19 Delhi Parks to Visit this Winter
Most visitors are surprised to discover that Delhi has an extensive green belt and is one of the greenest capital cities in the world. There are over 18,000 parks in Delhi! I haven’t visited anywhere near 18,000, but I have been to many – enjoying the parks is one of my favourite things about living in Delhi.
Whether you want to enjoy a leisurely stroll in landscaped gardens, explore monuments that are hundreds of years old, or play sports, Delhi has a park for you!
If you’re in a hurry, I think these are the best parks in Delhi:
Lodhi Garden – beautiful heritage park with Lodhi and Sayyid era monuments (free)
Sunder Nursery – heritage park with Mughal era monuments, restaurant and children’s playground (entrance fee)
Nehru Park – large, central recreational park (free)
Delhi Parks to Visit
Delhi has many parks. I’ve only listed the nicest and most popular ones, but there are lots more. Practically every residential enclave has its own park too, many with outdoor gym equipment! So if you need some green space or a spot to walk your dog, you won’t have to go far.
You can use these parks year round, but summer and monsoon season are just too hot to spend the day at the park. In fact, most parks are full of locals very early in the morning (like 6:30 am), almost empty during the day, and then busy again at dusk.
Don’t be surprised if you see couples in quiet sections of these parks. They often retreat to Delhi’s parks for ‘love chat.’ Privacy is often hard to come by at home, since children generally live with their parents (and sometimes grandparents) until marriage. Young couples are always looking for a quiet corner.
1. Lodhi Garden
Most Delhiites consider Lodhi Garden the most beautiful park in Delhi. I have to agree, it is captivating. If you only go to one park in Delhi, this should be it.
The park is located in Lutyens’ Delhi, one of the city’s most exclusive areas. It’s 80 acres of lovely gardens, manicured lawns, duck pond and ruins from two of India’s ruling dynasties, the Sayyids and Lodhis (1414-1526). There are numerous species of flora and fauna and it’s a popular park for nature walks.
At any given time you’ll find people doing yoga and walking dogs, and on the weekends it’s a popular picnic spot. If you’re lucky you’ll be there to hear an impromptu performances of classical Indian music.
Hours and cost: 7:00 am – 11:00 pm, daily; free
2. Sunder Nursery
Many people will tell you Sunder Nursery is the best park in Delhi. It is a very special park which has earned UNESCO awards for heritage conservation and sustainable development.
Until a few years ago it was a neglected space, but now it supports 80 species of birds and 40 species of butterflies, and the lovely Mughal era monuments have been restored. The park is on the site of a 16th century Mughal garden called Azim Bagh, and its central walkway is built over part of the ancient trade route, the Grand Trunk Road.
If you’re travelling with children, there’s a fantastic children’s playground, swings hang from old growth trees, and there’s lots of information on local flora and fauna. With shaded picnic spots, lots of walking paths, a restaurant and amphitheatre that hosts live music performances, plan on a few hours here. On the weekends there’s a popular farmers market.
Hours and cost: 7:00 am – 10:00 pm (April to September) & 7:00 am – 6:00 pm (October to March), daily; INR 200 foreigners, children under 5 free
3. Nehru Park
Nehru Park is one of the largest parks in Delhi (over 80 acres) and one of my favourites. It’s very centrally located in South Delhi, close to many of Delhi’s best 5 star hotels – so perfect if that’s where you’re staying.
In the cooler weather the park is full of families, people walking dogs, joggers and yoga enthusiasts. Besides the two temples, the most unusual thing about Nehru Park is the large statue of Vladimir Lenin, unveiled by Mikhael Gorbachev before the fall of the Soviet Union.
There are picnic areas, numerous walking paths, fountains, a pond, toilets, tennis courts, an outdoor gym, children’s playground and parking. It’s a well serviced park and one of the most pleasant green areas in Delhi.
Hours and cost: 5:00 am – 9:00 pm (summer) & 6:00 am – 8:00 pm (winter), daily; free
4. Deer Park
Another one of Delhi’s large green spaces, Deer Park is a huge park (or mini forest) with tombs and mosques built between the 14th and 16th centuries . Part of the park abuts the historic royal reservoir of Hauz Khas Complex which you can easily explore before or after the park.
