Delhi
Tomar fort, Sultanate capital, Mughal Shahjahanabad and a colonial New Delhi laid out beside them — the ruins here are not scattered, they are layered.
1052
Lal Kot
The Tomar Rajputs wall the ridge.
1192
Sultanate
The Qutb rises on temple columns.
1648
Shahjahanabad
Shah Jahan moves the Mughal court.
1931
New Delhi
Lutyens' capital is inaugurated.
3 days in Delhi
Day 1 — Shahjahanabad
- Morning
- The Red Fort from its 9:30am opening: Lahori Gate, the Diwan-i-Am and the marble Diwan-i-Khas, then the museums in the old British barracks. Walk across to the Jama Masjid and climb the south minaret for the view over the old city.Red Fort · Jama Masjid
- Lunch
- Karim's in Gali Kababian, off the Jama Masjid's south gate — mutton burra, nihari and korma with khamiri roti.Karim's
- Afternoon
- A cycle-rickshaw down Chandni Chowk, then on foot: Dariba Kalan's silver lane, Paranthe Wali Gali, the Kinari Bazaar trimmings lane and the spice sacks of Khari Baoli, ending at Fatehpuri Masjid. Snack as you go — jalebi at the Dariba corner, dahi bhalla at Natraj.Chandni Chowk & the spice market · Paranthe Wali Gali · Old Famous Jalebi Wala · Natraj Dahi Bhalle Wala
- Dinner
- Kebabs and mutton stew at Al Jawahar, next door to Karim's, or kulfi at Kuremal in Chawri Bazar if you are still full.Al Jawahar · Kuremal Mohan Lal Kulfi Wale
- Evening
- The pedestrianized Chandni Chowk lit up after dark, with a stop at Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, where the ninth Sikh Guru was executed in 1675.
Good to knowThe Red Fort is closed on Mondays. The Jama Masjid closes to visitors during prayer times, and you need covered shoulders and legs (robes are lent at the gate). Take the Metro to Chandni Chowk or Lal Qila — cars cannot get into the lanes.
Day 2 — Nizamuddin and the Lodhi tombs
- Morning
- Humayun's Tomb as it opens, before the tour buses, then through the connecting gate into Sunder Nursery's restored Mughal garden tombs. Finish at the new Humayun's Tomb site museum at the complex entrance.Humayun's Tomb · Sunder Nursery · Humayun's Tomb Site Museum
- Lunch
- Lodi — The Garden Restaurant, at Lodhi Garden's Gate 1, under the trees.
- Afternoon
- Lodhi Garden's fifteenth-century tombs — Muhammad Shah Sayyid's, Sikandar Lodi's, the Bara Gumbad mosque — then a short ride to Safdarjung's Tomb, the last great Mughal garden tomb.Safdarjung's Tomb
- Dinner
- An early dinner in Nizamuddin basti: seekh and shami kebabs at Ghalib Kabab Corner, then phirni from the lane stalls.
- Evening
- Qawwali in the courtyard of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya's dargah after the sunset prayer, liveliest on Thursdays.Nizamuddin Dargah
Good to knowHumayun's Tomb and Sunder Nursery charge separate tickets. At the dargah, cover your head, leave shoes at the stalls outside and keep small notes for the musicians. The basti lanes are a five-minute walk from Humayun's Tomb.
Day 3 — Mehrauli and Hauz Khas
- Morning
- The Qutb Minar complex at opening: the 1193 mosque built from temple columns, the minar, the Gupta-era iron pillar and Alauddin Khalji's unfinished Alai Minar. Then walk Mehrauli Archaeological Park — Jamali Kamali, Balban's tomb, Rajon ki Baoli stepwell and Metcalfe's folly.Qutb Minar complex · Mehrauli Archaeological Park
- Lunch
- Olive Bar & Kitchen at One Style Mile, a restaurant in an old haveli with a view of the Qutb.
- Afternoon
- Hauz Khas: Firoz Shah Tughlaq's fourteenth-century madrasa and tomb on the edge of the medieval reservoir, then the deer park beside it.Hauz Khas complex
- Dinner
- One of the rooftop restaurants in Hauz Khas Village above the lake.
- Evening
- Sunset over the Hauz Khas lake from the madrasa's arcades, as the colonnades go gold.
Good to knowMehrauli Archaeological Park is free and open from sunrise; wear proper shoes as the paths are rough. Qutb Minar Metro station is a 15-minute walk or a short auto ride from the complex.