138 attractions in Delhi (back)

Mumtaz Mahal
Mumtaz Mahal (Persian: ممتاز محل [mumˈt̪aːz mɛˈɦɛl]; born Arjumand Banu; 27 April 1593 – 17 June 1631) was the Empress consort of the Mughal Empire from 19 January 1628 to 17 June 1631 as the chief consort of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The Taj Mahal in Agra, often cited as one of the Wonders of the World, was commissioned by her husband to act as her tomb.Mumtaz Mahal was born Arjumand Banu Begum in Agra to a family of Persian nobility. She was the daughter of Abu'l-Hasan Asaf Khan, a wealthy Persian noble who held high office in the Mughal Empire, and the niece of Empress Nur Jahan, the chief wife of Emperor Jahangir and the power behind the emperor. She was married at the age of 19 on 30 April 1612 to Prince Khurram, later known by his regnal name Shah Jahan, who conferred upon her the title "Mumtaz Mahal" (Persian: the exalted one of the palace). Although betrothed to Shah Jahan since 1607, she ultimately became his second wife in 1612. Mumtaz and her husband had fourteen children, including Jahanara Begum (Shah Jahan's favourite daughter), and the Crown prince Dara Shikoh, the heir-apparent, anointed by his father, who temporarily succeeded him, until deposed by Mumtaz Mahal's sixth child, Aurangzeb, who ultimately succeeded his father as the sixth Mughal emperor in 1658.Mumtaz Mahal died in 1631 in Burhanpur, Deccan (present-day Madhya Pradesh), during the birth of her fourteenth child, a daughter named Gauhar Ara Begum. Shah Jahan had the Taj Mahal built as a tomb for her, which is considered to be a monument of undying love.
Humayun’s Tomb
Humayun's tomb (Hindustani: Maqbara-i Humayun) is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun in Delhi, India. The tomb was commissioned by Humayun's first wife and chief consort, Empress Bega Begum (also known as Haji Begum), in 1569-70, and designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyas and his son, Sayyid Muhammad, Persian architects chosen by her. It was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent, and is located in Nizamuddin East, Delhi, India, close to the Dina-panah Citadel, also known as Purana Qila (Old Fort), that Humayun found in 1533. It was also the first structure to use red sandstone at such a scale. The tomb was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, and since then has undergone extensive restoration work, which is complete. Besides the main tomb enclosure of Humayun, several smaller monuments dot the pathway leading up to it, from the main entrance in the West, including one that even pre-dates the main tomb itself, by twenty years; it is the tomb complex of Isa Khan Niyazi, an Afghan noble in Sher Shah Suri's court of the Suri dynasty, who fought against the Mughals, constructed in 1547 CE. The complex encompasses the main tomb of the Emperor Humayun, which houses the graves of Empress Bega Begum, Hamida Begum, and also Dara Shikoh, great-great-grandson of Humayun and son of the later Emperor Shah Jahan, as well as numerous other subsequent Mughals, including Emperor Jahandar Shah, Farrukhsiyar, Rafi Ul-Darjat, Rafi Ud-Daulat, Muhammad Kam Bakhsh and Alamgir II. It represented a leap in Mughal architecture, and together with its accomplished Charbagh garden, typical of Persian gardens, but never seen before in India, it set a precedent for subsequent Mughal architecture. It is seen as a clear departure from the fairly modest mausoleum of his father, the first Mughal Emperor, Babur, called Bagh-e Babur (Gardens of Babur) in Kabul (Afghanistan). Though the latter was the first Emperor to start the tradition of being buried in a paradise garden. Modelled on Gur-e Amir, the tomb of his ancestor and Asia's conqueror Timur in Samarkand, it created a precedent for future Mughal architecture of royal mausolea, which reached its zenith with the Taj Mahal, at Agra.The site was chosen on the banks of Yamuna river, due to its proximity to Nizamuddin Dargah, the mausoleum of the celebrated Sufi saint of Delhi, Nizamuddin Auliya, who was much revered by the rulers of Delhi, and whose residence, Chilla Nizamuddin Auliya lies just north-east of the tomb. In later Mughal history, the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar took refuge here, during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, along with three princes, and was captured by Captain Hodson before being exiled to Rangoon. At the time of the Slave Dynasty this land was under the 'KiloKheri Fort' which was capital of Sultan Kequbad, son of Nasiruddin (1268–1287). The Tombs of Battashewala Complex lie in the buffer zone of the World Heritage Site of the Humayun Tomb Complex; the two complexes are separated by a small road but enclosed within their own separate compound walls.
