Delhi
Delhi deserves 2–3 nights, usually at the start of a Golden Triangle trip. It's really two cities: chaotic, historic Old Delhi (Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk) and leafy, planned New Delhi (India Gate, government buildings, upscale markets). The Delhi Metro is clean, cheap, and the easiest way to skip the city's legendary traffic. Budget roughly $25–50/day per person before accommodation.
Delhi is most travelers' first real contact with India, and it does not ease you in gently. It's loud, dense, endlessly layered with history, and — for a few days in winter — genuinely smoggy. It's also one of the most rewarding capital cities in the world if you give it two proper days instead of treating it as an airport with a fort attached.
How many days do you need in Delhi?
Two to three nights is the sweet spot for most first-timers. One full day for Old Delhi (Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk's food lanes), one for New Delhi and its monuments (Humayun's Tomb, Qutub Minar, India Gate), and a spare afternoon for a market or museum if you have it. Delhi is also the natural staging point for day or overnight trips to Agra and Jaipur.
Old Delhi vs. New Delhi — where to base yourself
| Area | Best for | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Connaught Place | First-timers, central location | Colonial-era circular market, well-connected by metro |
| Paharganj | Backpackers on a tight budget | Loud, cheap, right by the main train station |
| South Delhi (Hauz Khas, Saket) | Comfort, restaurants, nightlife | Modern, leafy, more upscale |
| Old Delhi | Immersion in the chaos and the food | Dense, historic, not the easiest for late-night comfort |
Use the Delhi Metro whenever you can — it's genuinely excellent: clean, cheap (fares typically under $0.50), air-conditioned, and it skips Delhi's notoriously bad road traffic entirely. Buy a rechargeable smart card at any station rather than a paper token for every ride.
What's actually worth seeing
- Red Fort (Lal Qila) — the Mughal emperors' walled seat of power; arrive early to avoid both the heat and the tour groups.
- Jama Masjid — India's largest mosque, a short walk from the Red Fort; modest dress required, robes are lent at the entrance if needed.
- Humayun's Tomb — a stunning Mughal garden-tomb widely considered the architectural precursor to the Taj Mahal, and far less crowded.
- Qutub Minar — a soaring 12th-century minaret and one of Delhi's three UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
- India Gate and the Lotus Temple — a war memorial and a striking modern Bahá'í house of worship, both worth an hour each.
Chandni Chowk and Old Delhi street food
Chandni Chowk is Old Delhi's centuries-old market lane, and it's still the best place in the city to eat — parathas stuffed with everything imaginable, chaat (savory street snacks), and jalebi fried to order. Go hungry, go with a local guide or food tour if it's your first time in India (it makes the sensory overload much easier to navigate), and pick stalls with a visible queue of locals.
Getting around Delhi
The metro handles most cross-city trips well; for shorter hops, auto-rickshaws and ride-hailing apps (Uber and the local Ola) are cheap and easy — always confirm the fare or use the app's metered price rather than negotiating from scratch. Traffic is genuinely intense during rush hour, so build in extra time for any road trip across the city.
One honest heads-up: winter air quality
Delhi's air quality gets genuinely bad in winter (roughly November–January), driven by a mix of vehicle emissions, construction dust, and seasonal crop-stubble burning in nearby states. If you have respiratory sensitivities, check the current Air Quality Index before you travel and consider a well-fitted mask for outdoor time on the worst days. It doesn't rule out a winter visit — it's just worth knowing about rather than being surprised by.
Mistakes worth avoiding
- Accepting an unsolicited 'helper' at the train station or a tuk-tuk driver's offer of a 'better hotel' — it's almost always a commission scheme.
- Walking into the New Delhi Railway Station area without a plan — it's a well-known hotspot for scams targeting confused tourists just off a flight or train.
- Skipping the Delhi Metro because it looks complicated — it's actually the fastest, cheapest, and least stressful way to see the city.
Find a place near a metro line — it saves real time and hassle
Compare Delhi hotelsWhere to stay in Delhi — hotels
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