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Voykit pocket guide · India
Delhi
दिल्ली
Delhi is a dawn-and-dusk city: do Old Delhi and the Red Fort in the first morning hours, hide from the heat and the smog indoors, take the metro or an app car between clusters — and never follow a stranger's 'it is closed' story.
Delhi's sights are good and far apart; the city is hot, loud, dense and, in winter, smoggy. Old Delhi is a maze, the metro is fast and cheap, and touts work the airport, New Delhi station and the main tourist streets. Four clusters cover a first visit, tied together by the metro and prepaid or app cars.
- Country
- India
- Local name
- दिल्ली
- Best months
- Feb · Mar · Oct
- Time zone
- Asia/Kolkata
- Stay
- 2 days: Old Delhi and the Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- INR
- Money
- Cash for autos, street food, markets and small shops; cards in hotels, malls and many restaurants; app cars take cards in-app. UPI needs an Indian bank account, so foreign visitors cannot use it, apart from a few tourist UPI options (check). Keep ₹10, ₹20, ₹50 and ₹100 notes: change for ₹500 and ₹2,000 is scarce.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₹1,500–3,000 excl. bed · Mid ₹3,000–8,000 excl. bed · High ₹8,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Install an eSIM before you fly or buy a SIM at the airport, with your passport and a photo; activation can take a few hours. SIMs bought on the street may be cut off.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112 · Police 100 · Fire 101 · Ambulance 102
- Plugs
- 230 V; sockets types C, D and M. Bring a universal adapter.
- Tipping
- Round up autos and taxis; 10% in restaurants if service charge is not on the bill; ₹50–100 for a porter or a hotel helper; ₹500–1,000 for a day guide.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; use sealed bottles or filtered water. Ice in established restaurants and hotels is usually made from filtered water; skip it in street stalls.
- Toilets
- Malls, metro stations, hotels, restaurants; some pay-and-use public toilets. Carry tissue and hand gel.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (café) | ₹120–250 |
| Chai at a stall | ₹15–30 |
| Thali or lunch set at a local restaurant | ₹200–450 |
| Beer: pub glass / bottle at a shop | ₹250–500 / ₹150–250 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) ride: auto / app car3.1 mi (5 km) ride: auto / app car | ₹80–150 / ₹150–300 |
| Metro ride | ₹10–60 |
| Tourist SIM or eSIM, about a week | ₹400–1,000 |
| Monument entry, foreign visitor | ₹40–600 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL)
- DEL to Connaught Place: one prepaid taxi or app car, 45–90 minutes by road; the metro is faster but stops at night — and the risk is the tout in the hall, not the ride.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| New Delhi station (नई दिल्ली रेलवे स्टेशन (NDLS)) | Most long-distance trains: Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Vande Bharat and mail trains from all over India | Walk or auto 10 min to Connaught Place; metro Rajiv Chowk 5 min |
| Old Delhi station (पुरानी दिल्ली (DLI)) | Some trains to Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh; a few night trains | Metro Chandni Chowk 5 min walk; car 25–35 min to Connaught Place |
| Hazrat Nizamuddin station (हजरत निज़ामुद्दीन (NZM)) | Agra fast trains, Gatimaan Express, trains to Mumbai and the south | Car 25–35 min; metro at JLN Stadium, 20 min walk (check) |
| Anand Vihar terminal (आनंद विहार (ANVT)) | Trains to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, the north-east and some to the east | Car 40–70 min; Blue Line metro 40 min |
| Kashmere Gate ISBT (कश्मीरी गेट ISBT) | North: Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Shimla, Manali, Amritsar and Chandigarh | Yellow Line metro to Rajiv Chowk 20 min |
| Anand Vihar ISBT (आनंद विहार ISBT) | East and Uttar Pradesh | Car 40–70 min |
Typical fares
- IGI → Connaught Place, Airport Express + short ride
- ₹60–65 plus ₹100–200, about 35–50 min (check)
- IGI → Connaught Place, prepaid taxi or app car
- ₹500–900, 45–90 min
- Auto or app car across the centre
- ₹80–300
Show 8 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Eat, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk inside a cluster, use the metro across the city, and app cars or autos for the rest. The metro is fast, cheap and air-conditioned; autos and taxis are useful but need a meter or an agreed fare.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Inside Old Delhi lanes, Connaught Place, gardens |
| Metro | ₹10–60; single tokens or a card (check) | Old Delhi to Connaught Place, airport, the south |
| App car (Uber, Ola) | ₹150–300 across the centre | Between clusters, bags, night |
| Auto-rickshaw | Meter or agreed; ₹80–150 short hops | Short hops, lanes without cars |
| Cycle-rickshaw | ₹50–150 short hops (agree first) | Old Delhi lanes |
| Motorbike taxi (Rapido, Uber Moto) | ₹40–100 | Solo short hops |
| City bus | ₹10–25 | Some cross-town routes |
| Hop-on hop-off tourist bus | About ₹500–1,000 per day (check) | Loop of main sights |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass. The metro is the cheapest fast link; short car rides are cheap; agree or see the fare before you ride.
