Tour guides India > New Delhi

5 ideas for guided tours in New Delhi

• Chandni Chowk

  

  In the old city, Chandni Chowk winds through narrow, bustling lanes where rickshaws, motorbikes, and pedestrians loaded with baskets weave past one another. This historic market, laid out in the 17th century, still follows its original plan — a central axis lined with specialized bazaars. The air is thick with the smell of spices, cooking smoke, and dust.

  Each alley has its own specialty. Jewelers display gold and silver, spice sellers stack cardamom and saffron high, fabric shops overflow with silk and cotton. The chaos is constant, but it has a rhythm you eventually fall into.

  Nearby, the Gurudwara Sis Ganj opens its golden doors to all who pass, welcoming anyone who steps inside. Farther on, the Jama Masjid mosque rises above the rooftops, its minarets and domes visible from almost anywhere. Together, these places give the neighborhood a rare cultural and spiritual depth.

• Connaught Place

  

  In the city’s modern center, Connaught Place draws perfect circles of white colonnades around a well-kept park. Arcades, old shop signs, and new cafés give the area a rhythm that changes with the hour. Rajiv Chowk station opens directly onto the radial avenues — convenient, almost instinctive.

  At the heart of it, Central Park offers a pause with lawns, benches, and the occasional street musician. The streets quickly lead to Janpath for textiles and handicrafts, then to the bustling underground Palika Bazaar, crowded and a bit disorienting. You stroll, compare, and bargain a little.

  Just a few minutes away, Jantar Mantar lines up its stone astronomical instruments — strange geometries standing among modern buildings. Farther along, the stepwell of Agrasen ki Baoli drops deep into the stone, sudden quiet, your footsteps echoing.

  By evening, the colonnades light up, and bookstores and cafés fill with conversation again. You can walk to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib for a moment of calm before returning to the glow of shop windows. The neighborhood leaves a clear, circular impression, one you easily find again the next day.

• Gurudwara Sis Ganj

  

  In the old quarter of Chandni Chowk, the Gurudwara Sis Ganj catches the eye with its golden dome and the sound of hymns drifting into the street. You step inside barefoot, bathed in soft light, and suddenly the calm stands in sharp contrast to the bustle outside.

  The place carries a weight of history, tied to the martyrdom of the ninth Sikh guru. In the large prayer hall, devotees sit on the floor, listening to the readings, and time seems to pause. You leave with the feeling of a space that is both spiritual and unpretentious.

  Just a few steps away, the Red Fort stretches out its red sandstone walls, a relic of the Mughal era. Farther on, the Jama Masjid mosque towers over the city with its minarets — another place of reflection, though with an entirely different atmosphere.

• Jama Masjid Mosque

  

  In the old city, the Jama Masjid mosque raises its minarets above a vast courtyard of sandstone and marble. Built in the 17th century, it remains a living place of prayer, marked by the call of the muezzin and the quiet flow of worshippers. Time seems to slow the moment you step through its gate.

  The courtyard impresses with its scale — open to the sky, the warm stones beneath your feet. You look up toward the domes, then climb one of the minarets for a view that stretches across the rooftops of the old city. Up there, the wind briefly erases the noise of the streets below.

  Right next door, the Red Fort stretches out its walls, continuing the story of the Mughal era. Below, Chandni Chowk unrolls its stalls and spice-scented air, a whirlwind where you weave between rickshaws and vendors. A visit to the mosque naturally finds its echo in these neighboring sights.

• The Red Fort

  

  In the heart of Delhi, the Red Fort stretches out its towering sandstone walls, their color shifting with the light. You pass through a monumental gate and suddenly the chaos of the street gives way to a vast, hushed enclosure.

  Built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, the site preserves pavilions, gardens, and audience halls where the splendor of the past still lingers. The carved arches and shaded courtyards make you feel as if you’re walking through an imperial city within the city.

  Not far away, the Jama Masjid mosque rises with its minarets and its large courtyard open to worshippers. Farther east, the Raj Ghat, a simple memorial to Gandhi, recalls another story — more recent, but just as