This One day in Delhi, India Guide covers everything you need to know for your next vacation in India including what to expect, where to stay, itinerary at a glance & in depth, what to pack, and what to do!
Backstory: My best friend Annika and I had the most incredible day in Delhi after planning out a few travel days before our other best friend’s wedding in Hyderabad (southern India). The full travel plan included one day in Delhi, one day in Agra, & one day in Jaipur before flying south. I’ve heard mixed things about Delhi prior to arriving, so I honestly didn’t have the highest expectations upon arrival. We were even considering skipping Delhi entirely during the planning, to prioritize enough time in other cities, so I am beyond happy we decided not to skip. I ended up really loving the city, the chaos, and feeling like I truly submerged into a completely different world. I also loved that it felt lest touristy than Agra/Jaipur. Our guides were beyond friendly, and we also had such a fun time meeting up with Annika’s friend at night who is a local living in Delhi! I hope you enjoy and find this guide helpful when planning out your trip!
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What to Expect in Delhi, India
- Local Language: Hindi and English are the official languages. We were able to get by pretty easily with English as most people speak it there, except for taxi drivers who sometimes had more limited English vocabulary. I would recommend having your hotel speak with your driver for the day to talk through your desired route which will make your travel much smoother!
- Currency: Indian Rupee. 1 USD = 81.85 Rupees (as of date written).
- Credit Cards: I forgot to notify my credit cards I was traveling (oops 😅) BUT I had no issues with them. However to be safe I would call your cards to let them know you will be traveling! You can get by with credit card in many cases such as hotel, Uber/Ola, restaurants, many shops, etc.
- Cash Withdrawals: I would definitely recommend withdrawing cash at the Airport ATM upon arrival as you will want for the markets, transportation (tuk tuks/rickshaws), attractions, etc.
- Safety: As this was my first time in India, I was a bit weary going into it about safety, especially as 2 girls exploring Delhi alone. However it turned out to be completely fine! We felt very safe exploring the city and people were so friendly! Just be on guard in high traffic areas with your belongings as you would in any city to avoid pickpocketing. We also avoided walking any streets at night.
- Water: Do NOT drink the tap water! Locals let us know that the only three water bottle brands to trust are Bisleri, Kinley, and Aquafina (we never had any issues finding these water bottle brands during our trip).
Where to Stay in Delhi, India:
I definitely recommend staying in a hotel over other options in Delhi. There are many affordable, high end places to stay and you get additional amenities that you wouldn’t get elsewhere. Plus we felt extremely safe staying at a hotel as they all have security checkpoints to enter the building.
Luxury
Taj Palace: 5 star hotel spread out over 6 acres of lush gardens in the heart of Delhi. Rates range from ~$177-277/night.
Mid Range
The Claridges New Delhi: My top pick if I were to return to Delhi! 5 star hotel with a temperature controlled pool and the cutest old world room designs but with modern touches! Prices range from ~$148-203/night.
Le Meridien New Delhi: Also in a great central location in the city, with very modern design/touches. Amenities include pool and gym. Prices range from ~$136-240/night.
Budget:
BloomRooms: A clean and safe affordable option if travelling on a budget. We opted to stay here since we were hardly going to be in the room and preferred to allocate budget to activities/meals. We felt incredibly safe here, there is a security check in upon arrival, and the beds were surprisingly very comfy! Definitely more hostel vibes with the bunk beds, but they have larger room options as well.
There are two BloomRooms locations in Delhi, one @The New Delhi Railway Station and the other @Link Road. We stayed at the Railway Station location which was convenient to start our tourist activities since it was right by Old Delhi. However, it was a bit further to the train station for our departure to Agra so something to keep in mind! Prices range from ~$34-39/night.
Itinerary At a Glance:
More in depth itinerary further below!
- Morning:
- Old Delhi
- Chandni Chowk
- Jama Masjihd
- Red Fort
- Old Delhi
- Afternoon:
- Lunch
- Lodhi Gardens
- India Gate
- Sunset:
- Humayan’s Tomb
- Qutub Minar
- Evening:
- Drinks: Social Cafe & Bar
- Dinner: Olive Bar & Kitchen
- Dance: Dear Donna Club
What to Pack for One Day in Delhi
Linking everything below that I made sure to pack for our India trip!
