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Most visitors have to fly in or out of Delhi, it’s the major gateway to India. But is Delhi worth visiting? Should you spend a few days in Delhi, or get in and out as fast as possible?
Delhi is absolutely worth visiting, at least once in your life. Why listen to me? I live in Delhi, and can tell you it’s one of the most diverse and historically significant cities in the world. It may take a little effort to see past the crowds and pollution, but I’m convinced if you give Delhi a chance you will fall in love with it and come back again.
Here are 10 reasons Delhi is worth visiting:
- it’s one of the most historic cities in the world
- there is amazing shopping – everything from street markets to beautiful shopping malls
- world class restaurants and international cuisine
- it’s a very spiritual city
- the night life is fantastic
- street food is diverse and delicious
- Delhi has one of the best metro systems in the world
- it can be very affordable
- it’s one of the greenest capital cities in the world
- it’s a major transportation hub and easy to travel domestically and internationally to and from Delhi
I’m going to expand on everything in this list, and I am convinced by the end you’ll agree that Delhi is well worth visiting.
10 Reasons Delhi is Worth Visiting
1. Delhi is one of the most historic cities in the world
Delhi has been continuously occupied for 3,000 years and is the site of 8 historic cities. It’s like travelling through a living history lesson. Some archeologists and historians even believe there is a 9th city, the lost city of Indraprastha, buried below parts of Old Delhi.
Lal Kot is the first city of Delhi and it dates back to 1052. After that seven consecutive cities were built, each by successive rulers (the last being the British Raj). The amazing thing is, there are still architectural examples of each of these ancient cities. In fact, many of these buildings and structures from hundreds of years ago are not protected – they are in the middle of urban villages or hemmed in by traffic and accessible to everyone.
Delhi is so historic, it is common to drive or walk past an obviously centuries old fort, mausoleum or masjid – they are literally everywhere. Some of the remarkable historic structures are (this is a very tiny sample):
- Lal Kot Fort (exterior walls remaining), built 1052 as part of the 1st city of Delhi, Qila Rai Pithora
- Qutub Minar (UNESCO), built 1192 as part of the 2nd city of Delhi, Siri
- Tughlaqabad Fort, built 1321 as part of the 3rd city of Delhi, Tughlaqabad
- Khirki Masjid, built in 1351 as part of the 4th city of Delhi, Jahanpanah
- Feroz Shah Kotla Fort, built in 1354 as part of the 5th city of Delhi, Firozabad
- Purana Qila, built in 1533, as part of the ancient 6th city of Delhi, Dinpanah (also called Shergarh)
- Red Fort (UNESCO), built in 1639 as part of the 7th city of Delhi, Shahjahanabad
- India Gate, built in 1921as part of the 8th city of Delhi, New Delhi
2. Delhi has fantastic shopping
If you love shopping, Delhi will seem like paradise. Not only does Delhi sell authentic Indian handcrafts and cultural products, like pashminas, hand-block prints, embroidery and miniature paintings, there are numerous amazing street markets, and beautiful malls. Even if you’re not a shopper, the street markets are a cultural experience and worth a visit.
You can also buy real pashmina shawls and scarves in Delhi, but be careful – this is one of the most adulterated cultural handcrafts on the market, and visitors regularly get fleeced. If you are shopping for a pashmina please read how to tell real pashmina from fake so you don’t get ripped off.
The best places in Delhi to buy handcrafts and cultural items from across India
- State emporiums on Baba Kharak Singh Road: series of government run shops – each state shop sells its own handcrafts and local items – it’s a fantastic place to shop for authentic items from all across India
- Dilli Haat INA: an outdoor, pedestrian only market with artisans from across India
- Dastkar Nature Bazaar: another outdoor, pedestrian only market with artisans from across India
- National Crafts Museum and Hastkala Academy: the gift shops sells good and reasonably priced textiles and handicrafts
The best street markets in Delhi
- Janpath Market: a fantastic street market in Central Delhi; it has a Tibetan section, Gujurati section and street market – you can find all sorts of stuff here
- Sarojini Nagar Market: Delhi’s favourite bargain street market – lots of end of lines and fashion house discards at amazingly cheap prices
- Khan Market: Delhi’s favourite upscale market with international and domestic brands, lots of restaurants and cafes
- Khari Baoli: the famous spice market in Old Delhi
- Daryaganj Sunday Book Market: you can buy books by the kilo here, but you don’t have to
The best shopping malls and complexes in Delhi
- Connaught Place: an outdoor colonnaded retail and commercial hub
- Select Citywalk and DLF Avenue Saket: upscale, connected malls
- DLF Mall of India: the largest mall in India – it’s located in the suburb of Noida but easily accessible by metro
- Ambience Mall Vasant Kunj: upscale mall with a luxury section
- The Chanakya: luxury, high end brands like Chanel, Mont Blanc, Tiffany & Co.
