Tempo traveller hire in Bengaluru
Twelve, fourteen, seventeen and twenty seats, plus the Force Urbania for groups that want a van rather than a small bus. The most contested vehicle class in Bengaluru, priced without games.
In short
A tempo traveller in Bengaluru costs ₹22–₹26 per km for 12 seats, ₹24–₹28 for 14 and ₹26–₹32 for a 17-seat 2+1, against a 250 km per day minimum. A Force Urbania is ₹32–₹40. Local days run ₹4,000–₹5,500 for a 12-seater and ₹8,000–₹8,500 for a 17-seater.
Reviewed 20 September 2026 · seat-layout notes and rate bands reviewed quarterly with the rate card
Tempo traveller rates by seat count
All figures AC and garage-to-garage. The 17–18 seat local package sits well above the 12-seat one because it is a different vehicle in a different duty class, not a longer version of the same van.
| Vehicle | Seats | Per km (AC) | Local 8 h / 80 km | Min km / day | Bata / day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tempo traveller 2+1 recliner | 12 | ₹22–26 | ₹4,000–5,500 | 250 | ₹600–800 |
| Tempo traveller standard | 14 | ₹24–28 | ₹4,500–6,000 | 250 | ₹600–800 |
| Tempo traveller 2+1 | 17–18 | ₹26–32 | ₹8,000–8,500 | 250 | ₹600–800 |
| Force Urbania — premium van | 12–16 | ₹32–40 | ₹6,500–9,000 | 250 | ₹600–800 |
| Minibus — the step up | 20–21 | ₹28–35 | ₹8,000–9,000 | 250–300 | ₹600–800 |
2+1 or 2+2 — what you are actually buying
The seat count on a tempo traveller tells you almost nothing without the layout. A 17-seat 2+1 and a 17-seat 2+2 are physically different vehicles and they are not interchangeable on a four-hour run to Chikmagalur.
2+1 means two seats on one side of the aisle and one on the other. Wider seats, usually reclining, a proper aisle, and on the better vehicles a footrest. This is what corporate groups and hill-route weekends should book. It is what the ₹26–₹32 per kilometre band buys.
2+2 fits more people into the same body by making every seat narrower and the aisle tighter. It is the standard school and pilgrimage configuration, it is cheaper, and on a 275 km run to Ooty it is the wrong vehicle. If a quote does not name the layout, ask — the difference between two 17-seaters can be several rupees a kilometre and a great deal of comfort.
A third thing to check: whether the last row is a bench. Many 14 and 17-seat vehicles make their final row a three-across bench over the rear axle with no recline and limited legroom. We tell you the layout and the last-row situation in writing, and for groups of 15 or 16 we will usually recommend the 17-seater and leave the back row empty rather than squeezing a 14-seater.
Force Urbania versus a standard tempo traveller
The Urbania is a monocoque van rather than a body built onto a light-truck chassis. It rides better, it is quieter, the entry step is lower and it looks considerably more serious pulling up outside a client office. It carries 12 to 16 depending on trim and costs ₹32–₹40 per kilometre against ₹22–₹32 for a conventional tempo traveller.
Take the Urbania for airport pickups of visiting senior staff, for client and investor movements inside the city, for hotel-to-venue VIP transfers during a conference, and for any small group that will be in the vehicle for more than four hours. The ride difference on the Hosur Road and Tumkur Road concrete sections is genuinely noticeable.
Do not take it for a 12-person weekend to Coorg where the budget matters, for site visits on unsealed estate roads, or for anything where 16 seats will not be enough and you would be hiring a second vehicle anyway. On a two-day Coorg trip the Urbania bills ₹18,200–22,800 against ₹12,900–15,400 for a 12-seat tempo traveller — a real gap for the same twelve people.
Weekend runs from Bengaluru in a 17-seat tempo traveller
250 km per day minimum applies. Charter subtotal only — tolls, parking, entry tax and GST at actuals.
| Vehicle | Billable km | Per km (AC) | Bata total | Charter subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nandi Hills — 60 km, 1 day | 250 km | ₹26–32/km | ₹600–800 | ₹7,100–8,800 |
| Mysore — 150 km, 1 day | 300 km | ₹26–32/km | ₹600–800 | ₹8,400–10,400 |
| Sakleshpur — 220 km, 2 days | 500 km | ₹26–32/km | ₹1,200–1,600 | ₹14,200–17,600 |
| Chikmagalur — 250 km, 2 days | 500 km | ₹26–32/km | ₹1,200–1,600 | ₹14,200–17,600 |
| Coorg — 265 km, 2 days | 530 km | ₹26–32/km | ₹1,200–1,600 | ₹15,000–18,600 |
| Wayanad — 280 km, 3 days | 750 km | ₹26–32/km | ₹1,800–2,400 | ₹21,300–26,400 |
Luggage on a hill route, and why we keep saying no to the roof
A tempo traveller's luggage space is a rear shelf behind the last row, not a boot. Realistically it takes eight to ten cabin bags for a 17-seat vehicle. Seventeen people with a suitcase each do not fit, and the standard local workaround — a roof carrier — is one we decline on ghat routes.
