Delhi tourist guide

Most tourists arriving in India land in Delhi. It is the capital of India, the country's second-largest city, and the usual launching point for the Golden Triangle circuit that runs Delhi → Agra → Jaipur. The city is served by Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI, airport code DEL), one of the busiest airports in Asia, with direct long-haul flights from most major cities around the world.

Delhi is really two cities. Old Delhi, centred on Chandni Chowk and the Red Fort, is the dense Mughal-era walled city of lanes, bazaars and street food. New Delhi, laid out by the British in the early twentieth century around Connaught Place and Rajpath, is wide tree-lined avenues, colonial-era buildings and government offices. You can easily see the best of both on a 3–4 day visit.

When to visit

October to March is the best season. Days are pleasant (15–25 °C), nights are cool, and most of the traditional sightseeing year happens in this window.
April to June is uncomfortably hot — daytime temperatures routinely touch 40–45 °C.
July to September is the monsoon. Lower temperatures but high humidity, unpredictable downpours, and the city's notorious traffic gets worse when it rains.
Late October to early February can also bring very poor air quality from stubble burning in neighbouring states and winter smog. If you are sensitive to air pollution, check the daily AQI before scheduling outdoor sightseeing and consider an N95 mask.

Getting around

Delhi Metro is fast, cheap, clean and air-conditioned; it reaches almost every major attraction including IGI airport (Airport Express Line, ~20 minutes from Terminal 3 to New Delhi station). Buy a tourist card or a single-journey QR ticket at any station.
Auto-rickshaws are metered in theory; insist on the meter or agree a fare in advance.
App-based taxis (Uber, Ola) work well across Delhi and are usually cheaper and more reliable than flagging a taxi on the street.
Hop-on hop-off bus tours (HOHO Delhi) link the main monuments and are a painless option if you want a planned full day of sightseeing.

Major attractions

Red Fort (Lal Qila)

Built by Emperor Shah Jahan and completed in 1648, the Red Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the symbolic heart of Old Delhi. This is where the Prime Minister addresses the nation from the ramparts every August 15 (Independence Day). The complex contains the Diwan-i-Aam, Diwan-i-Khas (where the famous Peacock Throne once stood before Nadir Shah carried it off to Persia in 1739), and several pavilions set in Mughal gardens. An evening sound-and-light show ("Jai Hind") retells the fort's history in Hindi and English; tickets are separate from daytime entry.

Open: Tuesday to Sunday (closed Monday); sunrise to sunset.
Approximate entry fee: Indian nationals around ₹50, foreign visitors around ₹600. The separate sound-and-light show ticket is extra.

Jama Masjid

A short walk north of the Red Fort through the bazaars of Chandni Chowk, this is India's largest mosque, also built by Shah Jahan (completed 1656). Climb the southern minaret for one of the best rooftop views of Old Delhi. Cover your head and shoulders; women are given a robe at the entrance if needed. Photography is allowed for a small fee.

Qutub Minar

One of Delhi's three UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Qutub Minar is a 73-metre tapering sandstone minaret begun by Qutub-ud-din Aibak in 1199. The surrounding complex includes the ruins of Quwwat-ul-Islam — India's first mosque — and the famous Iron Pillar, a 7-metre-tall iron column that has stood in the open for over 1,600 years without significant rust, still a puzzle to metallurgists.

Open daily, sunrise to sunset.
Approximate entry fee: Indian nationals around ₹40, foreign visitors around ₹600.
Visitors can no longer climb the tower itself (closed for safety since 1981); you walk the gardens and surrounding ruins.

Humayun's Tomb

The third UNESCO-listed monument in Delhi and the architectural prototype for the Taj Mahal. Built in 1570 by Humayun's widow, Empress Bega Begum, it introduced the Persian-inspired char-bagh (four-garden) layout and the symmetrical domed mausoleum design that Shah Jahan would perfect at Agra eighty years later.

Open daily, sunrise to sunset.
Approximate entry fee: Indian nationals around ₹40, foreign visitors around ₹600.