- Aerocity: outdoor retail and entertainment complex near the airport
3. Delhi has amazing international and Indian restaurants
One of the benefits of being the nation’s capital and home to a large diplomatic and expat community is the number of restaurants featuring international cuisine. Delhi is famous for being the food capital of India and residents take their food seriously. Delhi is worth visiting just for the amazing food! Some of my favourites are:
Best International Restaurants in Delhi
- Diva – GK2 (Italian) $$$
- Guppy – Lodhi Colony (Japanese) $$$
- Chô – Mehrauli (Vietnamese) $$$
- Soy X Neung Roi – Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Delhi Airport (Thai) $$$
- Dalgrak at the Korean Cultural Centre – Lajpat Nagar (Korean) $$
- Burma Burma Restaurant & Tea Room – multiple locations (Burmese) $$
- Miss Margarita – GK2 (Mexican) $$
- Mensho Tokyo – GK2 (Ramen) $$
- Leo’s Pizzeria – Vasant Vihar and Amar Colony (Pizza) $$
Best Indian Restaurants in Delhi
- Bukhara – ITC Maurya Hotel (North Indian) $$$
- Zaffran – Hotel Palace Heights (North Indian) $$
- Naivedyam – several locations (South Indian) $$
- Rajinder da Dhaba – Jorbagh (North Indian) $
- Juggernaut – several locations (South Indian) $
- Andhra Bhavan Canteen – Ashoka Road (South Indian) $
- Mysore Cafe – Teen Murti Marg area (South Indian) $
4. Delhi is very spiritual
India is one of the oldest and most spiritual countries in the world. It’s the birthplace of Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism. Religion and spirituality are part of everyday life for most people. Homes have temples, nearly every vehicle is decorated with some form of religious deity, shops have puja nooks, trees are deemed holy and there are places of worship everywhere.
Delhi is home to many famous and unique temples and mosques. Everyone is welcome to visit temples and mosques as long as local custom is respected, like removing your shoes or covering your head in a gurudwara or mosque. Places of worship are always free. Some of the most important places of worship in Delhi are:
- Kalkaji Mandir (Hindu)
- Yogmaya Temple (Hindu)
- Gurudwara Bangla Sahib (Sikh)
- Lotus Temple (Baha’i)
- Akshardham Temple (Hindu)
- Jama Masjid (Muslim) – note: entrance is free but there is a camera fee
For sincere spiritual seekers, Delhi has some wonderful ashrams for meditation and reflection. Many of these ashrams welcome visitors for daily meditation or satsang. Some ashrams offer short term accommodation to devotees and those seeking to deepen their spiritual awareness.
5. Delhi’s has a thriving night life
If you’re a night owl, Delhi is the place for you and worth visiting. Delhi has beautiful clubs and bars that stay open all night if the crowd is there.
Delhi has a sort of tiered night life scene. Many clubs function as restaurants during the day, but once dinner is over around 10 pm the music cranks up and the bar scene takes over. Lots of these clubs close at 1:00 am, but the high energy bars stay open later. Dance clubs are like ghost towns until midnight but keep going until as late/early as 6:00 am.
Because of the weather most of the night life is outdoors and the clubs in Delhi have beautiful terraces and rooftops. There is always so much going on in Delhi, you’ll be spoiled for choice every night.
6. The street food scene in Delhi is on fire
If you love to eat, the street food in Delhi is heaven. Because Delhi has residents from all across India as well as immigrants and refugees from Afghanistan, Nepal, Tibet and what is now Pakistan, the street food is incredibly varied. It’s also seasonal, there are foods you can get only in the summer or winter months. I’ve listed all the famous Delhi street foods (with photos) in my beginner’s guide to Delhi street food.
