Delhi public transport: tickets, passes and apps

Delhi's metro is clean, cheap and covers most of what a visitor wants: New Delhi and Old Delhi stations, Rajiv Chowk for Connaught Place, Qutub Minar, Hauz Khas, Akshardham and the airport line. Fares are distance-based, roughly ₹10–60 a ride (2026 estimate), so the question is not whether to use it but what you tap at the gate.

For a short trip, single-journey tokens from the counter or vending machine are the simplest choice and need no deposit or refund. Delhi Metro has also sold stored-value cards and time-limited tourist cards in the past, but availability, deposit and prices change — ask at the customer-care counter before you buy, and do not assume a tourist card is on sale (check).

Outside metro hours, or for places the metro does not reach, use Uber, Ola or Rapido for fixed fares, or an auto-rickshaw for short hops. Agree the auto fare before you get in, or book the app version.

At the station, buy a token at the customer-care counter or a vending machine. Machines take cash and, at many stations, cards; keep small notes, because change can be slow at busy counters. A token is tapped or inserted at the gate on entry and collected or returned on exit, and the fare is deducted on the way out.

Do not assume you can tap a Visa, Mastercard or Apple Pay at the gate: contactless bank cards and phone wallets are not the standard way to ride Delhi Metro, and QR-ticket gates are not available everywhere. Confirm current payment options with DMRC or at the counter, and carry a token as backup (check). Apps are useful for planning even when you pay in cash: the official DMRC app and third-party metro maps show routes, fares and first and last train times.

Ride-hailing is paid in the app or in cash; many drivers prefer cash, and some will cancel if you insist on a card. Autos are cash, with the fare agreed first.

Delhi Metro does not use travel zones in the European sense; the fare is set by the distance between your entry and exit stations, which is why a token costs more the further you go. The practical band for visitors is ₹10–60 a ride (2026 estimate), with the airport line priced separately and higher (check).

The network is large and still growing, with lines running under Old Delhi, out to Gurugram and Noida, and to the airport. For trip planning, treat the metro as your default inside the city and the Airport Express as a separate, faster product to and from Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) sits about 15–20 km from the centre. The Airport Express metro is the fast option: roughly 25 minutes to New Delhi station, where you can change to the wider metro network or take an auto or cab to your hotel (check). First and last train times vary, so check the official DMRC site before a late-night arrival and plan a taxi or app ride as backup (check).

By road, expect 45–90 minutes to the centre depending on traffic, longer at peak. Use the prepaid taxi counter or an app rather than an unmarked cab, and confirm the plate before getting in. If you land late, a hotel near the airport for the first night is often easier than pushing into the city.

Buy tokens as you go, or ask once at the counter whether a stored-value card is currently sold and worth it for your trip; the queue at the counter is the slowest part of any metro journey. Carry small notes for tokens, autos and chai, and keep a little cash even if you plan to pay by app.

Avoid the worst rush hours if you can — roughly 09:00–11:00 and 17:00–20:00 on weekdays — and expect bag scans at every entrance. Women travelling alone can use the women-only carriage, usually the first one. For late nights, use an app cab rather than hailing on the street.