Known for
The 42-metre sandstone heart of New Delhi — a war memorial by day, a glowing public picnic ground by night.
Shah Jahan's vast 17th-century red-sandstone Mughal fort in Old Delhi — a UNESCO site and the stage for India's Independence Day address.
The world's tallest brick minaret — a 72.5-metre, 12th-century fluted sandstone tower in Mehrauli, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
India's first great Mughal garden-tomb — a 16th-century red-sandstone and marble mausoleum that was the architectural prototype for the Taj Mahal.
Delhi's iconic white-marble lotus-shaped landmark — a 1986 architectural marvel of 27 petals, free to visit and one of the world's most-visited buildings.
Delhi's favourite green escape — a 90-acre landscaped park dotted with 15th-century tombs, free to enter and perfect for a morning walk.
An 18th-century open-air astronomical observatory of giant masonry instruments, built by Maharaja Jai Singh II beside Connaught Place.
Old Delhi's 17th-century market street — India's most famous vegetarian street-food lane and a maze of spice, textile, and jewellery bazaars.
New Delhi's grand colonial-era shopping and dining circle — Georgian colonnades, big-brand stores, street markets, and famous vegetarian restaurants.
Delhi's vast Swaminarayan Hindu temple complex — intricately carved pink sandstone, an evening water show, and a pure-vegetarian food court.
Delhi's showcase heritage park — a 90-acre Mughal-era garden of restored tombs, lily pools and rose beds beside Humayun's Tomb, perfect for a slow, green half-day.
Delhi's oldest fort, raised on the legendary mound of Indraprastha — massive gateways, a moat with pedal-boats and an evening sound-and-light show.
A 14th-century royal reservoir, madrasa and tomb overlooking a lake and deer park in South Delhi — medieval ruins beside a buzzing café village.
A landmark 1930s Nagara-style temple to Vishnu and Lakshmi west of Connaught Place — inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi and open to all, free to enter.
One of India's largest temple complexes — a sprawling white South-and-North-Indian shrine to Goddess Katyayani in South Delhi, near Qutub, free to enter.
A dramatic 60-metre medieval stepwell of 108 stone steps hidden minutes from Connaught Place — one of Delhi's most photogenic and atmospheric monuments, free to enter.
India's premier museum on Janpath — 5,000 years of art and history from the Indus Valley's Dancing Girl to Chola bronzes and the sacred relics of the Buddha.
A permanent open-air crafts bazaar opposite INA metro — handlooms and handicrafts from every Indian state, plus a food court of regional vegetarian specialities.
Delhi's 176-acre zoo beside the Old Fort — Royal Bengal and white tigers, Asiatic lions, elephants and winter migratory birds, a favourite family day out.
East Delhi's favourite lake-and-park — a large man-made lake ringed by a green DDA park, popular for morning walks, paddle-boating and winter migratory birds. Free to enter.
A 20-acre themed leisure garden near Saket — sculptures, murals, spice and herb beds, an amphitheatre and cafés, designed to delight all five senses.
The 'last flicker' of Mughal architecture — a grand 18th-century domed garden-tomb on Lodhi Road, quieter and calmer than its famous cousins.
A vast, rugged 14th-century ruined fortress in South Delhi — massive sloping stone walls and bastions spread over a rocky ridge, steeped in legend.
An ancient, always-thronged Kali temple beside Nehru Place and the Lotus Temple — one of Delhi's most revered Shakti shrines, free to enter.
Delhi's grand Hare Krishna temple on Hare Krishna Hill, East of Kailash — striking modern architecture, a Vedic cultural centre and a pure-veg restaurant. Free to enter.
The 108-foot Hanuman statue rising over central Delhi — one of the world's tallest Hanuman idols, visible from the metro, with a dramatic cave-like entrance. Free to enter.
A sprawling 80-acre park in the diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri — rolling lawns, jogging tracks and open-air concerts, a favourite for morning walks. Free to enter.
A 200-acre open-air museum of ruins beside the Qutub — a Lodhi-era stepwell, Balban's tomb, colonial follies and a thousand years of Delhi's history in one green sprawl. Free.
A theme park of the Seven Wonders of the World built entirely from scrap and industrial waste — an Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal and Statue of Liberty near Sarai Kale Khan.
India's railway heritage across 10 acres in Chanakyapuri — vintage steam locomotives, royal saloons, a toy-train ride and indoor galleries. A family favourite.
