help me plan my delhi trip

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Yo93sh

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Hi, I'll be in Delhi this for the F1 race in Noida (will try to skip the practice on Friday & the qualifying on Saturday). Since I've never been to Delhi would like to do some sight seeing as well. Should reach Delhi on Friday (26/10/12) morning, so I have Friday, maybe Saturday. Will go to Agra on Monday (29/10/12) with overnight stay & will be back in Delhi on Tuesday as well. Return flight's on Wednesday in the evening. My hotel's in the Paharganj area. Effectively I should have around 2.5 days for some local sight seeing.

I have created a plan of sorts for the places to visit, but this is based on the circular Hop On Hop Off bus route. Would be great if someone Delhiite could help me club the places together (you can number the places for ease) so that I don't have to move back & forth. Preferred mode of travel will be the metro/ rickshaw. Even though I want to, but I guess covering everything will be difficult. I'm also including some eatouts around the major landmarks. Feel free to suggest more must go places or also to remove some if not worth visiting. Also if someone could suggest the closest metro stations would be helpful.

Thanks in advance.

· Rajghat [Kashmere Gate <yellow/ red>]

· Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, Salim Garh Fort [Chandni Chowk <yellow>/ Chawri Bazar <yellow>]


  • Haldiram's - Gol gappas - 1452/2, Chandni Chowk Fountain
  • Giani's - Rabdi-falooda - 651/52 Church Mission Road Fatehpuri, Chandni Chowk
  • Karim's - Paaya Nahari, Seekh Kabab, Phirni - Jama Masjid
  • Natraj Café - Aloo Tikki, Chaat – 1396, Chandni Chowk
  • Babu Ram Devi Dayal - Lime and aloo parathas - 1974 Parathein Wali Gali, Chandni Chowk
  • Mohammad Nadim - classic bread-omelet - Jawahar Hotel, 66 Bazar Matia Mahal, Jama Masjid
  • Haji Tea Point - Puri-aloo-halwa - 924 Bazaar Matia Mahal, Jama Masjid
  • Old And Famous Jalebiwala - Jalebi - 1795, Dariba Corner, Chandni Chowk
  • Lala Babu Chaat Bhandar - Gobi Mutter Samosa - Chandni Chowk
  • Japani Samosa - Japani Samosa - Chandni Chowk
  • Ghantewala - Sweets, Namkeen - Chandni Chowk
  • Nirula's - Fast food - Chandni Chowk Metro Station

· Paharganj [New Delhi <yellow>]


  • Multan Moth Bhandar - Kachori - Near Sheila Cinema, Desh Bhantu Gupta Road, Multani Dhanda, Paharganj
  • Sita Ram Diwan Chand - Chole Bhature - Raignu Marg, Paharganj

· Connaught Place, Palika Bazar, Janpath [Rajiv Chowk <yellow/ blue>]


  • Nizam’s - Kathi Kabab - PVR Plaza, Middle Circle, Connaught Place
  • Nathu’s Sweets & Bengali Sweet House - Shingaras (Bengali samosas), Thali, Chaat, Falooda
  • Nirula's - Fast food - Outer Circle, Connaught Place
  • Wenger's (Sit-&-Eat) - Bakery - A16, Connaught Place
  • Kwenter’s – Flavoured milk - Connaught Place
  • Saravana Bhavan - 46, Janpath
  • Frontier Samosa Shop - Samosa - Panchkuian Road, Connaught Place

· Jantar Mantar, Metro Museum [Patel Chowk <yellow>]

· India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House, National Museum, Rajpath, Teen Murti Marg, Laxmi Narayan Mandir (Birla Temple), Santushti, Chanakyapuri Market [Central Secretariat <yellow/ violet]


  • Gulati - North Indian food - 6, Pandara Road Market
  • Khan Chacha’s - Kabab - Middle Lane, Khan Market
  • The Big Chill - Ice Cream, Desserts - Khan Market

· Humayun's Tomb, Gol Gumbaj, Safdarjung Tomb, Lodi Gardens [Jor Bagh <yellow>/ JLN Stadium <violet>]


