Tradition · Oct - Mar
Shahjahanabad at Dawn
Two guided morning walks through the walled city with a historian, a rickshaw ride through Khari Baoli and a Sufi music evening
From US$800 per person
Overview
The walled city of Shahjahanabad was founded in 1639 and still works the way its planner intended, with each lane given to one trade. Dariba sells silver, Khari Baoli moves more spice than anywhere in Asia, Nai Sarak sells schoolbooks and Kinari Bazar sells wedding braid. Rickshaws thread through at walking pace, and the whole quarter is best covered on foot between 7am and 10am.
Four kilometres south, New Delhi was begun in 1912 and inaugurated in 1931 as the eighth capital. Lutyens and Herbert Baker set the Viceroy's house on Raisina Hill, ran a two-kilometre ceremonial avenue east towards the war memorial, and filled the rest with bungalows on tree-lined circles. The scale is deliberately imperial, which is exactly why it feels so unlike the lanes to the north.
Between those two grids sits everything else a visitor needs: the National Museum on Janpath, Khan Market's bookshops, the Sufi settlement at Nizamuddin, and a metro that makes the distances irrelevant. Western visitors tend to arrive jet-lagged at 3am, sleep until mid-morning, and start gently with gardens before taking on the old city the following dawn.
Hand-held, every step
You travel as our guest, not as a booking number. One named person looks after you from the first video call to the drive back to the airport, and explains the meaning behind everything you are looking at.
In New Delhi that matters most where the crowds are thickest and the customs least familiar.
- Airport welcome with a name board, a local SIM and your first rupees sorted
- One trip manager on WhatsApp for the whole journey, answering within the hour
- Guides who explain each ritual, dish and carving as you meet it
- Reserved, safe places at festivals rather than the crush
- A real part in a puja, a wedding or a family celebration if you want one
- Female guide on request, vetted drivers, and no shopping-commission stops
Festivals worth planning a trip around
Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Islamic dates follow lunar calendars, so each year shifts. We confirm every date against the panchang before a departure goes on sale.
| Festival | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Republic Day | 26 January | A two-hour military and cultural parade along Kartavya Path, followed days later by the Beating Retreat |
| Ramlila at the Red Fort grounds | September to October | Ten nights of outdoor Ramayana theatre, free to attend, ending with effigies burnt on Dussehra |
| Diwali | October to November | Oil lamps, all-night sweet shops and lit-up bazaars; the exact date moves with the lunar month |
| Urs at Nizamuddin Dargah | Varies with the Islamic calendar | The death anniversary of the 14th-century saint, marked with three nights of continuous qawwali |
| Holi | March | Colour play in residential colonies and hotel lawns; most shops and museums close for the day |
| Independence Day | 15 August | The Prime Minister addresses the country from the Red Fort ramparts; central roads shut from dawn |
Food to try in New Delhi
Ranked the way a local host would feed you, starting with the dish you should not leave without.
