Delhi, the capital city of India, is rich in culture, history and incredible sites. But it is notoriously known as being one of the busiest cities in the world. As a visitor, and especially if planning your first trip to India, the idea of Delhi can feel daunting. However, there are some truly beautiful, and albeit paradoxically quiet places in Delhi that made a fabulous addition to your India itinerary.
So, yes, the city is seriously busy in epic proportions. But Delhi is loveable. And with a slight break in busy-ness it can be gentle in doses – and surprisingly green and lush accompanying the quieter spaces.
Here are our top 5 quiet places in Delhi to get unashamedly away from the crowds.
- About Delhi
- Getting around in Delhi
- To tour or not to tour?
- Best time to visit Delhi
- Top 5 Quiet places in Delhi
Lodi Gardens
Agrasen ki Baoli
Sunder Nursery
Safdarjung Tomb
Purana Quila - 5 Other (fairly) quiet places in Delhi
- 5 Places that are NOT quiet in Delhi
- Getting there
- Where to stay in Delhi
About the megacity of Delhi in India
New Delhi is the capital of India and is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the country. It is a colourful and vibrant world of its own in the North of India.
As a capital city it is enormous and one of the most populated and crowded cities in the world. The population of Delhi comes in somewhere around 25 million plus. However, there are some pockets of calm within the chaos and some unlikely peaceful and quiet places in Delhi that are well worth adding to your India itinerary.
What is the best time to visit Delhi?
Delhi is in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and experiences a subtropical climate.
The winter months from November to March are mild and sunny while the summer is scorching for May and June followed by a wet, humid monsoon season from July to September.
- Tip: The best time to visit Delhi is from November to February to avoid the rains and the intense heat between March and June.
What is the best way of getting around in Delhi?
Personally, we recommend hiring a taxi or auto-rickshaw and driver for the day to get around your choice of things to do in Delhi and travel at your own pace.
You can use public transport and many of the main sites are connected and close to Metro stations. However in between the stations and the sites it is likely you will require a rickshaw at some stage.
To take the stress out of haggling, it’s much easier to hire a driver for the day.
Do you recommend a tour guide for the things to do Delhi?
We reckon the best way to get around and see all the best things in Delhi is independently by auto rickshaw and hiring a driver for the day.
At each of the main sites in Delhi (like Humayun’s Tomb and Jama Masjid) there are registered guides available advertised at the entrance. There are a list of fixed prices on the board and guides waiting that will approach you. If you want to know more about a site or have a guided tour of somewhere specific, this is a good option.
Otherwise the best way to get around in Delhi is by auto rickshaw independently but with the same driver for the day.
We have a fantastic driver contact to recommend in Delhi.
Sunny and his brother Vinny are two of four brothers, who with their father all work in tourism and transport in Delhi driving rickshaws and taxis all over this megacity.
We know that trying to find a trustworthy and safe driver in the chaos of Delhi’s some 100,000 rickshaws is like searching for a needle in a haystack. We can recommend Sunny and Vinny to take all the stress out of navigating transport around the busy city. And by using a local driver who speaks English you can find treasures in the city like these quiet places in Delhi to experience what is truly the best of India’s capital.
They can wait for you outside at each site.
- Sunny
+91 95997 59259
Send Sunny a message on WhatsApp for any bookings or transport in Delhi.
The top 5 quiet places in Delhi to get away from the crowds
Here are 5 quiet places in Delhi to get away from the crowds and to experience a different side of this incredible megacity capital of India.
1. Lodi Gardens – Quiet places in Delhi
I love visiting the Lodi Gardens. The gardens are the surrounding to a series of Lodi-era tombs that predate even the Mughal empire in India. The tombs date back to the 15th century and are named after the Lodi dynasty that ruled over Delhi once.
Today the Lodi Gardens are 90-acres of flowers and trees and green space that was opened as a park under the British-era rule. They are a popular oasis of calm in the busy capital city and one of the quiet places in Delhi that feels somewhat surreally peaceful.