  • Rajinder Da Dhaba - Tandoori Chicken - Kamal Complex, Safdarjung Enclave, South Delhi

· Dilli Haat [INA <yellow>]

· Hauz Khas Village [Hauz Khas <yellow>]

· Saket, Metropolitan Mall [Malviya Nagar <yellow>/ Saket <yellow>]

· Qutab Minar, Garden of Five Senses [Saket <yellow>/ Qutab Minar <yellow>]

· Feroz Shah Kotla, Khooni Darwaza, Dilli Gate, Purana Qila [Pragati Maidan <blue>]

· Akshardham [Akshardham <blue>]

· Lotus (Bahai) Temple [Kalkaji Mandir <violet>/ Nehru Place <violet>]
 
What you can visit, and depends how you want to:

1. Karims Jama Masjid : Take the Yellow line direct to Chawri Bazzar, and then a cycle rickshaw to Jama Masjid. Visit the mosque and enter Karims restaurant (bang opposite); by 7 PM, else it gets really crowded.
2. Red Fort : The closet Metro Station for this would be Yellow Line - Chandi Chowk station. Entry closes at 7 PM, I think so.
3. Delhi Hut : Yellow Line, INA Metro stop.
4. Qutab Minar : Yellow Line, metro stop is Qutab Minar, but you will need to take an auto for RS. 50; cause the monument is further "down" then "up" while traversing.
5. CP : Just get off at Rajiv Chowk, Yellow line or Blue line. And walk around. Quite a nice place. You can spend a couple of hours.

Avoid Khan Market. Khan Chacha is an over hyped roll joint, for rich idiots, same with Big Chill. Waste of time and money. Market is so expensive, I doubt you can buy anything. The Saket Malls, are just malls, why would you visit them. Boring. Also Hauz Khas village is over hyped. It is just a rampant sh**-hole (I live damn near it); for yuppies and wannabe hippies. Though if you want to go there, take the Yellow Line and get off at Green Park, and then an Auto..for like 30 bucks. I hate the restaurants there, cause they serve "fake food"; on the pretext of being ethnic and global. You can also visit Humayun's Team, and the Nizamuddin area. Good food there. Though before eating, ask if it is beef.

Where will you be "putting up"...ha ha
 
Yes, skip Saket, its a "very simple" mall tbh, instead give GIP (great india palace), noida a visit, if you'd like to chill out in malls or for shopping. And don't miss Akshardham!


PS: Your list is huge, I doubt you could cover it in 2 days. GL :)
 
asingh said:
5. CP : Just get off at Rajiv Chowk, Yellow line or Blue line. And walk around. Quite a nice place. You can spend a couple of hours.
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Lots of decent paces to eat there. Go into Boombox Cafe for a nice multi specialty cuisine which is quite good.

asingh said:
Avoid Khan Market. Khan Chacha is an over hyped roll joint, for rich idiots, same with Big Chill. Waste of time and money. Market is so expensive, I doubt you can buy anything. The Saket Malls, are just malls, why would you visit them. Boring. Also Hauz Khas village is over hyped. It is just a rampant sh**-hole (I live damn near it); for yuppies and wannabe hippies. Though if you want to go there, take the Yellow Line and get off at Green Park, and then an Auto..for like 30 bucks. I hate the restaurants there, cause they serve "fake food"; on the pretext of being ethnic and global. You can also visit Humayun's Team, and the Nizamuddin area. Good food there. Though before eating, ask if it is beef.
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With those words in bold, you sir are being ridiculous there. The OP asked for your advice, not your prejudices and opinions on the 'type' of people in the city. What you don't like, doesn't necessarily mean it's not good, or even par excellence. Have you tried the desserts at Big Chill Cafe? The Banoffee Pie, the Double Chocolate Decadence, the Blueberry Cheesecake are very good. If the OP is in mood for some decent pasta, then what's the harm in Big Chill Cafe?

Why do you presume the OP wouldn't like to shop at Khan Market, or even would not be able to? That is preposterous.

