During winters, the frenetic, centuries-old Delhi is transformed; unexpectedly chilly weather knocks on the door of the usually hot and humid capital. Mornings start with crisp air that makes the exotic scent of roasting coffee beans from local street vendors even more tempting. Suddenly, the old buildings, landmarks, and ancient Mughal architecture start looking more appealing too because obviously, there’s a difference when you roam around the hot streets of Delhi at 40°C and at 20°C. Delhi is much more pleasant to explore in the winter and in this article, we’ll show you which are some of the best places to visit in Delhi in winter.
Helpful Resources If You Visit Delhi In Winter
If you’re looking for an affordable flight to Delhi, this Qatar Airways offer gets you up to 15% off (I use it too to book most of my flights).
Travel insurance, albeit not mandatory is always handy when traveling to India, and if you don’t already have one, SafetyWing offers affordable plans that cover all major medical expenses, and even most miscellaneous travel expenses like lost baggage and delayed flights.
For great accommodation bargains, you can save up to 15% on all properties in Delhi by using our special offer through Booking.com.
And last but not least, don’t forget about your Visa. If you need assistance with getting one, iVisa can take care of all necessary arrangements for you for only a small fee, making the process much easier. Personally, I use their services all the time while traveling and warmly recommend them.
Why Visit Delhi In The Winter?
I’ll start this off by saying what is the biggest drawback of visiting Delhi in the winter. It’s the air pollution that gets to extreme levels because of the increased need for heating and the number of homeless people who burn anything they can get their hands on to keep themselves warm. But that being said, Delhi is a lot more comfortable for exploring in the winter when the weather is not extremely hot and the air is not very humid. As the chilly breeze sweeps over the city’s historical landmarks and cultural treasures, you start to see the real beauty of all these places when you don’t have to rub elbows with other tourists while sweaty and semi-dehydrated…
Now that we covered some basics, let’s get to the most important part of this article; some of the best places to visit in Delhi in winter.
Places To Stay In Delhi
Before we get to some suggestions on places to visit, here are some of the best hotels and areas to stay in when visiting India’s capital.
Luxury Travelers
If you’re a luxury traveler, you’ll probably like some of our favorite choices- The Imperial Hotel, The Leela Palace, and The Lodhi.
Budget Travelers
If you’re a budget traveler, you’ll be able to find plenty of cheap hotels, guesthouses and hostels in the Paharganj Area or around Karol Bagh.
Family Travelers
If you’re traveling with your family, the two best choices for you would be the Connaught Place Area or South Delhi (Saket, Greater Kailash).
Solo Travelers
Last but not least, if you’re a solo traveler, you’ll probably like the area around Hauz Khas Village or Nehru Place.
Best Tours To Take In Delhi
If you’re looking for a great adventure in the heart of Old Delhi, check out this guided tour that takes you on a journey along some of Delhi’s oldest streets or this sightseeing tour that covers many of Delhi’s most famous attractions.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for a different experience, check out this tour of Delhi’s slums to get a glimpse of the city’s diverging contrasts.
Historical Places To Visit In Delhi In Winter
Delhi has no shortage of fascinating historical sites, including monuments of national value, religious sites and temples, museums, and more. Here are some of the most interesting things to do in Delhi in winter when it comes to historical sites.
Red Fort
We start off this list of the best places to visit in Delhi in winter with the Red Fort, the former residence of Mughal emperors, erected in the 17th century when the Mughal dynasty moved their capital from Agra to Delhi. Visiting the fort gives you a chance to admire one of India’s most impressive architectural gems, see the iconic sunset over the fort, and get some pretty awesome views of Delhi’s modern skyline.
Qutub Minar
The Qutub Minar is a 73-meter-tall marvel of history that has been around since the 12th century. This landmark is a 2-in-1 minaret and a victory tower that was built by the Tomar Rajputs, who ruled Delhi between the 8th and 12th centuries. Inside the tower, you’ll find a spiral staircase that contains 379 steps that lead to the top, where the Quwat Ul Islam Mosque is located.
Humayun’s Tomb
In my opinion, Humayun’s Tomb is one of the most underrated historical sites in India. It’s the eternal resting place of Emperor Humayun, commissioned by his wife, and is famous for being the first garden tomb on the Indian subcontinent. One thing many people don’t know about this monument is that it served as inspiration for the glorious Taj Mahal; the Taj is an almost exact replica, only with white marble instead of red sandstone.
India Gate
India Gate is perhaps the country’s most famous war memorial (scratch that, actually one of the country’s most famous monuments overall), dedicated to the 84,000 Indian Army soldiers who died in WWI and the Third Anglo-Afghan War. Interestingly, the gate was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, who tried to combine elements of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and elements of Indian architecture.
Akshardham Temple
Akshardham is one of the most grandiose temples in Delhi and the world’s second largest Hindu temple. It’s not as historically important as some other temples, as it was only opened in 2005, but it’s important from a prestige standpoint, certainly enriching Delhi’s already wealthy cultural heritage.
Lotus Temple
The Lotus Temple is a continental Baháʼí House of Worship built in December 1986 and one of the most unusual architectural masterpieces in Delhi (and in the world for that matter). The facade is designed in a way that its appearance resembles a lotus flower and is composed of 27 free-standing marble-clad petals, a design that won it many architectural awards over the years.
National Handicrafts And Handlooms Museum
The National Handicrafts And Handlooms Museum is the largest craft museum in India, where you can find things from all corners of India; intricate embroidery from Gujarat, silk weaves from Varanasi, metalwork from Rajasthan- you name it. The museum is home to more than 35,000 rare and distinctive handicrafts, including paintings, embroidery, textiles, and various crafts of clay, stone, and wood.
