Delhi
India · Country profile
Delhi is the capital of India and one of the great historic cities of the world, a vast, layered metropolis where the seven cities of the past lie beneath the streets of the enormous present. The Red Fort, the mosques and the bazaars of the old city crowd the historic heart, the ruins and the tombs of the sultans and the emperors loom in the parks and the villages of the city, and the wide avenues, the monuments and the government buildings of the imperial capital spread through the modern centre. New Delhi holds the grand boulevards of the British era and the memorials of the modern state, while the whole city lives with an intensity that is both exhausting and irresistible. Chaotic, monumental and endlessly fascinating, Delhi is the essential beginning of any Indian journey.
About Delhi
Delhi is a city in India. The city's documented population is around 16,800,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Indian Rupee (INR) and Hindi and English are spoken; the dialling code is +91. It is served by 1 airport in our guide: Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The Old City, the Imperial Avenues and the Ruins of the Sultans
Delhi is enormous, intense and impossibly layered, a city that demands energy and rewards it with some of the greatest monuments of the Indian world. The old city, with its enormous mosque, its fort and its bazaars, and the imperial avenues of New Delhi frame the visitor circuit, while the older ruins of the sultans and the villages scattered through the city hold the deeper past. The sheer scale and the noise take adjusting to, and the metro, the taxis and the cycle rickshaws carry the load. It is the gateway of the whole country, and its museums, its food and its historic riches give it a depth that easily fills a week.
The Winter Season, the Rupee and the Metro of the Metropolis
The best seasons are the winter and the spring, mild and dry, with the summer blistering and the monsoon of the summer months bringing the rain and the floods. The old city and New Delhi are the great pair of the visit, and the famous monuments, the fort, the mosque and the tombs, are best seen early and with a guide. The Indian rupee is the currency, the Hindi and the English are both widely spoken, and the metro is fast, cheap and the best way across the enormous city. Dress modestly at the religious sites, keep the hydration and the hand sanitiser handy, and take the usual care of the crowded places.
The Jama Masjid, the Bazaars and the Food of the Capital
The old city, with the enormous mosque of the Jama Masjid, the Red Fort and the lanes of the bazaars of the centre, is the great historic walk of the capital, and the cycle rickshaws and the metro of the old heart carry the visitors through its lanes. The imperial New Delhi, with its wide avenues, its government buildings, its grand monuments and the memorials of the leaders of the modern state, is the other essential circuit, and the ruins of the older cities of the capital, the tombs of the Lodhi and the village of the Hauz, hold the deepest layers. The food of the city, from the street parathas to the fine restaurants of the Mughlai, is legendary, and the markets of the capital, from the craft streets to the book and the spice bazaars, consume the full days.
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- Country
- India
- Population
- 16,800,000
- Coordinates
- 28.5562, 77.1000
- Capital
- New Delhi
- Region
- Asia
- Currency
- Indian Rupee (INR)
- Languages
- Hindi, English
- Calling code
- +91
- Country code
- IN
Entry requirements for India
Visa status for travellers from common origins visiting India for tourism.
Getting to Delhi
Airports we list for Delhi:
Other airports in the area:
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International AirportBOM≈ 1,137 km from Delhi
- Rajiv Gandhi International AirportHYD≈ 1,266 km from Delhi
- Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International AirportCCU≈ 1,312 km from Delhi
- Kempegowda International AirportBLR≈ 1,709 km from Delhi
- Chennai International AirportMAA≈ 1,759 km from Delhi
Cities in India
Other cities we cover in India:
Frequently asked questions
Is Delhi the capital of India?
No — the capital of India is New Delhi.
What currency do I need in Delhi?
The local currency is the Indian Rupee (INR). Languages spoken in India include Hindi and English.
What is the dialling code for India?
The international dialling code for India is +91.
Which airport should I fly into for Delhi?
Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) is the airport we list for Delhi.
How far is Delhi from the nearest airport?
Delhi is about 1,137 km from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
Do I need a visa to visit India?
It depends on your passport. For the origins we track, the current tourism visa status is Morocco (e-visa), United Kingdom (e-visa) and United States (e-visa). Check the entry requirements tool for your own nationality.
Flying out of Delhi? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.