In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · India
New Delhi
नई दिल्ली
Give New Delhi 3 nights: Lutyens' Delhi and the museums in a day, Old Delhi's lanes in a morning, then Agra or Jaipur. Skip it in May–June.
New Delhi is the planned imperial capital inside the larger Delhi metropolis: wide boulevards, roundabouts, government buildings and the national museums, with Connaught Place at its centre. Most travellers sleep here and cross into Old Delhi for the lanes and food. Three nights covers the core without rushing; two is workable if you leave for Agra on day three.
- Country
- India
- Local name
- नई दिल्ली
- Best months
- Oct–Mar
- Avoid
- May–Jun (extreme heat), late Jun–Sep (monsoon), Nov–Dec (smog peaks)
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- INR
- Money
- Indian rupees (INR, ₹) in small notes for autos, street food, tips and entry tickets.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₹2,500–5,000 excl. bed · Mid ₹5,000–12,000 excl. bed · High ₹12,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Jio, Airtel and Vi sell tourist SIMs at airport counters and their shops; passport, visa and a photo needed; activation can take a few hours.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112 · Police 100 · Ambulance 102 · Tourist helpline (Incredible India, 24 h) 1363
- Plugs
- Types C, D, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin C plugs fit most sockets; D (three round pins) is the common wall socket; hotels often have universal sockets. UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food and dhabas: Nothing.; Restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge is on the bill.; Car and driver: ₹300–500 a day at the end of the trip.; Guide: ₹300–500 for a half day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₹50–100.; Auto or Uber: Round up.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Buy sealed bottles (check the cap), or use RO-filtered refill stations in hotels and cafés; avoid ice from street stalls.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and airports; squat toilets with a water jug or hose in stations and villages. Carry tissue and sanitiser; paid public toilets (Sulabh) cost ₹5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Chai from a stall | ₹10–30 |
| Thali or chaat plate | ₹150–400 |
| Metro ride | ₹10–60 |
| Auto-rickshaw, 5 kmAuto-rickshaw, 3.1 mi | ₹100–200 |
| Taxi or app cab, airport to centre | ₹400–800 |
| Monument entry, foreigner rate | ₹300–600 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ₹500–1,500 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DEL · Indira Gandhi International
- Airport Express or taxi to New Delhi station, about 20–30 min off-peak; longer in traffic.
- DXN · Noida International (Jewar)
- check which carriers use it before booking.
- HDO · Hindon
- check; limited scheduled use.
Typical fares
- Airport Express, DEL to New Delhi station
- about ₹60, 20–30 min (check)
- Metro ride in the centre
- ₹10–60
- Auto, Connaught Place to India Gate
- ₹100–150, agree first
Get around
The Delhi Metro is the fast, air-conditioned option: fares about ₹10–60, Airport Express priced separately. Use the Yellow and Violet lines for the centre and Old Delhi. Buses cost ₹5–25 but are crowded. Autos and taxis: agree the fare or insist on the meter; app cabs avoid haggling. New Delhi's planned core is walkable, with footbridges and subways to cross the big roads.
See and do
Known for
- India Gate and Kartavya Path
- Rashtrapati Bhavan and Lutyens' Delhi
- Connaught Place
- National Museum and national galleries
- Gateway to Agra and Jaipur
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Agra (Taj Mahal) | Gatimaan or other fast train from Hazrat Nizamuddin or New Delhi station, about 1 h 40 min–2 h; or a car on the Yamuna Expressway | 3–4 h each way by car, less by train |
| Jaipur | Train from New Delhi station, about 4–5 h; or an air-conditioned Volvo bus from Bikaner House | 4–5 h |
| Delhi and NCR | Metro and suburban rail across the wider metropolis | 30–90 min |
Sleep
- Connaught Place and Paharganj
- Central, metro at Rajiv Chowk and New Delhi station; Paharganj is the budget belt west of the station.
- Chanakyapuri
- Embassy district in the south; quiet, green, mostly upmarket hotels.
- Aerocity and airport axis
- For one-night layovers; far from the sights.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Goodbye | नमस्तेnamaste |
| Thank you | धन्यवादdhanyavaad |
| How much is it? | कितने का है?kitne ka hai |
| Too expensive | बहुत महंगा हैbahut mehnga hai |
| Please use the meter | मीटर से चलिएmeter se chaliye |
| Where is the toilet? | शौचालय कहाँ है?shauchalay kahan hai |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Namaste (palms together) or a handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging or kissing strangers
- Hands and feet: Give and eat with the right hand; apologise if your foot touches someone; avoid: Pointing feet at people or shrines; touching books or food with your feet
- Temples: Shoes off, walk clockwise around shrines, accept prasad (blessed food) with the right hand; avoid: Leather in Jain temples; entering sanctums that say Hindus only
- Home visit: Bring sweets or fruit; accept tea at least once; avoid: Refusing all food; wearing shoes inside
- Questions: Expect personal questions (married? job? salary?) as friendliness; avoid: Taking offence; answer vaguely if you prefer
- Saying no: A firm, polite 'nahi, dhanyavaad' (no, thank you) and keep walking; avoid: Long explanations to touts
- Dress: Loose clothes covering shoulders and knees; kurta tops are cheap and cool; avoid: Swimwear or shorts away from Goa beaches
Scams and watch-outs
- Touts at New Delhi station claim the foreigner ticket office is closed or moved: the International Tourist Bureau is upstairs inside the station, platform 1 side.
- Unsolicited help with directions, hotels or tickets is usually a commission scam.
- Late-night taxi scam: the driver says your hotel is full or closed and steers you to another.
- New Delhi is unsafe for women travellers; harassment is a real risk, and walking alone at night is not advised.
- Avoid protest sites around Jantar Mantar and Tolstoy Road.
- Book trains on the official IRCTC site, not through agencies.
The main risks are touts and scams, not violent crime. Guard bags in crowds, use app cabs or prepaid booths, and treat unsolicited help as a sales pitch. Women face harassment: avoid empty streets after dark and consider a hotel with a 24-hour desk.
One and two days
No timed day plan for New Delhi yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- India Gate and Kartavya Path
- Rashtrapati Bhavan and Lutyens' Delhi
- Connaught Place
- National Museum and national galleries
- Gateway to Agra and Jaipur
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- New Delhi Municipal Council: ndmc.gov.in/
- Wikivoyage: New Delhi, revision 5330976 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5330976
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
New Delhiनई दिल्ली
इस पते पर चलिए
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies and high commissions are in Chanakyapuri; check your own country's address and hours before you go.
Foreigners pay higher monument entry fees; carry small notes and ID.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/new-delhi). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.