All You Need To Know About The Indian Capital - A Guide For First Time Travellers In Delhi
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
India is a land of total contrasts. From the ancient stone palaces and temples that line the River Ganges in Varanasi, to the glass fronted high rise offices that dominate the skyline of Mumbai. It’s a chaotic blend of the ancient and the modern. As you take your first step out of the airport, you’ll be transported straight into the thick of it. You’ll be greeted by a whirlpool of colour, sound and smell. India really is, a country like no other!
As you come into land into Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), the Indian capital of Delhi stretches out as far as the eye can see. An urban patchwork of concrete buildings interlaced by ribbons of dark streets threading in every direction. Home to over 33 million people, the Indian capital can seem a little daunting for new travellers, but give Delhi a chance and you’ll be rewarded with a city full of history, culture and fantastic food.
This is our third visit to Delhi, and on each visit we’ve loved our time in the city. Read on and we’ll help you to find your feet in this incredible mega metropolis!
Contents:
How to get to Paharganj?
What to do in Paharganj?
Why is India such a challenge to travel?
Travelling India can be quite a challenge. Not in a dangerous way, but in a bureaucratic way that makes it extremely difficult for travellers to get by. Even doing the simplest of tasks such as paying for things online will require you to have an Indian bank account.
To book tickets or access ticket purchasing apps for trains and buses you will need an Indian mobile phone number. This should be simple right? Just go and buy a SIM card? No! Even getting a SIM card is tricky, as without having an Indian national to vouch for you, you cannot buy one at the airport.
Even checking into a hostel or visiting a museum will likely require you to fill out reams of paperwork and sign your name in a mighty tome. India, despite its mega status within the world standings, is a country full of rules and old-fashioned hurdles that unfortunately all travellers need to adhere to just to get by.
We’ve written a whole article on all the important stuff such as getting a mobile SIM card, ATMS, essential apps to download etc. which will hopefully allow you to have a smooth landing whilst travelling the country. Read our guide for all the tips and tricks you need for travelling India here.
Landing at Delhi Airport - all the essential information you need
For most backpackers and international travellers arriving in Delhi, you’ll almost 100% of the time be landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal 3. As with all airports, it’s very straightforward getting off the plane. As usual, just follow the signs to immigration and baggage. When you reach the passport desks at immigration, make sure you have downloaded an offline copy of your visa and have it in hand. The Immigration Officers will almost certainly ask you what your plans are during your stay in India, so just tell them a rough itinerary of where you’re planning on heading too. Once you’ve got that all important visa stamp, head through to baggage reclaim and collect your luggage.
Big tip:
Before you leave baggage and exit customs, make sure you connect to the airport's WIFI. In Delhi’s terminal 3, you can only connect to the WIFI before you exit customs. After this point there’s no way you can connect to WIFI in the airport. Trust us, we found out the hard way! There are information stands with WIFI “coupons” you need to use to connect before customs and baggage, but once you’ve left this area and have gone through the point of no return, there are no WIFI information stands.
Not wanting to waste any time in baggage, we naively thought that we’d just connect to the free airport WIFI once we had left the “nothing to declare” area. We were very wrong! We hunted high and low in the arrivals terminal for another WIFI but couldn't find any connections to connect to. We even brought a coffee in the vague hope the staff at Costa Coffee would let us connect to their WIFI. Spoiler, they didn’t!
If you like us, either forget or don’t connect to WIFI beforehand , then make sure you have Google Maps and Google Translate downloaded offline to help you get to your accommodation.
Outside of customs the first thing you’ll need is some Indian rupee. Just next-door to the main entrance is a glass booth full of ATM machines. Use these to withdraw your cash and once ready, head out into the chaos. Make sure you withdraw cash here before exiting the terminal building as you won’t be allowed back in once you’ve exited!
Now you’ve got your visa stamped and your rupee in hand, you’ve now got three choices on how to get to Paharganj.
What is Paharganj?
Paharganj is a district in Old Delhi. Cut through by one large thoroughfare called the Main Bazar, Parharganj splits off this main road in a maze of small streets full of tiny shops, restaurants and street food stalls. The district backs onto the New Delhi railway station which is a major station for getting in and around Delhi and further afield. The area has become the “go to” district for backpackers and travellers alike, and as a result the area has lots of budget accommodation, hostels and hotels to choose from.
The area is also only a short twenty minute drive away from the ISBT bus station (inter state bus station) for those taking a bus to their next destination.
How to get to Paharganj?
Taxi to Paharganj
The poshpacker way would be to jump into a pre-arranged taxi and get driven to Paharganj. If this is your preferred way of travel, you can book your airport transfer in advance here. If you’d prefer, you can even arrange someone to meet you in the airport itself, before jumping in a car to take you to your accommodation. You can book this type of transfer here.
