Home › Routes › Bangalore to Pondicherry
Route · Karnataka to Puducherry · From Bengaluru
Bangalore to Pondicherry: Distance, Best Route and What It Costs
Pondicherry (Puducherry) is about 338 km from central Bengaluru by the fastest road, east past the Kolar Gold Fields and Vellore, then south through Arani, Gingee and Tindivanam. A slightly shorter road, 322 km, goes through Hosur and Tiruvannamalai. Here is every way to do it, what each costs, and where to stop.
Photo: Dey.sandip, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Text added by Trip Under.
Short answer
Bangalore to Pondicherry is about 338 km by road by the fastest route, roughly 4 hours 40 minutes of driving on a clear road (a free-flow routing estimate; city traffic and stops add more). A second road through Hosur and Tiruvannamalai is a little shorter, about 322 km, and about 4 hours 50 minutes. The cheapest way is an overnight bus, but we found no official or dated news fare for the route, so check the live fare. The fastest is your own car; the petrol alone is about ₹2,500 one way at Bengaluru's price and an assumed 15 km a litre, before tolls.
How we worked it out. On 12 November 2026 we routed from central Bengaluru (12.9716, 77.5946) to Pondicherry (11.93, 79.83) with OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM), took its fastest route and its alternative, and looked up the towns along each line. Drive times from routing assume an empty road, so treat them as a floor. Bus fares come only from official notices or dated news reports; where we found none, we say so and give no number. Open the route on Google Maps for live traffic.
How far is Pondicherry from Bangalore?
| Road | Via | Road distance | Drive (free-flow estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fastest (OSRM) | Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway, Kolar Gold Fields area, Gudiyatham, Vellore edge, Arani, Chetpet, Gingee, Tindivanam | about 338 km | about 4 h 40 min |
| Alternative (OSRM) | Hosur, Rayakottai, Uthangarai, Tiruvannamalai, Gingee, Tindivanam | about 322 km | about 4 h 50 min |
- The fastest road is longer but quicker. OSRM sends you out on Old Madras Road and onto the Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway (NE7) as OpenStreetMap maps it, then off it in Kolar district and down through Tamil Nadu. We did not check which sections are open on a given day.
- The Tiruvannamalai road is shorter on paper and passes a temple town worth a night. OSRM rates it only about 8 minutes slower on an empty road.
- Both roads meet at Gingee and run the last stretch together through Tindivanam into Pondicherry.
Every way to get there
| Way | Route | Time | Cost, one way | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overnight bus | Bengaluru → Pondicherry, direct | about 8 h (our Pondicherry data) | Check the live fare (no official or dated news fare found) | KSRTC, TNSTC/SETC, PRTC and private operators; fares change by bus type |
| Train + bus | A train towards Villupuram, then a local bus (about 1 h) | varies + 1 h (our Pondicherry data) | Check the live fare | Villupuram is the rail head for Pondicherry. We found no dated source for a direct Bengaluru–Puducherry train. |
| Own car, fastest road | 338 km via the expressway, Vellore edge, Gingee and Tindivanam | 4 h 40 min free-flow | About ₹2,500 petrol, tolls not checked | Petrol ₹111.68/l in Bengaluru, 11 Nov 2026; 15 km/l assumed |
| Own car, via Tiruvannamalai | 322 km via Hosur, Uthangarai and Tiruvannamalai | 4 h 50 min free-flow | About ₹2,400 petrol, tolls not checked | As above |
- Karnataka bus fares went up on 5 November 2026. KSRTC fares rose by about 23% on average (The South First, 4 November 2026), so any KSRTC fare you saw before then is out of date.
- The car maths. 338 km ÷ 15 km a litre (our assumption for a petrol hatchback; yours may differ) × ₹111.68 a litre = about ₹2,500. Split four ways, fuel comes to about ₹630 a person each way, before tolls.
- Tolls. We did not check the toll plazas on either road and found no dated source for them, so the car costs above leave tolls out. Budget for them on top.
- Coming through Chennai? From Chennai Egmore the daily 16115 express reaches Puducherry at 22:15 and the daily MEMU 66051 at 10:40 (etrain, read 12 November 2026); see our Chennai to Pondicherry page.
- Booking. KSRTC, TNSTC and PRTC sell their own tickets online and at the counter. Aggregators such as redBus and AbhiBus list the same buses with private ones; Trip Under does not link to them and takes no commission.
The road and where to stop
Infographic · the route
Bengaluru to Pondicherry by the fastest road
About 338 km. The alternative goes Hosur, Uthangarai, Tiruvannamalai, then Gingee. Distances and road names: OSRM, 12 Nov 2026.
OSRM's fastest route leaves Bengaluru on Old Madras Road (NH75) and joins the Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway (NE7) about 35 km out, leaving it after about 100 km in the Kolar Gold Fields area. NH75 then runs east into Tamil Nadu past Gudiyatham to the Vellore edge, and state roads take it south through Arani and Chetpet to Gingee, about 270 km in. From there the Tindivanam road runs east to Tindivanam and the last stretch into Pondicherry. The alternative leaves on Hosur Road (NH44), turns off at Hosur through Rayakottai and Uthangarai, and takes NH77 through Tiruvannamalai, about 215 km in, to Gingee.
