New Delhi is the busy, bustling capital of India, with lots of sights and sounds unique to the country that make it one of the most popular cities to visit. Just one day in Delhi will have you full of different once in a lifetime experiences you cant see anywhere else
Places to Visit in Delhi in One Day
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Ashkardham
The Swaminarayana Akshardham is a sacred Hindu temple located in East India, dedicated to Master Swaminarayan. The word Akshardham means the everlasting abode of God – it is a place where worshippers come to pray and devote themselves.
This temple is of great significance to the Indian population – it was inaugurated only recently, in 2005, and over 8000 volunteers took it upon themselves to help build up the structure.
The complex is really nice, built with sandstone and marble and designed by Bochasanvaasi Aksharpurusshottama Swamiynarayana Sansthana. Unfortunately, taking photos is not allowed which is really sad – all the details of the spiritual temple are intricate. Everything about it is really nice.
Another great thing about the temple is that visiting is absolutely free. You don’t have to pay to walk around and see the sights inside the temple, but they have shows as well, such as water shows during the evening – those are paid. I took my time going around the whole complex.
You need to remove your shoes when visiting the inside of the main temple, but they have a cloak room where you can stash away your belongings while roaming around the temple – there’s a tip box there.
I absolutely loved my experience at this temple – dare I say, way more than the Taj Mahal because I felt like I had more time and place to roam.
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India Gate
The India Gate is one of the country’s national monuments built in 1931 with sandstone and granite, inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It happens to be an important figure for India, since it represents the soldiers who lost their lives while fighting in prominent wars.
It’s a massive structure, towering at 42 meters tall. Aside from being a historical icon, the place is also frequently visited by families and groups of friends because it is a great spot to just sprawl out a blanket, lounge around and maybe even have a picnic.
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Parliament House
The Indian Parliament House, also called the Sansad bhawan, is a circular building in Delhi which has two houses: the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. It was designed and built in the 1920s and while it isn’t exactly a tourist destination, the beautiful architecture still makes it a great place to visit.
Children under ten years old are not allowed in the Parliament House, and you are not allowed to bring any gadgets – even pen and paper – inside the building.
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Qutub Minar
In terms of history, the Qutub Minar, also called the Victory Tower, is something you don’t want to miss, a tower standing at a tall 73 meters, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which was built in 1193 – the origins of the tower are a controversial mystery, but it is still a grand Muslim tower with a mosque at the foot of it, nonetheless. There is a documentary being played at the beginning to explain more about the history so make sure to stop by before entering.
The entrance fee is 500 rupees for foreigners.
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Lotus Temple
The Lotus Temple, also known as Bahai’s temple, is a place of worship and meditation in India with amazing architecture – a large white structure which is shaped to look like a lotus, which is a special symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam. It is an incredibly popular tourist destination, receiving more visitors than the Eiffel Tower.
The line to get inside can get quite long especially during peak seasons, and you have to take off your shoes when coming in. Since it’s a sacred place, photos are also not allowed.
The entrance to the Lotus Temple is completely free.
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Sarojini Nagar Market
If you’re up for some crazy shopping, the Sarojini Nagar Market is the place to be. They sell all sorts of goods – especially clothing for women. The items here are really cheap – super cheap, even, so I got a lot of gifts here for my friends. Haggling is a norm at this market, so be sure to know how to bargain. The crowds are always bustling here, even when it’s extremely hot out.
The night market is closed on Mondays.
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Pub Street
My friend and I ended up going here because it was my last night in India – the pub street is a scattering of various bars and pubs. It was a Tuesday night and not all of the bars were alive, but we ended up finding a couple ones with decent music and a good crowd so we ended up partying on my last night in the country. Since it was ladies’ night, we even got free drinks! Overall, it was a perfect last night in India.
Places to Visit in Delhi for next time
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Red Fort
The Red Fort is built with red sandstone and is a historic landmark of India, built way back in the 17th century. It used to serve as a residence for the Mughal Emperors and is now a popular tourist destination which hosts light and sound shows about the history of the fort.
