlights
- Glass House flower shows in January and August
- 3,000-million-year-old Peninsular Gneiss rock outcrop
- Bonsai garden and topiary near the West Gate
- Lakeside walking path and the old British-era bandstand
Good to know
- Use the West Gate off Krumbiegel Road for the shortest walk to the Glass House and bonsai garden
- Weekday mornings before 8am are nearly empty; weekends after 10am get genuinely crowded, especially during flower shows
- Carry small change for the entry ticket counter — card payment queues move slowly on weekend mornings
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Places that pair well with Lalbagh Botanical Garden on the same trip.
Cubbon Park
4.6Kasturba Road, Central Bengaluru
300 acres of shade trees wedged between Vidhana Soudha and MG Road, closed to cars on Sundays.
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Kettohalli, near Ramanagara Road
A single 400-year-old banyan tree that has spread its aerial roots into what looks like an entire forest.
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Ulsoor Lake
4.1Ulsoor, East Bengaluru
One of the city's oldest surviving lakes, dug in the 1600s, with pedal boats and a small island temple.
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