National Gallery of Modern Art
Stretching across 12,000 square meters of exhibition space, the National Gallery is one of the world’s largest galleries and one of the best places to visit in Delhi in winter if the weather gets too cold (if you come from Europe or places that have propper winters it probably won’t but this place is worth visiting regardless of the weather to be honest). The gallery houses 1,700 works by some of the finest Indian painters, including names like Raja Ravi Verma, Nandalal Bose, Gaganendranath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, and many others.
Enjoying Nature
As surprising as it may sound (since Delhi is one of the most crowded cities on Earth), there are many parks where you can just relax and enjoy nature and in this part of the article, we’ll share the best nature places to visit in Delhi in winter.
Lodi Gardens
Situated between Khan Market and Safdarjung’s Tomb, Lodi Gardens is one of Delhi’s largest and most beautiful parks; it stretches across 90 acres. Inside the park, you’ll also find the tombs of several different emperors (inspired by Humayun’s tomb that after its construction apparently turned into a trend) from the Lodi Dynasty (hence the name), and several other magnificent constructions like the Athpula (‘eight-piered’) bridge and a few medieval mosques, just to name a couple.
Garden Of Five Senses
Commissioned in 2003, the Garden of Five Senses is one of the most recent additions to Delhi’s park scene. This one has a few different sections, including the Mughal Gardens, the bamboo courts, the herb gardens, the solar energy park, and several pools of water lilies (those are the 5 gardens).
Yamuna Riverfront
Despite the unneglectable pollution modern times have brought to it, the Yamuna River still remains one of the largest, holiest, and strategically most important rivers in the region, and its riverfront is one of the best places to visit in Delhi in winter. Yes, parts of it literally smell of pollution (and don’t even think about going for a swim here, just saying), but it’s one of the last corners of serenity in the busy capital.
Deer Park
Known for its friendly inhabitants, Deer Park is a park in South Delhi where many deer that are left to roam freely within the park’s lush greenery. A trip to the park is actually better in the winter because the summers are too hot, and most of the deer remain hidden in the shades trying to stay away from the sun.
Winter Festivals and Events
This guide to the best places to visit in Delhi in winter wouldn’t be complete without mentioning a few of Delhi’s most popular traditional winter festivals that you should seriously consider adding to your itinerary.
Delhi International Arts Festival
The Delhi International Arts Festival is an annual event that has been happening since 2007 and throughout the years, has presented more than 150,000 artists from different parts of the world. Here, you can see ethnic dance performances, traditional music, captivating theater plays depicting tales of local folklore, and thought-provoking art exhibitions.
Surajkund Crafts Mela
The Surajkund Crafts Mela offers visitors the unique chance to experience firsthand India’s artisanal heritage. Every year in February, skilled craftsmen from around the country gather in one of Delhi’s suburbs to showcase their exquisite creations, featuring intricately woven textiles, delicate pottery, wooden carvings, paintings, and more.
National Street Food Festival
Speaking of places to visit in Delhi in winter, one thing that should certainly be on your list is attending the National Street Food Festival; the perfect (and safe) place to try street food in Delhi. The festival takes place every year in mid-January, and there, you can find many different stalls that serve Indian street food snacks from all of India’s states and regions.
Street Food & Shopping
Street food and shopping will likely be a part of your Delhi itinerary, regardless of whether you’re looking for places to visit in Delhi in winter, summer or any time in between and here are a few suggestions.
Dilli Haat
Dilli Haat is an open-air marketplace, perfect for buying souvenirs. Here, you can find traditional Indian handicrafts, folklore outfits, Indian textiles, artwork, and all kinds of different decorations. The best way to describe Dilli Haat is as a melting pot of cultures, where artisans and craftsmen from different regions of India come together to show (and try to sell you) creations of their respective regions.
Khan Market
Khan Market is one of Delhi’s most popular street markets where you can find a range of boutiques, specialty shops, jewelry, and handicrafts, but also some of the most famous street food stalls in Delhi, where you can (safely) try some of the capital’s most popular street food delights without worrying about getting a bad belly.
Chandni Chowk
No trip to Delhi is complete without Chandni Chowk; Delhi’s oldest and largest street market, where you can find anything from clothes, handicrafts, and jewelry to wholesale products. Also, the culinary offerings of Chandni Chowk are not to be underestimated, its’ also one of the best street food spots, featuring parathas, chaats, jalebis, kebabs, and more.
Day Trips
Lastly, we’ll wrap up this guide to the best places to visit in Delhi in winter with a few day trip ideas you can add to your itinerary, starting with…
Agra
The drive to Agra gives you a chance to get a glimpse of rural life in India, but of course, the main reason why you’d want to go there are the two UNESCO Heritage Sites- the iconic Taj Mahal and the beautiful Agra Fort.
Jaipur
Jaipur, also known as the Pink City is the capital of Rajasthan, the heart of Rajput culture, and home to the Amber Palace, Nahargarh Fort, the water palace of Jal Mahal, and Jaigarh Fort, just to name a few. And it’s only a few hours away from Delhi, making it a perfect day trip.
Neemrana Fort Palace
Located on the scenic Aravalli hills, this 553-year-old medieval Fort-Palace is one of the most important historic landmarks in North India. It’s a 14-tiered marvel, complete with palace wings, courts, and terraced gardens that stretches across 25 acres, and it’s only 1 hour and a half away from Delhi.
Nainital
Visiting Nainital from Delhi is one of the best choices for a winter day trip. Sure, there are many places in the Himalayas you can visit, but Nainital is the geographically closest scenic hill station to the capital…
Did you like our list of the best places to visit in Delhi in winter? Which one was your favorite? Do you think there are some other places that should find their way on this list? Feel free to let us know in the comments below.
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