India Gate and Rajpath

A 42-metre stone arch at the eastern end of Rajpath, India Gate commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers who died in the First World War. The formal avenue known as Kartavya Path (renamed from Rajpath in 2022) runs from India Gate past the new National War Memorial and central government buildings to Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace. The lawns around India Gate are a popular evening picnic spot for Delhi families; the monument is free to visit and is lit dramatically at night.

On Republic Day (January 26) India's annual military parade runs down Kartavya Path from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate.

Lotus Temple

Opened in 1986, the Bahá'í House of Worship is an architectural icon — 27 free-standing marble petals arranged as a stylised lotus flower. The Bahá'í faith welcomes visitors of all religions to sit quietly inside the central hall. Entry is free.

Summer (1 April – 30 September): 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.
Winter (1 October – 31 March): 9:30 am to 5:30 pm.
Closed on Mondays.

Akshardham Temple

The Swaminarayan Akshardham complex, which opened in 2005 on the Yamuna's east bank, is one of Delhi's most-visited sites. The main temple is carved pink sandstone and white marble covered in intricate figures, surrounded by large gardens and an exhibition complex. Entry to the temple itself is free; the water show and exhibition halls have separate tickets.

Closed on Mondays; no phones or cameras are allowed inside the complex (free lockers provided).

Raj Ghat

The simple black marble platform marking the spot where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated in 1948 sits in a landscaped garden. Indian and foreign visitors alike remove their shoes before approaching. Nearby are similar memorials to Nehru, Indira Gandhi and other national leaders.

Birla Mandir (Laxmi Narayan Temple)

Built by the Birla industrial family between 1933 and 1939 and inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi on condition that people of all castes be admitted. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu (Narayan) and his consort Lakshmi.

Location: Mandir Marg, near Connaught Place.
Timings: 4:30 am to 1:30 pm; 2:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Free entry. Cameras not allowed inside.

Jantar Mantar

An open-air astronomical observatory built in 1724 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur, consisting of thirteen large masonry instruments used to measure time, track planetary positions and predict eclipses. It sits on Parliament Street within walking distance of Connaught Place.

Open daily, sunrise to sunset.
Approximate entry fee: Indian nationals around ₹25, foreign visitors around ₹300.

Lodhi Garden

A quiet 90-acre landscaped park containing the tombs and mosques of the 15th-century Sayyid and Lodhi dynasties. It is a favourite early-morning spot for Delhi residents to walk, run and practise yoga, and a welcome break from the city's pace. Entry is free.

Shopping and eating

Chandni Chowk — the classic Old Delhi bazaar; best experienced on foot or in a cycle-rickshaw. Paranthe Wali Gali is a famous food lane.
Connaught Place — the colonial circular plaza at the heart of New Delhi; branded shops, restaurants, and government-run emporia around the central circle.
Khan Market and Lodhi Colony — upscale boutique shopping, coffee shops and some of Delhi's better restaurants.
Dilli Haat (INA) — a curated crafts market with stalls from every Indian state and a food court with regional cuisines. Small entry fee.
Janpath — mid-range crafts, textiles and inexpensive clothing along one stretch of Janpath Road.

Practical notes

Major monument entry fees for foreign visitors are often 10–15× the Indian rate. Keep small change ready.
Many monuments now offer online tickets through the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) portal, which lets you skip the physical queue. Look for QR-code ticketing notices at the entrance gate.
The Delhi traffic police enforce one-way streets tightly in central Delhi; if you hire a driver, expect some looping around.
Tap water is not safe to drink — stick to sealed bottled water or a filter bottle.
Monuments with strict no-camera-phone enforcement (Akshardham, parts of the Red Fort) provide free lockers at the entrance.

Facts and figures for Delhi:

Area: about 1,484 square kilometres (NCT of Delhi).
Population: roughly 33 million in the Delhi metropolitan area, making it one of the largest cities in the world.
Languages: Hindi, English, Punjabi and Urdu are all widely spoken; English will get you by everywhere tourists go.
Climate: hot summers (up to 45 °C in May–June), mild winters (down to 5 °C in January), monsoon rains July–September.
Best time to visit: October to March, with early December to mid-January bringing the best weather but sometimes the worst air quality.