The city of a thousand images is an increasingly popular travel destination and here in my Delhi Trip Advisor tips, I will show you how best to plan your journey, what climate to expect, and which sights in Delhi you definitely shouldn’t miss on your exploration tours. So you have all the highlights of the metropolis of millions on your radar before you leave and can fill your bucket list – anticipation included! So hop on my rickshaw quickly, because I’ll take you straight into the colorful hustle and bustle of the capital of India.
With 18 million inhabitants, Delhi is the second largest city in the country after Mumbai. If I had to describe the capital of India in three words, I would come up with Loud. Closely. Beautiful! Due to the heavy traffic, the many people, and the seemingly chaotic cityscape, some tourists advise against traveling to Delhi. In addition, the capital is simply too uninteresting and there are many more beautiful places and regions to discover in India. Many enthusiastic visitors to the city cannot share this view at all, because Delhi may seem overwhelming to European eyes at first, but once you have immersed yourself in the city’s culture, you will be happy to come back! So that you can get a direct overview of the city’s most beautiful sights in my Delhi Trip Advisor tips, I have marked the must-sees on a map for you below.
Airport transfer
Before you can discover the highlights, you first have to get to the metropolis of millions and know how best to get around there. Indira Gandhi International Airport is located 22 kilometers from the city center. Direct connections to the metropolis are currently offered from Europe, Canada, South Africa & Australia, etc. The best place to look for cheap flights is Delighted Journey.
If you want to travel directly from other regions of India to the metropolis, for example during a tour through the diverse country, there are three large train stations in the city. You arrive by train at either the Old Delhi Railway Station, the New Delhi Railway Station, or the Nizamuddin Railway Station and are right in the middle of the lively hustle and bustle of Delhi Trip Advisor.
Once you have arrived in the metropolis of millions, there are various options for getting around. Let yourself be driven through the streets and alleys in a rickshaw or motorized tuk tuk (note: always negotiate the price before departure!), use the metro and escape the hustle and bustle of traffic. Of course, you can also experience the chaotic traffic up close, for example by taking a taxi. Please note, however, that a journey from A to B can sometimes take a very long time. The streets of the capital are overcrowded, the traffic rules are often nothing more than “traffic recommendations” and a stuffy traffic jam has cost many a tourist their nerves. If you see elephants, buffaloes, cows and pigs on the streets, you have definitely arrived in Delhi!
Weather
Because the subtropical climate in the Indian capital Delhi is very hot and oppressive in summer, I recommend a trip in spring or winter. But even then you can expect very warm days, which have made many a tourist sweat a lot in the narrow streets. In summer, from mid-March, you can expect temperatures of 30 to 40 degrees Celsius during the day and in the mild winter you can expect temperatures of 21 to 28 degrees during the day. Definitely avoid the months of May and June, where the average maximum temperatures are around 40 degrees Celsius. According to the climate table, the coldest month in Delhi is January – here you can expect warm, but comparatively pleasant, temperatures of 28 degrees on average. I therefore recommend the months of March and April as the best time to travel to Delhi with bearable temperatures and few rainy days.
Sightseeing features
In one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, there are many sights for you to discover on a tour of the metropolis. In general, two districts in Delhi couldn’t be more different – Old Delhi and New Delhi. In Old Delhi, you can expect narrow streets, colorful crowds, many mosques, temples, and nesting small and large markets. New Delhi, on the other hand, the city plan was designed by British architects, houses the city’s government district, is full of magnificent buildings, and is particularly popular with young people and innovative companies. I also recommend a visit to Hauz Khas Village in the south of the metropolis, where you can find many ruins, green landscapes with lakes, large parks, and the most popular restaurants, bars, and clubs in Delhi Trip Advisor.
Best Places for visit in Delhi
As you can see, there are countless facets in Delhi and at least as many things that you should put on your bucket list. So that you can visit as many of the must-sees as possible within the shortest possible time, I recommend a sightseeing tour in my Delhi tips. There are several options for you. A very special way to discover the city is a sightseeing tour with our provate car & driver tour. You book the private car & guide with us for one day or for several days and enjoy past the city’s most important sights. You can get on and off as often as you like, giving you complete flexibility as to which sights you want to stay longer at or which sights you don’t want to take a closer look at.
