Discover Delhi’s rich history with this 3-day itinerary

Crammed with captivating culture but noisy and fast-paced, Delhi offers a deep immersion into India's rich history. Some new arrivals are daunted by the city’s size and bustle, but there’s so much to see and do that you’ll want to take at least a few days to explore. 

Thanks to plentiful taxis and autorickshaws and the Delhi Metro, it’s easy to zip between sights such as the Red Fort and the Qutb Minar, but one of Delhi’s most memorable experiences is simply wandering on foot through the tangled bazaars of Shahjahanabad – the ancient city founded by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. 

As a first stop in India, Delhi can be an intense experience, so build some breathing space into your itinerary and take time to step back from the fast flow of Delhi life in cafes and parks such as the Lodi Gardens and the Sunder Nursery. 

Thanks to centuries of trade on the Grand Trunk Road, you’ll eat like an emperor in Delhi, enjoying everything from Mughal-influenced kebabs and the Punjabi curries that put India on the world's food map to Delhi’s delectable dilli-ka-chaat street food. 

Kick start the adventure with this three-day itinerary taking in the best of Delhi, from Mughal and British-era monuments to magnificent markets. 

When to arrive

Days in Delhi are warm year-round, but the monsoon rains from June to September can cramp your travel plans. The best time to visit is from November to March, when the days are bright and dry. Smart travelers avoid April and May, when daytime temperatures can exceed 40°C (104°F) before the monsoon arrives to douse the heat.

The peak tourist season runs from November to February, but nighttime temperatures can feel quite chilly and fog can cause delays to flights and even train departures. This is also the worst season for air pollution, which peaks in November due to stubble burning by farmers in surrounding states. Consider wearing a facemask if you visit at this time. 

How to get around

Delhi’s expanding Indira Gandhi International Airport is the busiest airport in India, with good connections to Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America – as well as excellent domestic connections to cities all over India. Long-distance buses to Delhi arrive at the fairly central Inter-State Bus Terminals at Kashmere Gate and Anand Vihar. 

You can also reach Delhi from almost everywhere in India by train, but always check which station you are arriving into or leaving from – central New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS) is the main hub, but trains run from Old Delhi Railway Station/Delhi Junction (DLI), Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station (NZM) and several other stations.  

Taxis, autorickshaws and Ola and Uber rideshares are handy ways to explore the city, but you may need to agree on a fare before you depart, as drivers are often reluctant to use the meter. City buses are extremely cheap but routes can be confusing and the traffic will slow journeys down considerably. For longer trips, use the Delhi Metro, which runs to the airport and connects the center to sights in the southern suburbs, such as the Qutb Minar and Mehrauli. 

What to pack

You’ll need some sturdy footwear for exploring Delhi’s ruined cities, plus some sandals or flip-flops that you can remove easily when entering Delhi’s sacred sites. Delhi is fairly liberal when it comes to dress, but clothes that cover the shoulders and legs are best for temple visits. Women may want to bring a headscarf for exploring Islamic sites. 

Prioritize loose-fitting cotton clothes with long legs and sleeves for keeping off the sun, and keeping off mosquitoes in the early morning and evening. Consider wearing what locals wear – kurta pajamas (a long shirt and loose trousers) for men and the similar salwar kameez for women are extremely practical outfits for the local climate. Pack a warmer layer for the cooler nights; in mid-winter, bring a more substantial jacket. 

Bring sunscreen, a sun hat, and mosquito repellent, plus a plug-in mosquito killer or mosquito net in case your accommodation doesn’t provide one. And carry a refillable water bottle so you can top up from hotel supplies rather than buying bottled water and creating unnecessary plastic waste. 

Day 1: Soak in the atmosphere of New Delhi

Go to central Delhi: It’s a good idea to stay centrally – around Connaught Place, New Delhi, or Paharganj, opposite New Delhi Railway Station – so you don’t lose chunks of your day traveling to the sights. If you stay further out, choose a hotel close to the Metro. 

How to spend the day: Start early with a stroll around Connaught Place, a nostalgic, British-built shopping quarter located between New Delhi and Old Delhi. It has a gentle charm early in the morning before the crowds gather, and chai wallahs (tea vendors) will sell you a warm cup of sweet, spiced milky tea to sip as the morning mist clears. 

Ease yourself into the Delhi experience with a stroll around New Delhi, the tidy administrative capital planned by British architect Edwin Lutyens in the 1920s. Jump on the Metro to the Central Secretariat – an eye-catching government hub for the British Raj and later independent India. In 2025, the North and South Block buildings are slated to become the new Yuge Yugeen Bharat Indian Museum, replacing the current National Museum. 