Nehru Planetarium
Nehru Planetariums are the five planetariums in India, named after India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. These are located in Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune and Bangalore, plus there is a Jawahar Planetarium in Prayagraj. The Nehru Planetarium in New Delhi is situated on the grounds of Teen Murti Bhavan, officially known as 'Nehru Memorial Museum and Library', earlier the official residence of India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru and now a museum in his memory. In 1964, the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund was set up to promote his ideas and it undertook to build the Nehru Planetarium with its aim being the promotion of astronomy education. This planetarium, like its namesake in Mumbai, was also inaugurated by Smt. Indira Gandhi on 6 February 1984. One of the major attractions of this place is the Soyuz T-10 which carried India's first cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma to space, along with his space suit and mission journal. The Sky Theatre shown at Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium are very popular and attracts more than 200,000 visitors per year. The sky theatre is a dome shaped theatre. It shows information on constellations and planets. Visuals such as cartoons, paintings, computer animations, video clippings and special effects are liberally used in the programmes at the sky theatre. The planetarium was reopened in September 2010, after renovations worth Rs. 11 crore, ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games and received Queen's Baton. It now has 'Definiti optical star projector "Megastar" that can show 2 million stars. It also sets up old telescopes, projection boxes and solar filters at its premises at major solar eclipses.
Nehru Memorial Museum & Library
The Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) is a museum and library in New Delhi, India, which aims to preserve and reconstruct the history of the Indian independence movement. Housed within the Teen Murti House complex, it is an autonomous institution under the Indian Ministry of Culture, and was founded in 1964 after the death of India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. It aims to foster academic research on modern and contemporary history. Today, the Nehru Memorial Library is the world’s leading resource centre on India’s first prime minister. Its archives contain the bulk of Mahatma Gandhi's writings, as well as private papers of C. Rajagopalachari, B. C. Roy, Jayaprakash Narayan, Charan Singh, Sarojini Naidu and Rajkumari Amrit Kaur. In March 2010 it launched a digitization project of its archives, and by June 2011, 867,000 pages of manuscripts and 29,807 photographs had been scanned and 500,000 pages had been uploaded on the digital library website. Amongst noted publications of the NMML are Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru, Man of Destiny by Ruskin Bond, Nehru Anthology (1980) and Nehru Anthology. Nehru Memorial Museum & Library has over the years supported scholars and historians across India. Through its fellowship programme, the Nehru Memorial Fellowship, it has funded some of India’s best academics such as Chief Information Commissioner OP Kejriwal. It is also one of the best libraries in Delhi for the social sciences as it has a huge collection on labour related issues in the form of PhD dissertations, reports, books, journals and news papers.On 26 April 2016 a dagger gifted to former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru by Saudi Arabia was stolen from the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.
Red Fort