We also provide at Heritage Walk in Old Delhi & South Delhi. Former Delhi street children (one of our professional guide) will guide you through the city and, in addition to real insider tips about your stops, you will also get a great insight into the lives of the locals, especially that of the street children – of which there are unfortunately still far too many in Delhi. The range of other sightseeing tours on offer is huge. When choosing and booking your tour, make sure that you contact reputable providers – for example, if you book the tour directly with Delighted Journey, you are least likely to go wrong.
Jama Masjid
The largest mosque in India is the Jama Masjid Friday Mosque in Old Delhi. Commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan – who also had the famous Taj Mahal built – this magnificent work was completed in 1656 and has been attracting not only believers but also many other enthusiastic admirers ever since. Up to 25,000 believers can stay together in the inner courtyard and pray together. Built of red sandstone and with black and white marble on the large domes, the mosque is truly a feast for the eyes. Translated, “Jama Masjid” means something like “mosque that looks out on the world”. If you want to marvel at the masterpiece, you can borrow scarves and coats to cover it up on site.
Red Fort
The fortress and palace complex Red Fort with various impressive temples and mosques was also commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century. In 2007, the impressive structure was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 18 to 34 meter high walls extend over two kilometers in length. The Red Fort is also one of the most visited attractions in the city and should therefore not be missing from my Delhi tips. You can visit the large area in Old Delhi every day from 9:30 a.m. and every evening, except Mondays, there is a gigantic light show in which you can understand the history of India.
India Gate
Modeled on the great model, the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the 42 meter high triumphal arch made of red and beige sandstone in the center of the Indian capital Delhi was designed by Edwin Lutyens in 1931. It is intended to commemorate the soldiers who died in India in the First World War and the Afghanistan War in 1919. Engraved into the walls you will find the names of more than 13,500 war victims from India and Great Britain, but the total number of victims is estimated at more than 90,000. By the way, the official name of the triumphal arch is India War Memorial. The area with its extensive lawn around the Triumphal Arch is a popular meeting place for locals and tourists. By the way, there is no longer any traffic around the India Gate – so be sure to stop by here!
Qutub Minar
The Victory Tower in the city of millions should not be missing from your sightseeing tours of the metropolis and has of course also secured a place in my Delhi tips. Built in the 13th century, the Victory Tower, which forms the center of the area, has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1993. The impressive tower made of red sandstone measures a total of 72.5 meters spread over five floors, making it one of the tallest towers in the Islamic world. Unfortunately, since 1981 you have no longer been able to climb the tower and visit the inside because 45 people died there after a power outage and subsequent mass panic. But a look at the Qutub Minar from the outside is definitely worth it when visiting Delhi.
Purana Qila
The city’s oldest monument is the Purana Qila fortification, built by the Afghan ruler Sher Shah between 1538 and 1545 and located 1.5 kilometers east of the India Gate triumphal arch. Today, large parts of the buildings are still very well preserved and it will take you about two hours to see all the highlights. In addition to the numerous monuments such as the Qila i-Kuhna Mosque, be sure to take a look at the Sher Mandal, which served as an impressive garden pavilion, a library and an observatory. The Great Mughal Babur died here in 1556 when he fell from the stairs and succumbed to internal injuries a short time later. Many visitors even say that the Purana Qila is more beautiful than the Red Fort, which is overrun with tourists. Stop by and see for yourself!
Lodi Gardens
If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the metropolis from time to time, you should stop by the Lodi Gardens and look for a tranquil place to linger. The large park is a popular meeting place for locals and tourists looking for a break from the hectic everyday life of a metropolis. In the parks, you will find many buildings from the 15th and 16th centuries, including various mausoleums. You can also look forward to extensive meadows where you can relax. The entire facility is around 360,000 square meters in size and is located in the southwest of the city of over a million people – but no one misses the hustle and bustle of the Indian city here! Check our page-India Travel Guide: Tips for traveling to India.