Best Places to Travel in Delhi

From Delhi’s Chandni Chowk to India Gate, the Delhi Blog is a place where you’ll find all the hidden gems and tourist places to plan a perfect Travels in Delhi, India’s capital. The capital city is brimming with historical monuments, UNESCO World Heritage sites, cafes, bars, a lit nightlife and delicious street food. Explore the narrow lanes of Old Delhi, soak in the old world charm of Qutub Minar, and go on a food trail in the scanty lanes of Chandni Chowk. You can find all those and lots more in this Delhi travel blog. Discover all the hyperlocal gems, dine on Mughlai curries, know the best bars to visit to witness a thriving nightlife and Delhi’s top notch crowd. Explore all the best street food joints to enjoy the Delhi(cacies) with your loved ones and make your trip to Delhi a fulfilling one. Delhi is the melting pot of culture with so many shopping destinations and places to explore that you’ll be spoilt for choice. This blog will lessen your worries and ensure you have the perfect itinerary to explore all the spectrums of Delhi’s culture, history, food and nightlife. What are you waiting for? Read on to know more and plan a perfect vacation to the capital city with your loved ones!

Delhi is the first taste of India for so many travellers, and it was mine, too in October 2015.

Feeling unprepared for my trip, I turned to my guidebooks in a flurry of last minute reading, but they didn’t exactly set my heart at rest – filled, mostly, with instructions for avoiding Delhi’s infamous scams and tricksters (who it seemed from my reading would all be poised at the doors of Delhi airport to welcome me).

Directions from my tour company to absolutely not leave the airport terminal until I had been met by the ground rep did not exactly help.

Like many, I was nervous visiting New Delhi for the first time.

On my first trip to India I spent only two days in India’s capital, and did not have to plan my own things to do in Delhi. Along with the others in my group, I was guided through the winding lanes of Old Delhi to the fragrant and colourful spice market, towards the stunning Jameh Masjid mosque. My eyes gawking at the mass of dangling power cables and narrow streets as cycle rickshaws hurried past, threatening to keel over at any time in my jet-lagged brain.

ⓘ But I also noticed the cold and prying eyes of Old Delhi – the cold, incessant stares that did not seem like the friendly stares one finds in other places in India. Was I not welcome here?

From that first visit, as part of a tour, to many subsequent visits to Delhi (often solo), it has taken me some time to appreciate – and even learn to love – Delhi.

Much of that learning has been with the help of tips from friends – both local Delhiites and international friends who know the city. So here is why Delhi is a firm favourite on my India itinerary, and some top tips for things to do in Delhi that will hopefully give you – too – that feeling of appreciation for this crazy city of contrasts.

Why Should you Visit Delhi?

Despite its less than wonderful reputation as a travel destination in Delhi, to miss out on visiting Delhi during a trip to India would be a bit of a sin. There are plenty of reasons to given India’s capital a chance, from its food, to its lush parks in the south of the city, to its mish-mash of cultures and languages that represent the varied tapestry that the sub-continent of India covers.

Delhi is a summary of all that India is – from its super modern metro to its crumbling havelis (historic stately homes), from its dusty spice markets to its gleaming and luxurious shopping malls.

But if there’s one reason that stands out most to us as a reason to visit, it’s Delhi’s history. Delhi is one of the longest-serving capitals in the world, and has witnessed the rise and fall of empires. A walk through Delhi can take you past monuments from the late 1100s to the present day, in a city heavily influenced by the Mughals, the British and many others.

Essential New Delhi Travel Tips – Know Before you Go

Delhi is the entry point to India for so many visitors, and yet despite its charms, it is not the easiest place to arrive in India. Touts and con-artists are used to tourists who’ve just arrived in the city – it’s not something to be nervous about, but more a reason to do your research and use common sense.

Here are some of our tried and tested Delhi travel tips for newcomers.

• If you’re staying in a mid-range or upscale hotel (which is a good idea), arrange an airport pickup directly with them for a smooth landing (more tips on airport transportation below).

• If you’re flying long-haul, build in some time to rest and take it easy – Delhi can be overwhelming, especially when you’re tired.

• Organise a tour for your first day in Delhi – Helps you to get your bearings and ease in to the pace of Delhi with the comfort of someone showing you around. (Book tours via reputable companies with good reviews, we don’t recommend using the guides loitering outside famous monuments in Delhi). See our recommendations below.

• Ignore offers of “free” tuk-tuk rides or shopping tours. Anything that is “free” will invariably lead to you being taken to a number of shops, where the driver will earn a commission for taking you there and on any of your purchases.

• Just after Diwali is not the ideal time to visit Delhi. Every year, the city gets covered in toxic smog. It’s better to visit later in the winter if you can.

• If you have a few minutes at the airport, get an Airtel or Vodafone Simcard for your mobile phone – as this will make travel and communication in India much easier! The booths are located inside the arrivals hall.

• Generally ignore people who come up to you at railway stations asking to see your ticket or at monuments – they are usually touts although their sales pitch may not come immediately.

• The key with Delhi is to be cautious but not paranoid – hold your head up high, walk like you know where you’re going, and you’ll likely find people leave you alone!