Khan Chacha's Fish Tikka roll, and Galouti Kababs are good too. What in essence are rolls at all? All roll joints in that sense are over hyped as they serve you stuffed bread. Right?

Why wouldn't the OP want to go to a mall? What's the harm in Saket Malls? There must be something nice or particular about them that he wants to go there. Maybe he heard some good things about that place from someone who he knows. You don't go to malls, so stay away from them but refrain from 'advising' that to a person who is coming to the city for the first time.

Hauz Khas village is a fun place to be, specially if you are hanging out with friends. Maybe have a drink or two, relax. You should also know the good places to go to for 'authentic' food.

Now as for the type of people you think populate the city and your areas of choice, let the OP decide for himself when he gets here. He is from Mumbai, so I'm sure he's seen his fair share of 'rich idiots', 'yuppies', and 'wannabe hippies'. Keep your opinions to yourself. For a person who has lived all his life in this city, seen its best and worst, your words seems nothing more than trolling.


@yogeshtulsiani
Have a ton of fun in the city mate. Your list is quite comprehensive and I doubt you'll be able to complete it in two days. Maybe if you had a couple of days more.

Have a look at what all I suggest and do what suits you best. Maybe a couple of us TE mates can get together and make a decent time out of it.

* Feroz Shah Kotla, Khooni Darwaza, Dilli Gate
* Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk [Chandni Chowk/ Chawri Bazar], Salim Garh Fort Try and club these attraction in one go. All are close by and can be got to by rickshaw.

Mohammad Nadim - classic bread-omelet - Jawahar Hotel, 66 Bazar Matia Mahal, Jama Masjid Skip this.
Haji Tea Point - Puri-aloo-halwa - 924 Bazaar Matia Mahal, Jama Masjid Better poori aloo, puri gatte ki sabzi, chhole bathure etc at Kaleva at Gol Market (very close to CP).
Karim's - Paaya Nahari, Seekh Kabab, Phirni - Jama Masjid Must go to if you are a non-veg lover.
Babu Ram Devi Dayal - Lime and aloo parathas - 1974 Parathein Wali Gali, Chandni Chowk Now this is overhyped. These are deep fried paranthas with only a small center of stuffing with the rest being dough. The taste is so-so. The price is ridiculous for what you get served. Look, I got burned all three times I went there, maybe you'll have a better experience.
Haldiram's - Gol gappas - 1452/2, Chandni Chowk Fountain This is the cleanest source of gol guppas, otherwise there is one stall in Patel Nagar Market and one opposite Siri Fort Auditorium (the best in Delhi IMHO). Also the Bengali Sweets (different from Bengali Market) at Gol Market (near CP) serves great gol guppa.
Giani's - Rabdi-falooda - 651/52 Church Mission Road Fateh Puri, Church Mission Marg, Fatehpuri, Chandni Chowk Many Giani's outlets all over the city. Decent ice creams and desserts. You wanna have Rabdi Falooda? Nathu's in Bengali Market is the best and original.
Old And Famous Jalebiwala - Jalebi - 1795, Dariba Corner, Chandni Chowk Not worth it.
Nataraj - Dahi bhalla - 1396 Chandni Chowk See Below.
Lala Babu Chaat Bhandar - Gobi Mutter Samosa - Chandni Chowk Skip this.
Natraj Café - Aloo Tikki, Chaat - Chandni Chowk Go for it. Street food par excellence. Do carry a dose of antibiotics though. Trust me, you'll need them. Also see below.
Japani Samosa - Japani Samosa - Chandni Chowk If you locate this guy, let me know. I have been there 3-4 times and never could find him.
Ghantewala - Sweets, Namkeen - Chandni Chowk So-so
Nirula's - Fast food - Chandni Chowk Metro Station Better Nirula's at Connaught Place Outer Circle


# Paharganj

Multan Moth Bhandar - Kachori - Near Sheila Cinema, Desh Bhantu Gupta Road, Multani Dhanda, Paharganj Skip all of them.
Sita Ram Diwan Chand - Chole Bhature - Raignu Marg, Paharganj Only thing of note in Paharganj. A place to stay is all you need to be concerned about there.


