February 14, 2021

Delhi Diaries – Things To Do In Delhi

THIS POST: will cover how best to explore the city and some great things to do in Delhi including Lodhi Gardens, Humayan’s Tomb and the Gandhi Memorial Museum.

How to Explore The City

We found in India that a lot of the time, our favourite way to explore was to strike up a deal with a tuk tuk driver and hire him for the day, or even a couple of days.

Then you can discuss places to visit and things to do. Therefore it is helpful if you already have some idea of what you would like to see. Your driver can then suggest a good format of what to do first/what is close to each other etc.

Apart from it being a good way to get around, it is also pretty cool to spend a whole day with one of the locals, get to know them a bit and to hear their story.

Almost ALL of the tuk tuk drivers loved chatting away and telling us about their lives, their families, and enjoyed having their photo taken and swapping phone numbers.

Some of them even still message us now, over a year since our visit! They really became a cherished and wonderful part of our journey.

(some will take you to their mates shop in the hopes that you’ll buy something, but you cant really blame them!)

Humayan’s Tomb, Delhi

This is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it’s a lovely place to spend a couple of hours mulching around. THIS badboy was the inspiration behind the Taj Mahal, would you believe! and YES, I would believe.

Built in 1570, Humayan’s Tomb was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent. Who knew it was a thing? Made by both Indian and Persian hands, it was the grandest tomb of its time in the Islamic world.

It’s an example of what is called a Charbagh, a four quadrant garden with the four rivers of Quranic paradise represented by pools and channels.

There is an incredible wall that you can walk along the top of here, which gives a great viewpoint. It suddenly doesn’t feel like you’re in a city when you visit here.

Lodhi Gardens, Delhi

The Lodhi Gardens is such a beautiful place to spend time. It should definitely be on your list of things to do in Delhi.

Lodhi Gardens (or Lodi Gardens as it is sometimes spelt) is a 90 acre city “park”. I use the inverted comma here as its wayyyyy better than your average park.

There’s tombs, eight-pier bridges, a river, and falcons glide swiftly between the trees . It is an incredible blend of nature and history. This feels exactly like a scene from The Jungle Book.

If you’re lucky, at the park entrance you might spy an ice cream man to grab a kulfi (pistachio is my fave).

Lots of locals use this park as a place to exercise, meet friends and hang out on their lunch breaks. So you can really get a vibe for the local life around this area which is nice.

Do NOT miss Lodhi Gardens!

The Gandhi Memorial Museum, Delhi

Our tuk tuk driver suggested this to us, and we happily agreed. The Gandhi Smriti (Hindi for ‘that which is remembered’) showcases the life and principles of Mahatma Gandhi through original relics, books, journals, photos and exhibitions.

You can also see more morbid things like the blood-stained shawl and watch that Gandhi was wearing when he was assassinated, as well as the bullets that ended his life.

Gandhi Museum Delhi - Things to do in Delhi

The museum was formerly a house and was where Gandhi spent the last 144 days of his life. It is also where he was assassinated in 1948.

India Gate

We didn’t have that much time in Delhi so we just saw India Gate briefly from the outside. So not too much to tell unfortunately but it seemed like a nice place to look around, if you find yourself with time to check it out.