Delhi
Photos: Bahnfrend (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Ashudas563 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
India's capital territory: Mughal Old Delhi, Lutyens' New Delhi, Sultanate ruins in Mehrauli and Hauz Khas, three UNESCO sites and some of the country's best street food.
Delhi rewards three to four days: Mughal Old Delhi (Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk's food lanes), Lutyens' New Delhi (Kartavya Path, India Gate, museums), the Sultanate ruins of Mehrauli and Hauz Khas, and Sufi Nizamuddin beside Humayun's Tomb. The metro links almost everything; go October-March and check air quality in November.
Highlights: Red Fort and Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi (UNESCO site) · Qutb Minar and Mehrauli Archaeological Park (UNESCO site) · Humayun's Tomb, Sunder Nursery and the Nizamuddin Dargah qawwali · Kartavya Path, India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhavan · Jama Masjid and Old Delhi street food · Hauz Khas Village lake, ruins and cafes · Connaught Place, Janpath and Agrasen ki Baoli · Lodhi Gardens and the Lodhi Art District · Majnu ka Tilla Tibetan colony · Republic Day parade (26 Jan)
When to go
Green best · blue good · red avoid · this month outlinedNovember: Smog season. Air quality in Delhi NCR is often very poor to severe; GRAP restrictions can stop construction and some vehicles. Plan outdoor sightseeing for afternoons and carry masks.
Destinations
Towns, valleys and cities worth the trip, with how they rate this month.
Weekend getaways from Delhi
Road distance and drive time from the centre, with a little extra for traffic. Places in season this month come first.
Surajkund
Good in NovCrafts mela in February and an old Aravalli reservoir
Sultanpur National Park
Good in NovWinter migratory birds an hour from Delhi
Damdama Lake
Good in NovLake camps, boating and adventure activities
Murthal
Good in NovLate-night parathas at the NH-44 dhabas
Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary
Good in NovQuiet wetland with winter birds
Neemrana
Good in NovHill-fort heritage hotel with zip-lining over the Aravallis
Mathura and Vrindavan
Good in NovKrishna temples; Holi and Janmashtami are the big festivals
Kurukshetra
Good in NovBrahma Sarovar and the Gita Mahotsav in Nov-Dec
Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur
Good in NovBird sanctuary best seen by cycle or rickshaw
Agra
Good in NovTaj Mahal and Agra Fort via the Yamuna Expressway (Taj closed on Fridays)
Fatehpur Sikri
Good in NovMughal capital city, easy to combine with Agra
Haridwar
Good in NovEvening Ganga aarti at Har Ki Pauri
Jim Corbett National Park
Good in NovJungle safaris; Dhikala zone opens mid-November
Sariska and Alwar
Good in NovTiger reserve safaris and Siliserh Lake
Rishikesh
Good in NovRafting, cafes and Ganga aarti; rafting pauses in the monsoon
Lansdowne
Good in NovQuiet cantonment hill town with oak forests
Mussoorie
Good in NovMall Road, Landour walks and Himalayan views
Chandigarh
Good in NovRock Garden, Sukhna Lake and a base for Kasauli
Bhangarh Fort
Good in NovRuined fort town, open only sunrise to sunset
Morni Hills
Good in NovHaryana's only hill station, lakes and forest trails
Nainital
Good in NovLake town with boating and the Kumaon hills
Jaipur
Good in NovForts, bazaars and food in the Pink City
Kasauli
Good in NovClosest Himachal hill town to Delhi
Top sights
Agrasen ki Baoli
A 60 m long stone stepwell with 108 steps, tucked among the office blocks off Hailey Road near Connaught Place.
Gurudwara Bangla Sahib
Delhi's best-known Sikh gurdwara, linked to Guru Har Krishan. It has a sacred sarovar, a free community kitchen (langar) and gold domes near Connaught Place.
Hanuman Temple, Connaught Place
Old Hanuman temple on Baba Kharak Singh Marg, linked by legend to the Mahabharata. Unusually, its spire carries a crescent moon. It is busiest on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Indian Air Force Museum Palam
Free museum at Palam Air Force Station with historic military aircraft, weapons, uniforms and photographs tracing the history of the Indian Air Force.
Kartavya Path
New Delhi's redeveloped ceremonial boulevard from Rashtrapati Bhavan past India Gate, with lawns, canals and the Republic Day parade route.
Laxminarayan Temple
Hindu temple to Laxmi and Narayan near Connaught Place, built by the Birla family and opened by Mahatma Gandhi. Free entry; no phones or cameras.
National Museum
India's flagship museum on Janpath, covering roughly 5,000 years of art and archaeology, from the Harappan period to the decorative arts.
National Rail Museum
Open-air railway museum in Chanakyapuri with vintage locomotives and saloons, the Patiala monorail and toy-train rides. Popular with families.
Nature and outdoors
Lodi Gardens
A 90-acre city park off Lodhi Road with 15th–16th century Sayyid and Lodi tombs set among lawns and walking paths.
Garden of Five Senses
Themed 20-acre park in Said-ul-Ajaib with sculptures, water features, flower beds and rocky terrain designed to engage all five senses.
National Zoological Park Delhi
Delhi's main zoo next to Purana Qila, a large green campus with big cats, primates, birds and reptiles; closed on Fridays.
Sunder Nursery
A 90-acre restored Mughal-era garden next to Humayun's Tomb, with heritage tombs, a nursery, lakes and a cafe.
