Places to Visit in Delhi

Delhi has been built and rebuilt as at least seven distinct cities over the past thousand years, from the 12th-century citadel that grew up around the Qutub Minar to the colonial New Delhi laid out in the 1930s. India’s sprawling capital wears all of that history at once — Mughal forts and mosques, Lutyens-era avenues, Sufi shrines, and glass-fronted markets sit side by side across the National Capital Territory.

Loud, layered, and endlessly varied, it is the usual gateway to the country and the start of the Golden Triangle. This guide covers the best places to visit in Delhi, from Old Delhi’s lanes to the South Delhi monuments and a day trip to the Taj, along with the things to do that fill a three- or four-day stay.

14 Best Places to Visit in Delhi

Attraction	Type	Area	Entry Fee	Duration
Red Fort (Lal Qila)	Fort (UNESCO)	Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)	₹35 (~$0.45)	2 hrs
Qutub Minar	Monument (UNESCO)	South Delhi (Qutub, Mehrauli, Nizamuddin, Hauz Khas)	₹35 (~$0.45)	1.5 hrs
India Gate	Monument	Central / Lutyens’ Delhi (New Delhi)	Free	45 min
Humayun’s Tomb	Tomb (UNESCO)	South Delhi (Qutub, Mehrauli, Nizamuddin, Hauz Khas)	₹40 (~$0.50)	1.5 hrs
Jama Masjid	Mosque	Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)	Free (camera extra)	45 min–1 hr
Lotus Temple	Temple	South Delhi (Qutub, Mehrauli, Nizamuddin, Hauz Khas)	Free	1 hr
Akshardham Temple	Temple	East Delhi & Yamuna (Akshardham)	Free; exhibits ₹170+	2–3 hrs
Chandni Chowk	Market	Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)	Free	1.5–2 hrs
Agra & the Taj Mahal	Monument (UNESCO)	Outside Delhi (Day Trip)	₹50+ (~$0.60+)	Full day
Lodhi Gardens	Garden / Tombs	South Delhi (Qutub, Mehrauli, Nizamuddin, Hauz Khas)	Free	1 hr
Gurudwara Bangla Sahib	Sikh Temple	Central / Lutyens’ Delhi (New Delhi)	Free	45 min
Rashtrapati Bhavan & Kartavya Path	Landmark	Central / Lutyens’ Delhi (New Delhi)	Free (exterior)	1 hr
Hauz Khas Village	Heritage + Lifestyle	South Delhi (Qutub, Mehrauli, Nizamuddin, Hauz Khas)	Free	1.5 hrs
Purana Qila (Old Fort)	Fort	South Delhi (Qutub, Mehrauli, Nizamuddin, Hauz Khas)	₹35 (~$0.45)	1 hr

Red Fort (Lal Qila)

The Red Fort, or Lal Qila, is the natural first stop among the places to visit in Delhi — the vast sandstone citadel Shah Jahan built between 1639 and 1648 when he shifted the Mughal capital from Agra to the new city of Shahjahanabad. Behind its long red walls lie marble audience halls, the Diwan-i-Aam and Diwan-i-Khas, pleasure gardens, and the Rang Mahal, all arranged along a central axis. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is also where the prime minister raises the flag each Independence Day.

Much of the palace furniture and the famous Peacock Throne are long gone, so it takes some imagination to picture the court at its height, but the scale and the gateways still impress. An evening sound-and-light show retells its history; note the fort closes on Mondays.

• Area: Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)
• Entry Fee: ₹35 (~$0.45) for Indian visitors; higher for foreigners
• Opening Timings: 9:30 am–4:30 pm; closed Mondays
• How to Get There: Lal Qila or Chandni Chowk metro; in the heart of Old Delhi
• Duration: 2 hours

Qutub Minar

The Qutub Minar, in Mehrauli in the south of the city, is the tallest brick minaret in the world, rising nearly 73 metres in five tapering, fluted storeys. It was begun in 1199 by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the first sultan of Delhi, and completed by his successors, its red-sandstone shaft carved with bands of Arabic inscription. The surrounding complex holds the first mosque built in India, the Quwwat-ul-Islam, and the celebrated Iron Pillar.

