New Delhi is the capital of India, a planned city of avenues, gardens and government buildings. Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker laid it out, and it was inaugurated in 1931. It sits within the much larger National Capital Territory of Delhi, on the plains beside the Yamuna River, where Mughal Old Delhi and the ruins of earlier cities lie close by.
Visitors come for monuments spanning eight centuries, from the Qutb Minar and Humayun's Tomb to the Red Fort and India Gate, for bazaars and street food, museums and leafy parks, and as the starting point of the Golden Triangle to Agra and Jaipur. The metro reaches most sights, and the city works for a short stopover as well as a longer stay. Serviced apartments and guesthouses around Connaught Place, homes in the residential colonies of South Delhi and practical stays near the airport suit families, business travellers and those passing through.
Connaught Place, the Georgian-style circle of colonnaded buildings at the centre of New Delhi, is the most central base, with shops, restaurants and the Rajiv Chowk metro interchange. Paharganj, just west of New Delhi railway station, is a busy backpacker district of low-cost guesthouses; it is convenient for trains but noisy.
South Delhi's residential colonies, such as Defence Colony, Greater Kailash and the streets around Hauz Khas, offer apartments and guesthouses in quieter, greener neighbourhoods with markets and cafés, popular with families and longer stays. Chanakyapuri, the diplomatic enclave, is calm and leafy. Aerocity, beside Indira Gandhi International Airport, suits early flights and short business trips. For atmosphere rather than comfort, a night or two near Chandni Chowk puts you in the heart of Old Delhi.
Hosts must report every foreign guest to the immigration authorities, as explained below.
New Delhi was conceived after George V announced at the Delhi Durbar of 1911 that the capital of British India would move from Calcutta to Delhi. Its centrepiece is a broad ceremonial avenue, officially renamed Kartavya Path in 2022, which runs from Rashtrapati Bhavan, the former Viceroy's House on Raisina Hill and now the President's residence, past the Secretariat buildings to India Gate. The arch, designed by Lutyens, commemorates soldiers of the British Indian Army who died in the First World War and the Third Anglo-Afghan War, and the National War Memorial stands nearby. The Republic Day parade passes along the avenue every 26 January.
Nearby, the National Museum holds collections covering more than 5,000 years, Jantar Mantar near Connaught Place is an 18th-century astronomical observatory built by Maharaja Jai Singh II, and Gandhi Smriti marks the house where Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in 1948.
Delhi is traditionally said to contain seven historic cities. In the south, the Qutb Minar, a victory tower built mostly between 1199 and 1220, is the centrepiece of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mehrauli. Humayun's Tomb, commissioned in 1558 by the emperor's widow, was the first garden-tomb on the subcontinent and a forerunner of the Taj Mahal; it was listed by UNESCO in 1993. Lodi Gardens, a 90-acre park popular with walkers, shelters tombs of the 15th and 16th centuries.
Shah Jahan moved the Mughal capital from Agra and built Shahjahanabad, today's Old Delhi. Its Red Fort, begun in 1639, has been a World Heritage Site since 2007, and the prime minister addresses the nation from its ramparts on Independence Day. The Jama Masjid, built between 1644 and 1656, faces it across the crowded bazaars of Chandni Chowk, laid out in 1650. Newer landmarks include the Lotus Temple, a Bahá'í house of worship opened in 1987, and Akshardham, a Hindu temple complex opened in 2005.
Delhi is where Mughlai cuisine took shape, and eating is one of the great pleasures of a visit. Classic dishes include butter chicken, dal makhani, kebabs and biryani, while the streets of Old Delhi are famous for chaat, the tangy snacks such as aloo chaat and dahi bhalla, as well as gol gappe, stuffed parathas, chole bhature and sweets like jalebi, washed down with lassi. Vegetarian food is everywhere and often excellent.
Markets range from the wholesale lanes and spice market of Chandni Chowk to Khan Market and the colonies' local markets in South Delhi, and Dilli Haat sells crafts from across India. For street food, choose busy stalls where food is cooked fresh, drink bottled or filtered water, and remove your shoes and cover your head where asked at gurdwaras, temples and mosques.
