Delhi

Humayun's Tomb

Hindi: हुमायूँ का मक़बरा Humāyūn kā Maqbarā; Urdu: ہمایوں کا مقبرہ Humāyūn kā Maqbarā

is one of Delhi's three UNESCO World Heritage Sites. - The tomb is in large, immaculately maintained gardens in the Persian Char Bagh (four corners) style that were thoroughly renovated in 2003 with the Aga Khan's help and are probably the best in Delhi. As you pass through the first gate, you will glimpse the dome of the tomb and enter a floral path leading to the second (West) gate, which now acts as the entrance to the giant central garden. - The centrepiece is the eponymous tomb of Humayun, the second Mughal emperor. Built starting in 1562, it was the first major Mughal structure in the city and has been described as a predecessor or prototype of the Taj Mahal. The structures are, indeed, stylistically similar, although Humayun's Tomb is built from red sandstone, not white marble, and was built by a wife grieving for her husband, not the other way around. You can climb up to the second level (the stairs on the west side are very steep, those on the south side less so), and on the south side you will find the entrance into the main crypt where Humayun is buried. Before you leave, be sure to visit the South Gate, the original royal entrance, from where you can get picture-postcard views without too many tourists in the way.

daily from sunrise to sunset·₹ 40/600, Indians/foreigners · Built 1570 · Heritage listed

Jama Masjid

जामा मस्जिद Jāmā Masjid

The largest mosque in India and a must-see while in Delhi. Beware of dishonest guides who will try to convince you that a tour guide is mandatory and is included in the ₹200 camera fee; they will give you an extremely hurried "tour" of the mosque and then demand a further payment of ₹200-300 for the tour. You can climb to the top of the minaret for ₹100 (locals maybe ₹20). The climb is steep, dark and somewhat claustrophobic, but you'll get great views over the complex and the city. You'll need to cover up your shoulders and legs (scarves and lungis available for rental - about ₹10), and take off your shoes (expect to tip the shoe minder, ₹5 is plenty, or carry your shoes with you in your own bag). Pictures should not be taken during prayer hours. If you're going to sit down don't look too comfortable. Certainly don't eat or become too engrossed in any reading material you may be carrying, the rule is that non-Muslims must make their visits brief and guards will usher along visitors who linger.

7AM-sunset, tourists are not allowed in from 12:15PM-1:45PM or in the half-hour before sunset.·Entry is officially free, although if you have a camera with you (even if deep in your bag) the aggressive "guards" will not let you go in without paying the ₹300 fee (this includes the ₹100 minar climb), and this includes camera phones. If you just walk in they will grab you and "carry" you out

Red Fort

लाल क़िला Lāl Qilā

One of Delhi's top tourist sights and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A brilliant red sandstone fort was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (who also built the Taj Mahal) as his ruling palace. Completed in 1648, the years since have not treated the buildings kindly: the rooms have long since been stripped of all objects, the marble inlays are long gone and quite a few buildings are off-limits. Still, the scale remains imposing and the gardens are kept lush and green even in midwinter.

Wheelchair accessible

Raj Ghat

Royal Platform

The memorial to Mahatma Gandhi at the site of his cremation. Check for closure dates/security checks around national holidays/Gandhi's death anniversary.

9:30AM-5:30PM

National Gandhi Museum

The museum was first opened in Mumbai, shortly after Gandhi was assassinated in 1948. It was later moved to Raj Ghat in 1961. The library at the Gandhi Museum not only showcases Gandhi's work to the public but also serves as a place for general study. The books are divided into two sections, those written by or about Gandhi and books on other subject matters. The gallery has a large number of paintings and personal items of Gandhi. The most notable items in the collection are a Satyagraha woodcut, one of Gandhi's walking sticks, the shawl and dhoti worn by Gandhi when he was assassinated and one of the bullets that were used to kill Gandhi and his urn.

Closed · opens 9:30 am

Veer Bhumi

Brave Land

The memorial to Rajiv Gandhi, the sixth Prime Minister of India.

Shantivan

Peace Garden

The memorial to Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India.

Khan-i-Khana's Tomb

This is a tomb built by Khan-i-Khana in 1598 after his wife's death. He was later buried here in 1627. Khan-i-Khana was a great composer during Akbar's time and belonged to his Navaratna or nine gems. The motif is similar to that of the Humayun's tomb.