The reason is not fussiness. A loaded roof carrier raises the centre of gravity of a tall, narrow vehicle on exactly the roads where that matters: the Shiradi and Charmadi sections, the Sakleshpur ghat, and the Nilgiri hairpins on the Ooty run. It also soaks everything the first time a Western Ghats shower arrives, which between June and September is most afternoons.
What we do instead: for 15–17 people with full luggage on a hill weekend we quote a 21-seat minibus with a proper rear compartment, usually for about ₹2–₹3 more per kilometre. On a 500 km Coorg charter that is roughly ₹1,500 to keep every bag dry and the vehicle planted. We would rather lose the cheaper booking and keep the group.
What a Bengaluru tempo traveller is booked for
Corporate, weekday
- Team lunches and quarterly dinners from a single tower
- Airport runs for visiting teams — 17 seats covers most arrival waves
- Client site visits across the ORR and Electronic City corridors
- Small offsites of 12–17 to Nandi Hills, Bidadi and Kanakapura Road
Group and family
- Coorg, Chikmagalur and Sakleshpur weekends for one extended family
- Temple and pilgrimage runs where the group prefers 2+1 seating
- Wedding guest movements between a hotel and a venue inside Bengaluru
- College project and field-visit travel within Karnataka
Questions we answer daily
What is the tempo traveller rate per km in Bangalore?
₹22–₹26 for a 12-seat 2+1, ₹24–₹28 for a 14-seater, ₹26–₹32 for a 17–18 seat 2+1 and ₹32–₹40 for a Force Urbania, all AC and garage-to-garage. A 250 km per day minimum applies to every tempo traveller class, plus ₹600–₹800 driver bata per day.
How much does a 17 seater tempo traveller cost per day in Bengaluru?
₹8,000–₹8,500 for a local 8-hour / 80-kilometre day. Outstation work is billed per kilometre against the 250 km daily minimum, so a one-day trip costs at least 250 × ₹26–₹32, which is ₹6,500–₹8,000, plus ₹600–₹800 bata and tolls at actuals.
What is the difference between 2+1 and 2+2 seating?
2+1 puts two seats one side of the aisle and one on the other — wider seats, usually reclining, a proper aisle. 2+2 fits the same headcount into narrower seats with a tighter aisle. For any run over two hours, and for every hill route out of Bengaluru, book 2+1 and confirm the layout in writing.
Is a Force Urbania worth more than a tempo traveller?
For client-facing city work and airport pickups of senior visitors, yes — it is a monocoque van with a lower step, a quieter cabin and a better ride, at ₹32–₹40 per km. On a two-day Coorg charter it bills ₹18,200–22,800 against ₹12,900–15,400 for a 12-seat tempo traveller, which is hard to justify on a budget weekend.
How much luggage fits in a 17 seater tempo traveller?
Eight to ten cabin bags on the rear shelf behind the last row. There is no boot. Seventeen passengers with a suitcase each will not fit, and we decline roof carriers on ghat routes for stability and weather reasons — we quote a 21-seat minibus with a real luggage compartment instead.
Can a tempo traveller go from Bangalore to Ooty?
Yes, and it is often the right vehicle for the 36 hairpins of the Nilgiri ghat. It crosses into Tamil Nadu, so it needs a valid All India Tourist Permit or a short-duration entry-tax payment — for a 12-seater that is around ₹1,500 on the Karnataka-to-Tamil-Nadu crossing. Budget the Bandipur gate closure from 9 pm to 6 am into the timing.
Do you hire out 20 seater tempo travellers in Bangalore?
A 20-seat vehicle in this market is a minibus rather than a tempo traveller, and it prices in the minibus band at ₹28–₹35 per kilometre with a 250–300 km daily minimum. If you have 18 to 21 people, that is the class to ask for — it has a proper luggage compartment, which a 17-seater does not.
Is a tempo traveller cheaper than two cabs for 12 people?
Usually yes, and it is always simpler. Twelve people need three sedans or two SUVs plus a spare, which means three or four drivers, three or four arrival times and no single point of contact. One 12-seat tempo traveller at ₹22–₹26 per kilometre is one manifest, one coordinator and one invoice.
What is the minimum booking for a tempo traveller in Bengaluru?
For outstation work, 250 kilometres per day — so a single-day trip is billed at least 250 km even if you drive 120. For city work the minimum is the half-day 4-hour / 40-kilometre package. Below that we would rather point you at a cab than sell you a vehicle you do not need.
Related pages
- Minibus, 21–32 seats The step up, with a real luggage bay
- Full rate card Every class, dated and versioned
- BLR airport group transfers Arrival waves and waiting policy
- Bangalore to Coorg Two-day charter maths
- Bangalore to Chikmagalur Ghat notes and vehicle choice
- Weekend getaway matrix Every destination costed
Send the headcount, the pickup points and the date.
You get a written quote with billable kilometres, bata, tolls and the GST option spelled out — usually inside two hours, on WhatsApp or as a proforma invoice your finance team can raise a PO against.