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Dilli Haat Flea Market
This is a great place to shop for souvenirs or other Indian trinkets and goods – it is a open air bazaar where you can find most of everything you need, from collectibles, relics, rugs, and more. There are even food stalls where you can stop and eat while searching for something to buy.
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Connaught Place
If you’re looking for authentic Indian cuisine, the Connaught Place is popular for it. They serve various North Indian cuisine in food carts where you can just take your pick and explore the dishes the region has to offer.
Tips in Going Around Delhi
- Because of the amount of people, North India can have some pretty bad traffic.
- Honking is a norm in the area – it can get quite nosy but it’s the typical scene in Delhi
- Because car rides tend to take a long time, I usually spend them editing photos as to be productive
- I used Avishkarindia to drive me around India – I really loved their service as they took me around some of the best spots, and most of North India. You may contact them via siva@indiaavishkar.com or info@avishkarindia.net
Wow, that’s a lot of cool places to visit in one day, I love all the historic places, shopping and also the pub crawls. Well you certainly did a lot in a one day time frame.
It’s not uncommon that photos are not allowed. Many of the Native American Indians do not allow photos of religious events or traditions. It looks like the Indian Parliament House architecture was influenced by the Greeks.
The Qutab Minar looks quite ornate, while the Lotus Temple looks quite modern; I would love to visit them, as well as the Red Fort.
Indigenous markets are fun everywhere. Sarojini looks to be quite colorful.
It would scare me to eat Indian food in India from food carts. I would be afraid of it ruining my trip.
Love the itinerary! To tell you the truth, I read so many guides for Delhi and I understand that there is a lot to see, but I always find them overwhelming. That’s why this will come useful. 😉
The Red Fort is something I expect to see when reading about Delhi, but the Swaminarayana Akshardham was a surprise. Such a lovely structure, so recent, but with the traditional Indian feel to it! And I love the fact that so many people contributed.
I would love to go to India and visit all of these places! It is a shame that photos aren’t allowed inside a lot of the temples, but I understand that the purpose of them is for worship not for tourism, so we can’t really complain! I love the design of the The Lotus Temple, it looks a little like the Sydney Opera House!
That’s exactly what I told my friend, that it reminded me of the Sydney opera house.
Great article gal. And I must say you have covered a lot in one day. Delhi is a hub of attractions and we feel even a week is less here. And yes do visit the left ones next time for sure.
It was unfortunate that I had only one day left. I also took one day to just bond with the family that adopted me. They introduced me to local street food. I loved it.
Very well spent day in Delhi. You have all the major landmark monuments there.
Exceptionally good framing of them. Great tips on the markets there.
I had a local guide or a friend who lives in Delhi so she did recommend the good ones,
The Red Fort is stunning!! What a amazing architecture overall in New Delhi. I’ve not see this side of the city before. I’ve not been to India yet and I look forward to seeing all these wonders for myself soon!!
What gorgeous locatoins. I’d particularly like to see the Qutub Minar UNESCO World Heritage Site. I’m guessing the rest of them are just as amazing, despire the lack of photos you’re allowed to take. Surprised you can’t even take in a pen and paper into the Parliament building. Someday I hope to get there myself.
We only drove past the parliament building but then I loved the area it was really clean and green.
the lotus temple looks so cool and very different from other temples in India! Unfortunately I was totally burned out from travel (month 7 of a 12-month trip) when I was in Delhi, so I mostly just hid in my hotel room and ate delicious food. I’d like to go back and check out more of the ancient sites.
My fave was the Ashkardam temple, that one is really worth the visit.
Wow, that’s going to be one long day! You’ve listed some of the best attractions for one to see in Delhi (it’s my home town!) but my only concern is, considering how bad the traffic is and how congested the places can be, I am not sure if it’ll be a pleasure for someone to do all these in a day. However, it really sums up the top places so one can pick and choose what interests them. My favourites are the Lotus Temple, Akshardham Temple, Qutub Minar and Sarojini Nagar market. I also love Connaught Place!