DELHI IT IS ….PLAN A QUICK TRIP TO DELHI
ABOUT
Delhi is the capital of India. But, more than that it is an epitome of so many things. Forever bustling and moving this city is fast and serene at the same time. At first, this city will overwhelm you but if you allow to let it all sink in, you will realize that there’s a lot that this city has to offer. The city charm can leave you wanting to visit here again and again.
Being the capital city this is the base of the government of India, home to top politicians and various corporate offices.
Delhi is the starting point of many exotic tourist destinations so some or other time the travelers visit this city. It is famous saying in Delhi as “Dilli Dil Walon Ki” …. “Heart” in Hindi is pronounced as “Dil”, so this phrase means “Delhi is for people with big hearts! ”, a reason to explore this city.
Since it’s a huge city, it can be covered by visiting it up in parts. One can visit North Delhi, South Delhi, East Delhi, West Delhi, Central Delhi and Old Delhi since all of them are unique in their own style.
UNIQUE OFFERING
For me, Delhi is very important because I lived for years in this city and I have explored it as much as possible. In this city, exploring never ends. I started My Journey to explore the City by dividing into various parts and later again by visiting the historical monuments and destination. Delhi culturally is also very unique because most of the residents move to this city from various parts of India.
Delhi has three World Heritage Sites, more than hundred National Protected monuments and countless unprotected other monuments. Discussion on Delhi is incomplete unless we mention the traffic n overcrowding. Since this is the capital city it comes with few costs like the traffic lines. People have accepted it as a daily routine and there’s a beauty to this too.
15th August is India’s Independence Day. On this day most of the famous monuments get lit up and it is a sight not to be missed. I feel lucky to be living in India, a country so rich and diverse in culture, history, traditions, and geography. As an explorer, you can keep finding something new every time you travel around India. I have myself not seen it all, though I travel to various parts as a tourist and only gets connected more with each new trip.
Delhi is attached to various other states of India and the bordering region combined with it is called as the “National Capital Region” (NCR). On one side, NCR is bordering the state of UP and that part is called ‘Noida’ in UP State, another side bordering Haryana is called as ‘Gurgaon’ in Haryana State. So, while visiting Delhi you might often be visiting these regions too. Geographically the distances are vast to cover.
HISTORY
Delhi is a metropolitan city now in India but it is actually a very historical destination. It took a while for me to realize this only when I got lost into so many usual monuments and then I could put entire pieces together and see the bigger picture and actually get amazed on what all this city can offer.
History in Delhi is unparalleled and the historical monuments are a must to explore. Delhi is one of the oldest existing city in the world and hence the historical monuments here are a delight for any traveler. It is interesting to note that Delhi was not always the capital of India, rather it was connected to the then capital “Agra” which is another famous destination.
Delhi’s history starts from tenth century Chauhan Dynasty followed by the ‘Mughal Dynasty. From Muhammad Ghori’s Mehrauli to Siri Dynasty of Qutubuddin Aibak to Tughlaq Dynasty to his son Firoz to Shahjahan’ the history is immense. There are various monuments dating back to the respective rulers and dynasties. It is a good idea to get a bit of historical detail before visiting the respective monuments.
The ‘New Delhi’ you see today was physically founded by the British rulers of the British Raj era the Lutyens Delhi which is area primarily inspired by British Architecture.
TRAVELQUARTZ DESTINATION
If one plans to visit India, they usually arrive in Delhi but immediately move to other exotic travel destinations. It is a good idea to keep a few days to explore Delhi. Initially, the traffic and busy atmosphere might overwhelm the visitors but there are many unique places to visit here.
Below are few important destinations to choose from
Red Fort
Isa Khan Tomb
India Gate
Jantar Mantar
Rajpath, President’s house, Raj Ghat
Lodhi garden
Tughlakabad Fort
If history is not enough there are many famous religious destinations too and few are
Bahai Lotus temple
Akshardham Temple
Jama Masjid
Iskcon temple
Gurudwara Bangla Sahib
Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya Dargah
Further one can visit the Political Monuments – Presidents House, Parliament, North Block South Block and Lutyen’s Delhi.
