Discover Bengaluru’s Best Places for All Types of Bonding Time. Bangalore is India’s technology capital, yet there is so much more. Past the congestion on the office parks and IT zones is a city ready to kick back and have some fun. Whether you’re catching up with old school friends, enjoying a weekend outing with your family, or exploring Bangalore with kids, there are endless fun things to do in Bangalore with family and friends. Bangalore has something for everyone—trendy cafes, green oases, cultural icons, and entertainment aplenty.
Bangalore’s Top 12 Activities to Do with Friends
If you’ve ever been at the wall, with absolutely no idea on weekends what to do, this is your definitive guide to getting on and doing things in Bangalore—whether you’re getting busy with friends or out with your loved ones for the day with the family.
1. Café Hopping in Indiranagar & Koramangala
For every coffee lover, Bangalore’s cafe culture is paradise. In areas like Koramangala and Indiranagar, cafes are not just places one can place an order for a beverage—there are the hubs that incubate creativity, hangouts, and sometimes home away from home.
Head to DYU Art Café for a bohemian, greenish atmosphere or Third Wave Coffee Roasters for the city’s best flat white. Accompanying great food is offered by The Hole in the Wall Café as well as Enerjuvate Studio & Café.
Location: Indiranagar & Koramangala
Best Time: Afternoons and evenings
Cost: ₹500–₹1,000 for two
2. Sunrise Drive to Nandi Hills
There is something heavenly about seeing the sunrise over a sea of clouds. Wake up early with buddies and drive to Nandi Hills, 60 km from the city.
Breakfast: bring your own or have hot tea and snacks at dhabas on the road. It is a peaceful scenic drive that gives you a chance to absorb the peacefulness before the world is awake.
Distance: 60 km from Bangalore city
Best Time: 5:30 AM – 7:30 AM (for sunrise)
Entry Fee: ₹25 per person
3. Live Music and Nightlife
Bangalore’s love for music is legendary. For live gigs, head to Fandom at Gilly’s Redefined, Hard Rock Cafe, or BFlat Bar in Indiranagar. You’ll catch everything from blues and rock to electronic sets and indie performances.
Like partying all night? Nights are made young by clubs like Raahi, Skye, or Loft 38.
Location: Indiranagar, MG Road, Koramangala
Best Time: Evenings until midnight
Entry: ₹500–₹2,000 depending on location and event
4. Escape Rooms & Game Zones
If you desire to do something unique, do an escape room. Riddle Room and Breakout are themed, interactive puzzles for groups. If you desire to do something relaxed, do Smash or Amoeba—bowling, VR games, and arcades, all without the screen.
Location: Multiple branches in Bangalore
Timing: 11 AM – 10 PM
Cost: ₹600–₹1,200 per person
5. Watch a Rooftop Movie or Simply Chill at a Brewery
Films, but with a touch of magic? Rooftop movie nights at different rooftops across the city. Or to unwind in an even more laid-back soiree, unwind at a brewery such as Toit, Byg Brewski, or Windmills Craftworks. Finger-licking food, decent beer, and good company — what more do you require?
Location: Different rooftops and breweries across Bangalore
Best Time: Weekends and evenings
Cost: ₹1,000–₹2,000 for two.
6. Cubbon Park – Fresh Air Haven
One of Bangalore’s older parks, Cubbon Park, is located right in the city centre. The area has mature trees, wide paths and older benches which make it suitable for walking, picnicking or even a family photo shoot.
The children will enjoy the toy train ride and ice cream shops, and the elders can simply enjoy the peace and quiet just a couple of minutes away from the hustle and bustle.
Location: Kasturba Road, front of Vidhana Soudha
Timing: 6 am – 6 pm (closed Monday)
Entry Fee: Free
7. Lalbagh Botanical Garden
If you are a family that loves nature, check out Lalbagh. It is a sprawling 240 acres, home to rare plant species, a peaceful lake and the splendid Glass House where they have a biannual flower show.
Early mornings are peaceful and foggy, perfect for bird-watching or spending quality time with family members.
Location: Mavalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka
Entry Fee: ₹30 per person
8. Bangalore Palace
Bangalore Palace is a journey down the ages. Tudor-style-inspired architecture drove this erstwhile royal palace, which is stuffed with imperial woodcuts, photos, and vintage snaps that are food for thought.
It’s an adrenaline rush for children and adults—the academic kind, though, never snooty.
Location: Vasanth Nagar
Hours: 10 AM – 5:30 PM
Entry Fee: ₹240 for Indians, ₹480 for foreign nationals.
9. Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium
Ideal for school kids, this planetarium comes alive with space and science. Educational and entertaining Sky Theatre shows and a Science Park that lies open to the sky where the children learn using real-world concepts without even knowing that they are learning.
Location: High Grounds, off Raj Bhavan Road
Timing: 10 AM – 5:30 PM (second Tuesdays of the month & Mondays closed)
Entry Fee: ₹75 per head
10. Innovative Film City (Day Trip)
Around 40 km from Bangalore, Innovative Film City is the perfect destination for a family picnic day-out. Wax Museum, Dino Park, Mirror Maze, and even a small amusement park, promises one never to be left with anything to do.
Theme restaurants and food courts guarantee hunger pangs to be appeased, and goofey photo shoots make the travel worthwhile remembering.
Location: Bidadi, 40 km from Bangalore
Timing: 10 AM – 7 PM
Entry Fee: ₹600 per head approx.
11. Chitrakala Parishath
For the art- and culture-conscious family, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath is a heaven. For the art- and culture-conscious family, It’s a heaven to visit. With year-round exhibitions and occasional live demos and crafts fairs, it’s an imagination-sparking venue.
Let the children read about Indian traditional arts while you hunt around for handicrafts or walk quietly through the galleries.
Location: Kumara Krupa Road
Timing: 10 AM – 6 PM
Entry Charge: Free (special exhibitions are ticketed)
12. Vidhana Soudha & Attara Kacheri
Vidhana Soudha & Attara Kacheri (Drive-by at Wonder): You really don’t need to enter to appreciate two of Bengaluru’s best-known landmarks – the sparkling white domed Vidhana Souda as well as the charming red Gothic High Court. A serene, quiet drive round the precinct on a morning or a quiet Sunday night allows you to view their breathtaking architecture without the common commotion.
Location: Near Cubbon Park
Timing: Ideal to visit during early mornings or evenings
Entry Fee: Free drive-by sight
Wrapping up
There is more to Bangalore than office complexes and road signs. It’s a city of contrasts—where new-generation restaurants share space with ancient temples, where rolling misty hills are around the corner in a drive, and where something new is found every day, be it any age.
Whether its family sit-downs with biryani plates or a live performance with friends, Bangalore is the backdrop for both.
So next time you’re in the mood to do something different for an afternoon, avoid the ordinary, and try something new – from refreshingly flowered gardens to ever-vibrant all-night music. Bengaluru welcomes you, and every little corner has a little surprise hidden in it!
Where do you start first? Let us know in the comments and begin planning that ideal day in Bengaluru.