The fourth-century Iron Pillar is the complex’s great curiosity — it has stood for over 1,600 years without rusting, a puzzle that still draws metallurgists. The whole site is a UNESCO monument and takes about an hour and a half to wander.

• Area: South Delhi (Qutub, Mehrauli, Nizamuddin, Hauz Khas)
• Entry Fee: ₹35 (~$0.45) for Indian visitors; higher for foreigners
• Opening Timings: Sunrise to sunset daily
• How to Get There: Qutub Minar metro (Yellow Line), then a short auto ride
• Duration: 1.5 hours

India Gate

India Gate stands at the eastern end of Kartavya Path, the ceremonial avenue at the heart of Lutyens’ Delhi, a 42-metre archway designed by Edwin Lutyens and completed in 1931. It is a war memorial, inscribed with the names of some 13,000 Indian and British soldiers who died in the First World War and the Third Anglo-Afghan War. A statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose now stands beneath the canopy behind it.

The lawns around it are one of the city’s favourite evening gathering places, busiest after dark when the arch is floodlit and families spread out on the grass. It is free and open at all hours, and best seen in the cool of the evening.

• Area: Central / Lutyens’ Delhi (New Delhi)
• Entry Fee: Free
• Opening Timings: Open all day; best in the evening
• How to Get There: Central Secretariat metro, then a short ride; on Kartavya Path
• Duration: 45 minutes

Humayun’s Tomb

Humayun’s Tomb, near Nizamuddin in the south of the city, was built in the 1560s for the second Mughal emperor by his widow, Bega Begum, and designed by a Persian architect. It was the first great garden-tomb in the subcontinent, set in a formal charbagh — a four-part Persian garden divided by water channels — and its red sandstone dome and marble finishing directly influenced the Taj Mahal decades later. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I found it far calmer than the city’s busier monuments, and it is at its best in the low light of early morning or late afternoon. The surrounding gardens and the smaller tombs scattered across the complex reward a slow wander of an hour or so.

• Area: South Delhi (Qutub, Mehrauli, Nizamuddin, Hauz Khas)
• Entry Fee: ₹40 (~$0.50) for Indian visitors; higher for foreigners
• Opening Timings: Sunrise to sunset daily
• How to Get There: JLN Stadium or Jangpura metro, then a short auto ride
• Duration: 1.5 hours

Jama Masjid

Facing the Red Fort across the lanes of Old Delhi, the Jama Masjid is the largest mosque in India, the last great work Shah Jahan commissioned, finished in 1656. Built of red sandstone and white marble, its courtyard can hold some 25,000 worshippers, and two 40-metre minarets flank three bulbous marble domes. Broad flights of steps climb to its three great gateways.

Visitors can climb the southern minaret for one of the best views over Old Delhi and, in the distance, the Qutub Minar. Modest dress is required, shoes are left at the gate, and non-Muslims should avoid the five daily prayer times.

• Area: Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)
• Entry Fee: Free; camera around ₹300; minaret climb extra
• Opening Timings: Roughly 7 am–noon and 1:30–6:30 pm; closed to visitors during prayers
• How to Get There: Jama Masjid metro (Violet Line); a short walk from the Red Fort
• Duration: 45 minutes–1 hour

Lotus Temple

The Lotus Temple, in Kalkaji in the south of the city, is a Bahá’í House of Worship completed in 1986 and shaped, as its name suggests, like a half-open lotus flower. Twenty-seven free-standing marble petals cluster in nine groups to form the bloom, set among nine reflecting pools. Open to people of every faith, it is a place for silent prayer and meditation rather than ritual.

