The Complete Delhi Experience: Full-Day Car Tour

The long version of Delhi

Most full-day Delhi tours run the same five monuments. This one spends its eight hours on the layers in between — the stepwell hidden behind Connaught Place, the crafts museum that most visitors never hear about, the shrine where qawwali is sung on Thursday evenings.

Agrasen ki Baoli

A 60-metre stepwell of 103 stone steps dropping into the ground five minutes' walk from Delhi's business district. Nobody knows exactly when it was first cut — the masonry visible now is 14th century, the legend is far older. Standing at the bottom with the office towers framed at the top of the stairs is the most Delhi image there is.

Spiritual stops

Depending on the day, a Sufi dargah, a temple, or a gurudwara. Delhi has been the capital of Hindu, Sultanate, Mughal and British India in turn, and its sacred buildings are the clearest record of that.

Crafts and cloth

The National Crafts Museum at Pragati Maidan holds village architecture, tribal art and a courtyard where weavers, potters and block-printers work in person. It is one of the best places in India to buy directly from a maker rather than a shop.

Lunch

A proper sit-down break, not a snack in the car. Tell us about vegetarian, Jain or no-chilli needs when you book.

Akshardham

A modern temple complex in pink sandstone and white marble, finished in 2005, with 234 carved pillars and no steel or concrete in its main structure. Phones, cameras and bags are all prohibited inside — security is airport-grade and there are no exceptions, so leave everything in the car.

Qutub Minar

The day usually ends at the 73-metre minaret begun in 1193, with the rust-free iron pillar in its courtyard.

Included

Private air-conditioned car and driver for the full eight hours, with hotel pickup and drop-off. Entrance fees and lunch are paid on the day.