Delhi Tourism Guide

Humayun's tomb

Humayun’s tomb is the first tomb of a Mughal Emperor in India. It is believed to be built in 1562 by the then Emperor Humayun’s widow. The buildings display the Mughal architecture centuries old. The tomb is in the center of a large garden. The mausoleum is also known for the several other eminent Mughal personalities buried here. Location: Mathura Road, Nizamuddin, New Delhi. Telephone: 91 11 2435 5275 Timings: Open daily from Sunrise to sunset. Entry Fee: Indians Rs. 10 & Foreigners Rs. 250 Photography: Camera photographs free - Video: Rs. 25

Jama Masjid - Delhi

Jama Masjid is India’s largest mosque. It was built by the Emperor Shah Jahan in 1656. It is located near the Red Fort in what is now called old Delhi. The area is not easy to reach by car due to congestion of traffic. It is said over 25,000 people can pray in it at a time in the mosque’s large courtyard. Jama Masjid has three great gates, four towers and two 40 m-high minarets constructed of strips of red sandstone and white marble. While the mosque is open seven days a week, Tourists are not allowed in the mosque during prayer hours. Timings: 7 am to Noon and 1:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Camera charge for photograph: Rs. 200

Delhi Metro - Local Train

The fasted mode of transportation for traveling within Delhi is the Delhi Metro train! When traveling around the city you can use the metro to move around quickly and avoid the enormous road traffic jams. Depending on what time of the day it is, the Delhi Metro trains these days have become very crowded, however if you don’t mind standing for a few minutes in the train, you can save some money and a lot of time! No bulky luggage items are allowed other than a small baggage containing personal belongings. Maximum size should not exceeding 60 cm by 45 cm by 25 cm in size and 45 kg in weight. Photography is also not allowed on the trains. Delhi Metro Train The trains are well maintained and the stations are clean. I had a chance to travel on the metro in April 2011 and found the service very good. Of course I used the service on a Sunday when most offices are closed. The trains also run quite frequently and a lot of time is saved when compared to travel by road due to Delhi's immense traffic. Metro stations are also manned by police and all passengers need to go through a mental detector before being allowed into the station. While Mumbai also has a large local train network, the Delhi metro train is newer and becoming quite popular amongst residents. Using the metro train in Delhi is safe, faster and much cheaper.

Best Time to Visit Delhi

Tourist season for visiting is at its peak during the months of May – June or October-March. The monsoon season starts in July but for Delhi the monsoon season is not as severe as that in Mumbai and some other parts of India. Hence trips to Delhi can be planned year round.

Local Transportation Delhi

For traveling locally within Delhi visitors have the choice of using the new Metro train, Taxi or Auto Rickshaw's. While there are buses also available in Delhi, I don’t think any tourist from abroad would be comfortable using Delhi’s fleet of old buses. The black and yellow taxis from the past have virtually disappeared from Delhi. There are not many taxi stands where you can simply hire a taxi. These days ‘Radio Cabs’ is the trend. Dial the radio taxi company and request a cab at your location. There are many such taxi services,