As the name suggests, there are spotted deer in the park, though many were transferred to other green areas of Delhi in the summer of 2024. There’s a children’s play area and plenty of picnic and shaded spots.
For great view of Hauz Khas Fort, walk along the path that is beside the pond. Hauz Khas Village is right beside the park, and a great spot to grab some lunch or a coffee before or after you visit Deer Park,
Hours and cost: 5:00 am – 8:00 pm (summer) & 5:30 – 7:00 pm (winter), daily; free
5. Garden of Five Senses
If you like public art, you will enjoy Garden of Five Senses. There are outdoor art installations all over the park.
It’s a pretty park and interesting to explore, though don’t expect wide expanses of green lawns. The park is divided into distinct areas meant to stimulate the five senses, including a formal Mughal style garden, a rocky ridge, fountains, a water lily pond and walking paths.
In February and March the flower gardens are beautiful and there are plenty of spots for picnicking. There are some food stalls set up inside the park grounds and there’s bathrooms. I often combine a visit here with Champa Gali, since they are pretty close to each other.
Hours and cost: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm (April to September) & 9:00 am – 6:00 pm (October to March), daily; INR 35
6. Mehrauli Archaeological Park
This is Delhi’s only organized archaeolgoical park. It’s a scrubby forested area with some spectacular monuments from the pre-Islamic to Mughal periods. Explore the evocative Jamali Kamali mosque or the breathtaking and expansive Rajon ki Baoli, one of the largest remaining stepwells in Delhi.
The park is located beside one of Delhi’s world heritage sites, the Qutab Minar, but gets little traffic. In fact, it was only recently ‘restored’ and secured by the Archaeoligcal Survey of India. For many years it was so far off the beaten path most locals didn’t even know about it.
The far end of the park backs onto the urban village of Mehrauli which also has some spectacular ruins. If you’re adventurous, take the time to explore the village while you’re in the area.
Hours and cost: 7:00 am – 7:00 pm, daily; INR 500 foreigners
7. Buddha Jayanti Park
Buddha Jayanti Park is in the middle of Delhi’s enormous Central Ridge Reserve Forest (known as the lungs of Delhi). It’s famous for a large golden Buddha on a little islet, and for having a sapling from the holy Bodhi tree which Lord Buddha gained enlightenment under.
There are many walking paths, open lawn areas, rose, palm and bougainvillea gardens and over 100 types of trees and shrubs. Peacocks, woodpeckers, barbets and herons populate the park. Within the confines of the Ridge, this is Delhi’s largest green space and very popular with morning walkers.
Hours and cost: 5:00 am – 7:00 pm, daily; free
8. Siri Fort Forest (aka Hauz Khas Forest)
Next to the ruins of Siri Fort is this city forest which has been converted into a park. There are lots of paths through the forest and you might see peacocks and peahens which commonly frequent the area. The park is close to Hauz Khas, an upscale residential neighbourhood, which makes it a popular running route.
This park will satisfy nature lovers, history buffs and dog walkers. Ruins of Siri Fort wall and the lovely Mohammad Wali Masjid can be seen in the area adjacent to the forest near the Siri Fort Sports Complex.
The park has toilet facilities, outdoor gyms and plenty of seating areas for relaxing.
Hours and cost: 5:00 am – 8:00 pm, daily; free
9. Amrit Udyan (Mughal Gardens)
Amrit Udyan are the Mughal style gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India. Every year these gardens are open to the public during the months of February and March, and now the summer gardens are open mid August to mid September.
The gardens are well worth seeing and considered the best floral gardens in Delhi. They are wildly popular with locals who go to see them each year. When else will you get backyard access to the Presidential residence?
Reservations must be made in advance online on the Rashtrapati Bhavan website, but it’s free. Make sure you bring your passport, and cameras are not permitted (smart phones are fine).
For reservations: https://visit.rashtrapatibhavan.gov.in/
Hours and cost: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm (last entry at 5:15 pm), closed Monday; free
10. Talkatora Gardens
You’ll probably be the only foreign tourist if you visit Talkatora Gardens, but this lovely park is a hidden gem. Even I only recently found out about this park, and I live in Delhi!
These are Mughal style gardens built on the historic site where the Maratha army defeated the Mughals in 1738. In fact, to the rear of the gardens a remaining wall of the ancient water tank and watch tower is still standing, in remarkably good shape. The name Talkatora comes from the Hindi word for water ‘tal’ and bowl ‘katora.’