Waste to Wonder Park
Theme park near Sarai Kale Khan with replicas of the Seven Wonders of the World built from scrap metal; most atmospheric when lit at night.
Amrit Udyan
The formal gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan, open to the public free of charge for a few weeks twice a year (roughly Feb–Mar and mid-Aug to mid-Sep).
Deer Park, Hauz Khas
Free green park beside Hauz Khas Village with a spotted-deer enclosure, rabbits, peacocks, Lodi-era tombs and walking trails.
Asaf Ali Park
Things to do
Yamuna Sports Complex
sports complex in New Delhi, India
The Free Spirit Dance Studio
Dance workshops on Bollywood, Indian folk genres like bhangra and contemporary Western and fusion genres, including jazz, hip-hop and zumba.
Sanjay Lake Park
A newly built adventure park comprising a range of outdoor activities, from water sports and treetop courses to archery and beach volleyball. The adventure park also has an artificial lake which attracts migratory birds and is surrounded by indigenous trees.
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Major Dhyan Chand Sports complex
Dwarka Sector 11 Sports Complex
Paschim Vihar Sports Complex
Hari Nagar Sports Complex
Where to eat
Paranthe Wali Gali
Narrow Chandni Chowk lane lined with century-old shops deep-frying stuffed parathas in ghee, all vegetarian and onion/garlic-free.
Karim's
Old Delhi's best-known Mughlai eatery, in a lane off Jama Masjid since 1913, famed for meat curries, kebabs and khamiri roti.
Pt. Kanhaiya Lal Durga Prasad Dixit
Paratha shop established in 1875 in Paranthe Wali Gali, one of the lane's surviving original family businesses.
Pt. Babu Ram Devi Dayal Paranthe Wale
Paratha shop dating to 1886 in Paranthe Wali Gali, known for its wide range of stuffed parathas.
Ghantewala
Chandni Chowk sweet shop dating to 1790 that closed in 2015 and reopened in August 2024, known for sohan halwa.
Moti Mahal (Daryaganj)
Daryaganj original of Moti Mahal, opened after Partition and credited with popularising tandoori chicken and butter chicken.
Bukhara
ITC Maurya's North-West Frontier restaurant since 1977, famous for tandoori kebabs eaten by hand and Dal Bukhara.
Al Jawahar
Family-run Mughlai restaurant opposite Jama Masjid Gate 1 since 1948, known for korma, nihari and chicken jahangiri.
Shopping
Karol Bagh Market
Large west-central Delhi shopping district for clothes, bridal wear, jewellery and electronics, centred on Ajmal Khan Road and Gaffar Market.
Connaught Place
Colonial-era Georgian circular shopping and dining hub at the centre of New Delhi, with brand stores, restaurants and bars around inner and outer circles.
Dilli Haat
Ticketed open-air crafts bazaar run by Delhi Tourism, with rotating stalls from every Indian state and regional food counters.
Janpath Market
Street-side market off Connaught Place selling budget ethnic wear, junk jewellery, embroidered bags and souvenirs.
Chandni Chowk Market
Dense web of Old Delhi bazaars, each lane specialising in one trade: wedding trims, silver, books, fabric, spices and legendary street food.
Khan Market
Upscale U-shaped market in Lutyens' Delhi known for bookshops, premium lifestyle brands and a dense cluster of cafes and restaurants.
Majnu-ka-tilla
Tibetan refugee colony on the Yamuna bank with a monastery, cheap Tibetan and Korean eateries, and budget fashion and handicraft stalls.
Select Citywalk
Premium Saket mall with international fashion and beauty brands, dining, an outdoor plaza and a multiplex.
Food to try
- Chole bhature: Fried bread with spiced chickpeas; Sita Ram Diwan Chand in Paharganj is a classic stop
- Paranthe Wali Gali parathas: Deep-fried stuffed parathas in a lane off Chandni Chowk
- Mughlai kebabs, korma and nihari: Karim's (since 1913) and the lanes south of Jama Masjid
- Chaat: Savoury street snacks; Old Delhi and Bengali Market near Connaught Place
- Daulat ki chaat: Frothy milk dessert sold in Chandni Chowk only in winter, roughly late November to early February
- Old Delhi halwais: Sohan halwa, Karachi halwa and ghewar at heritage shops like Ghantewala and Chaina Ram
- Tibetan momos and thukpa: Majnu ka Tilla's Tibetan eateries
Festivals
- Republic Day parade and Beating Retreat: Months: 1; Description: Parade on Kartavya Path on 26 Jan, full-dress rehearsal on 28 Jan and Beating Retreat on 29 Jan; tickets on the Aamantran portal/app and at counters (2025 prices Rs 20-100)
- Sufi Basant at Nizamuddin Dargah: Months: 1 · 2; Description: On Basant Panchami the dargah is decked in yellow flowers and qawwals sing Amir Khusrau's spring verses (23 Jan in 2026)
- Independence Day: Months: 8; Description: The Prime Minister's address from the Red Fort on 15 Aug
- Ramlila and Dussehra: Months: 9 · 10; Description: Evening Ramlila stagings at Ramlila Maidan, Subhash Maidan near the Red Fort and Mandi House (SBKK); Ravan Dahan on Dussehra (20 Oct in 2026)
- Phool Walon Ki Sair: Months: 10; Description: Inter-faith flower procession in Mehrauli from Yogmaya Temple to Bakhtiyar Kaki's dargah, usually early October; the 2025 edition was postponed