“Yeh Dilli hai mere yaar, bas ishq, mohabbat, pyaar”
These words cannot be any more true when it comes to describing Delhi. Anyone who has watched Delhi 6 may have daydreamed about how they’d someday get to roam around the beautiful colorful lanes of the city. ‘
How one day they’d get to eat tasty golgappas on the side of the road, buy beautiful multicolored jewelry and funky fun clothes of various different styles and designs. Maybe jump from one balcony to another just to chase a kite and suddenly bump into the love of their life, lock eyes with them as they fall in love against the beautiful backdrop of the sunset.
Although we can’t guarantee the later part of that paragraph happening, we assure you that you will get to experience Delhi to the fullest the next time you visit with our picks for the top 12 things to do in Delhi… and who knows, maybe you’ll get to jump through some balconies too!
12 Things You Must Do In Delhi
Roam Through The Streets Of Lodhi Art District
Have you ever seen walls painted so beautifully that they seem like IRL screensavers? This is exactly what you will find when you visit the beautiful lanes of Lodhi Art District. In 2015, St Art India Foundation invited over 50 renowned artists from around the world to create the Lodhi Art District.
This is the first art district in India which is frequented by both the locals and tourists from around the country as well as the world. You can find paintings along the themes of history, culture, heritage, trends, religion, nature, festivals, and many more while roaming through the streets and lanes of the Lodhi Art District.
This will be a memorable visit to you if you’re an art enthusiast, an artist yourself, or an Instagram content creator who wants to make these beautiful walls a part of your Insta feed.
Witness The Seven Wonders Of The World At The Waste To Wonders Park
This is a well-known theme park in New Delhi, frequented by tourists to witness the charming miniature replicas of the Seven Wonders of the World. Waste To Wonders Park is exactly famous for what its name means. These wonderful miniature sculptures are made from the recycled scraps from landfill sites and have now become a hotspot for tourists looking for fascinating things to do in Delhi.
You can find the replicas of the Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Statue of Liberty, Christ the Redeemer, Great Pyramid of Giza, and the Colosseum when you visit the park.
Relish The Foods Of Old Delhi
Whether you love paranthas, chaat, butter chicken, kebabs, biryani, chole bhature, or just the good ol’ golgappe, you can find everything you love in these lanes of Delhi.
You can find the perfect blend of Punjabi, Haryanavi, North Indian, Sindhi, Rajasthani as well as Maharashtrian food when you visit these cozy and diverse hotels of Delhi.
Paranthe Wali Gali
This flavorful street in the famous Chandni Chowk is the perfect place for you to try all the different varieties of parathas! Don’t miss out on these yummy circular pieces of heaven when you visit Delhi the next time.
Pandara Road
This will be the perfect place for you to find anything meaty and spicy! Pandara Road has a collection of hotels that serve the yummiest chicken, mutton, and tandoori dishes in Delhi.
Langars
Langar is a communal free kitchen and meals that the Sikh community serves to the visitors of the Gurudwara, regardless of gender, religion, caste, economic status, or ethnicity. It is supposed to be the Naivedya offered to God and then served to every person who comes to the Gurdwara to seek blessings.
This meal of blessings and purity will surely be one of the sweetest memories you will collect on your next trip to Delhi.
Go On A Delhi Darshan Ride
At a loss of on what are the things to do In Delhi or where to go? Just opt to go for a Delhi Darshan! This is a great way to experience and see various sights around Delhi in one day. The bus will take you to various famous tourist sites in Delhi such as Red Fort, Raj Ghat, Birla Mandir, Qutub Minar, and many more in one go!
Conversely, you can also go on a nightlife ‘Delhi Darshan’, here’s everything you need to know about pub crawling in Delhi!
Pay A Visit To The Magnificent Temples and Dargahs
The temples in any city represent the cultural, traditional and religious beliefs, and sanctity of the city. Just like any other city in India, Delhi too has its own collection of beautiful, intricate, and uniquely built temples. Whenever you visit Delhi please be sure that you have visited these beautiful temples before you leave:
Akshardham Temple
This magnificent architectural gem holds a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest Hindu temple in the world.
The carvings on the temple showcase the representations of architecture, dance, arts, music, and literature of ancient times. The temple is surrounded by Narayan Sarovar which carries water from around 151 lakes and 108 Gomukhs (faces of cows) are placed alongside the lake which represents 108 Hindu Gods.
Lotus Temple
This is not just a temple, it’s an attempt to create a movement of the new age of faith.
This 19th-century religion promotes universal unity and peace as the most important principles of life and signifies the freedom from bondage to believe in any particular religion. The temple doesn’t have any altars, shrines, paintings, idols, or carvings of any deity. It is built in the shape of a lotus and has multiple entryways.
Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah
“Kadam badha le, haddon ko mita le, Aaja khalipan mein pee ka ghar tera, tere bin khali aaja, khalipan mein, tere bin khali aaja, khalipan mein..”
these beautiful lines from the famous song Kun Faya Kun mean “move your feet forward, finish the distances, enter this void (this home of your beloved) for it is empty without you, for it is empty without you”. Anyone who has ever heard this song and watched the beautiful video has at least once wished to visit the beautiful Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah and live these mesmerizing moments themselves.
Visit The Multi-Colored Bazaars
Delhi is known for its collection of authentic, funky, and fun clothes, jewelry, and accessories. Whenever you visit Delhi, be sure to explore as many markets as you can and take beautiful souvenirs home with you.
