Getting to Bengaluru

🕐 Time difference

Bengaluru is 13½ hours ahead of California (Pacific Standard Time in November). When it's 9:00 AM in Los Angeles, it's 10:30 PM in Bengaluru — give yourself a couple of days to reset.

Bengaluru is 10½ hours ahead of New York (Eastern Standard Time in November). When it's 9:00 AM in New York, it's 7:30 PM in Bengaluru.

Bengaluru is 5½ hours ahead of the UK (GMT in November). When it's 9:00 AM in Edinburgh, it's 2:30 PM in Bengaluru.

🛂 Visas

• As a US passport holder, you'll need a visa.
• As a US passport holder, you'll need a visa.
• As a UK passport holder, you'll need a visa.
• Apply only on the official Government of India portal.
• You'll need a passport valid 6+ months with blank pages, a digital photo, and a passport scan. e-Visas come in 30-day, 1-year, and 5-year lengths.

Visa rules and fees change — always confirm current requirements on the official site before applying.

✈️ Flights

• Fly into Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) in Devanahalli, about 40 km / 1–2 hours north of the city centre (traffic-dependent).
• From California, plan on ~22–26 hours door to door. Good routings connect through a European hub (Frankfurt, Amsterdam, London, Paris), a Gulf hub (Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi), or Singapore (Singapore Airlines). San Francisco also has a nonstop to Bengaluru on Air India worth pricing out.
• From New York, plan on ~18–22 hours door to door. Good routings connect through a European hub (Frankfurt, Amsterdam, London, Paris) or a Gulf hub (Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi). Air India also flies nonstop to Delhi or Mumbai with a connection to BLR.
• From Edinburgh, plan on roughly 13–16 hours with one stop. Connect through London Heathrow onto a nonstop to BLR, or via a Gulf hub: Doha (Qatar) and Dubai (Emirates) both fly direct from Edinburgh.
• Pre-arrange an airport pickup through your hotel, or use the Uber/Ola pickup zone. Keep your hotel address handy in writing.

📱 Phone & Internet

• Easiest option: an eSIM (e.g. Airalo) you activate before landing — data works the moment you arrive.
• A local SIM (Airtel or Jio) is cheap but needs ID/passport paperwork and can take a little time to activate. Counters are available at the airport.
• WhatsApp is the default for messaging and calls in India; download it before you go.

🚗 Getting Around

• We strongly recommend Uber & Ola (Ola is the local rideshare app) — by far the easiest and safest way to get around. Book in-app so the fare and route are set, with your hotel address ready for the driver.
• Please don't plan to drive yourself. Traffic is intense and fast-moving — a rideshare or a hired car-and-driver is cheaper and far less stressful.
• Traffic is heavy — budget extra time for anything across town, especially at rush hour.