Note that Universal adapters don’t typically work for Indian outlets, so I made sure to get an India specific adapter (linked below). Additionally one thing I was really nervous about prior was the bathroom situation, but it was actually much better than anticipated. However, I would recommend having tissue packs on hand for those rare cases a public restroom has no toilet paper (happened a few times during trip)!
How To Get Around Delhi, India
There are a few ways you can get around in Delhi including: Uber, Ola, Hired Driver, Tuk Tuk, or a Rickshaw. We actually did a combo of all of these options to get around the city!
- Uber/Ola: Call a ride via these apps. Make sure to download Ola (Indian version of Uber) prior to traveling to India to find rides. They have an awesome feature where you can actually reserve a ride for up to 6 hours and the driver will take you around to wherever you would like to go.
- Driver: Our hotel arranged a driver to take us around for the day and they were super helpful in translating for him all of the stops we wanted to cover for the ride. Our driver’s name was Mohsin and his # is +91 99117 67491. His English wasn’t amazing but he was very kind and we felt very safe with him! You can always use translator as well to communicate.
- Tuk Tuk: These are automated mini van like cars that are all over India. Just call one down as you would any taxi to take you around. You can also call these via Uber app. Make sure to agree on price prior to departing.
- Rickshaw: The best form of transport to get around Old Delhi and Chandni Chowk. Our driver Mohsin (+91 99117 67491) coordinated a Rickshaw for us and we had the sweetest guy take us around on bike with the attached carriage. He took us to all the good spots, gave us some history of the places, took so many great photos of us, and was super patient when we were browsing around shops.
Tour Options
There are so many tour options via GetYourGuide if you prefer to go a guided tour route! All have really great reviews online so definitely another great option to spend your one day in Delhi 🙂
Detailed One Day in Delhi Itinerary
Rickshaw Through Old Delhi
Start your morning with a rickshaw ride through Old Delhi. Our driver coordinated a ride for us to take us through the small windy streets and shops.
Chandi Chowk
Chandi Chowk is a maze of shops more than 3 centuries old with items galore from jewelry, spices, saris, fruits, etc. Wind through them via Rickshaw and walking! Our driver knew the best routes so he did a mix of the two depending on what was best to see. Make sure to buy some spices to take home with you! We bought some curry and butter chicken spice 😊
Jama Masjihd
Continue on to explore Jama Masjihd, one of the largest mosques in India. You must take your shoes off to enter out of respect, and cover up. We were wearing very conservative dresses with our shoulders covered, but they still made us wear these long sleeve wraps which you can see in the photos below. Women do not have to cover their heads to enter. We were bummed the front was under construction with scaffolding, but the architecture was beautiful to see nonetheless!
Red Fort
Head over to explore the last destination within Old Delhi: The Red Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Construction began in 1638 and historically served as the main residence of the Mughal emperors. We did a long loop walking around the fort admiring the massive red sandstone walls.
Lunch at Lazeez Affaire
Our driver recommended this spot and dropped us off here, and not kidding this was the best butter chicken of our trip. If you’re craving some traditional North Indian food, this is your spot. Another alternative we would’ve loved to try if more time is Lodi the Garden Restaurant.
Humayans Tomb
Easily our favorite attraction we saw, this is a MUST DO for your one day in Delhi. This is a Unesco World Heritage Sight and costs 250 Rupees for foreigners to enter. We went right as the sun was setting which was so beautiful & serene in the gardens. We met the sweetest group of girls who wanted a photo with us (pictured below).
Social Cafe & Bar
Olive Bar & Kitchen
Dear Donna
Finish your one day in Delhi dancing the night away at Dear Donna club! We went straight from dinner and had an absolute blast dancing by the DJ. They played a ton of American songs we knew & loved, and everyone inside was dressed up in nice dress/club Western attire. There was both an indoor & outdoor space to explore! The bartenders were even kind enough to charge Annika’s phone for her.
We left the next morning to continue our India journey with one day in Agra and then two days in Jaipur!
I hope this one day in Delhi guide helps you for your next adventure, and I’m always a DM or email away if you have any other questions!
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xx,
