12 Unusual Hidden Gems in Delhi for Intrepid Travellers
There are many hidden gems in Delhi, but these are 12 spots most tourists never see. Many are not even known to locals, while a couple are popular with Indians but rarely visited by foreign tourists.
You might be wondering how I found these hidden gems. I spend hundreds of hours exploring and researching Delhi. I hear about places from locals, or read about them in books and go check them out. Sometimes I just happen upon them while looking for something else.
This is an off the beaten path list of hidden gems, for a curious visitor. For a more robust list, check out these 35 off the beaten path sites in Delhi.
12 Unusual Hidden Gems in Delhi for Intrepid Travellers
A few of these hidden gems are very out of the way. To visit them you’ll have to get into parts of Delhi most tourists never see.
Don’t worry – these are not unsafe areas, just areas visitors rarely stumble into. In Delhi that is just as much fun as the sites themselves.
Some of these places are a hard to find, so I created this Google map to help you find them.
1. Chausath Khamba
This is located deep in historic the Nizamuddin Basti, a gorgeous mausoleum built in 1624 for a governor in the Mughal court. From the outside it looks very plain and hardly worth seeing. But the interior is a complete surprise – a multitude of carved marble pillars and domes.
To get here you’ll have to enter through an old Mughal style gate, which is also amazing. An added bonus is the tomb of Mirza Ghalib (and his wife) also on the grounds. Ghalib is Delhi’s most beloved Mughal era poet.
Hours & Cost: 24/7 (but go during the day); free
2. Ghazipur Flower Market
This is India’s largest wholesale flower market. Just about every garland and flower you see in Delhi originates here. It’s one of the most unusual places to visit in Delhi.
Tables are piled high with flowers and garlands, there are baskets spilling over with fresh blooms and it smells amazing! Make sure you bring your camera.
It starts early around 4:00 am, and is mostly done by noon. I was there around 9:00 am and it was already quieting down. Grab an Uber and head over there between 5-6:00 am for the best photos.
Hours & Cost: Hours: 4:00 am – 12:00 pm, daily; free
3. Begampur Mosque
This forgotten treasure of the Tughlaq era will astound you because of its immense size and most prominent feature, 64 domes. When it was built in the 14th century it was the largest mosque in Delhi, only surpassed by Old Delhi’s Jama Masjid two centuries later.
Begampur Mosque is another example of an important historical structure being allowed to crumble into neglect. It is frequently used as a cricket pitch, cow pasture and source of masonry for neighbourhood home improvement projects.
Hours & Cost: 24/7 (but go during the day); free
4. Zafar Mahal
Zafar Mahal is the summer palace of the last Mughal emperor of India (Bahadur Shah Zafar), built in 1820. It’s now in a deplorable state, but walking around the halls and grounds you can imagine it must have been magnificent.
The urban village of Mehrauli surrounds the palace, but you’ll be able to identify it from the large wooden doors. If the doors are closed climb through the square opening.
Several Mughal rulers lived at this palace and the grounds have audience halls, private rooms and a small mosque at the back. It’s an important piece of India’s history.
Hours & Cost: 24/7 (but go during the daytime); free
5. Jahaz Mahal (Ship Palace)
This Lodhi era palace (1451-1526) is not far from Zafar Mahal and well worth a visit. It was built by a sultan to accommodate the women of the royal harem, apparently numbering up to 500.
It’s called the Ship Palace because its reflection looked like a ship in the ponds that used to be there.
For great views and pictures of the palace, try to get up on the roof. The last time I was there the caretaker wouldn’t let me, but usually a small ‘donation’ will do the trick.
Hours & Cost: 24/7 (but go during the daytime); free
6. Khirki Masjid
This is a really unique mosque because it’s built like a fortress. It’s astonishing how large it is, with columns and arches that go on forever. It was built during the Tughlaq dynasty, between 1351–1354.
It’s one of my favourite hidden gems in Delhi because it’s surprisingly beautiful and atmospheric inside. It always wows visitors.
The entrance if often locked, but for INR 100 the caretaker will be happy to let you inside. Be careful of the bat droppings near the entrance.
Hours & Cost: 11:00 am – 6:00 pm, daily; free (but you may have to tip the caretaker to get inside)
7. Gandhi Smriti Museum
Most visitors end up paying their respect to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat, where Gandhi was cremated. But I think Gandhi Smriti Museum is more moving and one the best places to visit in Delhi. This is where Gandhi lived the last months of his life, and where he was assassinated.
The museum is the former home of the industrialist Birla family. Gandhi was staying with the family when he died. After Gandhi’s death the government acquired the home and turned it into a museum.
While you will see many Indians here (Gandhi is still considered the father of the nation), most foreign tourists in Delhi miss this special place.
Hours & Cost: 10:00 am – 4:30 pm, Tuesday to Sunday; free
8. Lothian Cemetery
Rumoured to be one of the most haunted hidden gems in Delhi, Lothian Cemetery is straight out of Delhi’s colonial history book. It is full of the graves of Christians who died in the 1800s, including British soldiers who were killed during the Mutiny of 1857.
