Last year during our second annual India travel retreat our founder Karthika Gupta had a chance to spend two days exploring the city of Delhi and she shares her Delhi travel itinerary with us.

Delhi is the capital of India and is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the country. A beautiful mix of both ancient and new, Delhi is home to over 19 million Indians. Delhi is one of the few cities in the world that has been continuously inhabited since the 6th century BCE. It has served as a capital of various kingdoms and empires through out history and has a beautiful blend of architecture and history influenced from each of the empires. Even today, you can get a fascinating glimpse into the past in Old Delhi, with its labyrinth of narrow lanes, old palaces, and colorful markets. Rickshaws wind their way through this crowded, bustling capital of the Mughals, where life continues, much as it did hundreds of years ago.

Karthika shares her travel itinerary for her time exploring the ins and out of this vibrant city.

From Karthika,

I am a huge proponent of spending as much time as possible in exploring a city or a place to get a good sense of the pulse of the people, the community and lifestyle. But sometimes you don’t have that luxury. I recently found myself with just under 48 hours to explore Delhi, a city I had last visited almost 25 years ago with my college gang of friends. A lot of changes in 25 years and I knew I couldn’t let this opportunity go to explore India’s capital city.

Getting to Delhi

Delhi is very centrally located in India. Being that it is the capital of the country, most international flights pass through the city. Delhi is a huge metropolis that has, over the years, spread out many miles across each direction. Suburbs have sprung up all around the old city and there is definitely a whole lot to see and do.

Of course, given that the city has expanded so much, traffic is really bad in Delhi so when you are deciding where to stay and what to see, definitely keep that in mind.

Because I only had 48 hours in the city and had an early morning flight to catch back home, I decided make the most of it and start my Delhi travel itinerary close to the airport. I stayed at the Aerocity complex with has some of the best hotels around for almost any type of price range. The good part of Delhi is that there are many transportation options to get around the city. From public buses, Metro trains and even taxis and auto rickshaws. But because of my time constraints, I decided to hire an Uber to take me around the city. That way I did not have to worry about parking and also around figuring out the Metro timings.Here are some options to explore Delhi if you are on a limited schedule.

# Walking around Lodhi Garden

I absolutely love exploring green spaces in a city. And the fact that a city like Delhi acrually has a large outdoor green space like Lodhi Garden is absolutely amazaing. This is a great place to take a break, hang out and people watch. Apparently a lot of delhi’s local population also thinks so. At any given place you will find many local Delhiest are enjoying the outdoors, walking around or even just sitting on any of the benches hearing the birds chirping.

# Exploring Humayun’s Tomb

Humanyun’s tomb is the tomb of the Mugal emperor Humanyun that was built in late 1500’s by the empreor’s wife. It was the first garden tomb in the Indian subcontinent and used beautiful red sandstone. In fact it is a World UNESCO heritage sites in Delhi. Take your time to explore the gardens and the tomb structure. It is worth spending a few hours wandering around just admiring all the wonderful architectural details of the tomb.

# Exploring Safdarjung’s Tomb

Near Humanyun’s tomb is another tomb garden complex called Safdarjung’s Tomb. It is the last enclosed garden tomb in Delhi that was built in the same manner as that of Humayun’s Tomb, though it if far less grand in scale. It was built in 1754 as mausoleum of Safdarjung who was the viceroy of Awadh under the Mughal Emperor, Mohammed Shah.

# Wandering Around Sundar Nursery

Right next to Humayun’s tomb is Sundar Nursery. It is an 16th-century heritage park complex that spans over 90 acres. It houses around fifteen heritage monuments of which 6 are UNESCO World Heritage sites. During the British rule of India, the nursery was used to grow many experimental plants. The nursery was recently restored and it an absolute delight to visit. Give yourself enough time to wander around and take in all the sights. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, most visitors and locals alike don’t even known this nursery exists. The wide-open space with multiple fountains is a great way to take a break from all the exploring Delhi. I would recommend doing this first and then heading to the neighboring Humayun’s tomb. Even though it might feel like a lot of exploring around old monuments for just a two day travel itinerary to Delhi, I recommend you don’t skip Sunder nursery because it is so very beautiful especially after all the renovations. The good thing about tackling all these three monuments is that they are close by in old Delhi area and can be easily covered in one day.