- Breakfast nihari at Jama MasjidOrder it before 9am from the lane shops south of the mosque, when the pot is deepest
- Mutton korma with sheermalMatia Mahal's speciality: a thin sweet flatbread torn into dark, cardamom-heavy gravy
- Aloo tikki chaatGriddled potato cakes crushed with chutney and yoghurt; Bengali Market does the tidiest version
- Ram ladooFried moong dal fritters topped with shredded radish, sold from handcarts around Lajpat Nagar
- Chaap and roomali rotiFlattened mutton chops with a handkerchief-thin bread, a late-night staple on Asaf Ali Road
- Dahi bhalla papdiLentil dumplings in sweet yoghurt with tamarind and crisp wafers, at the old Chandni Chowk corner stalls
- Kathi rollEgg-coated paratha wrapped around kebab, a Bengali import perfected in Delhi's office districts
- Kashmiri wazwanSlow-cooked rista and gushtaba at the Kashmiri kitchens clustered around Pandara Road and Jor Bagh
- Naga and Northeastern platesSmoked pork and bamboo shoot in Humayunpur, cooked by cooks from Nagaland and Manipur
- Filter coffee and mutton cutletThe Indian Coffee House tradition survives in Connaught Place, where waiters still wear plumed turbans
Heritage sites in New Delhi
- Red FortUNESCO. Enter by Lahori Gate, then find the Hall of Private Audience and the fort's marble hammams
- Jama Masjid1656 and still the main Friday mosque; climb the south minaret for the best view of the old city roofline
- Rashtrapati BhavanLutyens' 340-room presidential palace of 1929; the gardens and circuit tour need booking in advance
- Jantar MantarMasonry astronomical instruments built in 1724 to measure time and track the sun by shadow
- Gurudwara Sis Ganj SahibMarks the 1675 execution of the ninth Sikh Guru on Chandni Chowk's main street
- St James' Church1836, Delhi's oldest church, built by a soldier of mixed descent who survived a battlefield vow
- Khair-ul-Manazil mosqueA 1561 mosque and school opposite Purana Qila, commissioned by Akbar's wet nurse
- Coronation ParkThe 1911 Durbar ground in the far north, where removed statues of British kings now stand in a row
Places to visit in New Delhi
- Chandni Chowk on footStart at Town Hall by 7.30am and walk Dariba, Kinari Bazar and Khari Baoli before the crowds
- Kartavya PathThe ceremonial avenue, best walked at dusk when families picnic on the lawns beside the canals
- Lodi GardenFifteenth-century tombs in a 90 acre park where Delhi walks its dogs and practises yoga
- Gurudwara Bangla SahibFree kitchen, marble tank and continuous hymn singing, ten minutes from Connaught Place
- Khan MarketIndependent bookshops, tailors and old-school chemists in a 1951 refugee-built arcade
- National Crafts MuseumVillage architecture, tribal art and resident artisans working at looms behind the Purana Qila
- Nizamuddin Basti food walkClay-oven bread, Afghan tea shops and biryani in the lanes around the dargah
- Hazrat Nizamuddin station areaUseful base for southbound trains, with Humayun's Tomb and Sunder Nursery on the doorstep
Waterfalls, lakes and wild places
The city's water is historic rather than scenic: stepwells, fort moats and Mughal tanks. November to February gives the clearest reflections and the cool mornings these places deserve. Do not swim or wade anywhere in Delhi, and keep children clear of unfenced stepwell steps, which are slick with algae.
- Yamuna at Vasudev GhatKashmere Gate. Restored river steps and lamps where locals come for sunrise aarti
- Purana Qila moat lakeMathura Road. The old fort ditch, now a rowing lake ringed by jamun trees
- Hauz Khas reservoirSouth Delhi. A 13th-century tank behind the madrasa ruins, full of cormorants and turtles
- Sanjay LakeEast Delhi. A 50 acre engineered lake in a park, quiet enough for early morning birdwatching
- Nehru Park fountainsChanakyapuri. Lawns and water features that host free weekend classical music concerts in winter
- Agrasen ki BaoliHailey Road. A dry sandstone stepwell between office towers, eerily quiet at midday
Where to stay in New Delhi
Properties we would put our own guests in. Your package includes the level you choose, and we hold rooms before festival dates.