It has become one of the most visited buildings in the world and one of the top places to visit in Delhi, so queues can be long, but the interior — a single soaring, unadorned hall — is kept in strict silence. It closes on Mondays and takes about an hour with the wait.

• Area: South Delhi (Qutub, Mehrauli, Nizamuddin, Hauz Khas)
• Entry Fee: Free
• Opening Timings: Roughly 9 am–5:30 pm (later in summer); closed Mondays
• How to Get There: Kalkaji Mandir or Nehru Place metro, then a short walk
• Duration: 1 hour

Akshardham Temple

On the east bank of the Yamuna, Swaminarayan Akshardham is a vast Hindu temple complex opened in 2005 and spread across around 100 acres. Its central monument, built of pink sandstone and marble without structural steel, is covered in intricate carvings of deities, flora, and dancers, ringed by carved elephants and topped with nine domes. It has been recognised as one of the largest comprehensive Hindu temples in the world.

Beyond the temple there are exhibitions, a musical fountain show, and a boat ride through Indian history. Security is strict — no phones, cameras, or bags are allowed inside — which caught me out on arrival, so travel light and allow a couple of hours. It closes on Mondays.

• Area: East Delhi & Yamuna (Akshardham)
• Entry Fee: Temple free; exhibitions and shows ₹170+ (~$2+)
• Opening Timings: 9:30 am–6:30 pm; closed Mondays
• How to Get There: Akshardham metro (Blue Line), a short walk away
• Duration: 2–3 hours

Chandni Chowk

Chandni Chowk, laid out in the 17th century opposite the Red Fort, is one of the oldest and busiest markets in India, its name — “moonlit square” — a relic of a time when a canal ran down its centre reflecting the moon. Today its tangle of lanes trades in everything: spices at Khari Baoli, Asia’s largest spice market, silver and jewellery at Dariba Kalan, wedding wear, sweets, and books. A temple, mosque, church, and gurudwara all stand along the one street.

It is chaotic, crowded, and best explored on foot or by cycle-rickshaw, with the street food a highlight in its own right — both covered in the Things to Do section below. Keep your belongings close and your camera ready.

• Area: Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)
• Entry Fee: Free
• Opening Timings: Most shops roughly 10 am–8 pm; closed Sundays
• How to Get There: Chandni Chowk metro (Yellow Line); walkable from the Red Fort
• Duration: 1.5–2 hours

Agra & the Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal, about 230 km south of the capital in Agra, is the classic day trip from Delhi and for many travellers the highlight of the whole trip. The white-marble mausoleum was built by Shah Jahan between 1632 and 1653 for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, and its perfect symmetry, inlaid stone, and shifting colour through the day have made it one of the most famous buildings on earth. Agra also holds the great red Agra Fort and the delicate “Baby Taj.”

The fast Gatimaan Express train reaches Agra in around 100 minutes, making a long day trip very doable; going by car takes longer. When I went, arriving early to catch the Taj at sunrise, before the heat and the crowds, was worth every bit of the early start. Note the Taj closes on Fridays.

• Area: Outside Delhi (Day Trip)
• Entry Fee: Taj Mahal from ₹50 (~$0.60) for Indian visitors, plus a mausoleum fee; higher for foreigners
• Opening Timings: Sunrise to sunset; Taj Mahal closed Fridays
• How to Get There: About 230 km; roughly 100 minutes by Gatimaan Express or 3–4 hours by road
• Duration: Full day

Lodhi Gardens

Lodhi Gardens is a 90-acre park in the heart of South Delhi, laid out around the domed tombs of the 15th-century Lodhi and Sayyid dynasties who ruled before the Mughals. The tombs of Mohammed Shah and Sikandar Lodi, along with the Bara Gumbad and its mosque, rise straight out of manicured lawns and flowering trees. The gardens were landscaped in their present form in the 1930s.