# Exploring Red Fort

Also known as Lal Qalah, Red Fort was built in the 17^th century and is one of the most famous monuments in Delhi is the red fort. I remember walking around the fort on my first visit 25 years ago but did not have time to really explore the area. So, I knew I wanted to go back. When I asked the hotel for recommendation on how to get there, the concierge very kindly suggested hiring a car and a driver to not only take me to red fort but also the Delhi’s famous Chandni Chawk area – a must see for any tourist – which is close to Red Fort. I decided to leave really early in the morning because I wanted to eliminate getting caught in rush hour traffic. I only had a day left and wanted to see many more places in Delhi. I am so glad I did because getting to Red Fort just as the gates opened up meant I was one of the first people in and got the place all to myself. The architecture was beyond stunning. Among the famous structures inside the complex are the Hall of Public Audience (Diwan-i-Am), and the Hall of Private Audience (Diwan-i-Khas), which is a smaller pavilion of white marble. At one time, Red Fort used to house an entire city inside its gates. Today many of the old buildings inside the fort have been restored and converted into small museums. There are museums dedicated to ancient Indian art, modern art, the Indian cavalry and army and many other such genres.

# Rickshaw To Chandni Chawk

From Red Fort only a short distance away is the famous Chandni Chawk area. Chandni Chawk is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi. With extremely narrow streets and by lanes this is where most of Delhi comes to shop because you will likely find everything and anything you are looking for. From fruits and vegetables to flowers and spices and everything in between. There are also many wholesale shops selling silks, lace, buttons and other such things so it is very popular with both local and international designers. The best way to cover ground here is to hire a local hand rickshaw that can maneuver the streets with ease. There are many street food stalls and shops that serve some of the most authentic local dishes like parathas and lassis. Definitely come with an appetite because you cannot leave Delhi without trying these dishes. When in doubt on which restaurant to try in Chandni Chawk, ask the locals around. You cannot go wrong.

# Shopping At Dilli Haat

I spent most of my morning around Red Fort and Chandni Chawk and after a heavy meal, my driver took me to Dilli Haat in New Delhi. Since I had such a short stay in Delhi I did not have a lot of time to visit many different shops to buy some gifts for my family back home. This is where a trip to Dilli Haat came in handy. Originally setup by the Delhi Tourism along with Ministry of Tourism and Textiles, Dilli Haat is an open-air market where vendors from all over the country come to sell their goods. It is a must visit for anyone who wants to shop for India handy crafts and handlooms but is short on time. This market area has representation of art and crafts from almost every state in the country. Prices are reasonable and have the Government of India’s stamp of approval. And definitely give yourself plenty of time to wander the stalls. Additionally, there are also food stalls from different states so you can get a sample local delicacy from all over India. By the time I got done with Dilli Haat, it was time for me to get back to the hotel, pack and get ready for my flight. My driver drove me back to the hotel via the streets of Old Delhi which was such a treat because the roads are covered with lush greenery and houses some of the oldest bungalows which have been converted to many different government offices all around the area.

I was so glad I got to spend time exploring this city in spite of a really packed travel itinerary. While I know there is plenty more to see and do in the city, this two day travel itinerary for Delhi gave me a glimpse of this historic and vibrant city that is India’s capital. So if you ever find yourself with a weekend to spare when you are visiting India or even if you are passing through and have a layover in Delhi, do yourself a favor and explore this culturally rich and diverse city. You will not be disappointed.Have you ever visited Delhi? What are some of your favorite places to see and visit in Delhi?

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