# Connaught Place Tons of shoppping here. Do visit the world famous Pallika Bazar for your bootleg fix.

Nizam’s - Kathi Kabab - PVR Plaza, Middle Circle, Connaught Place Do yourself a favor and stay away from this place. The taste and food quality has progressively gone down from great to good to OK to meh to NO! to No way!
Nathu’s Sweets & Bengali Sweet House - Shingaras (Bengali samosas), Thali This is pretty good street food. Do carry a course of antibiotics though as you'll surely fall ill after eating here. Worth the trouble I say. ;)
Frontier Samosa Shop - Samosa - Panchkuian Road, Connaught Place Can miss, nothing great. Gone down in quality over time.
Wenger's - Bakery - A16, Connaught Place Only small time snacks, but if you eat enough of them you'll be stuffed. :D Go the Sit-and-Eat Wenger's outlet just as you turn the corner. Better selection of food, and more taste for your buck. Try some of the smoothies there.


* Rajghat Can Go To. Try and fit this in between Lotus Temple and Akshardham as all of these places will be one line. See below too.


* India Gate Must Go To

Gulati - North Indian food - 6, Pandara Road Market Either this, or Khan Market. You won't be able to combine both. This place is very very good, but only Indian food, and small time make-do chinese stuff.


* Purana Qila Not much to see here, May go to if going to Khan Market and/or Pandara Road. Beware of pickpockets and small time crooks.

Khan Chacha’s - Kabab - Middle Lane, Khan Market Fish Tikka Roll, Galouti Kabab. stay away from the rest.
The Big Chill - ICe Cream - Khan Market The desserts! Banoffee Pie, Double Chocolate Decadence, Mississippi Mudpie, Blueberry Cheesecake are all to taste at least once. The Pastas are pretty good, so is the Caesar salad, Cold chicken platter, some of the Main Grill dishes and the Iced Tea.


* Humayun's Tomb, Gol Gumbaj Humayun's Tomb is a good place to visit. Beware of the 'guides' there. Read up on it beforehand.


* Lotus (Bahai) Temple Must Go To. Club with Akshardham. Do this place first in the morning, then go to Akshardham as that will take the better part of your day. Weekend rush is the big problem everywhere.


* Saket, Metropolitan Mall Go if you have luxury time to spare. Nice mall, but if you have seen Phoenix Mall in Mumbvai, then you can miss this.


* Qutab Minar, Garden of Five Senses The monument is a Must Go To. The 5 restaurants are very tough to get into. Reservations need to be made at least 3 days in advance, specially for the weekend. Very very very good food though. If you can get in, take me with you. ;)


* Hauz Khas Village Can Go To, if you only you have luxury time to spare and traveling with a group


* Dilli Haat Must Go To, unique experience. Over hyped handicrafts and sale items, so you might wanna watch out. Good food though.


* Safdarjung Tomb, Lodi Gardens Can Go To, club with Dilli Haat

Rajinder Da Dhaba - Tandoori Chicken - Kamal Complex, Safdarjung Enclave, South Delhi Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Achari Tikka, Fish Tikka, Mutton Tawa Fry, Butter Chicken, I could go on but you get the point. :)


* Santushti, Chanakyapuri Market Can Miss as it will be out of your way among the rest of the things


* Teen Murti Marg


* National Museum, Janpath, Rajpath Can Go To

Saravana Bhavan - 46, Janpath


* Jantar Mantar Can give a miss, lost the old charm, and nothing more than a hangout for small time pickpockets.

* Metro Museum (Patel chowk Metro Station) Can Go To


# Akshardham Must Go To

My suggestions are in bold. Metro maybe a little expensive but the connectivity is quite good now. From each station you can easily get rickshaws and autos to get to the next point of attraction. I have tried to cover as much as you asked. Let me know if I can be of any more help.
 
