19 Delhi Parks to Visit this Winter
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’ve been to many. Enjoying the parks is one of my favourite things about Delhi.
Whether you want a leisurely stroll in landscaped gardens, to explore monuments that are hundreds of years old, or play sports, Delhi has a park for you.
Delhi Parks to Visit
Delhi has many parks. I’ve only listed the nicest and most popular ones, but there are lots more.
Besides these bigger parks, practically every residential enclave has its own park, 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.
I think these are the very best parks in Delhi:
- Lodhi Garden: heritage park with Lodhi and Sayyid era monuments (free)
- Sunder Nursery: heritage park with Mughal era monuments, restaurant & children’s playground (entrance fee)
- Nehru Park: large, central recreational park (free)
Good to Know about Delhi Parks
Delhi parks can be used year round, but summer and monsoon seasons are too hot to spend the day at the park. During these seasons 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.
Parks are popular with Delhi couples. They often retreat to quiet areas of Delhi’s parks for what is commonly called ‘love chat.’ Since children generally live with their parents, and often grandparents, until marriage, privacy is hard to come by at home. Young couples are always looking for a quiet corner.
1. Lodhi Garden
Most locals 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. 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 restored Mughal era monuments.
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.
There’s a fantastic children’s playground, swings hang from old growth trees, there’s walking paths, a restaurant and amphitheatre that hosts live music performances. On the weekends there’s an organic farmers market. Entrance fee on INR 200.
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.
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, 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. Free.
4. Deer Park
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. 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.
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.
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. Entrance fee INR 35.
6. Mehrauli Archeological Park
This is Delhi’s only organized archeological park and it’s spectacular. It was recently restored from a scrubby forested area into a manicured park with incredible monuments from the pre-Islamic to Mughal periods.
Explore evocative Jamali Kamali mosque, or the breathtaking Rajon ki Baoli, one of the largest remaining stepwells in Delhi. Some sites which were previously closed to the public are now open – I was very excited to finally see them.
The park is located beside one of Delhi’s world heritage sites, the Qutub Minar, but only gets a fraction of the traffic. The far end of the park backs onto the urban village of Mehrauli which also has some spectacular ruins. Entrance fee INR 500.
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 an 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. 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 frequent the area.
The park is close to Hauz Khas, an upscale residential neighbourhood and is a popular running route for locals.
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. Free.
9. Amrit Udyan (Mughal Gardens)
Amrit Udyan are the Mughal style gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India. They are considered the best floral gardens in Delhi and are wildly popular with Delhiites.
Every year these gardens are open to the public during the months of February and March, and now they are also open mid August to mid September.
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). 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 of 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 an impressive herb garden. I saw wild parrots and heard owls and peacocks when I visited. Free.
11. National 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 February 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 worth a visit. But during rose season, it’s beautiful and smells heavenly.
There are manicured lawns, water fountains and flower beds set up on a terraced landscape (great for photos). It’s one of Delhi’s best picnic spots.
It’s sometimes called the National Indo-Africa Rose Garden, but rickshaw drivers know it as the Rose Garden. Free.
12. Priya Park
Priya Park is one of Delhi’s nicest urban parks. It’s located in the upscale residential area of Vasant Vihar and 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. 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 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. Entrance fee INR 50 (double on Sunday).
14. Bharat Darshan Park
This park is similar to Waste to Wonder Park, but instead of the wonders of the word, this park has over 21 replicas of famous Indian heritage sites. 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. Entrance fee INR 150.
15. Jahanpanah City Forest
This is a huge park, over 400 acres, most of it forest. It’s an important part of South Delhi’s green zone, and one of the best parks for runners or avid walkers. Although it’s heavily forested, the main 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, a temple or an outdoor gym. The deeper you go into the park, the more foresty it gets.
The park boasts a rich ecosystem, and I saw many different birds, butterflies, several cows and a mongoose while I was there. Free.
16. Qudsia Bagh
Qudsia Bagh is the site of the royal palace built for the Mughal queen, Qudsia Begum in 1748. The small park is a surprise in one of the noisiest and least attractive parts of Delhi.
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. Free.
17. Roshanara Garden
Roshanara Garden is a 400 year old park built by Roshanara Begum, the daughter of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal (whom the Taj Mahal was built for).
The park holds the tomb of Roshanara Begum and other historic structures and 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 surrounding buildings, which are important Mughal structures.
Unless you’re a Mughal history enthusiast, I wouldn’t make a special trip for the park. It’s in a part of North Delhi that is congested and not very nice. 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 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 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. 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. Free.
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. Both are worth visiting.
Last Words 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.
I personally love the heritage park Lodhi Garden and Mehrauli Archeological Park, but I also really enjoy Priya Park and Nehru Park for a more recreational setting