The grounds are spread out over a huge green area in the heart of New Delhi with large lawns, manicured gardens, pathways and small ponds. And in the afternoons they come alive with people exercising, relaxing in the beautiful green spaces, playing football and just generally enjoying the city.
A walk through the Lodi Gardens is a unique way to glimpse a different side of life in the capital city.
- Entry: Free
- Timing: 5am – 8pm daily
- Location: Lodhi Estate, New Delhi
- Travel by auto rickshaw or Metro.
The nearest Metro station is Jor Bagh.
2. Agrasen ki Baoli / Stepwell
Agrasen ki Baoli is a stepwell built in the 14th century and used historically for preserving water. The stepwell is right in the heart of Delhi and surrounded by many commercial buildings and residential streets of the Connaught Place area. But it is in a quiet spot off the main road and despite not being used for its original purpose, the stepwell is in amazing condition for its age.
Despite being in the middle of the city, it is not crowded like other monuments and is one of the blissfully (and surprisingly) quiet places in Delhi.
- Entry: Free
- Timing: Sunrise – sunset
- Location: Hailey Road near Connaught Place
- Travel by auto rickshaw.
The nearest Metro station is Barakhamba Road or Rajiv Chowk
3. Sunder Nursery / Azim Bagh Gardens
Sunder Nursery is a heritage park complex opposite Humayun’s Tomb. The park was built by the Mughals in the 16th century with the original name of Azim Bagh.
If you have visited any of the Mughal sites in India you will know that the tranquillity of the Persian and Islamic style of garden makes these historic sites a peaceful walled oasis in the now modern city.
The Sunder Nursery park is a stunning and paradoxically quiet place in Delhi with lush, green gardens that have been beautifully preserved and manicured. There are meandering pathways and fountains, cypresses, bougainvillea, climbing roses, symmetrical lawns and wandering peacocks.
- Entry: 100 INR
- Timing: 9:30am – 4:00pm
- Location: New Delhi
4. Tomb of Safdar Jung – Quiet places in Delhi
Safdarjung’s Tomb is a sandstone and marble mausoleum built in 1754 for Nawab Safdarjung, a prime minister of the Mughal Empire. This was the first time someone outside the immediate imperial Mughal family built themselves such a tomb and garden complex.
The tomb, within a garden, is in a late version of the style of earlier Mughal imperial tombs. And dare I say as a non-historian, it looks almost identical in style to Humayun’s Tomb. However, while Humayun’s Tomb is one of the most popular things to do in Delhi, Safdarjung’s is lesser visited.
The beautiful garden is divided into four parts outside of the main tomb building. Parts of the grounds are under construction but the gardens are vast and peaceful.
It is a third of the cost of visiting Humayun’s Tomb and at least three times emptier. If you are seeking a quiet place in Delhi, Safdarjung’s Tomb is nearly always deserted.
- Entry: 200 INR
- Timing: Sunrise – sunset
- Location: Jor Bagh, New Delhi
- Travel by auto rickshaw
5. Purana Quila / Fort – Quiet places in Delhi
Purana Qila literally means ‘Old Fort’ and it is one of the oldest forts and historical things to do in Delhi. This is where Mughal emperor Humayun died in 1556 after tumbling down the steps of his multi-storey library, Sher Mandal.
The fort is surrounded with a peaceful garden and features a blend of Hindu and Islamic architectural styles. It has high battlemented walls, three grand gateways, the Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque, and Sher Mandal, an octagonal tower.
If you have extra time in Delhi it is worth a quiet wander in the large fort gardens.
- Entry: 300 INR
- Timing: 7am – 5pm
- Location: Near Delhi Zoo, New Delhi
- Travel by auto rickshaw or metro.
The nearest metro station to get is Pragati Maidan on Blue Line of Delhi Metro.
Other (fairly) quiet places in Delhi
These ones are second best. They aren’t the top quietest places in Delhi, but they come in at second best and do provide a general quieter-than-average vibe within the megacity.