- The ImperialJanpath. A 1931 hotel with 24 acres of palms and one of Asia's best colonial art collectionsHeritage
- Taj Mahal New DelhiMansingh Road. Walking distance to India Gate and the museums; strong Indian restaurantsLuxury
- The Oberoi New DelhiGolf Links. Quiet, glassy and efficient, with a rooftop restaurant facing Humayun's TombLuxury
- The ClaridgesLutyens' Delhi. Low-rise, leafy and unhurried, with a Dhaba restaurant locals still bookHeritage
- Haveli DharampuraShahjahanabad. Years of restoration brought this 19th-century courtyard mansion back to lifeBoutique
- Maidens HotelCivil Lines. The place Lutyens himself lived while New Delhi was being drawnHeritage
- The LodhiLodhi Road. Large rooms with private pools, next to the tombs and the Lodhi art districtLuxury
- Hotel BroadwayDaryaganj. Modest, characterful and ideally placed for 7am walks into the walled cityMid-range
Evenings out and culture
| Place | What it is |
|---|---|
| Qawwali nights at Nizamuddin | Thursday devotional singing on the dargah carpets; arrive by 7pm and sit at the back |
| Triveni Kala Sangam | A 1950s arts campus with gallery openings, terrace cafe and small evening dance performances |
| Sangeet Natak Akademi recitals | Government-run classical music and dance seasons in Mandi House, usually free to attend |
| Connaught Place bars | Rooftops and basement live-music rooms under the colonnades, busiest Thursday to Saturday |
| Dilli Haat cultural evenings | Folk troupes from a different state each fortnight, performing outdoors beside the crafts stalls |
Getting to New Delhi by air
| Airport or route | Detail |
|---|---|
| Indira Gandhi International (DEL) | Terminal 3 for international, Terminal 1 and 2 for low-cost domestic; allow 90 minutes between terminals |
| Transfer options | Airport Express metro to New Delhi station in 20 minutes for about 60 rupees, or a prepaid taxi at 600 to 900 rupees |
| Non-stop from the UK and Europe | Heathrow, Gatwick, Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam, Zurich, Vienna, Milan and Istanbul all fly direct |
| Non-stop from North America | New York JFK, Newark, Washington Dulles, Chicago and San Francisco, with Toronto and Vancouver adding Canada |
| Flying onward | Leh, Srinagar and Dehradun flights leave early for weather reasons; keep the first morning free of them |
Trains and road to New Delhi
| Route or station | Detail |
|---|---|
| New Delhi station (NDLS) | The Paharganj and Ajmeri Gate sides are very different; the International Tourist Bureau issues foreign-quota tickets |
| Gatimaan Express | Departs mid-morning for Agra Cantt in 100 minutes, the quickest way to the Taj Mahal and back in a day |
| Vande Bharat to Jaipur and Katra | Modern chair cars from Delhi Cantt to Jaipur in under five hours and Katra for the Kashmir line |
| Kalka Mail and Shatabdi north | Overnight and early-morning services to Kalka, where the UNESCO-listed Shimla toy train starts |
| Old Delhi station (DLI) | Behind the Red Fort, mainly for trains towards Haridwar, Dehradun and the Punjab plains |
Weather, seasons and best time to visit New Delhi
Come between late October and mid-March, when days run 15 to 30°C and the old city is walkable at dawn. February suits long itineraries best. Avoid June entirely, and expect November smog.
| Months | Season | Day temperature | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| November to February | Cool and dry | 15-24°C / 59-75°F | Dawn temperatures around 5 to 8°C; take a proper jacket for early starts and January fog |
| March to April | Warm and clear | 27-36°C / 81-97°F | Pleasant until mid-morning, then hot; plan museums and lunches for the afternoon |
| May to June | Very hot | 39-45°C / 102-113°F | Dry furnace heat and dust storms; sightseeing is limited to dawn and after 6pm |
| July to October | Monsoon then autumn | 29-35°C / 84-95°F | Humid July and August downpours, drier September, and a near-perfect October |
New Delhi tour packages
Per person, twin sharing, excluding international flights. Hotels, private transport, guides, entries, your trip manager and 24-hour support are included.
Food & wine · Oct - Mar
Eight Meals in Old Delhi
Breakfast nihari, a spice market tasting, a home kitchen lesson in korma and a late-night kebab crawl on Asaf Ali Road
From US$1,025 per person
Location · Sep - Apr
Delhi and the Taj by Train
Three Delhi days plus the Gatimaan Express to Agra for a sunrise Taj Mahal visit and Itimad-ud-Daulah's riverside tomb
From US$1,225 per person
Festival · Fixed dates - Jan 2027
Republic Day in the Capital
Reserved parade seats on Kartavya Path, the Beating Retreat ceremony and a briefing on India's constitution with a historian
From US$1,312 per person
Season · Nov - Feb
Winter Gardens and Monuments
Sunder Nursery, Lodi Garden and Mehrauli at their greenest, with a weekend classical concert at Nehru Park
From US$1,112 per person
Take part, don't just watch
Add any of these to a tour. A host stays beside you and tells you what is happening and why it is done that way.
