Discover beautiful Bangalore with this fascinating half-day tour of the city known as the Garden of India. Visit the Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens and the summer palace of Tipu Sultan and then enjoy a panoramic drive through the city before ending with a visit to the Government Museum.

Discover beautiful Bangalore with this fascinating half-day tour of the city known as the Garden of India. Visit the Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens and the summer palace of Tipu Sultan and then enjoy a panoramic drive through the city before ending with a visit to the Government Museum.

Explore the 250-year-old Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens, where a number of flower shows are hosted and which is located on the southern fringes of the city. The complex is laid out with a variety of old trees, fountains, lotus pools, terraces and an assortment of tropical and subtropical herbs. The gardens were begun by the Sultan Hyder Ali of the Kingdom of Mysore and completed by his son, Tipu Sultan.

Visit the battle-scarred Tipu Sultan's Fort, which dates from the 16th century and protects within its sturdy walls the sultan’s summer palace, which still stands despite being built entirely from teak wood. Admire the carved pillars and the beautiful floral motifs adorning the walls.

Drive along the city’s government quarter and see the vast Vidhan Soudha, the state secretariat of Karnataka, India’s eighth largest state. Built after independence, it amalgamates traditional Dravidian elements with the Mughal-Gothic designs so beloved of the British colonialists. Visit the Government Museum, which is housed in a British-era red sandstone neo-classical building, and view sections dedicated to geology, natural history, art, sculpture and music as well as a priceless rare coin and antique jewellery collections. Particularly interesting are the Neolithic pottery displays.