Heritage & culture
In short: A 3-day, 2-night private heritage tour of Delhi, India's capital for much of the last thousand years. You see all three of Delhi's UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb and the Qutub Minar), ride a rickshaw through Chandni Chowk, visit Jama Masjid, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and Akshardham, and hear Sufi qawwali at Nizamuddin Dargah. Starts and ends at Delhi Airport. Prices from US$279 (3-star), US$329 (4-star) and US$459 (5-star) per person.
Tour at a glance
| Duration | 3 days / 2 nights |
|---|---|
| Route | Delhi Airport → New Delhi → Old Delhi → Nizamuddin → Mehrauli → Delhi Airport |
| Starts / ends | Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), any terminal; New Delhi railway station on request |
| UNESCO sites | Red Fort Complex, Humayun's Tomb, Qutb Minar and its Monuments |
| Best season | October to March (pleasant days, cool nights); December–January can be foggy |
| Pace | Relaxed – sightseeing in two half-day blocks with a rest after lunch |
| Meals | Breakfast at the hotel |
| Ideal for | History lovers, first-time visitors, families and stopover travellers |
| 3-star tour price | From US$279 per person |
| 4-star tour price | From US$329 per person |
| 5-star tour price | From US$459 per person |
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Delhi – Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, India Gate and Lutyens' Delhi
Meet at Delhi Airport and check in. In the afternoon, visit Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and the Agrasen ki Baoli stepwell, then drive along Kartavya Path past Rashtrapati Bhavan and the government buildings to India Gate at dusk.
Gurudwara Bangla Sahib
Why it matters: Delhi's best-known Sikh shrine, linked with the eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan, who cared for the sick here during a 1664 epidemic.
What you see and do:
- The golden-domed prayer hall and holy pool (sarovar)
- The community kitchen (langar), open to all
Tip: Cover your head and remove shoes; scarves are provided free.
Agrasen ki Baoli
Why it matters: A 14th-century stepwell of 108 steps hidden among the office towers of Connaught Place.
India Gate and Kartavya Path
Why it matters: The 42-metre war memorial (1931) at the end of the grand avenue designed by Edwin Lutyens, with Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President's residence, at the other end.
What you see and do:
- India Gate and the National War Memorial
- Drive past Rashtrapati Bhavan and the North and South Blocks
Day 2: Old Delhi – Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk; Humayun's Tomb and Nizamuddin
Spend the morning in Shahjahanabad, the walled city built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan: the Red Fort, Jama Masjid and a cycle-rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk, with a stop at Raj Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi's memorial. In the afternoon, visit Humayun's Tomb and Sunder Nursery, then hear Sufi qawwali at Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah in the evening.
Red Fort (Lal Qila)
Why it matters: A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Mughal palace-fortress completed in 1648. The Prime Minister raises the national flag here every Independence Day.
What you see and do:
- Lahori Gate, Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khas
- Museums inside the fort complex
Tip: The Red Fort is closed on Mondays; we swap days if needed.
Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk
Why it matters: Jama Masjid (1656) is one of India's largest mosques, with a courtyard for 25,000 worshippers. Chandni Chowk, the old imperial avenue, is now a maze of spice, silver and sweet bazaars.
What you see and do:
- Cycle-rickshaw ride through the lanes of Old Delhi
- Khari Baoli, Asia's largest spice market
- Paranthe Wali Gali and the old sweet shops
Tip: Cover arms and legs at Jama Masjid; robes are available at the gate. The mosque closes to visitors during prayer times.
Humayun's Tomb
Why it matters: A UNESCO World Heritage Site completed around 1570, the first great garden tomb in India and a model for the Taj Mahal.
What you see and do:
- The red sandstone and marble tomb in its charbagh garden
- Isa Khan's tomb and the restored Sunder Nursery next door
Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah
Why it matters: The shrine of the 14th-century Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya, where qawwali devotional music is sung after the evening prayer, most famously on Thursdays.
Tip: Cover your head and dress modestly; women can watch from the courtyard.
Day 3: Qutub Minar, Mehrauli and Akshardham – departure
Visit the Qutub Minar complex and the ruins of Mehrauli Archaeological Park in the morning. Then see the Lotus Temple and Swaminarayan Akshardham (time permitting), before your transfer to the airport.
Qutub Minar
Why it matters: A UNESCO World Heritage Site: a 73-metre victory tower begun around 1199, the tallest brick minaret in the world, beside a 1,600-year-old iron pillar that has never rusted.
What you see and do:
- The Qutub Minar and Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque
- The Iron Pillar and Alai Darwaza gateway
Lotus Temple and Akshardham
Why it matters: The Lotus Temple (1986) is a Bahá'í house of worship open to all faiths, shaped like an opening lotus. Swaminarayan Akshardham (2005) is a huge carved sandstone and marble Hindu temple complex.
Tip: Both are closed on Mondays. Phones and cameras are not allowed inside Akshardham; lockers are provided.