Sarojini Nagar
Known as the dream destination for many young people, Sarojini Nagar is a place where you get to buy many good quality clothing and jewelry articles for a fraction of their original selling prices. So whenever you visit, don’t forget to do a Sarojini Nagar clothing and jewelry shopping spree. Don’t forget to munch on the tasty street treats while you’re at it!
Mahila Haat Sunday Book Market
If you love to collect old coins, stamps, stationery, and books, this is heaven on earth for you! Mahila Haat Sunday Book Market is a place that makes your dreams of finding collectible books at the cheapest price possible. So whenever you visit, make sure you spend your Sunday going through the thousands of titles available here.
Janpath Market
If you’re all about ethnic clothes, jewelry, and accessories, this is the place for you! Janpath Market is known for its beautiful, multicolored collection of jewelry and traditional as well as trendy clothing, bags, and accessories. Wherever your eyes go, there will be a beautiful pair of jhumkas, juttis, or a set of bangles to buy.
Visit The National Gallery Of Modern Art
The collection of art displayed in the National Gallery Of Modern Art is very powerful. The gallery has paintings of various very-well known and respected artists such as Raja Ravi Verma, Abanindranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore, Thomas Daniell, Rajkumar Sangwan, Nandalal Bose, Amrita Sher-Gil, Jemini Roy, and various other artists. The collection is said to be ‘an impressive representation of the evolution of modern Indian art.’
Explore The Beautiful Monuments Of Delhi
There are many monuments in Delhi that are worth a visit or two. Some of the best examples of this are Humayun’s Tomb, India Gate, Qutub Minar, Red Fort, Safdarjung Tomb, Lodi Gardens where several monuments and tombs from Lodi and Sayyed periods of history can be seen.
Safdarjung Tomb
It was built between 1753-1754 by Shuja-ud-Daula in the memory of his father Safdarjung, a prominent member of the Mughal court. This came to be known as the last garden tomb in Delhi. The tomb consists of several small canopies, such as the Moti Mahal, Jangalmahal, Badshah Pasand, and others.
Red Fort
Delhi is represented pretty much everywhere by the popular image of this beautiful, massive fort made of red sandstone. The Red Fort was considered to be the symbol of the flourishing Mughal Empire in Delhi.
Qutub Minar
The highest monumental tower in India, Qutub Minar was built in 1193 by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, to celebrate the dominance of the Mughal Empire in Delhi after the defeat of Prithviraj Chauhan, the last Hindu emperor in Delhi.
Dilli Haat
Better known as the heart of Delhi, Delhi Haat is a market in Delhi where you can find almost everything from clothes, accessories, jewelry, bags, artworks, to street food and various local cuisines. If you go for a Delhi tour and forget to visit the Dilli Haat, you haven’t experienced shopping in Delhi at all!
Visit The Beautiful Havelis
Go on a heritage tour by exploring the mesmerizing havelis in Delhi. Although most of them are now in ruins, they’re still worth visiting for their beautiful architectural designs, beautiful carvings, and mesmerizing structures.
Haveli Mirza Ghalib
The residence of well-known 19th century Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib, the Haweli Mirza Ghalib has now been declared a heritage site located in Ballimaran in Old Delhi and represents the period of decline of the Mughal Era. You can witness the original handwritten poems of Ghalib preserved in this Haveli.
Haveli Of Zeenat Mahal
This palace was constructed according to the personal instructions of Zeenat Mahal, wife of Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar in 1846. This centuries-old beautiful haveli adds to the beauty of Old Delhi.
Chunnamal Ki Haveli
Or Lala Chunnamal ki Haveli as it’s generally called, this is the haveli of the well-known merchant built in 1848. This is one of the very few havelis in Delhi that are well-kept and well-preserved to this day.
Visit The Beautiful Gurudwaras
Delhi is known for its beautiful Gurudwaras. Gurudwara means ‘the doorway to the Guru’ and is a place of worship to Sikhs in India and all over the world. Whenever you visit Delhi, be sure to visit the beautifully built and beautifully kept Gurudwaras and experience a meal in a Langar.
Visit The Hidden Gem Of Delhi: The Craft Museum
The National Craft Museum showcases an outstanding collection of rich handicrafts, textiles, sculptures as well as large village abodes. This is often called ‘The Treasure Trove’ of crafts as you can find nearly 33,000 objects including figurines, paintings, handicrafts, textiles, and more from all over the country.
There you have it! You may think these are all the things to do in Delhi. But the city is huge, and no matter where you go, there will always be something interesting to see or something delicious to eat!
FAQs
Which Is The Best Time To Visit Delhi?
Between October and November or February and March, these are considered to be the best times to visit Delhi, and the temperature during these months ranges from 20° to 25°C.
Which Are The Famous Fairs And Festivals In Delhi?
Dussehra, Diwali, Lohri, World Book Fair at Pragati Maidan, Republic Day, Holi, phoolwalon-ki-sair, are some famous fairs and festivals celebrated in Delhi every year.
Why Delhi Is Called A Mini India?
As Delhi is a huge city, and it is called a mini India because people from different parts of the world are staying and working in the city. There are different languages spoken by the people as well.
Who Ruled First In Delhi?
Qutb-ud-din-Aybak was the first sultan who ruled Delhi.