- Khan-i-Khanan’s Tomb: We were the only people when we visited and there isn’t much information about the tomb. But it is peaceful and another fab example of Mughal architecture.
- Hazrat Nizam-ud-din Dargah / Shrine: This is a beautiful marble shrine of Muslim Sufi saint Nizam-ud-din Auliya tucked away behind a tangle of narrow bazar streets selling typical offerings, rose petals and Attar (perfumes). It is a very local site in Delhi and very quiet.
- National Gandhi Museum: We were the first to arrive each time we’ve visited in the morning. The museum is a quiet place to wander and take it all in.
- Lotus Temple: This atmosphere of this fabulous Bahai House of Worship is a (relatively) quiet place in Delhi. Of course, there are tourists, but the overall vibe is peaceful.
- Mehrauli Archaeological Park: The 200 acres of archaeological park is adjacent to the much busier UNESCO World Heritage Site, Qutub Minar.
5 Places that are NOT quiet in Delhi
We love the bustle of India’s megacity capital though admit some of the busier places are best for a short visit if it’s your first time in Delhi.
- Chandni Chowk and Khari Baoli: This is one of Delhi’s oldest and busiest marketplaces and the spice bazar behind is a bustling maze of narrow alleyways with traders busy conducting their business from early in the morning. Yes, it is busy. But this is one of the coolest markets in Delhi to visit!
- Main Bazar and Paharganj: We love the Main Bazar of Paharganj. Read all about this busy, colourful and chaotic part of India’s megacity capital and why Paharganj is a busy but great area to visit.
- New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS): The main and largest railway station in the city is an often VERY busy place in Delhi.
- Jama Masjid: Albeit this could be a quiet place in Delhi depending on the time of day you visit. It is a friendly kind of busy; but each time we enter the mosque we are swarmed for selfies and photos with locals.
- India Gate: Gavin and I debated whether this is a sometimes-quiet place in Delhi, but I am voting no. While during the daytime it is quiet and great for a photo stop. At nighttime it is crowded and busy with locals posing and enjoying the pop-up unofficial night market and buzz under the light show of India Gate.
Getting to Delhi
Most travellers begin and end their India trip in Delhi because of the large, international airport there. It is easy to find flights to Delhi from all over the world with connections in the Middle East and South Asia.
- Read our travel guide to India including all about arriving at New Delhi International Airport, getting a SIM card for India and managing, exchanging and withdrawing money in India.
Where to stay in old Delhi, New Delhi and South Delhi or near the airport
- Mahipalpur (Airport) / Mid-Range: Taurus Sarovar Portico
A beautiful hotel only a few km’s from Delhi International Airport. A great first stop arriving in India with buffet breakfast included and a restaurant onsite.
- South Delhi / Mid-Range: Haveli Hauz Khas
A homestay style Haveli in the popular Hauz Khas area of South Delhi.
- Connaught Place / Mid-Range-Luxury: Shangri La’s Eros Hotel
The hotel has a few in house restaurants, including the signature Shang Palace and Sorrento. There’s also a gym, an outdoor pool and a spa.
- Paharganj / Budget: Smyle Inn
Extremely basic hotel in small back alley but with very friendly, helpful staff and simple breakfast included. Just off Main Bazaar.
Read more about travel in North India
- 24 Things to do in Delhi
- Epic 10 Day Rajasthan Itinerary
- Ultimate Golden Triangle India Itinerary
- Things to do in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
- What to see in Jaisalmer Fort
- Overnight train Delhi to Jaisalmer
- Taking the train Jaipur to Jaisalmer
- Leaving Jaisalmer to Jaipur (and Jodhpur too) by overnight train
- Choosing the best camel safari in Jaisalmer
Tips for travel planning to India and beyond
These are the companies we use while traveling fulltime as a family and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation and it’s easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally.
- 12GoAsia – Book trains anywhere in Asia through 12Go.
- Skyscanner– This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide– Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world including everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for longterm travel and nomads (including those who have already left home). Make sure you have travel insurance before riding those trains in India!