Bahá'í Lotus Temple

Shaped like a lotus bud with 27 petals, this stunning temple suspended above milky-blue ponds is surely one of the most magnificent monuments ever made from concrete, however, there is very little to see inside. The lush park around is well landscaped but mostly off-limits.

Tue-Sun: Apr-Sep 9AM–7PM, Oct-Mar 9:30AM–5:30PM·Free

Akshardham

Hindi: अक्षरधाम Akṣardhām; Delhi Akshardham, Swaminarayan Akshardham

Completed in 2005 by the socio-spiritual organisation BAPS, no expense has been spared in decorating this large and elaborate temple carved of red sandstone. The central monument, built without any steel, houses an 11-ft golden statue of the founder of the Swaminarayan faith, Bhagwan Swaminarayan. The Premvati food court on the grounds serves up fast, cheap, huge but mediocre portions of vegetarian food, ₹75 for a thali. There is a strict ban on all electronic items, cameras, tobacco and pretty much everything except the clothes on your back. You can leave your belongings in the cloakroom outside. Allow at least three-four hours to explore it all.

Tue-Sun 9AM-7PM·Free entry, guide booklet is ₹5, access to multimedia exhibitions ₹125

Jawaharlal Nehru University

JNU; जवाहरलाल नेहरू विश्‍वविद्यालय Javāharlāl Nehrū Viśvavidyālay

Not usually considered a "place of interest" for tourists, this one-of-a-kind campus of the premier National University of India remains a hidden gem of the city. The campus is hilly and rocky and some areas look more like a jungle with peacocks. The hostels represent the geographical vastness of India as they are named after Indian Rivers. For instance Godavari and Ganga. Specific areas of the campus are named after a particular geographical region in India. For instance Uttarakhand and Dakshinapuram. Some of the non-scholarly attractions of India's best University include 24x7, an open aired restaurant.

24 hours daily

Kashmere Gate

कश्मीरी गेट Kashmīrī Geṭ

The Kashmir-facing gate, and a site of a fierce battle during the 1857 rebellion. A sandstone memorial plaque mentions the names of the British Army soldiers (British and Indians) who died at the Kashmere Gate area during the recapture of Delhi by the British. The architecture consists of two arched passageways. The passageways are separated by two recessed arch one below the other. Both sides of the passageways have similar recesses arches.

Qutb Minar

क़ुत्ब मीनार / قطب منار Qutb Mīnār

The most famous structure on the grounds is the Minar itself. At 73m tall, it is the second tallest minar in India (after Fateh Burj in Mohali), and was the tallest "skyscraper" in the world when built (1193-1368). It is often visible from the air when flying into IGI airport. It was constructed on the orders of Qutb-ud-din Aybak, founder of the Slave Dynasty, and named after him. Delicately carved and inscribed with Arabic inscriptions, its red sandstone and marble have been astonishingly well-preserved, and it is still an awe-inspiring sight today. The top of the tower has twice been rebuilt after an earthquake, and the base has been restored more recently. While entry into the tower itself is no longer permitted, for ₹10 per 5 min you can view the scenery via a little webcam on top.

daily, sunrise to sunset·₹ 20/250 Indians/foreigners

Purana Qila

पुराना क़िला Purānā Qilā, Old Fort

The walled citadel of Mughal Emperor Humayun. It was later turned into an urban village before becoming a monument. Ruins of the 16th-century city of Shergarh, this complex sits on top of what is believed to be the site of Indraprastha, the capital of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata epic. The citadel contains several structures which include 3 gateways. Apart from that the complex contain a pavilion, a mosque along with a hammam and step well

Closed · opens 9 am·₹5 for Indians, ₹100 for foreigners · Wheelchair accessible

Ghalib Museum

गालिब संग्रहालय

This is a museum on the life and times of the 18th-century Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib. On the third floor of the Ghalib Academy building. Also, there is an art gallery where paintings made by famous & eminent artists are on display.

Mon-Sat 10AM-6PM

Hauz Khas Fort

Hauz Khas Complex in Hauz Khas, South Delhi, India, houses a water tank, an Islamic seminary, a mosque, a tomb, and pavilions built around an urbanized village with a medieval history traced to the 13th century of Delhi Sultanate reign. It was part of Siri, the second medieval city of India of the Delhi Sultanate of Alauddin Khalji Dynasty (1296–1316). The large water tank or reservoir was first built by Allauddin Khilji (the plaque displayed at the site records this fact) to supply water to the inhabitants of Siri.