Silver weighing in Dariba Kalan
A fourth-generation silversmith opens his first-floor workshop, weighs out old Delhi hallmarks on brass scales and lets you press a design into a sheet. His family has traded on this lane since the 1890s and still keeps the ledgers to prove it.
A spice merchant's cupping session in Khari Baoli
In a godown stacked to the ceiling with chilli sacks, a wholesaler teaches you to grade cardamom and turmeric by smell and snap. You climb to his roof for a view over Asia's largest spice market and leave with a blend ground to your own taste.
Learning roomali roti from a night cook
A kebab cook on Asaf Ali Road hands over the inverted iron dome and shows you how to spin dough thin enough to read through. Expect to fail twice, succeed once, and eat the evidence with his chaap.
Lutyens' Delhi by bicycle before traffic
A conservation architect meets you at 6.30am with bicycles to ride the empty avenues of the government quarter, stopping at the hidden tomb inside a roundabout. Breakfast afterwards is on the lawn of an old Civil Lines hotel.
Questions travellers ask about New Delhi
Why should I visit New Delhi?
Because two completely different cities share one metro map. The 1639 walled town still trades lane by lane, and the 1931 imperial capital still runs the country from sandstone offices. Add three UNESCO monuments, India's best museums and food that spans Mughal, Punjabi, Kashmiri and Northeastern kitchens, and three days fill themselves.
When is the best time to visit New Delhi?
Late October through mid-March. Expect 29 to 33°C in October, 15 to 24°C from November to February with chilly dawns, and high twenties by March. February is the most comfortable for walking. June is unbearable at 45°C, and the November weeks after Diwali bring the worst air of the year.
Is New Delhi safe, including for women travelling alone?
Yes, with city sense. Stick to app-booked cabs after dark, keep to the metro's front women-only coach at rush hour, and expect to be stared at and approached by touts near monuments. Old Delhi is fine by day but confusing at night. Our female guests are met at the airport and never left to find transport alone.
Do I need an Indian visa as a US, UK or EU passport holder?
Yes, and the e-Visa covers you. Apply online four to seven days before departure, choose the 30-day or one-year tourist option, and carry a printout plus the card you paid with. Immigration at Terminal 3 has a dedicated e-Visa queue, which still takes 30 to 60 minutes at peak arrival hours.
What does a New Delhi trip cost?
Our ground costs start near US$640 per person for three nights of walks and music, around US$820 for a four-night food itinerary, and about US$980 for four nights with the Agra train included. Republic Day departures with reserved parade seating run near US$1,050. Flights are extra; everything on the ground is covered.
How many days do I need in New Delhi?
Plan three full days and you will see the walled city, the Qutub and Humayun's Tomb group, and the museums and gardens without rushing. Four days adds Nizamuddin and a crafts afternoon. If the Taj Mahal matters to you, add a fifth day for the train to Agra and back.
Can I manage the food if I avoid chilli or eat vegan?
Easily. Say kam mirch for mild and nahin mirch for none, and any cook will oblige. Pure vegetarian restaurants are everywhere, including whole streets of them in Chandni Chowk. Vegans need to be firm about ghee, cream, paneer and curd, and should ask for food cooked in oil instead of butter.
What should I wear, and what are the rules at mosques, temples and gurudwaras?
Cover shoulders and knees for religious sites. Gurudwaras and mosques require a head covering, provided free or sold outside, and all three remove shoes at the door. Jama Masjid closes to visitors during the five daily prayers and charges for cameras. Leather belts and bags are better left behind at some Jain and Hindu temples.
Nearby and related
Most guests pair New Delhi with one or two of these on the same trip.