The gardens are full of flowers, trees and there’s in impressive herb garden. You might see cricket at the cricket pitch on the grounds, and you’ll notice the glass stadium, which has one of the best swimming pools in Delhi.
Hours and cost: 6:00 am – 7:00 pm, daily; free
11. National Rose Garden (aka National Indo-Africa Friendship Rose Garden)
This lovely flower garden has the largest rose collection in India, with over 2,500 varieties. The best time of year to visit is November to January when the roses are in bloom.
Don’t bother coming here outside of these months – I’ve been when the roses are not in bloom and it’s not really worth a visit. But during rose season, it’s beautiful and smells heavenly.
There are lush manicured lawns, sparkling fountains and beautiful flower beds set up on a terraced landscape (great for photos). It’s one of Delhi’s best picnic spots.
Hours and cost: 9:00 am – 10:00 pm, daily; free
12. Priya Park
Priya Park is a popular urban park in the upscale residential area of Vasant Vihar. It also happens to be the site of the last surviving Tughlaq era garden. The garden was built during the reign of Feroz Shah Tughlaq (1309-1388). Feroz Shah loved gardens and commissioned 1,500 of them throughout Delhi while he was emperor.
Besides the Tughlaq and Lodhi era ruins, the park has an amphitheatre, children’s playground, yoga platform and outdoor gym. It’s beside the Basant Lok Market, so you could easily grab some food from one of the cafes or the Modern Bazaar grocery store and enjoy it in the park.
Hours and cost: 5:00 am – 8:00 pm, daily; free
13. Waste to Wonder Park
This park has miniature replicas of the 7 wonders of the world made entirely from scrap metal. It’s the first park in the world to use 100% recycled material. It’s pretty remarkable actually, and each replica gives details about the attraction and materials used.
It’s very pleasant to walk around with plenty of shaded sitting areas. Children can blow off steam at the play area and there are relief facilities. Food is restricted, but I saw plenty of families eating and snacking in the park, so I guess it’s okay as long as you don’t put out a huge spread.
Hours and cost: 11:00 am – 11:00 pm, (closed Monday); INR 50 adults, INR 25 children 3-12, children under 3 and adults over 65 free (admission double on Sunday)
14. Bharat Darshan Park
This park is similar to Waste to Wonder Park in that it uses entirely scrap metal, but instead of the wonders of the word, this park has over 21 replicas of famous Indian heritage sites. Personally, I think this is a better park for tourists because it features Indian heritage buildings, and you’ll learn something about each one.
You can basically see all of India’s famous sites in a couple of hours, like the Taj Mahal in Agra, Char Minar of Hyderabad, Mumbai’s Gateway of India or the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata.
The park is set on 8.5 acres and has plenty of shaded seating, walking paths, and areas for eating. It’s located in West Delhi, not central, but easy to get to with the Delhi metro.
Hours and cost: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm, (closed Monday); INR 100 – 150 adult, 50 – 75 children, children under 3 free
15. Jahanpanah City Forest
This is a great park, possibly the best, in Delhi for runners or avid walkers. It’s an important part of South Delhi’s green zone, spanning 435 acres, most of it forest. Although it’s heavily forested, the paths are relatively safe, especially early in the morning (7:00 am) when most locals visit the park.
Depending on which gate you enter from (there are at least 8), you may first see gardens, paved walkways and an outdoor gym. But the deeper you go into the park, the more foresty it gets. The park boasts a rich ecosystem of over 100 species of birds, butterflies and small animals like mongoose and wild pigs as well as numerous indigenous trees, like banyan, neem, mango and jamun.
This park is only open in the morning and evenings.
Hours and cost: 5:00 am – 10:00 pm & 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm, daily; free
16. Qudsia Bagh
This small oasis is a surprise in what could very well be the noisiest and least attractive part of Delhi. Qudsia Bagh is the site of the royal palace built for the Mughal queen, Qudsia Begum in 1748.
Most of the palace and royal buildings were destroyed in 1857 during the rebellion, but parts of the mosque, gate and pavilions survived. There’s large, quiet gardens, walking paths and of course the ruins. It’s one of the most off the beaten path sites in Delhi.
