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What is the distance between Old Delhi and New Delhi? Visitors often wonder about this and how to get from one to the other. New Delhi, Old Delhi, Delhi – they are all part of the same city. Here’s the breakdown.
What is the Distance from New to Delhi to Old Delhi?
The distance between New Delhi and Old Delhi is just over 6 km. They are not far apart at all, but Delhi roads and traffic conditions being what they are, walking takes over an hour and driving takes at least 25 minutes, and much longer at peak times.
Where are New Delhi and Old Delhi?
New Delhi is in central Delhi and Old Delhi is in north Delhi.
New Delhi is located in a less congested part of the city, close to Delhi’s green belt, the Central Ridge Reserve Forest. Central Ridge Reserve Forest is known as the lungs of Delhi. It is 8,000 hectares – a massive green space with forests, parks and historic monuments. The air is quite literally cleaner New Delhi.
Old Delhi is north of New Delhi, on the west side of the Yamuna River. Back when Old Delhi was home to the Mughals, the Yamuna was much closer to Old Delhi, it ran directly behind the Red Fort, one of Delhi’s world heritage sites. Now Old Delhi is surrounded by Paharganj, Delhi’s backpacker area and the Civil Lines area to the north – the old stomping grounds of the British Raj.
What is the Difference Between Old Delhi, New Delhi and Delhi?
This confuses a lot of visitors. There’s Old Delhi, New Delhi and Delhi. It becomes even more confusing because New Delhi and Delhi are often used interchangeably, but in fact they are different. Old Delhi and New Delhi are both parts of Delhi. Thanks to my years of living in Delhi, I can explain it to you!
Old Delhi
Old Delhi is the historic part of Delhi built by Mughal ruler Shah Jahan between 1639 – 1648 (the same ruler who built the Taj Mahal). Back in those days it was the capital of India. Old Delhi has retained a lot of the historic buildings, markets and lanes from the Mughal period. To explore Old Delhi, do this free DIY heritage walk of Old Delhi.
Even though it is now one of the most densely populated parts of Delhi and generally bonkers, it is a very important part of the city. Affectionately called Delhi-6 (in reference to its postal code) by locals, Old Delhi has many important sites, like Chandni Chowk, Red Fort (UNESCO), Jama Masjid and the famous spice market, Khari Baoli.
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital of India. It is one of 11 districts in Delhi. It was built by the British in the 1920s and 1930s, and predominantly designed by British architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker. This part of New Delhi is often called Lutyens’ Delhi. It has wide, leafy boulevards, roundabouts and many white colonnaded buildings. New Delhi is one of the greenest capital cities in the world.
Delhi
Officially, Delhi is a city and a Union Territory of India. It is a mega city (population is 33 million) with 11 districts. One of those districts is New Delhi, the capital. Delhi and its environs are often referred to as Delhi NCR (National Capital Region), or simply the NCR. It’s a bit confusing, but all you really need to remember is that Old Delhi and New Delhi are just parts of Delhi.
How to Get to Old Delhi from New Delhi
Even though the distance between New Delhi and Old Delhi is only 6 km, it can take over 30 minutes to travel from one to the other. The fastest way to cover the distance from New Delhi to Old Delhi is by metro. Both areas are well serviced by the metro with multiple stations.
Other options are Uber or Ola, the two ride share programs most popular in Delhi. Both are reliable and inexpensive.
You can also take an auto rickshaw. They’re easy to use and absolutely everywhere. But for going into Old Delhi an auto rickshaw would not be my first choice. Auto rickshaws are open, and there will be nothing between you and the noise and traffic of Old Delhi, which is usually a lot.
How Long is the Metro from New Delhi to Old Delhi?
Travel time between Old Delhi and New Delhi is 15 – 25 minutes. Old Delhi and New Delhi are both on the Violet and Yellow metro lines. It’s between 5 and 10 stops, depending on where you are and which route you take.
Don’t be afraid to use the Delhi metro. It’s one of the best systems in the world. Everything is in English, and it’s very easy to use. I take it all the time – it’s my preferred way to move across the city. Here’s a step by step guide on how to use the Delhi metro.
Where to Stay in New Delhi and Old Delhi
Although the distance between Old Delhi and New Delhi is not great, they are very different.
Old Delhi is not the best area to stay in for a visitor and I don’t recommend it. While it is the most historic part of the city and extremely important culturally, Old Delhi is also polluted, congested, noisy, and not the safest part of Delhi to return to at night.
If you really have your heart set on staying in Old Delhi, then the best place to stay is the beautifully restored mansion, Haveli Dharampura or its sister property, Golden Haveli. Avoid cheap hostels and hotels in this area. There are better budget hotels, guest houses and hostels elsewhere in Delhi.
New Delhi has many hotel options, though the vast majority are luxury 5 star properties. The best New Delhi hotels to stay in are:
- Shangri-la Eros (luxury)
- The Imperial (luxury)
- Ambassador (mid-price)
- Bloomrooms @ Janpath (mid-price)
- New Delhi YMCA Tourist Hostel (budget)
Where to Eat in New Delhi and Old Delhi
Delhi is the food capital of India and there are so many options in both parts of the city.
Some of Delhi’s most famous restaurants are in New Delhi, like Diggin, Guppy and Bukhara.
Old Delhi is the epicentre of Delhi’s famous street food. You can do your own self-guided street food tour, or try one of Old Delhi’s best eateries, like Karim’s, Kake di Hatti or the beautiful Lakhori restaurant.
The Best New Delhi and Old Delhi Tours
If exploring the distance between Old Delhi and New Delhi on your own is a bit daunting, why not take a half day tour? I highly recommend these tours by local companies:
- Bicycle Tour of New Delhi
- Walking Tour of Old Delhi
- New Delhi Food Tour
- Old Delhi Night Food Tour
- Nature Walk of New Delhi
The Wrap-up on New Delhi to Old Delhi Distance – All You Need to Know
The distance between New Delhi and Old Delhi is only a few kilometres, but figuratively speaking they are worlds apart. Luckily, it’s easy to travel from one to the other. Have fun exploring these two very different parts of Delhi.
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
