A Weekend in Delhi, Off the Beaten Path
Two days is enough for Old Delhi’s markets and New Delhi’s monuments without ever touching Agra or Jaipur, all on the Metro and a rickshaw or two. If Qutub Minar and a free stepwell sound worth a third day, the 3 day version adds both; for the Golden Triangle angle, see Delhi as the gateway to Agra and Jaipur instead.
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | Old Delhi on foot and by rickshaw, the spice market included |
| 2 | New Delhi’s monuments and Humayun’s Tomb’s Sufi neighbor |
Book these before you go
- Reserve an Old Delhi heritage walk with rickshaw ride , the easiest way through Chandni Chowk’s lanes
- Book a Humayun’s Tomb private tour with skip-the-line entry , useful on a weekend too short for the walk-up queue
- Compare Delhi hotel rates on Agoda before picking a neighborhood for the weekend
Day 1: Old Delhi on foot and by rickshaw
Start at the Red Fort, roughly 550 rupees for foreigners, open 9:30am to 4:30pm Tuesday through Sunday and closed Mondays; book directly through ASI to skip the walk-up queue. Walk or rickshaw to Jama Masjid next, free to enter the courtyard, though a 300 rupee photography permit and 100 rupee minaret climb are genuine separate charges and the mosque closes to visitors during its five daily prayer times. Finish at Khari Baoli, reportedly Asia’s largest wholesale spice market, best before 10am, then dinner at Karim’s near the mosque, serving Mughlai food since 1913.
Day 2: New Delhi’s monuments and Humayun’s Tomb’s Sufi neighbor
Morning at India Gate and along Kartavya Path, the ceremonial boulevard renamed from Rajpath in 2022, both free and open-air. Then Humayun’s Tomb, bookable directly through ASI at roughly 550 rupees for foreigners, open daily sunrise to sunset with no weekly closure. A short auto ride away, Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah hosts free qawwali most evenings, best on a Thursday after Maghrib prayer if the calendar allows it; donations are customary and a head covering is expected inside.
Two days won’t touch Qutub Minar, Mehrauli’s ruins, or the free stepwell near Connaught Place, and that’s fine, save those for the 3 day version next time. Check current AQI readings before traveling if this weekend falls between November and February, since Delhi’s post-harvest smog season is a genuine health consideration. Head back via the Airport Express Metro , about 60 rupees and under 20 minutes from New Delhi Railway Station to Terminal 3, rather than fighting traffic on the ring road with bags.