- Late at night
- The metro stops at night (field-verify the last train on the DMRC site); app cars run later but surge in rain.
See and do
01Red Fort at openingलाल क़िला
The palace-fort of Shah Jahan: the Lahori Gate bazaar, the audience halls and the lawns, before the heat and the groups.
Hours: best At opening; closed Mondays · Price: ₹600 (foreign visitor) · Time: 2 h · 28.6562, 77.2410
02Jama Masjidजामा मस्जिद
One of India's biggest mosques, a huge courtyard and a minaret view over Old Delhi.
Hours: best Morning, outside prayer times · Price: Free; camera fee · Time: 45 min · 28.6507, 77.2334
03An Old Delhi food walk: parathas, jalebi, chaatपराँठे वाली गली
The lanes of Chandni Chowk feed the city: stuffed parathas, hot jalebi, dahi bhalla and kulfi.
Hours: best Before 11:30 or after 15:30 · Price: ₹300–600 for four or five dishes · Time: 2–3 hHours: best Before 11:30 AM or after 3:30 PM · Price: ₹300–600 for four or five dishes · Time: 2–3 h · 28.6564, 77.2303
04Humayun's Tombहुमायूँ का मक़बरा
The first big Mughal garden tomb, calm and shaded; the model for the Taj Mahal.
Hours: best First hour after opening or late afternoon · Price: ₹600 (foreign visitor) · Time: 90 min · 28.5933, 77.2507
05Sunder Nurseryसुंदर नर्सरी
A level garden park with tombs and a café next to the tomb; the cool half-hour that makes the morning bearable.
Hours: best After the tomb · Price: About ₹100–300 · Time: 45 min · 28.5932, 77.2437
06Gurudwara Bangla Sahibगुरुद्वारा बंगला साहिब
A Sikh temple with a pond and gold dome; the free langar meal is offered to everyone.
Hours: best Evening or early morning · Price: Free · Time: 45 min · 28.6264, 77.2091
07Nizamuddin Dargah on a Thursday eveningहज़रत निज़ामुद्दीन दरगाह
A Sufi shrine in a lane of flower and food stalls; the qawwali after sunset is the reason to go.
Hours: best Thursday after sunset · Price: Free; donation · Time: 1.5 h · 28.5913, 77.2419
08Khari Baoli spice marketखारी बावली
Wholesale spices and dried fruit under handcarts and porters; a sensory hit for half an hour.
Hours: best Weekday mid-morning · Price: Free · Time: 30 min · 28.6580, 77.2247
09Jantar Mantarजंतर मंतर
An 18th-century stone observatory ten minutes from Connaught Place.
Hours: best Morning or late afternoon · Price: About ₹200 · Time: 30–45 min · 28.6270, 77.2166
10Qutub Minar and Mehrauli
A 73-metre minaret and the ruins of the early sultanate; the best of the south on a second half-day.
Hours: best Morning · Price: ₹600 · Time: 2 h
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Agra (Taj Mahal, Agra Fort) | Fast train from Hazrat Nizamuddin, about 2 h each way; or a car on the Yamuna Expressway, 3.5–4 h | Full day, leave before 07:00Full day, leave before 7:00 AM |
| Jaipur | Train 4.5–5.5 h; car 5–6 h | Overnight is better |
| Fatehpur Sikri | Car from Agra, 40 min | Add to the Agra day |
| Mathura and Vrindavan | Train 2 h; car 3 h | Long day |
| Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary | Car 1–1.5 h | Half day |
| Neemrana Fort Palace | Car 2.5–3 h | Day or one night |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paranthe Wali Gali | Stuffed parathas · Old Delhi | ₹80–150 | Budget |
| Old Famous Jalebi Wala | Hot jalebi · Old Delhi (Dariba Kalan) | ₹100–200 for 250 g | Budget |
| Natraj Dahi Bhalla Corner | Dahi bhalla and aloo tikki · Old Delhi (Chandni Chowk) | ₹60–120 | Budget |
| Kuremal Mohan Lal Kulfiwale | Kulfi · Old Delhi (Chawri Bazaar) | ₹80–200 | Budget |
| Karim's | Mughlai kebabs and korma · Old Delhi | ₹300–800 | Mid-range |
| Saravana Bhavan (Connaught Place) | South Indian vegetarian · Connaught Place | ₹300–500 | Mid-range |
| Kake Da Hotel | Punjabi dishes (dal, butter chicken) · Connaught Place (check) | ₹300–600 (check) | Mid-range |
| Khan Market and Hauz Khas restaurants | Cafés and modern Indian · Central and South Delhi | ₹600–1,500 | Mid-range |
| Indian Accent (The Lodhi) | Modern Indian tasting menu · Lodhi Road (check) | From about ₹8,000 (check) | Splurge |
| Bukhara (ITC Maurya) | Frontier grill · Chanakyapuri (check) | From about ₹6,000 (check) | Splurge |
| Tasting menus in Aerocity and Gurugram | Modern restaurants · Aerocity, Gurugram | ₹3,000–10,000 | Splurge |
| Hotel Sunday brunches | Buffet · Five-star hotels | ₹3,500–8,000 | Splurge |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate. Addresses change: check the day before.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | ₹500–900 dorm bed · ₹1,500–3,000 double | Paharganj | Hostels, family guesthouses |
| mid | ₹4,000–9,000 | Connaught Place and Karol Bagh | 3–4 star hotels, business hotels |
| splurge | ₹15,000–50,000+ | Lutyens' Delhi, Aerocity, South Delhi | Heritage and international hotels |
| mid | ₹4,000–9,000 (cheaper by the week) | South Delhi (Hauz Khas, Defence Colony, GK) | Serviced apartments and guesthouses |
Per room per night in rupees, 2026 estimate; Diwali, Republic Day week and winter holidays add 30–100%.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | नमस्तेna-mas-tay |
| Thank you | धन्यवादdhun-ya-vaad |
| How much is this? | यह कितने का है?yeh kit-nay ka hai |
| Not spicy, please | मिर्च कमmirch kum |
| I am vegetarian | मैं शाकाहारी हूँmain shaa-ka-haa-ree hoon |
| Use the meter, please | मीटर से चलिएmee-ter say chal-i-ay |
| Stop here, please | यहाँ रोकिएya-haan ro-ki-ay |
| No, thank you | नहीं, धन्यवादna-heen, dhun-ya-vaad |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Mosques, temples and gurdwaras: Cover shoulders and knees; shoes off; cover your head at gurdwaras and some shrines; ask before photographing people.