If you have an eSim (click here to buy an Indian SIM in advance) or have managed to score an Indian SIM, you can use Uber to get from the airport to your accommodation. The Ubers cannot come to the terminal itself, just follow the signs to the Uber pick up zone.
Using public transport to get to Paharganj
For those on a more tight budget, Delhi airport is linked to the city by bus or an express metro service.
Getting to Paharganj by bus
Buses run from both Terminal 1 and 3 at Delhi airport, running every 30 minutes 24/7. If you’re arriving very late at night (after 11.30pm or before 4.45am), this would be a cheap way to get into the city.
However at any other time of day, the buses will have to contend with Delhi’s notoriously busy roads. We’d therefore recommend using the metro, as it’s extremely cheap and is a very fast way to get you into the centre of Delhi, regardless of the traffic above ground.
Getting to Paharganj by the Express Metro
Exit the airport terminal and follow the signs towards the IGI Airport metro station. The station is located just below a small shopping complex. Head through the small mall and down the escalators to find the station itself.
Whenever you enter a station in Delhi (and the whole of India) you will need to go through a security check. Queue up in your respected line (men and women queue up in separate lines), put your bags through the scanner and head through the metal detector.
Once through security, queue up at the ticket counter to purchase your ticket. There are ticket machines in the station, but these were not working when we visited and it looked as though you could only top up metro cards, not purchase a single ticket. If this is incorrect information, do let us know in the comments below.
A ticket to New Delhi metro station costs 60 rupees each (£0.57 or £0.72). At the ticket counter there were separate windows for cash and card payments. Just check before you queue up for which one you need. This is a very busy station and queues for tickets can get quite long, expect some barging and some attempts at butting in to the line to occur, but just stand your ground! Once you’ve bought your ticket, head down the escalators to platform 3.
After a quick journey (4 stops on the orange line), you’ll have arrived at New Delhi metro station. To get to Paharganj from here, head up the escalators and follow the signs to New Delhi Railway Station. Exit the metro station and cross the footbridge over the very busy main road. When you reach the railway station, continue through security to enter the station and follow the footbridge over the platforms until you reach the exit on the opposite side of the station. Head out of the carpark and you’ll be on the outer fringes of the Paharganj area.
Just a word of warning, compared to the relative calm of the metro and airport, the carpark and roads outside of the railway station are chockablock and are quite literally filled to the brim with rickshaws, people and stalls, it's a chaotic entry to get into the Paharganj area, but like we said, nothing in India is ever straightforward!
What times do metro trains run from IGI metro station to New Delhi metro station?
Trains run very frequently from this station, with a train running every 15 minutes at peak times, and every 30 minutes off-peak. The first train departs at 4.45am in the morning and the last train departs at 11.30pm at night. If you’re arriving at the airport outside of these times, you may want to stay in the airport terminal until the trains resume.
If you are arriving at night into Delhi airport, we’d probably recommend a prearranged taxi or using a taxi app such as Uber to get into the city centre. Arriving at night is never fun, no matter where you are, let alone the narrow, chaotic streets of the Paharganj district. A taxi would at least take you to your accommodation's front door, and you wouldn’t be left to tackle the labyrinth of tiny alleyways in the dark!
Where to stay in Paharganj?
Paharganj has accommodation for every kind of budget. The area is full of hostels, guesthouses and hotels, whatever you want to spend, there’s a bed for everyone. Just a word of warning, as it is the capital of India, we’ve found the cost per bed per night to be a little higher in Delhi than elsewhere in the country.
We stayed in the excellent Zostel Delhi and cannot recommend it highly enough. Set just off the main road between New Delhi Railway Station and the outer fringes of Paharganj, this hostel was perfect for our needs. We opted for a private room and en-suite and weren’t disappointed. The bedroom was super comfy with a large double bed, a desk and chair to work at, a coffee table and even a kettle with free tea and coffee to use. The shower was piping hot whenever we used it, and they even had bedside lamps, which is a rarity for us as backpackers! The hostel had a cafe serving food all day, a comfy common area to relax in and even a rooftop seating area.
What set Zostel Delhi apart from other hostels we’ve stayed in, was the staff. They were extremely helpful from the get go. Messaging us by WhatsApp the day before to confirm our booking and check in time, (if you’ve read about our first ever night in Delhi you’ll know why this was a relief to us), checking that we had our transport to the hostel and offering to sort out a pick up taxi service if we needed it. All of this as well as accompanying us to sort out our SIM cards (see below).
Zostel Delhi is the perfect sanctuary to escape to after a busy day exploring on the hectic streets of Delhi. To book your stay at the hostel click here.