The Red Fort also known as Lal Quila stands majestically at the Netaji Subash Marg of the Old Delhi. It is also known as Qila-E-Mubarak since it is looked upon as a monument of blessings. Influenced by Mughal as well as Persian design, the Red Fort gets its name from the most prominent feature of its architectural design, the huge red sandstone. The huge walls of Red Fort extend to almost 2 Kilometers, that cannot be camouflaged, no matter where you stand in Chandni Chowk.

Red Fort is yet another contribution of Shah Jahan, built in the 17th century when he shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi. Shah Jahan used to perform all his administrative duties at this fort. Red Fort is also listed in the World Heritage Site by the UNESCO authorities. The controversial Kohinoor diamond used to reside here, before it was displaced. Whether the diamond was stolen or given away is yet a controversial issue. The Lahori Gate is the main gate to the palace. Flag hoisting takes place right up head this gate, with hundreds of spectators as the Prime Minister proudly hoist the flag on Independence day. 

The Red Fort gives a peek of the Royal lifestyle led by the Mughals, with well-maintained gardens and many other smaller mahals that are encapsulated in the Red Fort including Mumtaz Mahal, Khas Mahal, and Rang Mahal. Our Multilingual Guide narrates the rich history behind the spectacular views on tour.

The most iconic attraction of Delhi, the Red Fort is another splendid piece of architecture built by Shahjahan. Completed in the year 1648, it nearly took 8 years to complete this majestic structure. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it was the site for various conquests by several dynasties including the Mughals, Afghans, Marathas and the British. Standing upon an area of 255 acres of land, the fort has huge walls towering at a height between 59 to 108 feet. A fine example of Mughal architecture it housed various ornaments, jewels, lushful gardens, palaces which were devastated by invading forces.


Nehru Planetarium
Nehru Planetariums are the five planetariums in India, named after India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. These are located in Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune and Bangalore, plus there is a Jawahar Planetarium in Prayagraj. The Nehru Planetarium in New Delhi is situated on the grounds of Teen Murti Bhavan, officially known as 'Nehru Memorial Museum and Library', earlier the official residence of India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru and now a museum in his memory. In 1964, the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund was set up to promote his ideas and it undertook to build the Nehru Planetarium with its aim being the promotion of astronomy education. This planetarium, like its namesake in Mumbai, was also inaugurated by Smt. Indira Gandhi on 6 February 1984. One of the major attractions of this place is the Soyuz T-10 which carried India's first cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma to space, along with his space suit and mission journal. The Sky Theatre shown at Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium are very popular and attracts more than 200,000 visitors per year. The sky theatre is a dome shaped theatre. It shows information on constellations and planets. Visuals such as cartoons, paintings, computer animations, video clippings and special effects are liberally used in the programmes at the sky theatre. The planetarium was reopened in September 2010, after renovations worth Rs. 11 crore, ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games and received Queen's Baton. It now has 'Definiti optical star projector "Megastar" that can show 2 million stars. It also sets up old telescopes, projection boxes and solar filters at its premises at major solar eclipses.
Nehru Memorial Museum & Library
The Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) is a museum and library in New Delhi, India, which aims to preserve and reconstruct the history of the Indian independence movement. Housed within the Teen Murti House complex, it is an autonomous institution under the Indian Ministry of Culture, and was founded in 1964 after the death of India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. It aims to foster academic research on modern and contemporary history. Today, the Nehru Memorial Library is the world’s leading resource centre on India’s first prime minister. Its archives contain the bulk of Mahatma Gandhi's writings, as well as private papers of C. Rajagopalachari, B. C. Roy, Jayaprakash Narayan, Charan Singh, Sarojini Naidu and Rajkumari Amrit Kaur. In March 2010 it launched a digitization project of its archives, and by June 2011, 867,000 pages of manuscripts and 29,807 photographs had been scanned and 500,000 pages had been uploaded on the digital library website. Amongst noted publications of the NMML are Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru, Man of Destiny by Ruskin Bond, Nehru Anthology (1980) and Nehru Anthology. Nehru Memorial Museum & Library has over the years supported scholars and historians across India. Through its fellowship programme, the Nehru Memorial Fellowship, it has funded some of India’s best academics such as Chief Information Commissioner OP Kejriwal. It is also one of the best libraries in Delhi for the social sciences as it has a huge collection on labour related issues in the form of PhD dissertations, reports, books, journals and news papers.On 26 April 2016 a dagger gifted to former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru by Saudi Arabia was stolen from the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.
Hauz Khas Village
In this affluent neighborhood, you will get abundant greenery, tiny trendy boutiques, gelato carts, beautiful lake, and also some sought after hip restaurants to add a touch of whimsy to the place. HKV, as most youngsters would like to call it, has a character of its own. The end of the road leads into the Hauz Khas Fort, a beautiful property with aesthetic ruins, a lake, green belts, and many visitors. The view of the fort during the wee hours is mesmerizing. The nearby, Deer park is frequented by a lot of family visitors on the weekend. Don�t miss to catch the Delhi Drummers at the deer park and shake a leg or two with them. They are a group of cool drummers who jam and are open for people joining in to drum or just to dance on the beats. We would like to call HKV as one of the most Instagrammable places in Delhi. When there, don�t miss stopping by some colorful and quirky stores like Chumbak, observing the colorful graffiti wall arts and wandering in the mushy lanes with decorated cafes. Most travelers witness getting lost at least once at Hauz Khas even if it�s not their first time. Whether it�s trying to find the same trendy boutique you can pass an hour back or it�s your stubbornness to find the perfect cafe recommended to you, but the fact is you will not regret getting lost at HKV. Lastly, the trip to HKV is incomplete unless you slurped down the famous �kulfiano� kulfi. This is an Indian homemade ice-cream, which is creamier and has some natural flavors of pistachio, saffron, and cardamom.
Majnu Ka Tilla

Majnu ka Tilla (recognized name: New Aruna Nagar Colony) is an exquisite place to experience different shades of art, culture, spirituality, and shopping. Majnu ka Tilla is a colony in Delhi that was established around the 1950s. In Hindi language Majnu means Romeo and Tilla is rock.