Delhi's legendary budget-fashion bazaar — export-surplus clothes at throwaway prices, plus vegetarian street food. A bargain-hunter's rite of passage.
Delhi's oldest Jain temple — a striking red-sandstone shrine opposite the Red Fort, famous for its gilded upper halls and a charitable bird hospital next door. Free.
North India's grandest South-Indian Murugan temple — a granite hilltop shrine in R.K. Puram fusing Chola, Pallava and Pandya architecture. Free to enter.
An ancient living temple beside the Qutub Minar — dedicated to the goddess Yogmaya, sister of Krishna, and often called Delhi's only surviving pre-Sultanate temple. Free.
India's premier modern-art museum in a butterfly-shaped Lutyens palace by India Gate — 17,000+ works from Raja Ravi Varma to Amrita Sher-Gil. Closed Mondays.
The house where Mahatma Gandhi spent his last 144 days and was assassinated in 1948 — now a moving national memorial and multimedia museum. Free; closed Mondays.
A living museum of Indian craft near Purana Qila — 33,000+ objects and master artisans at work, in a Charles Correa 'village street' of courtyards and mud huts. Closed Mondays.
Delhi's favourite sky-theatre in the leafy Teen Murti grounds — dome shows on the stars and planets, plus a real Soyuz space capsule. A family science treat. Closed Mondays.
A tranquil 80-acre garden on the Central Ridge honouring the Buddha's enlightenment — a gilded Buddha statue, a sacred Bodhi-tree sapling and forest walking paths. Free.
Delhi's most photogenic riverfront — a restored Mughal-style ghat near Kashmere Gate famous for winter seagulls at dawn, sunrise boat rides and an evening Yamuna Aarti. Free.
The 14th-century citadel of Firozabad — a rugged Tughlaq fort crowned by a polished 3rd-century-BC Ashokan pillar, with a rare circular stepwell and ruined halls.
One of Delhi's most iconic mid-range bazaars — ethnic wear, fabrics and home goods at bargain prices, roadside mehndi artists and lively vegetarian street food. Closed Mondays.
Delhi's most upscale shopping-and-dining enclave — independent bookshops, designer boutiques and celebrated veg-friendly cafés near India Gate. Closed Sundays.
The national memorial to Mahatma Gandhi — a simple black marble platform with an eternal flame, set in tranquil riverside gardens near the Red Fort. Free.
India's memorial to soldiers fallen since Independence — an eternal flame beneath a granite obelisk, ringed by walls bearing 25,900+ names, beside India Gate. Free.
The President of India's majestic Lutyens residence on Raisina Hill — 340 rooms under a great copper dome, with the seasonal Amrit Udyan gardens. Pre-registration required.
Old Delhi's revered Shiva temple beside the Jain Lal Mandir — an ancient brown-stone lingam ringed by silver serpents, built by a Maratha soldier in 1761. Free.
An ancient Hanuman temple at Connaught Place, famed for a non-stop Ram-naam chant running since 1964 (a Guinness record) and a rare crescent-moon spire. Free.
One of Asia's largest doll museums — 6,000+ costume dolls from about 85 countries in backlit cases, a charming family outing near ITO. Closed Mondays.
One of Asia's largest interactive science museums near Pragati Maidan — hands-on galleries on biology, earth, technology and 'Fun Science' for all ages. Open daily.
The Safdarjung Road home where PM Indira Gandhi lived and was assassinated in 1984 — now a memorial museum with a crystal path marking where she fell. Free; closed Mondays.
A restored Yamuna floodplain of wetlands, grassland and forest in North Delhi — 200+ bird species on guided nature walks. Free; Monday–Saturday by prior arrangement.
Rohini's huge, much-loved park (Swarn Jayanti Park) — a big boating lake, a musical fountain and themed gardens, a favourite family day out in North West Delhi. Free.
Delhi's favourite budget street bazaar beside Connaught Place — boho clothing, embroidered juttis and silver, plus a decades-old Tibetan Market of curios. Free.
Delhi's great all-in-one bazaar — the pedestrian Ajmal Khan Road for fashion and bridal wear, Bank Street for gold, Gaffar Market for electronics, and iconic veg street food. Closed Mondays.
The vast North Delhi ground where the 1877, 1903 and 1911 Delhi Durbars were held — a lone obelisk and a graveyard of relocated Raj-era statues. Free.
One of the world's most unusual museums — 5,000 years of the history of toilets and sanitation, told with wit and purpose in West Delhi. Free.