Closed · opens 10:30 am·Entry 20 INR

Isa Khan's Tomb

As you enter the Humayun's Tomb Complex, the first major structure on your right is the bulbous, octagonal tomb of Isa Khan, a court noble who built it in his own lifetime, some 20 years before Humayun's Tomb.

Salimgarh Fort

A fort built in 1546 by Salim Shah Suri, the son of Sher Shah Suri. At the time, the Mughal Empire had been temporarily overthrown, as Sher Shah Suri defeated Mughal emperor Humayun and established the rule of the Sur Empire rule in Delhi. The Surid dynasty continued until 1555, when Humayun regained control by defeating Sikandar Suri, the last ruler of the dynasty.

Iron Pillar

In the centre of the mosque. True to its name, this is a 7 m iron pillar erected in 400 AD by Chandragupta II Vikramaditya, also known as "he, by the breezes of whose prowess the southern ocean is even still perfumed" according to the inscription carved on the base. Alas, Chandragupta II's perfume has long since faded, but to the amazement of metallurgists everywhere, his pillar is still going strong, after 1,600 years. The corrosion resistance results from a layer of crystalline iron hydrogen phosphate forming on the high phosphorus content iron, which protects it from the effects of the local Delhi climate. The pillar is 7.21 m high, 1.12 m of which is below ground. The base rests on a grid of iron bars soldered with lead into the upper layer of the dressed stone pavement. It is estimated to weigh more than six tonnes.

Khooni Darwaza

Bloody Gate

It is here in this gate that Major William Hodson shot dead the last Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar's sons Mirza Mughal and Mirza Khizr Sultan as well as grandson Mirza Abu Bakr after the defeat in Revolt of 1857. The gate served as an execution chamber under Sher Shah. The severed heads of those executed were put on display in this gate. Here Jahangir ordered the killing of two sons of Rahim Khan-I-Khana who was a Navaratna in Akbar's court. The gate was part of a defensive mechanism set up by Sher Shah and was known as Kabuli Gate, as it faced the city of Kabul now in Afghanistan. But because of its bloody incidence it came to be known as the Khooni Darwaza. The 15.5 meter double storied structure is made of Delhi quartzite stone and is topped with battlements. The windows and the archways have red sandstone ornamentation. There are three different sets of stairways leading to different levels of the gateway, but these are kept under lock & key.

Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah

A mausoleum of the Sufi saint Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya. Considered the nerve centre of Sufi culture in India, the dargah is visited by thousands of pilgrims every week. The site is also known for its evening qawwali devotional music sessions. The descendants of Nizamuddin Auliya look after the whole management of the dargah.

Shankar's International Doll's Museum

A museum of dolls from all over the country. You get to see the costumes and art from all over India, as well as some nice crafts.

Tue-Sat 10AM-6PM·₹10

Delhi Gate

The southern gate that now acts as the entrance to Old Delhi from New Delhi.

Sabz Burj

सब्ज़ बुर्ज

Though it literally means "green dome", its dome is nowhere green in colour. The dome is blue, and the tower is believed to be built between 1530 and 1535. The tower is an influence of Central Asian architecture. There are blue and yellow tiles on the drum. Moreover, it was used as a police station during British rule.

Diwan-i-Am

Hall of Public Audience

This building separates the outer court from the inner court and has a marble platform for the emperor's throne.

Wheelchair accessible

Nila Gumbad

नीला गुंबद Nīlā Gumbad

The octagonal tomb is crowned with a huge dome, covered with dark blue tiles.

Moti Masjid

Pearl Mosque

The Moti Masjid (lit. 'Pearl mosque') is a 17th-century historical mosque, not open for worship, inside the Red Fort complex in Old Delhi, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, damaged during the Siege of Delhi, and subsequently restored by the British. Named for its white marble, the mosque features ornate floral carvings.

Diwan-i-Khas

Hall of Private Audience

Built completely of marble, this is where the emperor received special visitors.

Mumtaz Mahal

मुमताज़ महल / ممتاز محل Mumtāz Mahal, Jewel Palace

Contained six apartments for emperor's harem. Now used as a museum of court textiles, carpets, weapons, etc.

Chor Minar

It is a minaret built by Alauddin Khilji in the 13th century. Here the decapitated heads of chors, or thieves, were displayed through its 225 holes.