Food stalls are everywhere – outside metros, office buildings, in markets, outside monuments and tourist sites. It’s all delicious and very cheap. To avoid the dreaded Delhi belly, it’s good to exercise some caution (I don’t eat much street food during the hottest summer months for example, since food can spoil quickly then) but with a few tips on how to eat street food safely, you can enjoy some of the best cuisine Delhi has at very little cost.
7. The Delhi metro is one of the best metro systems in the world
The Delhi metro is the lifeline of the city. It’s clean, modern, efficient, easy to use and cheap. Even though it currently has 12 lines, 286 stations and is over 389 km long, it’s very easy to navigate. All signage is in English and Hindi and all metro lines are colour coded. It’s almost impossible to get lost on the Delhi metro.
The metro goes practically everywhere, and there are always auto rickshaws outside metro stations to take you right to your destination. It is the best way to move around the city. It’s also safe for women, the first coach in the moving direction of the train is for women only. See my step-by-step guide on how to use the Delhi metro.
8. Delhi is very affordable
Delhi is one of those cities where you can spend a lot of money if you want to – it is the nation’s capital and there are plenty of luxury 5 star hotels, restaurants and shopping, but it can also be extremely affordable for visitors. The per capita income in 2023 was just over US $5,500 per annum; the city has to be affordable for its residents.
There are many wonderful mid-priced hotels and guest houses, and lots of inexpensive local restaurants. Transportation is very cheap if you use Uber, the metro or auto rickshaws. Delhi has many free places to visit, cultural events and festivals.
Are you starting to see why Delhi is worth visiting? Some of my favourite free things to do in Delhi are:
- see the current art exhibitions at Bikaner House
- view the galleries and public art at India Habitat Centre
- visit temples and mosques
- have langar at a gurudwara
- visit Mehrauli Archeological Park to see the spectacular monuments
- stroll Delhi’s most beautiful park, Lodhi Garden
- visit India Gate
- visit the ancient stepwell, Agrasen ki Baoli
- stroll through Lodhi Colony to see the art murals
- hunt for Delhi’s forgotten tombs and mausoleums and other off the beaten path sites
9. Delhi is one of the greenest capital cities in the world
This usually surprises most visitors, but it’s true. Over 23% of the city is covered in forest. Just take a look from almost any South Delhi rooftop and you’ll get an idea of how green the city is.
During the time of the Raj (British colonial rule), the British contributed to the greenery of Delhi by planting thousands of trees along the wide roads of what is known as Lutyens’ Delhi. One of the most enjoyable things to do in Delhi is to take an auto rickshaw through these leafy boulevards.
The city has huge parks and vast sections are covered in forest. The Central Ridge Reserve Forest (known locally as the Ridge), in the middle of the city, is over 864 hectares and is known as the green lungs of Delhi. If you like to eat outdoors, Delhi has fantastic picnic spots.
Some of my favourite green areas of Delhi are:
- Deer Park: located in Hauz Khas, it is home to several historic tombs and abuts Hauz Khas Fort
- Nehru Park: one of Delhi’s largest parks, it has many exotic and domestic trees and wonderful walking paths
- Buddha Jayanti Park: part of Central Reserve Ridge Forest
- Siri Fort Forest: aka Hauz Khas Forest, has ruins of the Siri Fort wall, bastions, and a 15th century mosque
10. It’s easy to travel anywhere from Delhi
Delhi is a major transportation hub and it’s easy to travel domestically or internationally from the city. The Indira Gandhi International Airport is the 9th busiest airport in the world, and has handles over a thousand domestic and international flights daily. The Delhi metro has stops at Terminals 1 and 3.
Domestic train and bus travel is also easy from Delhi. There are 4 passenger railway stations and 3 inter-state bus terminals. You can get anywhere from Delhi, including a day trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.
Want to know more? Let these articles guide you!
- Where to Stay in Delhi – Best Areas and Hotels for Every Budget
- How to Get from Indira Gandhi International Airport into Delhi
- Is Delhi Safe for Tourists?
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