MUST TO DO
If you visit Delhi you might not want to miss below options
Shopping – Most of the people visit Delhi because they are in love with the famous shopping markets here. Though new shopping malls offer various brand options the local handicrafts can be found at markets called as Delhi Hatt or Hauz Khas Village or Janpath which usually follows by an evening walk in Connaught Place.
Events- India Habitat Centre and other auditoriums organize daily shows on the drama or theatres. One can check the events online and book the tickets.
Visiting Old Delhi – Many tourists visit old Delhi the Chandani Chowk area to see the hustle and bustle and the “crowd”. Yes! This is a super busy market filled with many people crowding the place to an unseen level, so much so that tourists visit here only to feel the crowd around! One can further try street food or street shopping here.
Trying Delhi Street Food – Delhi is also food capital because all kind of foods are available here and one can keep exploring them. It’s famous for yummy street foods from all around India. Must try the “Chola Bhatura, Samosa, Chaat and Paan” as food options.
Restaurants and Clubs – Delhi has one of the best restaurants to try various cuisines. it also has many options for nightlife clubs and live music.
GETTING AROUND
There are many options to explore Delhi with efficient Metro lines, bus system, hop on hop off buses, Auto, and cabs. Since the place can be crowded, traffic lines are a norm in Delhi. Don’t get bogged down with honking and traffic congestion in the city, its part of life here but soon it leads you to some great destinations.
“Checkout our outube video of rainbow in Delhi a rare sight “
FOR NEXT VISIT
People revisit the city for shopping, watching the theatres and covering more monuments because there are hundreds of monument in this city and many are still not famous or visited.
Delhi has a charm to it and if you will go with an open mind you will feel that unique charm!
Pin It 🙂
Delhi looks wonderful – I have a friend from there too and she loves her home city. The vintage car ralley looks like great fun – I love classic cars!
It’s so awesome that you have a friend based out of Delhi, I am sure you can now plan a trip soon. The only tip is to avoid summer season, else all is just good, it is the starting point of many famous tourist destinations as well.I really liked this vintage car rally , I should attend it again I guess 🙂
The city of Delhi is definitely outstanding, from its classic and traditional places to visit its street foods, I love street food anyways, It’ll be the first I will try for sure. Would you mind to tell me more about Chola Bhatura, Samosa, Chaat and Paan?
Alexine the food here is just amazing. I mentioned the vegetarian dishes though there’s a lot to explore on the non-veg food too. The Chola Bhatura is Chola – India Chickpeas curry, Bhatura – Deep fried bread, Chaat – Savory Snack of boiled potato and spices with crumbled flaky biscuits, Samosa -Deep fried salty pastry with potato filling, Paan only for chewing- betel leaf preparation are widely popular across India ….One need to experience this food to know more…NomNomNom 😀
Delhi sounds beautiful and there’s so many different things to do and experience. Can’t wait to hear more about it !
Since I recently visited all these places I have been writing about them, soon a blog coming on Humayun’s Tomb, ts stunning destination.
I would love to visit tombs in Delhi! We don’t have tombs in the US, or none that I heard of! I like reading local perspectives and experiences on cities because we often overloook things to do. Delhi seems like a wonderful place to visit and so vibrant. When I finally go to India…hopefully soon, I’ would love to visit this city!
Tyra check out my post on Humayun’s Tomb you will be amazed 😀 There’s some info on my Instagram too.
With three world heritage sites and a lot of protected areas, Delhi is really a must visit for those going to India. Though I’d usually prefer the off-beaten and nature trails, Delhi is just inevitable.
Delhi is a starting point to all the off-beat destinations either by few hours flight pr overnight trains so while one makes a base here it is good idea to spend a day visiting these monuments.
