In the decade I’ve spent in Bangalore, I have visited the picturesque Bangalore Palace (click here for location) around 6 times already. I love taking my visitors there especially if they like palaces, too. A couple of months ago, I went again with a friend who surprisingly did not visit the Palace despite being born and brought up in Bangalore. This time, it was a little different with all the COVID protocols having to be followed. But it was still lovely.

They have done up the enormous front garden and the whole place is mesmerizing; even better than it looked when it was initially built. This Palace is smaller than the Mysore Palace as, they say, it was built for the Mysore Maharaja (Chamarajendra Wadiyar), in 1800s, as he did not have a place to study and train in Bangalore! Royals, I tell you!

ENTRY & TIMINGS

Entry ticket is Rs 230/- for Indians and Rs 460 for foreigners (as of the year 2022). You can always check the updated fees here. Except for Mondays, the Palace is open every day from 10 00 hours to 17 00 hours.

AUDIO TOUR

After you buy your ticket, you can opt for the audio tour where they will hand over to you a device attached to headphones. In return, one of us had to keep a valid government ID with them. My kids enjoyed the audio tour silently. But half-way there, my son’s device stopped working. They do exchange it but we had to go all the way back to the entry point to do that.

INSIDE THE PALACE

The place is amazing. I love old architecture and the intricate detailing of every wall and ceiling. You can see some of it in the pictures below but a visit, and view with your own eyes, is a must!

OUTSIDE THE PALACE

The external front gives you aesthetic pleasure. Adorned with greenery and bricks, these walls make a grand background for a great memory. But yes, you can enjoy the huge garden only if the weather permits. The day we visited, it was so hot that we had to escape to the car and turn on the air conditioner immediately.

Did you know Fun World and Snow City are also located on the palace grounds? They have a separate entrance altogether.

AFTER THE PALACE

Well, after the architectural tour, everyone was hungry. So, we went to have some steaks at Millers 46 (click here for location). Yeah, you can enjoy local food, too, around the area but I needed some steak with mashed potatoes and the works to satisfy my hunger.

AFTER LUNCH

Yes, there is more. After lunch, we did not go home, we decided to check if the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium was open (Click here for location). To our luck, it was. Plus, they added an extra session because many people were waiting in line that day. Yay!

JAWAHARLAL NEHRU PLANETARIUM

Oh, even I was excited! We could read all about the galaxy while we waited in the queue to get into the auditorium. We could check our weight on the various planets of the solar system. When we finally entered, it was amazing. The sky theatre was something I had experienced only when I was a kid. I had been wanting to get my kids here forever. I was glad that my 5.5-year-old son also enjoyed it. He did not want to go home. After the informative and educational session at the planetarium, we finally decided to call it a day!

Have you visited the Palace and the Planetarium with your young kids? If not, you should! They will love it.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge
‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.