Flights to Bangalore with Air France from GBP 466*

* The displayed prices are applicable for one adult. All amounts are in GBP including taxes and surcharges, except where taxes are collected locally at the airport. A booking fee is not applicable, but a payment surcharge may apply. Prices and availability are subject to change without notice, see Air France Price Display for more information.

Bangalore - an eminently 'liveable' city that's an undisputed hub of the Indian IT sector

Bangalore is a city of over 8 million souls, meaning it comes in as India's fifth largest urban settlement. The capital of Karnataka, the modern city of Bangalore (official name: Bengaluru), is known as the 'Silicon Valley of India', due to its high concentration of IT companies. As a result, both business travellers and holiday-makers are drawn to the city, which is served by regular Air France flights from London. Bangalore is famed in India for its relatively moderate temperatures, the result of its high elevation. This means that travellers have a wider 'window' in which to visit, with only August, September and October potentially being months to avoid, due to the heavy rainfall during this period. Bangalore is 4 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT. As is typical in India, many people have at least a grasp of basic English, and English is the main language of business.

You'll begin the final leg of your journey to Bangalore upon arrival at Kempegowda International Airport, which opened in 2008. It's located about 20 miles from the city centre, which can be reached via bus or taxi.

There are few vestiges of the original city, founded in 1537, to be seen, but one of Bangalore's most famous landmarks, the Tipu Sultan Fort, was actually built on the site of the city's original mud fort. Tipu Sultan was also responsible for the completion of the Lal Bagh botanical gardens, a much-loved green space in the heart of the city that plays host to a twice-yearly flower festival! Bangalore was later used by the British as an administrative centre, and unusual sights like Bangalore Palace (modelled on Windsor Castle), date from this time. However, the most imposing urban structures belong to the post-independence era. These include the Vidhana Soudha, the state's legislative seat, the Vikasa Soudha, another government building and the ISKCON Hare Krishna temple, one of the largest such temples in the world, completed in 1997.

Bangalore offers an original mix of varied religious architecture and a vibrant rock scene!

India is home to innumerable religious buildings - churches, mosques and temples, and this part of the country is no exception. Some of the structures that are worth visiting during a stay in Bangalore include:

• The Bull Temple
• The Maha Bodhu Society Temple
• St. Mark's Cathedral
• Gavi Gangadhareshwara Cave Temple
• The Infant Jesus Shrine

Temples to 21st century consumerism also abound in the shape of modern shopping malls like UB City, which features many high-end retail names.

Travel to Bangalore and you'll soon see that it's blessed with a burgeoning music scene - there's even an eponymous sub-genre of rock based here! Local Indian classical music and dance is popular too, and is as diverse as the ethnicities that populate the city. As well as the ubiquitous religious festivals, why not look out for the Peanut Fair or Aero India, the country's biggest air show and the second largest in the world?

Before you travel, it's advisable to visit the Air France website for up-to-date information on vaccinations and visa requirements.