On our recent visit to Delhi, India, we were keen to not replicate the trips of those who had visited before us. Instead, we sought out attractions that matches our own interests in architecture, local culture & heritage, green spaces and artsy/trendy neighbourhoods.
Delhi is a huge city and planning things to do can be overwhelming, particularly if you’re only in Delhi for one day. In this post, we’ve listed the things we did during our three day visit, but we’ve written our guide for those staying for only one day.
Not everything in this guide is achievable in one day. Instead, you can pick and choose from the listings, of you can use our videos and itineraries to help make your decision.
Like all the travel guides on Here To Travel, the recommendations below are based on our own personal experiences. We’re proud of the fact that we write every word ourselves, without assistance from AI.
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Plan & Book your trip
Getting there: Find great train fares with Trainline. Find and book bus tickets with BusBud. If you need to fly, find great prices and lower emission flights with Skyscanner.
Where to stay: For hotels and all other types of accommodation, use Booking.com and/or Hotels.com. For holiday homes, use Vrbo.
Things to do: To find things to do, we like using GetYourGuide, Viator and/or Klook.
Experiences & activities in Delhi
Discover great things to do in Delhi with GetYourGuide.
Watch our Delhi travel vlogs to plan your day
Many of the things to do in Delhi covered in this mini travel guide are shown in our Delhi travel vlog. Be sure to head to YouTube channel to find more videos from our India series.
Each of our Delhi videos were filmed in a day, so they’re a good guide for those planning what to do in Delhi in one day.
Delhi one day itineraries
We’ve grouped together the things to do listed in this post into the following one day itineraries and we’ve included a summary of the sort of things you can expect from each of them.
Lotus Temple & Hauz Khas Village
Experience the stunning architecture of the Lotus Temple and its surrounding gardens. Then, catch the metro to Hauz Khas village to eat, shop and wander in one of Delhi’s coolest neighbourhoods. Don’t forget to visit the adjoining park and its historic ruins.
Watch: See this itinerary in action in our travel vlog.
Walking tour of Old Delhi & Lodhi Gardens
Immerse yourself in the intoxicating sights, sounds and smells of Old Delhi on a guided walking tour. Proceeds go to a charity that helps children living on the streets. Afterwards, you should have time left to catch the metro and chill out in Lodhi Gardens. Nearby, check out the street art in Lodhi Art District.
Watch: See this itinerary in action in our travel vlog.
Mehrauli Archaeological Park & Qutub Minar
One of Delhi’s lesser-known attractions, Mehrauli Archaeological Park is a huge green space filled with hidden historical ruins. Entry is completely free. A short walk away is one of Delhi’s best know attractions. We didn’t visit, but many say Qutub Minar is not to be missed.
Watch: See our visit to Mehrauli Archaeological Park in our travel vlog.
Our list of things to do in Delhi in one day
Here are the things to do in Delhi, India that we recommend for those visiting for only one day. Each listing includes the length of time required for each, so that you can plan your day in Delhi.
Do bear in mind however the travel time required to get to and from each place.
Visit the beautiful Lotus Temple
Address: Lotus Temple Rd Bahapur, Kalkaji, New Delhi, Delhi 110019
Visit Website
Time required: 90 minutes
Opened in 1986, this Baháʼí House of Worship is a sight to behold and attracts millions of visitors every year. Resembling a lotus flower, the 27 marble-clad petals house a bright and airy hall of worship that can comfortably accommodate 1300 people.
Visitors of any/no faith are welcome to wander the pristine gardens and visit the temple itself. Everyone is required to remove their shoes before entering using the efficient and free shoe drop which is located on the pathway leading to the entrance.
Visits to the temple are managed and you’ll be organised into groups, given an introductory talk about the temple and Baháʼí Faith before being lead inside where you’ll have between 5-10 minutes to soak in the atmosphere.
Entry is free. Shoes must be removed and deposited at the free shoe drop before entering.
Soak in the vibe at Hauz Khas Village
Address: Hauz Khas Fort Rd, Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi, Delhi 110016
Time required: 1-2 hours
Delhi’s Hauz Khas village (located in the larger Hauz Khas neighbourhood) has somewhat made a name for itself in recent years as a trendy and forward-thinking area that attracts cool, youthful locals and international travellers alike. It’s a mix of contemporary bars and restaurants, boutiquey shops and modern guesthouses and hostels that help to tell the story of India’s continuing progression into modernity.
While we enjoyed exploring the lanes of the village, we also real liked the adjoining Deer Park where we found a multitude of historic mosques and temples, a lake, plenty of leafy green spaces and even a troop of well-fed monkeys.
