Hi All,
I am Vivek and today I’m going to share my 2 days experience of Delhi which I had with a fellow traveler Udhbhav. We both had limited budgets but we wanted to stay in a nice hotel, hire an AC cab and explore the streets of Delhi with style and we did that in November 2018. We did it all in 6000 INR (81$) and set a fine example that holidays aren’t just money seekers. They can be cheaper if you make the right decisions in accommodation, transportation and good knowledge of must-see tourist spots. So just check out my side of the story.
1. Hire a Cab from Google Suggestion: Excellent Services
Ok, we can’t ramble in the city on foot, so we searched on Google and found the Delhi sightseeing by car from a cab company named SRM Holidays. They charged a total of Rs 2200 for 2 days with an AC Swift Dzire car, plus a local driver, and gave a city tour guide for Redfort. Cab was air-conditioned and very well in condition. Our driver was Mr.Bhupendra ji, he was a very kind, courteous and humble person. He was always ready to take around every possible place in Delhi.
2. Get an awesome map for Tour
So after checking with the driver cum guide we finalized 12 places in Delhi which we will be going to cover in 2 days. Places were →Qutub Minar →Red Fort → Raj Ghat → Jantar Mantar →Parliament House →India Gate →Lotus Temple →Akshardham Temple→Iskcon Temple→National Museum→Gurudwara Bangla Sahib →Delhi Local Markets.
First, we searched for a cheap hotel near Jaipur as the taxi guy’s options were a bit expensive. So we searched for some budget hotels in Delhi and finalized Hotel Ajanta. It was for INR 2800 for 2 days and 2 complimentary dinners. So by 10:00 AM, we were in Hotel. The hotel is just near the Delhi Local market. The Hotel Room was very clean, Excellent Staff and services I would say.
3. 12 noon- Let Get Guide Of Delhi Cuisine
As we guys are damn good at time management we settled in our room in 15 mins, took shower & even got a free breakfast from the hotel. By 11:45 A.M we were in the Cab with Bhupendra Ji.
Our driver guided us and took us to Qutub Minar first. It is Built-in red sandstone, this tower sports the inscriptions of verses of the Holy Quran and some intricate carvings were easily seen there. Undoubtedly one of the best towns which are nicest to see.
Next was India Gate: is a grand, 42-meter high arch, holding great significance to the history of New Delhi. Built-in Glory of the Indian soldiers of World War 1. At the time of every independence and republic day, you can see a parade here.
Later we opted for lunch in a restaurant next to RedFort (our next destination). We reached there at about 2:30 p.m. Red Fort was Built in nine years and an approximate cost of 1 crore rupees was spent in those days for its construction with Redstone Marble bricks. It is a must-watch tourist attraction in Delhi.
Next, we Visited on remaining 4 monuments →Lotus Temple 40 m high. Bahai Temple is built in the shape of a half-opened Lotus flower. Lately, we visited 2 more attractions on that day. Our cab driver took us to Parliament House
Parliament House: built on an area of 330 acres with a private garden designed by the illustrious Lutyens, as the official residence of the Viceroy of India during British reign. The architectural wonder is a mixture of Mughal and Western styles.
On that day our last destination was Gurdwara Bangla Sahib.
Gurdwara Bangla Sahib is an important religious place for Sikhs in India. Its main hall is kept simple, except for the open central shrine, covered by a small golden dome sporting a sculpted bronze cupola. We washed our hands’ Holy water of Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, known as ‘Amrit, is said to have miraculous powers of curing the sick, and later we had langar in Gurudwara.
The time was approx 7 p.m. We told our driver to take us to our hotel, for today that’s it only. We were tired and could no longer go anywhere.
After reaching the hotel, we both freshened up and went to bed to relax. Lately, at 10 p.m, we had dinner and then slept.
The next day was the day for shopping and all.
04. 07:00 am- Wake up man Wakeup
So the next day by 9:00 am we were ready to rumble. Our driver told us today we will be going to do Old Delhi City sightseeing & its important destination will easily consume 5-6 hours, so we can go to Delhi city local shopping markets.
By 9:15 A.M we were in the Cab with Bhupendra ji. He took us to The ISKCON Temple first, Temple is located in south Delhi, just east of the Kailash region. Dedicated to Lord Krishna, this astounding monument was created by the Hare-Rama Hare-Krishna cult followers. We did darshan and pooja in temples and prayed for the wellness of everyone.
By 11:00 A.m we came out of the temple and got into the car and were ready to go for our next destination which is Jantar Mantar. Jantar Mantar is a fascinating astronomical observatory featuring masonry instrument structures designed to show and teach the movements of the moon, sun, and planets. It intrigues visitors with the massive Samrat Yantra that can be found inside; also recognized as the legendary sundial.
We spent 1:30 hr there. After that we went to our last destination i.e.National Museum: represents the extensive and colorful culture inside and holds an even larger collection of galleries of time periods, paintings and traditional manuscripts, etc.
Lately, we visited old Delhi markets like Dilli Haat, Chandni Chowk market, Palika Bazar, Karol bagh markets. Here we found many cheap deals on the purchase of clothes, shoes, an amalgamation of handicrafts, etc. From the big air-conditioned showrooms to the small and dainty shops in alleys, you will find everything here. Most important Chandni Chowk Market: which is also famous for the mouth-watering delicacies it offers. Given below is a list of the famous eating-places there:
- The Ghantewala Halwai
- Natraj’s Dahi Bhalle
- Kanwarji Bhagirathmal Dalbhajiwallah
- Chaat Wala
- Bikaner Sweet Shop
- Haldiram’s
- Gandhiji ka Falooda
We had some Mouth Watering Foods of Delhi during the tour.
Street food in Delhi imbibes the different flavors and textures of Indian cuisine. If one wants to enjoy flavors all across India then Delhi is the place to be. Punjabi chole bhature, bhel puri, and pav bhaji from Mumbai, puchka and jhal muri from Kolkata and chaat from Delhi can be easily found on the streets.
My favorite meals in New Delhi:
- Indian Accent
- Bhatura chana at Embassy or Kwality in Connaught Place
- Amritsari lassi in Dariba Kalan, Old Delhi
- Chaat in Sunder Nagar — safe and tasty!
- Moti Mahal Greater Kailash I for classic North Indian — don’t forget to order the butter chicken
#PRO TIP
We say, take Taxi service in Delhi from SRM Holidays to get a good/comprehensive overview of the city, relieving you from the thought of having to navigate through any public transport.
In my upcoming next blog, I’ll write more about the Agra tour from Delhi on which I had visited the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort on the delhi agra tour package and Himachal tour which I had visited in 2019.
Thanks For Reading my blog.Hope you have enjoyed the reading.
