Delhi Sightseeing Tours: 6 Incredible Tours to Take Now
Taking one of these Delhi sightseeing tours is an excellent way to dip your feet into Delhi and glimpse how much the city has to offer.
Delhi is one of those cities that requires a little effort to appreciate. While it is one of the most historically significant cities in the world and has an unbelievable number of culturally rich sites, it requires a little digging to find many of them.
I’ve taken most of these sightseeing tours and still take tours every time I return to Delhi. I always learn and see something new, plus they’re a lot of fun!
6 Incredible Delhi Sightseeing Tours
Delhi can be overwhelming for visitors. A sightseeing tour is a great way to get acclimated and build confidence so you can explore Delhi independently after.
1. Street Food Tour
Delhi is the food capital of India and has a thriving street food scene. There are food stands on just about every street and every corner. A great way to safely eat street food is with a food tour.
Street food is a big part of Delhi’s culture and enjoying it is a very authentic local experience.
You don’t have to do a food tour to eat street food (see my guide to Delhi street food), but taking a tour makes it easier, especially if it’s your first time in Delhi.
Both of these companies are excellent and offer tours in the epicentre of Delhi street food, Old Delhi.
2. Haunted Heritage Walk
Delhi is widely believed to be haunted, and Delhi Tourism offers evening sightseeing tours of two of the most haunted sites in the city, Malcha Mahal and Feroz Shah Kotla Fort.
Malcha Mahal is an old hunting lodge built during the Tughlaq dynasty in 1325. The site is eerie during the day, and I don’t recommend visiting it after dark, except on this guided tour.
Feroz Shah Kotla Fort is one of the most haunted places in Delhi. It is widely believed to be inhabited by djinns – supernatural creatures that stem from ancient Islamic belief.
Most locals won’t visit these sites at all – that is how widespread and common the belief in the paranormal is in Delhi.
3. Bicycle Sightseeing Tour of Delhi
If you’ve witnessed the Delhi traffic you are probably wondering about the sanity of taking a cycling tour of the city, but these cycle sightseeing tours start at 6:30 am when the city is unbelievably quiet.
A sightseeing tour of Delhi on a bicycle lets you experience the city from a different perspective. You’ll see out of the way places most visitors never discover and hear stories about Delhi which make the buildings and sites come alive.
I highly recommend Delhi By Cycle for this kind of sightseeing tour. The guides are wonderful, very safety aware and full of knowledge about Delhi.
4. Walking Sightseeing Tour of Delhi
The best way to experience a new city is on foot. Taking a walking sightseeing tour of Delhi is a great way to acclimatize to the city and explore places you probably would not see on your own.
Delhi is a huge, spread out city with so many neighbourhoods and culturally rich sites, an insider’s knowledge is invaluable.
DelhiByFoot offers a lot of historic walking tours and special cultural tours during important festivals like Ramadaan, Durga Puja and Navratri.
With India City Walks you can take photo walking tours, tuk tuk food tours and a metro/walking tour. All of these tours will get you into out of the way places, and you’ll learn the stories and histories behind them.
5. Nature Walk of Delhi
If you’re a nature lover there is plenty to see in Delhi. Delhi is one of the greenest capital cities of the world. Over 23% of the city is covered by greenery.
The city is home to vast parks with over 250 species of trees and ample fauna like monkeys, mongoose, peacocks, parakeets, bablers and bulbuls.
I took a nature walk with Kavita Prakash of the Sausage Tree Nature Walks through Lodhi Garden, and it was fascinating.
Her knowledge of the trees and birds of India was impressive and went beyond age and species. She told me stories about the flora, making the park come alive in a completely different way.
- The Sausage Tree Nature Walks (WhatsApp: +91 98187 71462 or Instagram: @thesausagetreenaturewalks)
6. Shopping Sightseeing Tour of Delhi
Delhi is a shopper’s paradise. The city is famous for its specialty street markets, beautiful shopping malls, and availability of textiles. There is nothing you cannot buy in Delhi, if you know where to go.
Shopping sightseeing tours (with the right guide) are an excellent way to access the best places in Delhi and not get scammed. You’ll be with a local who can sniff out genuine articles and make sure you do not overpay. Your savings could very well cover the cost of the tour.
Jyoti Agarwal of Gourmet Desire is known for her cooking classes, but she is also an expert shopper and Delhi local.
Should you take a Delhi sightseeing tour?
Yes! It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve been to Delhi, you will benefit from taking a sightseeing tour. I lived in Delhi for years and still take sightseeing tours when I return. I always learn something new.
It’s also a great way to get more comfortable in Delhi so you can explore on your own after.
The Wrap-Up on Delhi Sightseeing Tours: 6 Incredible Tours to Take Now
Taking a tour is a fun and stress-free way to adapt and feel out a new city. Any one of these sightseeing tours of Delhi will be a great introduction, and a way to get comfortable in a city that is often overwhelming for visitors.
