19. Mai 2023
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Welcome to Jaipur, a city of colors, culture, and history! Located in the state of Rajasthan in northern India, Jaipur is a must-visit destination for
Explore the Magic of Delhi: 11 top sights to visit
Ready to dive into a melting pot with millions of inhibtants and countless impressions? Then, get ready to explore India’s buzzing capital Delhi. We’ve got you covered with 11 must-see sights for your next trip!
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1. Where to stay in Delhi
First things first: Delhi is HUGE! With over 31 million inhabitants, the Delhi metropolitan area is the second largest in the world (behind Tokyo).
We stayed at the Staybook Hotel Pinky Villa in Paharganj for 8€ per person and night. It is located in the „backpacker“ district, which doesn’t look like one.
We can’t recommend the hotel either, because it wasn’t really clean. In addition, there was blood on the wall and the breakfast consisted of 2 pieces of plain toast. To make matters worse, the hotel staff cheats on the booking rating. Under the pretext of having to see the booking again at checkout, they take your smartphone and quickly give a 10-point rating.
We haven’t experienced anything like that yet. You can’t delete the rating later in the app. To do so, you have to log in to your account on the browser. We hope you’re luckier than we were, so check out some hotels here! Here are some hotels we would book the next time: Hotel Palace Heights, Hotel Kaca Inn-by Haveliya Hotels, Hotel Revels by A1Rooms, The Prime Delhi, or Zaza Stay.
If you want to see as much as possible in one day, take a driver. It is by far the most relaxed way to explore Delhi. We have seen 7 sights in one day, which would not have been possible with public transport for sure. Since we had the driver afterward for our complete India round trip, we got the day trip through Delhi for free.
Delhi is also the gateway to Rajasthan, so be sure to read all you need to know for your trip through Rajasthan in this article!
1. Connaught Place
The best neighborhood in Delhi is Connaught Place, where you will also find all the international hotel chains and clothing brands. Unfortunately, there were no hotels on our dates that were within our budget. But it is worth a visit.
2. Agrasen Ki Baoli
We started our tour through Delhi in the morning with a highlight: Agrasen Ki Baoli. It is a stepped well from the 10th century with stone elements, high walls, and niches with arches. You can take really nice photos here in the morning light.
3. India Gate
After that, we continue to India Gate. Unfortunately, you can’t get very close to the gate, but it is impressive even from a distance and strongly reminds you of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Of course, our driver insisted on taking a typical tourist picture:
4. Akshardham Mandir
Our favorite sight in Delhi was the Akshardham Mandir. This Hindu temple was only inaugurated in 2005 and is truly opulently decorated. Over 11,000 craftsmen were involved in the construction. Once on-site, you are sent through a scanner to check security, just like at the airport. Also, no smartphones or photo cameras are allowed. So we were only able to take this one photo from a distance. To see the beauty and the many details, you have to visit the temple. And the best: the entrance is free!
5. Raj Ghat
We continue to the Raj Ghat associated memorial. Here Mahatma Gandhi was cremated and an eternal light burns for him. This peaceful, serene park is located on the banks of the river Yamuna. Mahatma Gandhi is also called the Father of the Nation by the people. Fresh flowers are always placed on the tombstone and many locals visit this place to honor Gandhi.
The entrance is free. You must take off your shoes at the entrance. The pavement is covered, but it can still be hot.
6. Jama Masjid
A highlight of Delhi is the Jama Masjid. It is in the old part of Delhi and it is really very lively and bustling there. The red sandstone mosque is truly imposing. The construction of the mosque has already started in the 17th century. It has room for up to 25,000 people and the minarets are over 40 meters high. Note that tourists are not allowed during prayer times.
The entrance is actually free, but we had to pay about 3,50€ per person for the entrance because we wanted to take photos. But not only we wanted to take photos: a lot of locals approached us asking to take a picture with them. After hundreds of photos, especially with Kathi, we moved on and had to leave some behind who could not take a picture with us yet.
7. Red Fort
Unfortunately, we only saw the red fort from the outside. It is huge and we had no time to visit it that day. It is like the Mama Masjid made of red sandstone and was also built in the 17th century. However, it is not a mosque, but a massive mogul fortress. Today it is an important museum complex. It has also been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007. The entrance fee is just under 7€.
8. Lotus Temple
At the end of our day tour across Delhi, we went to the Lotus temple. The temple is located in the southeast a little further out. It was opened in 1986 and is the second youngest of the eight continental Bahai temples worldwide. It has won many architectural awards and is a good example of modern architecture in India. Unfortunately, we could not enter the temple. However, the exterior is extremely impressive, while the interior, at least through the windows, looked rather plain. The entrance here is also free of charge.
9.-11. What we missed, but you shouldn't
9. Gurudwara Bangla Sahib: this Sikh temple cannot compete with the famous golden temple in Amritsar, but it is still a beautiful example of Sikh architecture. Especially striking are the golden domes and the square temple pond with holy water. Admission is free.
10. Lodi Gardens: This park dates back to British colonial times and has ancient tombs, rose and herb gardens, bonsai trees, and even a lake. Admission is free.
11. Qutub Minar: far to the south of Delhi’s city center you will find the Qutb Minar. It was built back in 1195 to celebrate Muslim rule after a victory over the Hindu king. The tower is 73m high and is located in a beautifully landscaped park. Until 1981 it was possible to climb the tower with its 379 steps, which is no longer possible today. The entrance fee to the complex is 6,50€.
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