Bengaluru Airport to City 2026: Vayu Vajra Bus, Taxi, Metro

Bengaluru’s airport is 40 km north of the city centre, and until the metro arrives the journey is by road. The BMTC Vayu Vajra AC buses cover most of the city for roughly 170 to 400 rupees, the prepaid taxi counter and the Ola and Uber pickup zones cost 900 to 1,600 rupees to the centre, and either way you should plan on 60 to 90 minutes, more in the evening peak. Below is how each option works from the terminals, what it costs in 2026, and the state of the Blue Line metro. Verified September 2026.

Vayu Vajra airport buses

BMTC’s Vayu Vajra service is the reliable budget route into the city: air-conditioned Volvo buses with luggage racks and a hold, numbered KIA-4 to KIA-17, leaving from marked bus bays outside both terminals. Fares are by distance, roughly 170 rupees to Hebbal and 300 to 400 rupees to the far side of the city, paid to the conductor in cash or by UPI; luggage travels free. The workhorse is KIA-9 to Majestic (Kempegowda Bus Station) via Mekhri Circle and Hebbal, every 15 to 30 minutes around the clock and about an hour outside the peaks, with connections there to both metro lines. KIA-8 runs 24 hours to Electronic City via Hebbal, Marathahalli, Bellandur and Silk Board, KIA-8A to BTM Layout, KIA-7 and 7A to HSR Layout via Koramangala, KIA-4A to Whitefield via Marathahalli, KIA-5 to Banashankari, KIA-10 to Mysore Road and KIA-17 to Jayanagar. Overnight frequencies on the 24-hour routes drop to every 45 to 60 minutes between midnight and 4:30 am. The BMTC helpdesk for the airport routes is +91 77609 91250; the airport’s own website has a route finder by stop.

Prepaid taxis

The airport’s prepaid taxi counters are in the arrivals halls of both terminals, before the exit. You state your destination, pay a fixed zone fare at the counter, roughly 900 rupees to Hebbal and the northern suburbs and up to 1,600 rupees to the centre and the southern suburbs, and take the slip to the taxi rank outside, where the next car in line takes you. The fare is fixed, tolls and airport parking are included, and there is no surge, which is why the counter is worth the small premium over an app at 2 am or in the monsoon. Mega Cabs, Meru and KSTDC are among the operators, and a women-driven taxi service is available on request for women travelling alone.

Ola and Uber

Both apps have dedicated pickup zones at Bengaluru: follow the “App Taxis” signs from the arrivals exits to the pickup zone, a few minutes’ walk from the doors at either terminal. Book only once you are at the zone, since the driver’s waiting time is short. Fares to the centre run 800 to 1,500 rupees plus the airport pickup charge, cheaper than the counter off-peak and dearer when the app surges at the 5 pm to 9 pm bank of arrivals or in rain. Auto-rickshaws are not allowed on the airport road, so there is no cheap three-wheeler option here as there is at other Indian airports.

Journey times by destination

From the terminals to Hebbal is 25 to 35 minutes on the elevated airport road. The centre (MG Road, Cubbon Park, Majestic) is 60 to 90 minutes, Indiranagar and Koramangala 70 to 100 minutes, Whitefield and Electronic City 90 minutes to two hours, all outside the evening peak. Weekday evenings from 5 pm to 9 pm add half an hour or more on any route that crosses the Outer Ring Road. The reverse trip in the early morning is the easy one: a 4 am cab from the centre reaches the airport in 45 minutes, and the KIA-9 bus takes about an hour. For hotels near the airport itself, see the hotel transfers guide; for the IT corridors specifically, the airport to Whitefield and Electronic City guide.

The metro and the railway

Namma Metro’s Blue Line, 58 km from Central Silk Board through KR Puram, Nagawara and Hebbal to the airport, is under construction with two stations on the airport campus: one for the Airport City development and one at the multimodal hub opposite Terminal 2. The city sections are due first; the state government said in August 2026 that the airport stretch should open in about two years, so treat 2028 as the earliest. A suburban rail halt at the airport boundary has had a handful of trains a day to and from the city since 2021, with a 5-minute shuttle to the terminals, useful only if the timings happen to match. Until the Blue Line opens, “metro to the airport” in Bengaluru means the KIA-9 bus to Majestic and a change.

Tips

Take the bus if you have time and one bag; take the prepaid counter at night or in rain; take an app cab in the middle of the day. Keep 500 rupees in small notes for the bus conductor. If your flight lands at Terminal 2 and your bus leaves from Terminal 1 or the other way round, the free inter-terminal shuttle runs every 10 to 20 minutes and takes 5 minutes; the terminal guide has the airline split. And if the journey looks longer than the sleep you would get in the city, the four hotels in this guide, from the 080 Transit Hotel inside Terminal 2 to the Moxy in Devanahalli, exist for exactly that calculation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a metro from Bengaluru Airport to the city?

Not yet. The Blue Line of Namma Metro is under construction from Central Silk Board through KR Puram and Hebbal to two stations at the airport, and the state government said in August 2026 that the airport section should open in about two years, so plan on 2028. Until then the choice is the Vayu Vajra bus or a cab. A suburban rail halt at the airport boundary exists but has only a handful of trains a day.

How much is a taxi from Bengaluru Airport to the city centre?

Roughly 900 to 1,600 rupees to central areas such as MG Road or Indiranagar in a prepaid or app cab, more in the evening peak or when apps surge, and up to 2,000 rupees to Electronic City or Whitefield. The prepaid counter in arrivals sells fixed zone fares; Ola and Uber pick up from marked zones outside the terminals.

How long does it take from Bengaluru Airport to the city?

60 to 90 minutes to the centre by car or by the KIA-9 bus to Majestic outside the peaks, and 90 minutes to two hours to Whitefield, Electronic City or HSR Layout. Between 5 pm and 9 pm on weekdays add 30 to 60 minutes; before 6 am the run to the centre can take 45 minutes.

Where do the Vayu Vajra airport buses leave from?

From the dedicated BMTC bus bays outside both terminals, signposted from the arrivals exits. Buses are air-conditioned Volvos numbered KIA-4 to KIA-17, luggage goes in the hold at no extra cost, and you pay the conductor in cash or by UPI. The main routes to Majestic and Electronic City run 24 hours.

Information last verified: September 17, 2026