Good guide to Delhi for first timers like me. I have bookmarked it and will use it when I would be visiting Delhi 🙂
Thanks for positive feedback. The food is a must try too 😀
I love the way you’ve highlighted all the important points of Delhi. To me, a tour of Chandni Chowk just for the food is generally the plan. hehe 😉 My bad – I haven;t visited Tughlakabad Fort yet. Maybe the next time I come down to India, I’ll check out more places of interest in Delhi. Cheers!!
Aditi I love all your food post, I bet you love Chandni Chowk for the foot :D, I once visited it during the Ramadan and what a sight it was.
What is the cost of living like in Delhi. It sounds like a place that I would love to come to for a couple of weeks at least. Maybe do an AirBnB trip.
Delhi is an expensive city but there are various BNB to try out a decent budget. the initial chaos might be surprising but the monuments are worth a visit. Summers should ideally be avoided as temperatures go high but otherwise this city is the starting point of journeys to all the major tourist attractions of India.Few days are enough to see the city and then one can make it a base and visit all the major destinations by overnight train or few hours flight.
Would love to visit Delhi sometime! Indian food might be one of the biggest attractions for me:D The street food sounds amazing! Big fan of samosas. Curious to see what the theatre would be like, I imagine it wouldn’t be like any theatre in Europe!
No theatre is definitely not like in Europe, I meant the drama or folk musicals, only in case you have interest in Indian music or want to experience some performances by actors or dancers on certain themes or topics. The food has so much to explore as Delhi offers cuisines from around the world it will be a culinary adventure for sure 😀
I cannot wait to explore Delhi again properly when I am next in India – these is so much to do and see there and the shopping is just amazing. Bookmarked this post to.
Glad you liked this post, I explored this city recently and hence had so much to share. Delhi is the starting point of many journeys to various famous locations in India but in the midst of the same people forget to explore this city which has such history behind it too. Visiting during good weather is important, avoid summers totally 🙂
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I would love a “quick trip” to Delhi! Looks like an incredible place with such amazing culture and people!
Glad you liked this post Katie and planning a trip- welcome! 🙂
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Delhi looks amazing and busy. Love the vintage cars, they are so colorful. What a beautiful city with so much history and things to do. I’ll be adding it to the list of places to visit.
I didn’t realize the buildings were decorated with lights for Independence Day! This seems like such a festive time to explore Delhi! My husband went for Holi last year and this will make him want to return!
I didn’t realise there was so much history in Delhi – 3 UNESCO sites to visit in one city is more than some countries! As a foodie, there must be the best of Indian street food available in the capital. I’d love to sample the nightlife of Delhi too, I’ve never been out drinking in India.
Delhi… I can imagine you might spend almost a lifetime with just exploring this city…and still you will always find something new. This place always fascinated me and it is very high on my list.So far I hesitated since I always thought I need weeks for discovering so I am really glad to see your plan for a quick trip, which is cool!
I had no idea that its one of the oldest cities in the world and that it has three World Heritage Sites… Wow, this makes it even more interesting.
Old Delhi is so crazy cool, I went back the day later again to roam around. These streets are crazy for a Western, there is so much to see, do, eat, try and buy. It is a true heaven for people who love markets. Also dont forget to visit Jama Masjid Mosque, it is also located in Old Delhi and cant be missed!
I worked in India years ago for the bank and I loved exploring the city in my spare time. I loved the history and the people, everyone was super nice to me. I definitely wanted to stay longer than I did and I am hoping to get back there one day. I definitely want to see more monuments and eat more local food next time. I also want to travel more around the other cities.
I live in Delhi and I agree there’s so much to explore in the city. From the ruined forts and tombs to the beautiful temples and museums – Delhi is a blend of old and new. It is definitely a city with rich culture and history, and of course sumptuous food. Love your photographs, especially the lightings on 15th August and Hauz Khas village. Thanks for sharing this lovely post! 🙂
I am not very fond of Delhi. I prefer Mumbai. However, I do enjoy exploring Delhi in winters. That’s the time so many film festivals and music festivals etc happen in Delhi. And of course the Delhi food tastes so much better in winters.