It is the city’s favourite green space, busy at dawn and dusk with joggers, families, and birdwatchers, and a welcome quiet break between monuments. Entry is free and it is open from sunrise, best in the cool of the early morning.

• Area: South Delhi (Qutub, Mehrauli, Nizamuddin, Hauz Khas)
• Entry Fee: Free
• Opening Timings: Roughly 5 am–8 pm daily
• How to Get There: Jor Bagh metro (Yellow Line), then a short walk
• Duration: 1 hour

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, near Connaught Place, is the most prominent Sikh temple in Delhi, marked by a gleaming golden dome and associated with the eighth Sikh Guru, Har Krishan, who stayed here in the 1660s. At its centre is a large sarovar, a holy tank whose water is considered healing, and the complex runs a langar — a free community kitchen — that feeds thousands of visitors of every faith each day.

It is open to all, so long as you cover your head and remove your shoes, and the atmosphere is calm and welcoming even at its busiest. The kitchen and its free meal are covered in the Things to Do section below.

• Area: Central / Lutyens’ Delhi (New Delhi)
• Entry Fee: Free
• Opening Timings: Open more or less around the clock
• How to Get There: Shivaji Stadium or Rajiv Chowk metro, then a short walk
• Duration: 45 minutes

Rashtrapati Bhavan & Kartavya Path

At the western end of Kartavya Path, opposite India Gate, stands Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India. Designed by Edwin Lutyens and completed in 1929, it is an enormous 340-room palace blending classical European and Indian styles, fronted by the sweep of the ceremonial boulevard. The whole axis was conceived as the centrepiece of British New Delhi.

For most visitors the grand exterior and the walk along Kartavya Path are the experience, though parts of the building and its Amrit Udyan gardens open to the public at set times with prior booking. A Change of Guard ceremony takes place on Saturdays.

• Area: Central / Lutyens’ Delhi (New Delhi)
• Entry Fee: Free (exterior); interior and gardens by booking, seasonal
• Opening Timings: Grounds circuit anytime; tours and gardens at set times
• How to Get There: Central Secretariat metro (Yellow/Violet Line); on Kartavya Path
• Duration: 1 hour

Hauz Khas Village

Hauz Khas, in South Delhi, wraps a medieval past and a modern nightlife into one neighbourhood. At its edge sits a 13th-century royal reservoir — the “royal tank” that gives the area its name — overlooked by the ruins of Firoz Shah’s madrasa, mosque, and tomb, with a deer park alongside. The lanes behind them, the “village,” have filled with boutiques, galleries, cafés, and bars.

The contrast is the appeal: crumbling sultanate ruins looking over a lake on one side, and Delhi’s young, design-conscious crowd on the other. The complex is free and best in the late afternoon, with the bars and rooftops covered separately below.

• Area: South Delhi (Qutub, Mehrauli, Nizamuddin, Hauz Khas)
• Entry Fee: Free (heritage complex)
• Opening Timings: Complex roughly 10:30 am–7 pm; village bars run late
• How to Get There: Green Park or Hauz Khas metro, then a short auto ride
• Duration: 1.5 hours

Purana Qila (Old Fort)

Purana Qila, the “Old Fort,” is one of the oldest forts in Delhi, its massive walls raised in the 16th century by Sher Shah Suri and the Mughal emperor Humayun. The site is traditionally identified with Indraprastha, the legendary city of the Mahabharata. Inside stand the elegant Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque and the Sher Mandal, an octagonal tower where Humayun is said to have fallen to his death down its steep steps.

Less crowded than the Red Fort, it makes a quieter historical stop, with boating on the moat-lake outside the walls and an evening sound-and-light show. It sits near the zoo and Pragati Maidan, easy to combine with the surrounding sights.