- Gingee Fort (on both roads, about 70 km before Pondicherry): three granite hills joined by walls, a UNESCO World Heritage site since July 2025 and still almost empty. The fort entrance is 2 km from Gingee town; climb Rajagiri before the granite heats up (our Gingee page). Our pick instead of another crowded fort.
- Tiruvannamalai (on the alternative road): the Arunachaleswarar temple at the foot of Arunachala hill, and the 14 km Girivalam walk around it. Full moons and Karthigai Deepam (November–December) bring the biggest crowds (our Kanchipuram and Tiruvannamalai route).
- Auroville (at the end): the free Matrimandir viewing point is just north of Pondicherry, fifteen minutes from town. Collect the pass yourself at the Visitors Centre (our Pondicherry page).
October to December can bring cyclone weather off the Bay of Bengal. If a storm warning is out, wait it out rather than drive the last stretch in the dark and the rain (our Pondicherry data).
When to go, and what a day there costs
Infographic · month by month
Pondicherry month by month
Month-by-month as text
Jan: Best · Feb: Best · Mar: Good · Apr: Passable · May: Avoid · Jun: Avoid · Jul: Avoid · Aug: Passable · Sep: Passable · Oct: Good · Nov: Best · Dec: Best
November to February is the season. April to June is punishing heat and humidity; October to December can bring cyclone weather off the Bay of Bengal.
Best months by our scores: Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec. On the ground, a day in Pondicherry costs about ₹1,100 on a shoestring, ₹2,000 mid-range and ₹4,500 comfortable, per person, with the bed, food, local transport and entry fees (our cost model). So a two-day mid-range weekend by car comes to roughly ₹9,000 for one person (two days on the ground plus fuel both ways, before tolls), and less each if you share the car. Full breakdown on the Pondicherry page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the distance from Bangalore to Pondicherry?
About 338 km by road from central Bengaluru by the fastest route, via the Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway, the Vellore edge, Gingee and Tindivanam (OSRM, 12 November 2026). The road through Hosur and Tiruvannamalai is about 322 km.
How long does it take to drive from Bangalore to Pondicherry?
About 4 hours 40 minutes on a clear road by routing estimate, or about 4 hours 50 minutes via Tiruvannamalai. With Bengaluru traffic and a stop or two, allow more. An overnight bus takes about 8 hours (our Pondicherry data).
Which is the best route from Bangalore to Pondicherry?
For speed, the Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway towards the Kolar Gold Fields, then through Arani, Chetpet, Gingee and Tindivanam (about 338 km). For a stop on the way, the road through Hosur and Tiruvannamalai (about 322 km), which joins the first at Gingee.
What is the cheapest way from Bangalore to Pondicherry?
An overnight bus. We found no official or dated news fare for the route, and Karnataka raised KSRTC fares by about 23% on 5 November 2026, so check the live fare on the KSRTC, TNSTC or PRTC site or at the stand.
Is there a train from Bangalore to Pondicherry?
We found no dated source for a direct train, so we list none. Villupuram is the rail head for Pondicherry, about an hour away by local bus (our Pondicherry data). Check NTES for current trains.
How much does it cost to drive from Bangalore to Pondicherry?
About ₹2,500 of petrol one way at ₹111.68 a litre and an assumed 15 km a litre on the fastest road, or about ₹2,400 via Tiruvannamalai. Tolls are extra; we did not check them.
What is the best time to visit Pondicherry from Bangalore?
Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec by our month scores. April to June is very hot and humid, and October to December can bring cyclone weather off the Bay of Bengal.
Sources and how we priced this
- Distance, drive time and roads: OSRM driving route (router.project-osrm.org) from Bengaluru (12.9716, 77.5946) to Pondicherry (11.93, 79.83), fastest route and alternative, 12 November 2026; towns from OpenStreetMap Nominatim reverse lookups along the route steps, 12 November 2026.
- Bus fares: The South First, Karnataka bus fare revision from 5 November (4 November 2026). No official KSRTC, TNSTC, SETC or PRTC fare and no dated news fare for a Bengaluru–Puducherry bus was found, so none is given.
- Trains: no dated source for a direct Bengaluru–Puducherry train was found. Chennai–Puducherry trains: etrain.info, Puducherry (PDY) station list, read 12 November 2026. Live times: NTES.
- Fuel: petrol price in Bengaluru, ₹111.68 a litre on 11 November 2026 (Upstox fuel price page); mileage of 15 km a litre is our assumption. Tolls: not checked; no dated source found.
- Stops, season and daily costs: Trip Under's Pondicherry and Gingee pages, the Kanchipuram and Tiruvannamalai route and our cost model.
Keep reading
Plan the days once you are there
Stays, food, Auroville, the French Quarter and what a weekend in Pondicherry costs: see the full Pondicherry page.
Open the Pondicherry page →Fares and fuel prices are as read on the dates given and change often; check the live fare before you travel. Distances and drive times are routing estimates. Daily costs come from Trip Under's place data and cost model (see methodology). Trip Under is not an agency and takes no commission on any booking.