Bengaluru shops in layers: 1,000-stall wholesale bazaars in Pete, Kanjeevaram silk on Commercial Street, and slick concept stores in Indiranagar. Add Karnataka's state emporia for sandalwood and Channapatna toys, and three days barely covers it.
Asia's largest flower market runs from 5am under a 1928 concrete structure. Some 1,000 traders heap marigold, jasmine and rose garlands sold by the kilo; upper floors hold copper vessels, spices and wholesale plastics. Loudest and freshest before 9am.
The wholesale spine of old Bangalore: Chickpet for saris and unstitched fabric by the metre, Avenue Road for stationery, brass lamps and second-hand books, BVK Iyengar Road for buttons and trims. Shops open roughly 10:30am-8:30pm, most shut Sunday.
Government-run since 1964, with fixed, non-negotiable prices on genuine Mysore sandalwood carvings and oil, Bidriware inlay, Channapatna lacquer toys, rosewood inlay panels and Mysore silk. The safest place to buy sandalwood with proper billing.
A century-old retail grid off Kamaraj Road: silk and lehenga showrooms on the main drag, export-surplus clothing at street rates, and the jewellery cluster around Ibrahim Sahib Street for silver anklets and temple jewellery. Peak crowds after 6pm.
A converted bungalow off Lavelle Road that has been Bangalore's original multi-designer concept store since 1996. Curates handloom-based Indian labels, ceramics, table linen and jewellery across airy rooms and a garden courtyard. Open 10am-7pm, closed Sunday.
Refuel between districts with Chikmagalur and Coorg single-origin beans roasted in Bengaluru. Retail bags and brewing kit sit by the counter, making it a legitimate shopping stop for Karnataka coffee to carry home.
The densest independent-retail run in the city: Bhane and Nappa Dori for leather and menswear, Goobe's Book Republic nearby for used titles, plus label stores between 12th Main and CMH Road. Most open 11am-9pm, seven days.
A 1940s heritage bungalow turned lifestyle store set in a mature garden, stocking khadi and linen labels, hand-block prints, silver jewellery and home objects from small Indian ateliers. Quieter and better lit than any mall alternative.
Built in 1927 with a red-brick clock tower, this covered market sells Nanjangud bananas, Ramanagara mangoes in season, imported dried fruit and dates, plus a butchers' hall at the rear. Flower and fruit vendors set up in the arcade from 6am.
Four floors and roughly 400,000 new and second-hand titles crammed onto floor-to-ceiling shelves since 2002. Strong on Indian fiction, travel writing and out-of-print Penguins; second-hand copies typically sell at 25-50% off cover price.
The old-Bangalore shopping street: Mysore silk and crepe saris, Ayurvedic shops selling sandal soap and hair oil, flower stalls and roasted-groundnut vendors along a 700m stretch of Gandhi Bazaar Main Road. Most shops 10am-8:30pm.
A 500m elevated promenade on the old MG Road tramline hosting weekend craft and design pop-ups, small permanent kiosks selling prints and handmade paper, plus a graffiti wall. Free to enter, with the Metro entrance directly below.