- Shoes: Off at religious sites and in homes; keep the token at deposit stalls.
- Right hand: Eat, pass money and hand things with the right hand; the left is used for cleaning.
- Queues: Loose at counters; stand your ground politely. Metro lines are orderly, and women's coaches are for women.
- Tipping: Round up autos and taxis; 10% in restaurants without a service charge; ₹50–100 for porters and helpers.
- Paying and haggling: Haggle in markets with a smile; never at food stalls with a posted price or in shops with printed tags.
- Greetings: Namaste with palms together is safe; shake hands only if offered.
- Voices and tempers: Raising your voice loses the argument: stay calm and walk away if a price will not move.
Red lines
- Do not photograph military, police or metro security points.
- Mosques and temples: cover shoulders and knees, shoes off, ask before photographing people.
- Do not buy from anyone who takes you to a shop you did not choose.
Scams and watch-outs
- 'Closed' stories: someone at the airport, New Delhi station or Connaught Place says your hotel, the ticket office or the sight is closed and offers a 'better' shop or travel agent. Use the official counter or your app.
- Fake tourist offices near New Delhi station and Connaught Place sell overpriced tours and rail tickets; the official tourist booking office is upstairs at New Delhi station and at 88 Janpath (check).
- Autos without a meter or with a 'broken meter' near stations and airports: use the prepaid counter, the metro or an app car.
- Gem, carpet and handicraft shops that a driver or 'friend' insists on: they pay commission, and the goods are marked up several times.
- Rickshaw drivers who take you to a hotel you did not choose: say the name and address clearly, or use an app.
One and two days
1 day
A stopover or the day before a train to Agra. Skip: Qutub Minar and the museums: both are rides away.
- 07:457:45 AMRed Fort at opening (not Monday)
- 10:0010:00 AMJama Masjid, outside prayer times
- 11:1511:15 AMParathas or chaat in the lanes
- 13:001:00 PMMetro to Connaught Place and a lunch table
- 15:303:30 PMHumayun's Tomb by car, then the garden
- 18:306:30 PMDinner near Connaught Place or a Bangla Sahib visit
2 days
The usual Delhi stay on the way to Agra and Jaipur. Skip: Old Delhi on a Monday: move the fort to another day.
Day 1 — Old Delhi
- 07:457:45 AMRed Fort
- 10:0010:00 AMJama Masjid
- 11:1511:15 AMFood lanes and Karim's
- 14:002:00 PMHotel or AC café, then Connaught Place
Day 2 — tombs and the centre
- 07:307:30 AMHumayun's Tomb
- 09:309:30 AMSunder Nursery
- 12:0012:00 PMLunch and rest in Connaught Place
- 16:004:00 PMJantar Mantar and Bangla Sahib
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Incredible India (official tourism): www.incredibleindia.gov.in/
- Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (official): www.delhimetrorail.com/
- Wikivoyage — Delhi: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Delhi
- Wikitravel — Delhi: wikitravel.org/en/Delhi
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Delhiदिल्ली
मुझे इस पते पर ले चलिए
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- लाल क़िलाRed Fort
- जामा मस्जिदJama Masjid
- पराँठे वाली गलीParanthe Wali Gali
- हुमायूँ का मक़बराHumayun's Tomb
- सुंदर नर्सरीSunder Nursery
- गुरुद्वारा बंगला साहिबGurudwara Bangla Sahib
Most embassies are in Chanakyapuri (US, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany). Write your own embassy's 24-hour line below.
Show the address with the landmark and the pin on the map; drivers look for landmarks, not house numbers.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/delhi). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.