The new Parliament of India, opened in 2023, sits just to the north, but walk south to Kartavya Path (formerly known as Rajpath, and before that, Kingsway), where you can stroll east, admiring monuments and civic buildings constructed in the distinctive Indo-Saracenic style, fusing Hindu, Mughal and European themes.

Until the new museum opens, the dusty National Museum continues to house some of the nation's best historic treasures, and just east is Edwin Lutyens’ 42m-tall (138ft) India Gate, paying tribute to the 90,000 Indian Army soldiers who died in WWI, in operations on the Northwest Frontier, and in the 1919 Anglo-Afghan War. 

Head south of here, cross busy India Gate Circuit to Bikaner House, which hosts some excellent exhibitions and cultural events and a small craft market. Take a break in the on-site Diggin cafe, or head around the corner to Gulati for some of the city’s best butter chicken, then continue to the National Gallery of Modern Art for a crash course in Indian modernism and iconography.

Next, follow Kasturba Gandhi Marg northwest to reach the 14th-century Agrasen ki Baoli, one of Delhi’s most beautiful baolis (step wells), with 103 steps descending into the water. Follow Tolstoy Marg west to the Jantar Mantar, one of five observatories built by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur in the early 18th century. Here, a well-maintained park contains a collection of curious-looking geometric structures that are carefully calibrated to monitor the movement of the stars and planets.

Before you stop for supper, do a spot of craft shopping. Lined up in a row along Baba Khark Singh Marg are a series of treasure-filled state emporiums selling crafts produced by artisans from each Indian state, ranging from clothing made from khadi (handspun cloth) to sandalwood carvings of deities.

Evening: Make your first dinner in Delhi a feast. Book ahead for a stylish meal at Dine at Indian Accent at The Lodhi hotel, where you can sample the cutting edge of modern Indian cuisine, or visit Khan Market for fancy eats with a side of high-end shopping.

Alternatively, dine in or around Connaught Place. You can enjoy posh Indian eats and cocktails in sleek surroundings at Véda on Block H, or filling thalis (plate meals) of tasty veg-dominated South Indian food at Hotel Saravana Bhavan on Block P. For more southern treats, head south to the Andhra Pradesh Bhawan Canteen or Kerala House Canteen. 

Day 2. Dive into the maze-like bazaars of Old Delhi

Go to Old Delhi: The medieval city of Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi) is the capital’s historic heart, founded in 1648 when Shah Jahan moved his capital northwest from Agra. The Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk Metro stations will place you in the heart of the action, or you can take an enjoyable walk northeast from New Delhi Railway Station through the evocative Chawri Bazaar. 

How to spend the day: You’ve seen how the British reinvented Delhi; now discover the delights of the original city. With tangled lanes wriggling around some of the city’s most important attractions, old-style bazaar shopping and fantastic street eats, you haven’t really been to Delhi until you’ve explored the Old City.

Start at the Red Fort, entering this vast Mughal fort via the Lahore Gate, noting the bastion built by Aurangzeb and the bullet marks dating from the First War of Independence in 1857. Wander through the covered Chatta Chowk marketplace to reach the interior of the fort, where Mughal pavilions stand amidst Victorian-style barracks that have been converted into museums.

Highlights include the red sandstone Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audiences) where the Mughal emperor held meetings with ordinary citizens, the delicate marble Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque), the opulent white marble Khas Mahal containing the emperor’s private apartments, and the Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audiences) where the emperor held private meetings with officials of state. Note the artificial stream known as the Nahr-i-Bihisht (Stream of Paradise), which once cooled the royal quarters.

Exit the Fort and enter the magical maze of markets at Chandni Chowk. Here, you’ll find whole lanes devoted to the sale of fancy wedding outfits, chappals (slippers), ornate wrapping paper, kites, car shock absorbers, and more. To the west lie the 17th-century Fatehpuri Masjid, and the labyrinthine Spice Market (Khari Baoli), a kaleidoscope of red chillies, yellow turmeric, green cardamoms and fragrant brown cumin and coriander. 

As part of your explorations, sample Old Delhi's street food. Essential stops include Natraj Dahi Balle Corner for dahi balle (lentil flour balls with yoghurt and chutney) and aloo tikki (spiced potato patties), and the snack cafes on Gali Paranthe Wali for tasty stuffed and unstuffed parathas (fried flatbreads). Also check out Sita Ram Dewan Chand for the city’s best chhole bhature (spiced chickpeas with a fried puffed flatbread). 