Hours and cost: 24/7 but go during the day; free
17. Roshanara Garden
Roshanara Garden is a 400 year old park built by Roshanara Begum, the daughter of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (who built the Taj Mahal) and Mumtaz Mahal (the wife he built the Taj Mahal for). It’s quite a large park, 57 acres, close to Old Delhi.
Until recently the park, which holds the tomb of Roshanara Begum and other historic structures, was in complete disarray. The Archaeological Survey of India began restoration work in 2024, though it’s mostly on the gardens and pond and not on the actual tomb and building where the tomb is, which are important Mughal structures.
There’s lot of open space, walking paths, forest, gardens and a cricket pitch on the grounds. Migratory birds come through during the winter because of the pond. Unless you’re a real Mughal history buff, I wouldn’t make a special trip just for the park, even though it is very popular with the local neighbourhood.
Hours and cost: 5:00 am – 7:00 pm, daily; free
18. Millennium (Indraprastha) Park
This is man made park, built on top of a landfill site in 2004. The park is unique in Delhi because of the massive Buddhist stupa which the 14th Dalai Lama himself inaugurated. I often saw the stupa driving past on the Ring Road and wondered about it, but I didn’t have a change to visit Millennium Park until recently.
The park is large, over 70 acres and has plenty of lawns, walking paths, Japanese gardens (including a mini Mount Fuji), children’s playground and snack counter. There’s not a lot of shade or old growth trees, so avoid this one on hot days but it was pleasant when I went in the morning.
Shoes must be removed to access the stupa.
Hours and cost: 5:00 am – 8:00 pm, daily; free
19. Sanjay Lake Park
Sanjay Lake Park is a large man-made parkland located on the east side of Delhi (the other side of the Yamuna River). It’s a great picnic spot if you’re staying on that side of the city. You can make a full day of it and visit Akshardham Temple as well while you’re there.
The park is surrounded by green belt and offers a retreat from the general mayhem of the city. There’s a large man-made lake and you can rent boats, though boating may not be available year round, because of water levels. The park has jogging and walking paths and a children’s play area.
Hours and cost: 6:00 am – 8:00 pm, daily; free (fee for boating)
Where to Stay in Delhi
Out of all the hotels and guest houses in Delhi, I highly recommend these places for tourists who want to stay somewhere comfortable, clean and be able to easily see the city:
Imperial Hotel New Delhi (luxury)
I cannot say enough good things about this hotel. It’s an exceptional property, steeped in Delhi’s history and perfectly located for exploring the city. It’s luxurious, comfortable and you will be treated extremely well, but it also doesn’t feel stuffy or pretentious. And if you enjoy a swim, they have the most beautiful hotel pool in Delhi.
🚩 Check prices and availability at the Imperial New Delhi
Lutyens Bungalow (mid-range)
This is another heritage property I adore. It’s a small boutique property, with comfortable and elegant rooms. The location is superb, right beside Lodhi Garden, in one of the most affluent neighbourhoods of Delhi. All rooms have a terrace that opens to the gardens and there’s an outdoor pool. Breakfast is included.
🚩 Check prices and availability at Lutyens Bungalow
Prakash Kutir B&B (budget)
This is South Delhi’s best family-run bed and breakfast. It’s located in Hauz Khas, an upscale residential neighbourhood, near a metro station and market with shops and restaurants. A home cooked breakfast is included, and it’s squeaky clean. I’ve stayed here several times, and it’s a really good base to explore Delhi from.
🚩 Check prices and availability at Prakash Kutir B&B
FAQs about Delhi Parks
Lodhi Garden is widely believed to be the most beautiful garden park in Delhi.
Delhi has over 18,000 parks. It is one of the greenest capital cities in the world.
They are both beautiful heritage parks. Lodhi Garden is more central, but Sunder Nursery has an excellent children’s playground and regularly hosts music performances, a farmers market and other cultural events. You have to visit both and decide for yourself!
The Wrap-up on Delhi Parks to Visit this Winter
No matter where you are staying in the city, there will be a park nearby. Take advantage of the cooler weather and enjoy Delhi’s flora and fauna at one of the beautiful parks.
Don’t forget travel insurance! It’s always a good idea to carry travel insurance just in case something goes wrong. I really like and use SafetyWing
