On a roll: Until now, Ambaari buses have been providing hop-on, hop-off services to tourists, taking them around the city and covering 26 places of interest
| Photo Credit: File photo
If you’re bored of celebrating special occasions at the usual venues and are looking for something different, you can now book an Ambaari double-decker bus. Couples seeking a unique setting for their pre-wedding photoshoots in Bengaluru can also hire the bus, which takes them across 26 locations in the city while they celebrate or shoot atop the open-top double-decker.
Ambaari double-decker buses were launched in January 2026. Until now, the three buses managed by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) have been providing hop-on, hop-off services to tourists, taking them to 26 places of interest in Bengaluru, including Ravindra Kalakshetra, Hudson Circle, Kasturba Road, Kanteerava Stadium, Cubbon Road, Vidhana Soudha and the Visvesvaraya Museum.
A KSTDC official told The Hindu, “Since January, nearly 20,000 people have used the hop-on, hop-off service. We see a good number of tourists on weekends, while weekday patronage is also decent. Most prefer to sit on the top deck for pictures, videos and a better view, especially when the weather is not too hot. We have now decided to allow people to use the Ambaari double-decker buses for birthday celebrations, corporate events and pre-wedding photoshoots.”
| Bus booking | Time period | Weekday tariff | Weekend tariff |
| One full day | 32,000+5% GST | 40,000+5%GST | |
| For birthday or other event | For 5 hours | 6,000+5% GST | 8,000+5% GST |
| For photo shoot | For 5 hours | 12,000+5% GST | 16,000+5% GST |
The official added, “For the hop-on, hop-off service, the ticket price for all age groups is ₹180. For celebrations, corporate events and photoshoots, the charges vary depending on the duration of use, apart from 5% GST.”
The cost of booking a bus for five hours for birthday celebrations is ₹8,000 plus 5% GST on weekends and ₹6,000 plus 5% GST on weekdays. If the booking extends beyond the stipulated duration, a full-day fee is charged — ₹40,000 on weekends and ₹32,000 on weekdays.
For photoshoots, the fixed charge is ₹16,000 plus 5% GST on weekends and ₹12,000 plus 5% GST on weekdays. The buses are made available for photoshoots for two hours. Beyond that, KSTDC charges an additional ₹7,000 per hour on weekends and ₹6,000 per hour on weekdays.
“It is not just about generating additional revenue, but also about improving services for tourists and visitors and giving them more options to celebrate in a city like Bengaluru,” the official added.
More publicity needed
Suresh S, a Bengaluru-based photographer, said, “Sufficient publicity must be given to this initiative so that more couples consider Ambaari buses as venues for their pre-wedding photo and video shoots, as well as other events. Typically, couples choose three or four locations for pre-wedding shoots. An Ambaari bus tour covering Bengaluru’s key landmarks could be one such option. If executed well, it could become a trend among couples and emerge as a one-of-a-kind pre-wedding photoshoot experience in India.”
Meanwhile, Roshni Singh, who works for an events firm in Bengaluru, said, “KSTDC should also open this initiative to event management companies for organising birthday parties, corporate events, and photoshoots. This will give people more options for outdoor photoshoots, events and celebrations.”
Published – July 30, 2026 06:01 am IST