The Indian Air Force's heritage museum at Palam — 30+ vintage and modern aircraft indoors and out, from a Spitfire to the MiG-21. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
A moving people's-history museum of the 1947 Partition, in the 17th-century Dara Shukoh Library at Kashmere Gate — oral testimonies, archives and heirlooms. Free; closed Mondays.
The restored Old Delhi home of the great poet Mirza Ghalib — a small memorial museum of his verses, portraits and a life-size replica, tucked in Ballimaran. Free; closed Mondays.
A historic Mughal-era reservoir-garden near Rashtrapati Bhavan — lawns, waterways and spring flowerbeds, and the 1737 staging ground of Bajirao's raid on Delhi. Free.
A 17th-century Mughal Char Bagh laid out by, and the resting place of, the princess Roshanara Begum — a marble baradari, water channels and a bird-rich lake in North Delhi. Free.
A wild city forest on the South Ridge between Mehrauli and Vasant Kunj — trails, peafowl, 200+ bird species and the ancient Lal Kot fort walls. Free; daylight only.
Asia's largest wholesale spice market — centuries-old lanes at the west end of Chandni Chowk stacked with chilli, turmeric, saffron, dry fruits and tea. Free; closed Sundays.
A beautifully restored 1598 Mughal garden-tomb near Humayun's Tomb — the mausoleum of Rahim, Akbar's statesman and beloved Hindi-doha poet, a stylistic bridge to the Taj Mahal. Inexpensive ASI ticket.
A serene Jain memorial-garden beside the Qutub Minar — a 13-foot single-granite statue of Bhagwan Mahavir on a landscaped hillock, honouring ahimsa. Free and peaceful.
The last monument the Mughals built — a red-sandstone summer palace and towering Elephant Gate in old Mehrauli, tied to the last emperor's empty grave. Free.
A 1562 octagonal Mughal tomb in Mehrauli nicknamed the 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa' for its maze-like wall passages — built by Akbar for his foster brother. Free.
North Delhi's forested ridge park — the city's richest cluster of 1857 sites (Flagstaff Tower, the Mutiny Memorial) plus an Ashokan pillar and Tughlaq ruins. Free.
India's museum of all its Prime Ministers, on the leafy Teen Murti campus — immersive, high-tech galleries tracing the nation since 1947. Closed Mondays.
The heart of Bengali Delhi — a 1930s Kali temple beside Birla Mandir, home to one of the city's oldest Durga Pujas and a Kalighat-style sanctum. Free.
A Mughal-style riverside garden on the Yamuna by the Okhla Barrage — symmetrical flower beds, tiered fountains lit after dark, and a favourite family evening spot. Small ticket.
A hidden turquoise quarry-lake deep inside the Asola Bhatti sanctuary — a rugged Aravalli trek for prepared hikers and photographers, not swimmers. Closed weekends.
A 13th-century five-tier stepwell in Mehrauli — Delhi's largest baoli, named for its sulphur ('gandhak') water, from the reign of Sultan Iltutmish. Free.
Legendary pure-veg South Indian chain serving iconic dosas, idlis, and filter coffee since 1986.
Signature dish · Masala Dosa · ₹180
₹600 for two
Temple restaurant at ISKCON Delhi serving sattvic vegetarian food prepared as an offering to Krishna.
Signature dish · Govinda's Buffet Thali · ₹550
₹1,100 for two
Pure-vegetarian Pandara Road institution near India Gate — celebrated Dal Makhani and Malai Kofta, with Jain and no-onion-no-garlic options.
Signature dish · Dal Makhani · ₹480
₹1,100 for two
Heritage Rajasthani café inside the restored Bikaner House — a 5-minute drive from India Gate.
Signature dish · Royal Rajasthani Thali · ₹850
₹1,500 for two
UPSC-lane chaat counter beloved by civil-service aspirants — a 7-minute walk from India Gate via Shahjahan Road.
Signature dish · Aloo Tikki Chaat · ₹80
₹250 for two
Roving carts on the India Gate lawns — Chana Zor Garam, sugarcane juice, kulfi, and chuski sold sundown to midnight.
Signature dish · Chana Zor Garam · ₹30
₹200 for two
Turn this into a trip — pick a multi-day route, hop to a nearby city, or ask our guide for a custom all-vegetarian plan.
By regionDelhi NCRIndia's capital and its ring of satellite cities as one contiguous metro — Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad, plus the Murthal paratha belt, knit together by the Metro, rapid-rail and expressway grid.