This is one of the most deserted places in Delhi, even though it’s located in an extremely congested part of the city. The caretaker was the only person I saw in two hours while I was rummaging around the old tombs.
Hours & Cost: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm, daily; free
9. Mohammad Wali Masjid
I came across this mosque by accident when I was looking for Siri Fort Forest and the auto rickshaw dropped me off at the wrong location.
I had never heard of it before, but it’s a lovely, well preserved mosque built sometime between 1451 – 1526 during the Lodhi period. Apart from a few locals walking past, I was the only one there.
You’ll find the mosque in the parkland around Siri Fort Sports Complex, near a medieval wall from the second city of Delhi, Siri. The mosque was built well after the ancient city of Siri, but its location near the ruins makes it even more unusual.
Unfortunately, much of the ruins of Siri were demolished when the sports complex was built beofre the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Occasionally there’s talk of digging beneath the stadium to salvage what may be left, but so far nothing has come of it.
Hours & Cost: 24/7 but go during the day; free
10. Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah
This is the most mystical and spiritual hidden gem in Delhi. It’s the mausoleum of a very powerful Sufi saint, Khawaja Nizamuddin Auliya. Thousands of devotees come here every week from all religions, even though it’s an Islamic site. Tourists rarely visit, except for a few to hear the qawwali singing at night.
The mausoleum was built in 1325 by emperor Muhammad bin Tughluq who was a devotee of the saint. There are many other tombs on the grounds also, including Princess Jahan Ara Begum and revered poet Amir Khusro, who both wanted to be buried near the saint.
The dargah is tucked away in the congested Nizamuddin Basti, you’ll have to navigate the narrow lanes of the market to reach it, or take a walking tour with the Hope Project. Once you reach the dargah remove your shoes and cover your heads. I recommend dressing very conservatively.
Visit the ancient stepwell while you’re here. The stepwell is steeped in legend and the cause of the famous curse on Tughlaqabad Fort.
Hours & Cost: 5:00 am – 10:30 pm, daily; free
11. Devi Prasad Sadan Dhobi Ghat
This is your chance to see a traditional open air laundry, one of the very few remaining in Delhi. The dhobi ghat has been here for generations and does much of the laundry for local families, businesses and hotels.
Huge amounts of laundry are done using hand cranked spinners, massive tubs filled with soapy water and coal filled irons – it’s like stepping back in time a hundred years.
To find the dhobi ghat just follow the lanes filled with sheets drying in the sun. It’s just around the corner from the Agrasen ki Baoli (a beautiful stepwell), another of Delhi’s amazing free places to visit.
Agrasen ki Baoli is well worth a look while you’re there – it used to be one of the best hidden gems in Delhi, but it gets a ton of visitors now.
Hours & Cost: 5:00 am – 2:00 pm, daily; free
12. Chhatarpur Temple Complex
Chhatarpur Temple is a massive temple complex in South Delhi that often gets missed by tourists. A local friend brought me here the first time during the festival of Navratri and it was madness (but so interesting).
It’s not exactly a hidden gem in Delhi because the temple is well known to locals, but tourists tend to go to Akshardham Temple instead. I think Chhatarpur Temple is more authentic. This is where devout Indians come to worship.
The complex is dedicated to the goddess Shakti. The main temple is Shri Aadya Katyayani Shaktipith Mandir and one of the most interesting things in this temple are the rooms devoted to the goddess. She has her own bedroom with dressing table and sword, and a living room with nine chairs, one for each of her nine avatars.
Hours & Cost: 6:00 am – 10:00 pm, daily (open 24/7 during Navratri); free
How to Get Around Delhi
The best way to get to the hidden gems is to use the Delhi metro. The metro is excellent and user friendly. Uber and auto rickshaws are also widely used in Delhi and great for going shorter distances. They are both very cheap.
Where to Stay in Delhi to Visit the Hidden Gems
In Delhi, where you stay matters. Not only because the city is massive and you want to be near the sites, but also in terms of safety. Here are a few excellent properties that are well located for sightseeing and in good neigbourhoods:
- Imperial Hotel New Delhi (luxury): Delhi’s finest heritage hotel and my personal favourite. Excellent walkable area in Connaught Place.
- Lutyens Bungalow (mid-range): Heritage boutique property in one of the best areas of the city next to Lodhi Garden. Breakfast is included.
- Prakash Kutir Bed & Breakfast (budget): Family run guest house in a residential area, near the metro and easy to explore the whole city from. Home-cooked breakfast is included.
Last Words on Delhi’s Hidden Gems
Delhi is full of surprises, and many of the remarkable places I’ve seen aren’t on any tourist itinerary or travel guide.
Some of these hidden gems aren’t hidden from Delhi locals at all. Nizamuddin Dargah and Chhatarpur Temple Complex get plenty of Indian visitors, but are completely missed by foreign tourists. That’s what makes Delhi so fascinating – away from the must-see sites is a whole world of hidden gems.
