North, Delhi: neighborhood guide

North Delhi is the old cantonment belt and the city's northern suburbs, spread across a wide, low-density area north of the Ridge. It holds the remnants of the British-era parade grounds that hosted the Delhi Durbar, plus a large Punjabi population, and the streets around Kamla Nagar and Model Town are busy with colleges, markets and food. This is not a sight-dense district in the way Old Delhi is: what there is sits apart, and the gaps between are residential blocks, roads and metro viaducts.

The practical consequence is that you plan North Delhi by Metro station, not on foot. Kashmere Gate is the biggest interchange on this side of the network and the gateway to Old Delhi; from there lines run south to New Delhi and Central Delhi and west and east across the north (check lines and stations). Most travellers use North Delhi as a base for Old Delhi and the Mughal monuments rather than as a place to spend whole days.

Stay in North Delhi if you have seen Delhi before, want cheaper rooms than Central or South Delhi, and are happy to ride the Metro to reach the main sights. It also works if you arrive or leave by train from Old Delhi Junction, or if you are visiting family in the northern suburbs.

Skip it on a first trip. The classic first-visit sights — Humayun's Tomb, Qutub Minar, Lodhi Garden, Hauz Khas — are in Central and South Delhi, and staying north means a Metro ride or a long cab each way, every day. North Delhi also has fewer mid-range and upmarket hotels, and the streets around the stations are not pleasant after dark.

North Delhi's food is Punjabi and Mughlai: tandoori chicken, kebabs, butter chicken, chole bhature and parathas, served in plain, busy places rather than smart rooms. Kamla Nagar and the streets near Delhi University are student territory — cheap, fast and open late. Model Town and the areas around the older markets have long-standing family restaurants.

Old Delhi's food streets at Chandni Chowk and Jama Masjid are a short Metro ride away and are the reason many people eat north at all; treat them as part of the same trip. Vegetarian food is easy everywhere, and most places will tell you what is in a dish if you ask. For anything with meat, choose busy grills where the food comes off the coals rather than sitting out.

By Metro: Kashmere Gate is the main interchange for this side of the city, with lines running south towards New Delhi and Central Delhi and others across the north (check lines and stations). Fares are distance-based and cheap; buy a rechargeable card or use a QR ticket (check current options).

By train: Old Delhi Junction (Delhi Junction) is the main station for this side of the city and handles many long-distance services. Confirm your station on the ticket — Delhi has several, and they are far apart.

By road: app cabs and auto-rickshaws are the practical way to cover short gaps. Traffic is heavy through the day; allow 30–60 minutes for cross-city trips and more in the evening peak. From Indira Gandhi International Airport, expect 45–75 minutes by road depending on traffic (check).

On foot: only within a market or a monument complex. Between sights, use the Metro or a cab.