Finish off at Bade Mia Ki Kheer with a bowl of creamy, cardamom-scented kheer (rice pudding), or Kuremal Mohan Lal for kulfi (Indian-style ice cream), available in flavors such as pomegranate, fig and watermelon. Alternatively, grab some kaju barfi (cashew-milk fudge in silver leaf) at Bikaner Sweet Corner or jalebis (deep-fried, syrupy whorls of dough) from Old Famous Jalebi Wala to munch on while you stroll. 

As the afternoon wears on, make for the epic Jama Masjid, Shah Jahan’s final architectural triumph, built between 1644 and 1658 with room for a mind-blowing 25,000 worshippers. Two minarets rise 40m (131ft) above the central dome, one of which can be climbed for amazing views of the Old City, with paper kites and birds of prey hovering overhead. 

Evening: Many visitors graze through Old Delhi at lunchtime and retreat to calmer quarters of the city for dinner, but it’s worth lingering for an evening meal. Close to the Jama Masjid, century-old Karim’s Hotel is one of the most respected Muslim eateries in the city, serving kebabs and meaty stews in richly spiced sauces. 

Day 3. See more of Delhi’s historic riches

Go out of central Delhi: The Metro is the easiest way to reach districts to the east and south of Old Delhi, but autorickshaws are an atmospheric way to reach sights closer to the center, such as the Lodi Garden and Humayan’s Tomb. 

How to spend the day: With a day at your disposal, you can roll back the centuries in Delhi’s ancient cities. Start with the Purana Qila, a handsome fortress founded by Afghan sultan Sher Shah in the 16th century. The Mughal Emperor Humayun died after falling down the stairs here in 1556, before being interred in Delhi’s grandest tomb.  

The defining monument of the Muslim-dominated Nizamuddin district, Humayun’s Tomb is sublimely well proportioned, seeming to float above its symmetrical gardens. The mausoleum is thought to have inspired the Taj Mahal, which it predates by 60 years. The arched facade is inlaid with bands of white marble and red sandstone, and the building follows strict rules of Islamic geometry, with an emphasis on the number eight.

Don’t miss the surrounding formal gardens, where the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, took refuge before being captured and exiled by the British in 1857. Nearby is the charming Sunder Nursery, another 16th-century garden designed in the Persian charbagh style – paying homage to the four gardens of paradise. It was an overgrown wasteland before being brilliantly restored between 2007 and 2018.

There’s plenty more to see in the area. Visiting the marble dargah (tomb) of the Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin is Delhi’s most mystical, magical experience. The tomb is reached through a knot of bazaars lined with kebab stalls and vendors selling rose petals, attars (perfumes) and offerings. On some evenings, you can hear devotees singing moving qawwalis (Sufi devotional hymns). 

A short autorickshaw or taxi ride away is the lovely Lodi Garden, a tomb-dotted park that offers a moment of calm away from the crowds, and a little further west is the elegant sandstone Tomb of Safdarjang, built by the Nawab of Avadh for his father in 1754. 

Break for lunch at Hauz Khas Village, an arty little enclave of cool cafes, restaurants, live-music venues, and offbeat fashion stores, surrounding a peaceful reservoir excavated by Sultan Ala-uddin Khilji in the 14th century, and the impressive ruins of Sultan Firoz Shah’s madrasa (Islamic college) and tomb. 

Finish a day of diving into history at the magnificent Qutb Minar Complex in South Delhi, easily reached by Metro. This UNESCO-listed site preserves the ruins of the first Islamic city of Delhi, constructed by Qutb-ud-din Aibak after he rampaged into town in 1193.

Surrounded by toppled tombs, mosques, madrassas and palaces, the centerpiece of the ruins is the world’s tallest brick minaret, climbing to 73m (240ft) and carved with intricate Islamic script. Nearby is a solid iron pillar from the 5th century CE, whose production was a remarkable feat using the technology of the time.

If time allows, see more of the ruins of Sultanate-era Delhi nearby at Mehrauli, where dry, dusty forests hide the time-scarred remains of stepwells, palaces, tombs with ornate carved stucco ceilings, and the Hijron ka Khanqah, a Lodhi-era burial ground for hijras (eunuchs and transgender and intersex people) that is still maintained by the hijra community today. 

Evening: With the Metro close at hand, all of Delhi is your oyster for a last dinner, but one rewarding option is to eat in the Qutb Minar area. For a stylish Mediterranean-inspired dinner, head to Olive, set in a stylish haveli (mansion) courtyard, or have a casual dinner of burgers, sandwiches, chicken chilli, momos (Tibetan-style dumplings) and more overlooking a dainty lake at Mehrauli’s Cafe Stone. 

This article was adapted from Lonely Planet’s India guidebook, published in November 2024.