Travel distances and realistic journey times
Times are realistic door-to-door estimates for the roads as they are, including traffic and a short stop, not map-app minimums.
| Day | From | To | Distance | Journey time | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delhi Airport (DEL) | Central Delhi hotel | 16 km | 45 to 60 min | car |
| 1 | Hotel | Bangla Sahib, Agrasen ki Baoli, India Gate | 20 km | half day | car |
| 2 | Hotel | Old Delhi (Red Fort, Jama Masjid) | 8 km | 30 to 45 min | car + rickshaw |
| 2 | Old Delhi | Humayun's Tomb and Nizamuddin | 8 km | 30 to 45 min | car |
| 3 | Hotel | Qutub Minar and Mehrauli | 15 km | 45 min | car |
| 3 | Qutub Minar | Lotus Temple and Akshardham | 24 km | 1 to 1.5 hrs | car |
| 3 | Akshardham | Delhi Airport (DEL) | 25 km | 1 to 1.5 hrs | car |
Total road distance on this tour: about 130 km. Delhi traffic is heavy at rush hour, so we start early and keep a buffer before flights.
Hotels: 3-star, 4-star and 5-star
| City | 3-star | 4-star (or similar) | 5-star (or similar) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 3-star hotel | Radisson Blu Marina Connaught Place / Holiday Inn New Delhi Mayur Vihar | The Imperial / Taj Palace / The Leela Palace |
Hotels are confirmed at booking, subject to availability. If a listed hotel is full, we book one of the same standard. Every room has a private bathroom, hot water and air-conditioning, on a twin-sharing basis; single rooms are available at a supplement.
Meals
Breakfast is included at your hotel. Old Delhi is one of India's great food streets: parathas, chaat, jalebi and kulfi. Vegetarian and Jain food is easy to find; we recommend clean, trusted places.
Guide languages
A licensed local guide accompanies all sightseeing days. Standard languages: English and Hindi. On request (subject to availability): Thai, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin), Korean, Vietnamese, Bahasa Indonesia, French, Spanish and German.
Airport arrival and departure
- Arrival: Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), Terminal 1, 2 or 3; New Delhi or Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station on request. Our representative meets you in the arrivals hall with a name board and escorts you to an air-conditioned vehicle. Transfers are included at any hour, including late-night flights.
- Departure: Delhi Airport (DEL), any terminal. We drop you at the terminal with enough time for check-in (about 3 hours before international flights and 2 hours before domestic flights).
- Delays: we track your flight number, so a delayed flight does not mean a missed pickup.
- 24/7 support: phone and WhatsApp +91-9794122849 for the whole trip.
Tour prices: 3-star, 4-star and 5-star
Comfortable 3-star hotels
4-star hotels – our most popular choice
Luxury 5-star hotels
Prices are per person in US dollars for land arrangements, based on 2 travellers sharing a room with a private car (sedan or Innova), and include GST. The final price depends on travel dates, group size and hotel availability; peak dates (Christmas, New Year, Diwali, the Republic Day week) may cost more. Families and groups of 6 or more get better rates; ask for a quotation.
Inclusions and exclusions
Included
- 2 nights' accommodation on a twin-sharing basis in your chosen hotel category
- Daily breakfast
- All transfers and sightseeing by private air-conditioned car (sedan or Innova)
- Airport arrival and departure transfers
- English-speaking licensed local guide for sightseeing (other languages on request)
- Monument entrance fees: Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb and Qutub Minar
- Cycle-rickshaw ride in Old Delhi
- Daily bottled drinking water in the vehicle
- Driver allowances, tolls, parking and state taxes
- GST (Indian goods and services tax)
Not included
- Flights and train tickets (we can book them for you at actual cost)
- India visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance (recommended)
- Lunches and dinners
- Akshardham exhibitions and water show (optional)
- Camera and video fees at monuments
- Tips for guides, drivers and hotel staff
- Single-room supplement
- Personal expenses such as laundry, phone calls and drinks
- Anything not listed under inclusions
Good to know before you travel
- Weekly closures: The Red Fort, Akshardham, the Lotus Temple and the National Museum are closed on Mondays; we arrange your days around them.
- Dress code: Cover shoulders and knees at all religious sites, and your head at gurdwaras, Jama Masjid and Nizamuddin Dargah.
- Best time: October to March. December and January bring cold, foggy mornings that can delay flights; April to June is very hot (up to 45°C).
- Air quality: Air pollution can be high in November and December; travellers with breathing conditions should carry their medication and a mask.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 3-day Delhi heritage tour cost?
Our 3-day, 2-night private Delhi heritage tour costs from US$279 per person with 3-star hotels, US$329 with 4-star hotels and US$459 with 5-star hotels, based on 2 people sharing. Prices include the private car, guide, rickshaw ride and monument entrance fees.
How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are in Delhi?
Three: the Red Fort Complex, Humayun’s Tomb and the Qutb Minar and its Monuments. This tour visits all three.
Is 3 days enough to see Delhi?
Yes. Three days covers Old Delhi, New Delhi and Mehrauli at a relaxed pace, including all three UNESCO sites. Add 2 days to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra.
Which day are Delhi monuments closed?
The Red Fort, Akshardham, the Lotus Temple and the National Museum are closed on Mondays. Humayun’s Tomb and Qutub Minar are open every day.
Can I add Agra and Jaipur to this tour?
Yes. Adding Agra and Jaipur turns it into a Golden Triangle tour; see our Golden Triangle Tour page or ask us for a quotation.
Related tours
- Golden Triangle Tour
- Amritsar Golden Temple Tour (2 Days)
- Rajasthan Tour
- Delhi, Agra, Jaipur & Varanasi
Plan this trip with us. Tell us your dates, number of travellers and hotel category, and we will send a detailed quotation within 24 hours.
Plan My Trip WhatsApp +91-9794122849Prepared by the Prime Value Tours team in Varanasi, Govt. of India approved and an IATO member, organising tours across India since 1999. Last updated November 2026.