I would not recommend the Hop On Hop Off as for my experience, it is not on time from its start place (Near Rajiv Chowk Metro i suppose) nor does it come on time at various points. You might be wasting time waiting for the bus. Personal experience only.
 
phoenix844884 said:
With those words in bold, you sir are being ridiculous there. The OP asked for your advice, not your prejudices and opinions on the 'type' of people in the city. What you don't like, doesn't necessarily mean it's not good, or even par excellence. Have you tried the desserts at Big Chill Cafe? The Banoffee Pie, the Double Chocolate Decadence, the Blueberry Cheesecake are very good. If the OP is in mood for some decent pasta, then what's the harm in Big Chill Cafe?

Why do you presume the OP wouldn't like to shop at Khan Market, or even would not be able to? That is preposterous.

Khan Chacha's Fish Tikka roll, and Galouti Kababs are good too. What in essence are rolls at all? All roll joints in that sense are over hyped as they serve you stuffed bread. Right?

Why wouldn't the OP want to go to a mall? What's the harm in Saket Malls? There must be something nice or particular about them that he wants to go there. Maybe he heard some good things about that place from someone who he knows. You don't go to malls, so stay away from them but refrain from 'advising' that to a person who is coming to the city for the first time.

Hauz Khas village is a fun place to be, specially if you are hanging out with friends. Maybe have a drink or two, relax. You should also know the good places to go to for 'authentic' food.

Now as for the type of people you think populate the city and your areas of choice, let the OP decide for himself when he gets here. He is from Mumbai, so I'm sure he's seen his fair share of 'rich idiots', 'yuppies', and 'wannabe hippies'. Keep your opinions to yourself. For a person who has lived all his life in this city, seen its best and worst, your words seems nothing more than trolling.
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Well excuse my pardon, but I am allowed to give me view here. If he does not like the, he cannot heed to it. There is no need for you to lecture me. I have tried the desserts at Big Chill, else I would not be writing what I did. Where did I say the OP is poor or assuming he would not be able to shop there. Just warning him that things are grossly overtly overpriced there, and that is a fact. I am entitled to give him my PoV about New Delhi, please. It would have been better you just put in your recommendations instead of criticizing mine, since this is a free forum, and not a place for ad hominem posts. He is from Mumbai, and then we suggest him to do the same things which he would do in a metro. Go to a mall, hang out at a joint and eat fabricated non-authentic North Indian food. By the way, HK Village serves the same type of stuff, heck some restaurants (The famous Yeti); have Wai Wai on the menu. And I have eaten in a lot of places there, and found it sub-par, and would not recommend to a tourist. A Delhiete..may be ok, not someone from outside.

You did overlook genuine recommendations I made which show the culture and heritage of Delhi (not new Delhi) vs. the metropolitan lifestyle we all are inculcated in. All my points were observational and experiential, not fabrications pulled out of thin air. And I have not lived all my life in New Delhi, and it really does not matter to me how long you have lived in Delhi. It is irrelevant to the OP. If you consider my post trolling; report it.
 
hey, thanks for your help. i agree i can't visit a lot of places but will try to visit the ones you guys have suggested & skip some. it's better to get an opinion from someone who's been there, most of the stuff i've put here is off the net.

also guys, pls make peace. i do not want people to argue over just a thread created by me.

by the way, i'll be staying close to paharganj. i guess the cheapest hotels are here & also this place offers me good connectivity to get to Noida, Agra & the various places in Delhi.
 
Avoid Lotus Temple the entrance line is toooooo long any day and not worth. Instead visit Qutab Minar/ Red/Old Fort if you are interested in Historical places.
For Food I will suggest a trip to:
NFC (New Friends Colony) Market - Al Bake for Shawarma
CP - Nizam's Kathi (Ask for Rumali Roti roll)
CP - Kwenters - Nice Milk Shake
Khan Market - Big Chill ( I will any day go there for Mississippi Mud Pie)
CP/Kiti Nagar - Beer Cafe (They have Oktoberfest going on)
 
thanks for your inputs. I have updated the first post based on the various comments. this might help others as well new to delhi.
 
Dude I don't know if it would be possible for you... But if you get the chance to visit New Friends colony, go to its market and find Al-Bake, buy some Shorma, no need to dine there if you are short on time.. They have proper packing boxes..
I assure you that you won't be disappointed at all, they taste just yummy...
 
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