• Area: South Delhi (Qutub, Mehrauli, Nizamuddin, Hauz Khas)
• Entry Fee: ₹35 (~$0.45) for Indian visitors; higher for foreigners
• Opening Timings: 7 am–5 pm daily
• How to Get There: Pragati Maidan metro, then a short auto ride
• Duration: 1 hour

Things to Do in Delhi

Activity	Experiences	Area	Price Range	Duration
Take an Old Delhi Food Walk	Food, Cultural, Most Iconic	Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)	₹1,000–₹3,000 (~$12–$36)	3 hrs
Ride a Cycle-Rickshaw Through Chandni Chowk	Cultural, Kid-Friendly	Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)	₹200–₹1,500 (~$2.40–$18)	1–2 hrs
Eat at the Bangla Sahib Langar	Religious / Spiritual, Food	Central / Lutyens’ Delhi (New Delhi)	Free	1 hr
Shop Delhi’s Markets	Shopping, Cultural	South Delhi (Qutub, Mehrauli, Nizamuddin, Hauz Khas)	Free entry	2 hrs
Spend an Evening in Hauz Khas	Nightlife, Solo / Social	South Delhi (Qutub, Mehrauli, Nizamuddin, Hauz Khas)	₹1,000–₹3,000 (~$12–$36)	2–3 hrs
Hear Qawwali at Nizamuddin Dargah	Cultural, Religious / Spiritual	South Delhi (Qutub, Mehrauli, Nizamuddin, Hauz Khas)	Free	1–2 hrs
See the Lodhi Art District Street Art	Cultural, Under-the-Radar	South Delhi (Qutub, Mehrauli, Nizamuddin, Hauz Khas)	Free	1–2 hrs

Take an Old Delhi Food Walk

An Old Delhi food walk is the single most iconic thing to do in the city for anyone who eats, threading through the lanes around Chandni Chowk from one legendary stall to the next. The classics are here in abundance: the stuffed flatbreads of Paranthe Wali Gali, Mughlai kebabs and korma at Karim’s near the Jama Masjid, dahi bhalla, hot jalebis, and, in winter, the frothy daulat ki chaat. Generations of families have run some of these shops.

There is far too much to eat in one sitting, so a guided walk that paces the stops and knows the best of each is the way to do it. When I went, the sheer density of flavours in a few hundred metres was the highlight of my time in Delhi. Food walks can be booked via GetYourGuide.

• Experiences: Food, Cultural, Most Iconic
• Price Range: ₹1,000–₹3,000 (~$12–$36) for a guided walk
• Duration: About 3 hours
• Book via: GetYourGuide

Ride a Cycle-Rickshaw Through Chandni Chowk

Where the lanes of Old Delhi are too narrow and packed for a car, the cycle-rickshaw comes into its own, and a ride through Chandni Chowk is a classic Delhi experience. Perched above the crowds, you weave past the spice porters of Khari Baoli, the silver shops of Dariba Kalan, and the walls of the Jama Masjid, covering ground on foot you’d struggle to manage in the heat and the throng.

It is an easy, atmospheric way to take in the chaos of the old city, and rickshaw rides are often bundled into heritage and tuk-tuk tours of the area. Agree the fare or the tour price before you set off; these can be booked via GetYourGuide.

• Experiences: Cultural, Kid-Friendly
• Price Range: ₹200–₹1,500 (~$2.40–$18) depending on ride or tour
• Duration: 1–2 hours
• Book via: GetYourGuide

Eat at the Bangla Sahib Langar

One of the most quietly moving things to do in Delhi is to share the langar at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib — the free communal meal that Sikh temples serve to anyone who comes, regardless of faith, caste, or means. Volunteers cook and serve simple vegetarian food — dal, sabzi, and roti — in an enormous kitchen, and you sit on the floor in long rows to eat alongside everyone else.

You can also step into the kitchen to help roll rotis or wash up as seva, or voluntary service, which is welcomed. It costs nothing, runs throughout the day, and is as much about the spirit of the place as the food. Cover your head and remove your shoes.