If hostels aren’t your thing, check out the map below for all the other accommodation choices within the Paharganj district:
Getting an Indian SIM card
As we mentioned above, as a foreigner you can no longer just buy a SIM card from the airport, but instead need an Indian national with an Indian phone number to vouch for you. As we were checking in at Zostel, the staff asked if we had an Indian SIM and offered to assist us in getting one. We quickly dumped our bags in our room, and followed a member of staff to a shop over the road, who ran through our SIM card options and waited for our new Indian sims to be installed. All in all it was a very quick process, and our lives in Delhi were made much easier with a SIM card and data.
We went for Airtel sims that cost us 750 rupees for 1.5GB of data per day on a 28 day contract. If you’re staying for longer than 28 days, check out our article all about topping up your data here.
Make sure you download the Airtel to keep track of your usage and look out for freebies. Both times we have visited India Airtel have given us unlimited 5g Data for free through the app, so definitely worth checking out.
If you want to arrange a SIM in advance, have a look into eSIMs. You can buy a virtual SIM card for pretty much any country (including India) before you even land. We’d recommend taking a look at Airalo who have plenty of different packages to choose from depending on the length of contract you want and how much data you need. Check out the eSIMs available here.
What to do in Paharganj?
Explore Paharganj
Paharganj is a fascinating enclave. On either side of the Main Bazar, tiny alleyways jet out creating a rabbit warren of market stalls and street food. Take a walk down any street and get lost amongst the chaotic tangle. As you walk through this colourful district, you’ll never know what you’re going to find. You will pass small street side shrines adorned with bright orange marigolds. Your ears will be assaulted by the popping of oil as you pass street sellers selling deep fried samosas and dusty alleyways filled to the brim with honking rickshaws vying for space. In amongst all of this market stall holders will be causing minor traffic jams as they push their fruity wares around on old wooden push carts. Lob a few cows into this and you get the idea, it is not a calm place! It’s a mesmerising mix of colour, food, sound and smell. We’d recommend taking a walk at whatever time of day and just get lost amongst the hubbub.
Paharganj really comes alive after dark!
If you would like a guided tour of the Paharganj area, Viator offer two different tours starting in the Paharganj area of Delhi:
Red Fort
Delhi’s iconic Red Fort should not be missed. This enormous fortification stands proudly in the heart of Old Delhi. It is the number one tourist attraction in the city and this is for a good reason! Full of incredible architecture, ruins and beautiful grounds it’s a great day out. Read all about our time at the Red Fort here.
Take a food tour
One of the easiest ways to immerse yourself in India’s beating heart is to take yourself on a food tour. We took an excellent food tour with A Chef’s Tour who will walk you through the historic Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi. We spent a good four hours eating over 15 dishes and learning all about the fascinating history of the area. We also visited Delhi’s Spice Market, the world’s largest spice market, as well as seeing a beautiful Sikh temple. We can’t recommend this tour enough, to learn more about what we got up to on our day of Delhi dining, click here.
Connaught Place
For those who are facing a little sensory overload and are looking for some Western comforts, we’d recommend grabbing a rickshaw and heading 10 minutes south down the road to Connaught Place.
Circling a small park with a very large Indian flag, Connaught Place is a great place to stock up on anything you forgot to pack as it’s full of international stores, selling everything from clothes, books and electronics. If you’re after a new pair of Levis jeans or some Adidas trainers, Connaught Place will have you covered.
Make sure you head below ground to the Palika Bazaar, an underground market below the streets of Connaught Place for more stalls selling clothing, accessories and much more.
After you’ve had your shopping fix and if you’re looking to eat something a bit more familiar, there are plenty of cafes and restaurants as well as Starbucks, McDonalds and Dominoes.
At night the Connaugt place area is full of bars and restaurants, Lord of the Drinks was recommended by our hostel but we have not sampled it yet!
The Jantar Mantar
Just south of Connaught Place is the ancient observatory of Jantar Mantar. Full of incredible stone sculptures and towering astronomical instruments. Read all about this fantastic site here.
The Agrasen Ki Baoli
Within walking distance of both Connaught Place and the Jantar Mantar is the ancient stepwell of Agrasen Ki Baoli. A ancient water tank built to preserve the monsoon rains. Read more about visiting this historic reservoir here.
More things to do in Delhi
Lodhi Gardens
This green space is like a breath of fresh air amongst the crowded streets of Delhi. Full of ancient monuments, ponds and a yoga lawn this green oasis is a great place to unwind and get back to nature.
Safdarjung’s Tomb
This spectacular mausoleum is well worth a visit. With impressive grounds and amazing architecture. Check out our experience and guide here .
Sunder Nursery
The Sunder Nursery is another green surprise in Delhi’s busy streets. A beautiful set of manicured gardens speckled with UNESCO world heritage ruins. It is a fantastic place to have a picnic on a sunny day. Read our guide here.