Another name for it is chop-chop square of India, quite an interesting name for a place! 

Though earlier it was just a Tibetan Refugee Colony but later in 2013 it was recognised by the Government of Delhi. Over the years Majnu ka Tilla popularity has grown within foreign tourists and university students because it is full of Tibetan culture. People who are interested in knowing other cultures and gradation of modernization would be intrigued by the history and the knowledge that this place provides them. Mostly are enchanted to visit this place because of Tibetan culture because it has well placed Buddhist temples, Gurudwara and monks praying around with soft melodious music coming out of the temples capturing the ring of your soul with a view to be remembered.

Moreover, it has occupants of various Tibetan delicacies and popular cafes like AMA café. The popular dishes that one should try are Thukpa, Lyhaping fermented bamboo shoots, and dried fish.

Not only food but it is a place full of junk jewelry, clothes, and video games, from a kid to an adult the place is bustling with exuberant energy. The best part of the whole place is there is no hassle for transportation. All you have to do is step on the metro and drop off at Vishwavidyalaya metro station and take a rickshaw to reach your destination. 

Jahanpanah Heritage Walk

This beautiful heritage walk will give you insights into the ruined city of Jahanpanah. An enthralling and spectacular experience as you relive the times during the reign of the most ingenious emperors of India, Muhammad bin Tughluq. Witness the mesmerizing storytelling of one of the ancient cities in the Old Delhi district. It was the fourth walled-city built with fortifications after Siri, Lal Kot, and Tughlaqabad. The sole purpose of establishing this city was to protect the Sultanate from invading Mongols. Home to several monuments, the name Jahanpanah in Persian means 'The Refuge of the World'. Explore the crumbled remains of this old city which includes monuments like Adilabad fort, Begampur Mosque, Bijay Mandal Palace, Kalusarai Mosque, Serai Shaji Mahal, and much more. Each of the monuments offers mystical background stories and facts good enough to enchant you. It is believed that the city was left in ruin due to the change of capital to Daulatabad or the fall of the Tughlaq Dynasty. You will get to discover theatrical performances based on the life of Emperor Muhammad bin Tughluq. His visions, ideas, and day-to-day practices will leave you in awe about this long-gone personality. 

The marvellous heritage walk will leave you in awe, as you explore the ancient walled city of Jahanpanah. Experience the enchanting storytelling in this tour which will make you relive the moments of the Tughlaq empire. Apart from checking out numerous monuments, discover the reality behind the dual life of Emperor Muhammad bin Tughluq with a spectacular theatrical performance.

Gates of Delhi Tour

Witness the dynamism of Old Delhi in this splendid heritage walk. This tour will take to the battered and age-old gates of Delhi. Out of the 14 gates, only 5 stand currently with all that is left of them. The most prominent being the Turkman Gate which is located near the Ram Leela Maidan. Named after the Sufi saint Shah Turkman Bayabani, it houses the tomb of the respective saint till date. Old Delhi is well-known for its Pigeon keeping and breeding tradition. Listen to captivating stories of pigeon fights by a bird keeper near the Turkman Gate. An 8th-century monument, Turkman Gate is believed to be built during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a part of his city Shahjahanabad. It is home to exclusive handicrafts works housing shops selling various kinds of beads. Get a chance to interact with the local shopkeepers and get to know intriguing stories about the past. Later, brace yourself for compelling storytelling of the Razia Sultan known as the only female ruler of Delhi. A fulfilling tour is full of extravagance that will leave you wanting for more.

This iconic heritage walk will take you beyond the mystic Gates of Delhi. Explore the longstanding and the oldest Gate in Old Delhi, Turkman Gate. Get around and hear the intriguing stories related to the place. Enchanting tales of local pigeon fights and ancient markets will leave you spellbound. Appreciate the vast history of this region as you conclude this tour with the gripping tale of Razia Sultan, India's Only female Muslim ruler at that time.