The location of Hauz Khas village in relation to other parts of the cities, the proximity of the metro and what the neighbourhood itself has to offer makes Hauz Khas an enticing prospect.
To get to Hauz Khas village by metro, alight at IIT station (for Indian Institute of Technology) and then walk north through the Rose Garden. Hauz Khas station serves the larger Hauz Khas neighbourhood and isn’t a good place the alight for the village. Alternatively, you can get an Uber or Ola.
See Old Delhi with Street Connections
Time required: 8 hours
In the West, India is still often depicted through the lens of Old Delhi. Without wanting to be to cliche, Old Delhi really is the assault on the senses that it is made out to be in films and on TV. It’s where shoppers and traders come together in a mass of humanity, noise, fragrance and colour.
We wanted to see Old Delhi for ourselves, but we wanted to do so in a considerate way. That’s why we visited as part of a tour with Street Connections.
Street Connections is a social enterprise, working in tandem with the Salaam Baalak Trust, a charity that provides accommodation, education and training for children living on the street. Al of the guides working for Street Connections are former street children and service users and your tour fee goes towards their income and to funding the charity work.
The tour was excellent and included rickshaw rides and even a cup of chai. We felt that we gained an insight into local life that we wouldn’t have achieved had we visited Old Delhi on our own.
Bookings must be made in advance by email (see the website for details). It costs 750 INR per person, though a small group of at least 6 other guests must be formed. Otherwise, you can book a private tour for 1000 INR per person.
Explore the tombs and greenery at Lodhi Garden
Address: Lodhi Rd, Lodhi Gardens, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi, Delhi 110003
Time required: 1-2 hours
We’re always drawn to urban green spaces. We love how every park we visit has its own character and how each is used in different ways. Lodhi Garden is no different.
Spread over 90 acres (36 hectares), Lodhi Garden slowly reveals its essence the more you explore. Entering from the north, a thin lake slithers through heavy tree cover and winding pathways. As you venture south, the trees thin to reveal lush, green lawns full of groups of friends and families chatting, singing and playing.
Amidst all of this are magnificent and beautifully restored tombs which visitors are free to explore. We had no idea they were there before our visit, so it was a wonderful surprise to see them. They truly are worthwhile visiting.
Entry to Lodhi Garden, including the tombs, is completely free.
See the street art in Lodhi Art District
Address: 261, Block 15, Lodi Colony, New Delhi, Delhi 110003
Time required: 90 minutes
A short walk to the south of Lodhi Garden is Lodhi Art District where as many as 54 huge contemporary murals can be seen on the front of many of the buildings.
The murals are not individually marked on any maps, but if you use Google Maps, you can head towards this pin along Meera Marg and you’ll start to see the murals down the side streets. Alternatively, you might want to hire an Auto Rickshaw and ask them to drive you around.
Go off the beaten track at Mehrauli Archaeological Park
Address: Anuvrat Marg Opposite Qutub Minar Metro Station, Mehrauli, New Delhi, Delhi 110030
Time required: 2-3 hours
We took a punt on visiting Mehrauli Archaeological Park and we so glad that we did. It’s not somewhere that gets talked about very often and seemingly, not somewhere that’s visited very often either. But, it certainly deserves to be.
The park is huge (200 acres) and serene and is full of big, leafy trees. In amongst the trees are around 100 historic monuments and tombs in various states of decline. The best preserved of the monuments are behind locked gates, but if you’re lucky like us, one of the wardens will come along and offer to let you in. They may even show you the way to other important sights (if they do, expect to offer a small tip for their trouble)
While there are pathways and sign posts pointing you towards the main tombs, you’ll simply (and perhaps literally) stumble upon many of them. Just wander about and see what you can find.
Entry is free. If a guide approaches you and offers to let you into the locked areas, a small tip for chai is always appreciated.
Plan & Book your trip
Train tickets: Find great train fares with Trainline.
Bus tickets: Find and book bus tickets with BusBud.
Flights: If you need to fly, find great prices and lower emission flights with Skyscanner.
Hotels: For hotels and all other types of accommodation, use Booking.com and/or Hotels.com.
Rentals & holiday homes: For holiday homes, use Vrbo.
Insurance: Don’t forget to insure against the unexpected. We’ll have a recommendation for an insurance provider here soon.
eSims: You’ll need a data plan on your mobile. Using a local sim is usually cheaper than using your existing sim. If your phone supports eSims, they’re a great hassle-free option. Check out Airalo to search for deals.
Things to do: To find things to do, we like using GetYourGuide, Viator and/or Klook.