Humayun’s Tomb
This is another beautiful Delhi site that could easily be combined with the Sunder Nursery above. This incredible tomb is often referred to as a mini Taj Mahal. The tomb and grounds are stunning and 100% worth including in your Delhi itinerary, read more about it here.
Taking a private tour around Delhi
For those short on time, or looking to combine several disparate sites in a single outing, then why not book a guided tour. Check out what’s on offer on TripAdvisor or Get Your Guide. These tours can be booked online in advance giving you piece of mind and a full day out seeing some of the best attractions Delhi has to offer.
Where to eat in Paharganj?
As soon as you step out of your accommodation in Paharganj there’s food everywhere. From restaurants to street side stalls, you won’t be far from some good grub. We had an excellent meal of mutton biryani and a vegetable thali at Flavours restaurant on Arkashan Road where food was made fresh from scratch in the open kitchen right in front of you.
We also had another delicious vegetable thali from the Gurdev Punjabi Restaurant (location) which owns four restaurants arranged around a T-junction. For those moving on by train, there’s plenty of street food stalls on the main road opposite the train station for you to pick up paratha, roti or samosa for your onward journey.
A lot of people get very worried about eating the food in India, but just make sure you pick somewhere which is busy with locals and the food is cooked fresh in front of you. We’d also recommend carrying some hand sanitiser and wet wipes with you! A lot of the food will involve dipping some form of bread in curry, so cleaning your hands before and after is a must.
Common scams in Paharganj - things to be aware of!
Read any guide book or review online about the Paharganj district and sadly, you’ll quickly see lots of people talking about being scammed. Unfortunately, scams can be quite a common occurrence in Paharganj and we couldn’t write an article without acknowledging this.
Taxi scams
Most commonly the scam will be overcharging you for your journey, or taking you somewhere other than your requested destination. Sometimes this will be a shop or a “tourist help centre” that the driver will be compensated for bringing you to. Do not buy from a “tourist help centre” - just see the next scam.
“Tourist Agency” / Tourist Help Centre Scams
Another unfortunately common scam is that the taxi driver will tell you that your hotel no longer exists, is flooded, or is too dangerous for a nice foreigner like you. They will then either take you to another hotel (that they will be paid by) or take you to a Tourist Help Centre. Spoiler alert, the Tourist Help Centre is not there to help you. These centres are scams designed to pressure you into buying overpriced tour packages, hotels or flights from them.
To get around both of these scams we’d recommend getting an Indian SIM or eSIM as soon as you can so that you can use Uber or Ola to arrange your rickshaw and taxi rides as this will remove any unwanted negotiation about the journey price and will also mean you know that you’re going to wherever it was you wanted to go to. If a driver starts to tell you your hotel isn't there just say it's where you're meeting your friends and to take you there anyway!
Another tip to bypass scammers is to never admit it is your first time / day in India. It will be one of the first questions you are asked by “friendly” people who approach you in the street. Just say you have been here many times and that you are visiting friends or family. The scammer will quickly drop you for a more naive target. Honestly, its amazing how many conversations have ended just after we tell a friendly man that we’ve been here for 6 months!
General safety
Delhi is a large city, with a huge wealth disparity. As with anywhere, be cautious with your belongings. Like most places in the world, pickpocketing can happen. We don’t want to scare you or anything but just exercise a little caution.
At the end of the day, our advice would be to be as wary as you would be in any other country. Don’t carry large wads of cash with you, be careful with your belongings and, if you receive an offer that seems too good to be true, then unfortunately, it probably isn’t going to be what you want! Just use your initiative.
Conclusion
Delhi often gets snubbed by travellers. People often land and make a quick exit heading straight to Jaipur or Agra, but if you give it a chance, the Indian capital has plenty to keep you occupied. We’ve met a lot of travellers who hated Delhi, but we’d say the complete opposite. It’s one of our favourite cities we’ve ever been to and love the crazy mix of chaos and calm, pollution and parks, street food and high class cuisine.
Just take it easy, immersive yourself gently and make sure you have a comfy room to retreat back to! As travellers we often feel that we need to do everything, from visiting all the sites to trying all the street food. We’d say don’t be too hard on yourself, take things slowly, and if you want that McDonald’s burger, go and have it! No one’s going to judge you. Although we would say, give some of Delhi’s street food a chance, it is delicious!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
If you’re found this blog helpful, entertaining or you just fancy supporting us, please click the button below!
If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, why not save the pin below?
If you’re heading to Delhi, why not read some of our other Delhi blogs?
If you’re heading elsewhere in India, check out what else we’ve been up to below.
If you’re looking for something different to do in Delhi, check out the National Railway Museum. This open air train yard is stuffed full of engines, exhibits, turntables and carriages and is a great day out or adults and children alike! Read our guide for all the information you need for visiting this train filled wonderland.