How to Travel Delhi

Getting around Delhi

Delhi is enormous — over 1,400 km² of continuous city — and the traffic is the worst in India. The metro is not a convenience here, it is the only sane way to move. Budget ₹200–600 a day for local transport.

🚇 The metro

10 lines, 374+ km, over 300 stations — one of the largest networks in the world and the spine of any Delhi visit. It reaches Red Fort, Chandni Chowk, Qutub Minar, Lotus Temple, Akshardham, Khan Market, India Gate and both airport terminals.

Fares ₹11–64 by distance, with a cheaper table on Sundays and national holidays (₹11–54). Runs roughly 5:00/6:00 AM to 22:30/23:30, every 2–8 minutes. Smart Cards give 10% off; a Tourist Card is about ₹150 for one day, ₹300 for three. Helpline 155370.

Women-only coaches run on every line, at either end of the train. Men are fined for entering them.

🛬 The airport

Indira Gandhi International has three passenger terminals and two different metro routes — getting this wrong costs an hour:

• Terminal 3 (international and much domestic) — take the Airport Express (Orange) Line from New Delhi station. About 15–20 minutes, ₹60–64. It runs to 120 km/h, has luggage space, and serves Shivaji Stadium, Dhaula Kuan, Delhi Aerocity and Dwarka Sector 21. First train around 4:45 AM, last around 11:15–11:30 PM.
• Terminal 1 (domestic) — take the Magenta Line to Terminal 1-IGI Airport, at regular metro fares of ₹11–64.

Always take the metro to the airport, even with luggage. A cab from Connaught Place to IGI can take 90 minutes in traffic; the Airport Express takes 20 and is never late.

By road: prepaid taxi from T3 to Connaught Place or Karol Bagh runs ₹800–900, and Uber/Ola ₹400–800 depending on surge.

🚆 Rail — five stations, do not confuse them

• New Delhi (NDLS) — the main station, central, on the Airport Express line.
• Old Delhi / Delhi Junction (DLI) — right beside Chandni Chowk and the Red Fort; the one to use for the old city, and chaotic.
• Hazrat Nizamuddin (NZM) — south, near Humayun's Tomb and the Nizamuddin dargah; many Rajdhani and Shatabdi services.
• Anand Vihar (ANVT) and Delhi Sarai Rohilla (DEE) — east and west respectively; check your ticket carefully, because arriving at the wrong one is a 45-minute cross-city trip.

🚕 Auto, taxi and bus

Auto-rickshaws are metered and should be taken on the meter — the meter rate works out to roughly ₹30–150 for a normal trip. Many drivers refuse the meter and quote a flat tourist price, often double. Check the same trip on Uber or Ola first; it takes ten seconds and gives you a number. Uber Auto and Rapido both operate.

Uber and Ola cars are the most predictable option, ₹80–600+ depending on distance and surge. Surge at peak and in rain is severe.

DTC and cluster buses are the cheapest way to move (₹5–25) and cover the whole city, but they sit in the same traffic as everything else.

Cycle rickshaws work the old-city lanes around Chandni Chowk and Jama Masjid where cars cannot fit — ₹30–100, agree before you get in.

⚠️ Two Delhi realities

Air quality. From roughly October to January, Delhi's AQI regularly reaches hazardous levels — among the worst of any capital on earth. It is not a minor inconvenience: it causes coughing, eye irritation and headaches in visitors within a day. Bring an N95 mask, check the AQI each morning, plan indoor time on the worst days, and do not schedule outdoor monument walking for midday. If you have asthma or a heart condition, reconsider a winter Delhi trip.

Distances. Delhi's sights are spread across what were once separate cities. Red Fort to Qutub Minar is 25 km. Do not plan four monuments in a day; plan two, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and use the metro between them.

For what all of this costs, see the Delhi budget guide.