New Delhi is the usual starting point of the Golden Triangle, a circuit of about 720 kilometres by road linking Delhi with Agra and Jaipur. Agra, about 230 kilometres south-east on the Yamuna, is home to the Taj Mahal, the white marble mausoleum commissioned by Shah Jahan in 1631 for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, as well as Agra Fort; fast trains make a long day trip possible, though an overnight stay is more relaxed.
Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, about 270 kilometres south-west, was founded in 1727 by Sawai Jai Singh II and is known as the Pink City for the colour of its old town; it is better as a stay of a night or two. Fast trains such as the Shatabdi and Vande Bharat services link Delhi with both cities and the Gatimaan Express runs to Agra, while the drive takes around four to six hours per leg. Closer in, the Sunder Nursery park beside Humayun's Tomb and the ruins of Mehrauli make easy half-days.
Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), in Palam, is about 16 kilometres south-west of the city centre and is India's main international gateway in the north. The Airport Express metro line runs from the airport to New Delhi station, and prepaid taxis and app-based cabs are widely used. New Delhi railway station and Hazrat Nizamuddin are the main stations for long-distance trains.
The Delhi Metro, with ten colour-coded lines and more than 370 kilometres of track across the capital region, is the easiest way to reach most sights, with a women-only carriage on every train. Auto-rickshaws, taxis and ride-hailing apps cover the rest; agree the fare or use the meter or app. Traffic is heavy and driving yourself is not recommended for visitors. Distances between Old Delhi, central New Delhi and South Delhi are large, so pick a base near a metro station.
Delhi has a humid subtropical climate bordering on semi-arid. October to March is the most comfortable period, with mild to warm days and cool nights, though winter mornings in December and January are often foggy. Summer is long and very hot from about April, with temperatures that can exceed 45°C, and the monsoon usually brings rain from late June to mid-September. Air quality is often poor to hazardous from about October to February, worst around November; check readings and consider a mask if you are sensitive.
Foreign visitors need a visa or e-Visa unless exempt; apply only through the official Indian government visa website and check the rules for your nationality. Under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, anyone who accommodates foreign guests, from hotels to private homes, must report their arrival within 24 hours by submitting Form C, now called Form III, on the Bureau of Immigration's official online portal. These rules can change, so check the latest position before you travel.
October to March is the most comfortable period, with mild days and cool nights, ideal for sightseeing. December and January can be foggy, and air quality is often poor from about October to February. April to June is very hot, and the monsoon brings rain from late June to mid-September.
Connaught Place is the most central and well connected. South Delhi colonies such as Defence Colony, Greater Kailash and Hauz Khas suit families and longer stays, Paharganj is a budget area beside New Delhi station, Aerocity is handy for flights, and Old Delhi near Chandni Chowk offers atmosphere.
Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) is about 16 kilometres south-west of the city centre. The Airport Express metro line connects it with New Delhi railway station, and prepaid taxis and app-based cabs are available. Allow extra time by road at rush hour.
Most foreign visitors need a visa, and many nationalities can apply online for an e-Visa. Apply only through the official Government of India visa website, as unofficial sites charge extra, and check the current rules and validity for your nationality before booking.
Form C, now called Form III, is the registration that anyone accommodating foreign guests in India, including hotels and private hosts, must submit to the immigration authorities within 24 hours of arrival through the Bureau of Immigration's online portal. Your host will need your passport and visa details.
Three days covers India Gate and the ceremonial avenue, Humayun's Tomb, the Qutb Minar, the Red Fort, the Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk. Add two or three days for Agra and the Taj Mahal and for Jaipur on the Golden Triangle.
It can be, especially from about October to February, when smoke from crop burning, festival fireworks, traffic and cold, still air push pollution to poor or hazardous levels, often worst in November. From March to September the air is usually much better. Check daily readings if you have breathing problems.
Yes, with planning. Parks such as Lodi Gardens and Sunder Nursery, the National Museum, India Gate's lawns and the metro make it manageable with children. Visit between October and March, avoid the worst air-quality days, and choose an apartment in South Delhi for more space and calm.
Researched and written with AI assistance, then fact-checked against the sources below. Last checked .