• Experiences: Religious / Spiritual, Food
• Price Range: Free (donations optional)
• Duration: About 1 hour
• Book via: No booking needed — visit the gurudwara

Shop Delhi’s Markets

Delhi’s markets run the full range from rock-bottom bargains to designer boutiques. Sarojini Nagar is the city’s byword for cheap fashion, where export-surplus clothes go for a fraction of the label price if you’re willing to dig and haggle; Dilli Haat gathers handicrafts and regional food from across India in one open-air complex; and Khan Market is the upscale end, known for its bookshops, cafés, and boutiques.

Sarojini rewards patience and hard bargaining, while Dilli Haat has largely fixed prices and a craft focus. Between them, plus Connaught Place and Lajpat Nagar, you can find almost anything. Allow a couple of hours and carry cash for the smaller stalls.

• Experiences: Shopping, Cultural
• Price Range: Free to browse; spending varies widely
• Duration: 2 hours
• Book via: No booking needed — explore on foot

Spend an Evening in Hauz Khas

As the light fades, Hauz Khas Village turns into one of South Delhi’s liveliest evening spots, its lanes lined with bars, rooftop lounges, and live-music venues, several of them looking straight out over the floodlit medieval ruins and lake. It draws a young, mixed crowd of Delhiites and travellers, and the mix of cocktails, cafés, and centuries-old tombs in one place is unlike anywhere else in the city.

It works well after an afternoon at the Hauz Khas heritage complex, rolling straight from ruins into dinner and drinks. Weekends get busy, so popular rooftops are worth arriving early for. Most venues take walk-ins.

• Experiences: Nightlife, Solo / Social
• Price Range: ₹1,000–₹3,000 (~$12–$36) for an evening
• Duration: 2–3 hours
• Book via: Book directly at the venue

Hear Qawwali at Nizamuddin Dargah

On Thursday evenings, the shrine of the 14th-century Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya fills with qawwali — the soaring, hypnotic devotional singing of the Sufi tradition. Tucked into the lanes of the Nizamuddin Basti, the dargah draws worshippers and listeners of all backgrounds who sit on the marble courtyard as the singers and their harmonium and tabla build the music late into the night. The tomb of the poet Ghalib lies nearby.

It is free, atmospheric, and utterly different from the city’s monument circuit. When I sat in for an evening, the music and the crowded, candle-lit courtyard were among the most memorable hours I spent in Delhi. Dress modestly, cover your head, and go with someone who knows the way through the lanes.

• Experiences: Cultural, Religious / Spiritual
• Price Range: Free (donations welcomed)
• Duration: 1–2 hours (Thursday evenings)
• Book via: No booking needed — visit the dargah

See the Lodhi Art District Street Art

In the government-housing colony of Lodhi Colony, the walls have been turned into India’s first open-air public art district. Since 2015, Indian and international artists have covered dozens of façades with large-scale murals, curated by the St+art India Foundation, blending street art with local themes and colour. The result is a free, walkable gallery spread across ordinary residential streets.

It makes an easy, offbeat couple of hours, best combined with a coffee at the nearby Meharchand or Khanna markets. The murals change and grow over time, so no two visits are quite the same. It is entirely free and self-guided.

• Experiences: Cultural, Under-the-Radar
• Price Range: Free
• Duration: 1–2 hours
• Book via: No booking needed — self-guided on foot

Few cities pack in as much as Delhi — a thousand years of forts, tombs, and shrines layered under a loud, modern capital, with the Taj Mahal an easy day trip beyond. From a sunrise at Humayun’s Tomb and a food walk through Old Delhi to qawwali at a Sufi shrine after dark, the best places to visit in Delhi reward travellers who take it in stages and don’t try to see everything at once. Give it three or four days, base yourself near the metro in the centre or south, and pace yourself between the old city and the new. For where to stay on a budget, our Best Hostels in Delhi guide is a useful next read.

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