Kid Guide to Delhi

Q: **Q: Do we need to book anything in advance?**

A: Book the Red Fort light and sound show and private tours ahead, as seats are limited. Akshardham tickets are sold at the counter. Phones are not allowed inside, so use the cloakroom and carry some cash. <div class="purple-line"></div>

Q: **Q: How much time should we plan for the big spots?**

A: Allow 3 to 4 hours for Akshardham if you stay for the fountain show. Sunder Nursery and Lodhi Garden need about 1 to 2 hours each. A big mall can easily fill half a day. <div class="purple-line"></div>

Q: **Q: Is a stroller useful in Delhi?**

A: Yes, in parks, malls and the metro, which has lifts at stations. In Old Delhi's narrow, busy lanes, a baby carrier works better. For long days, a car with a driver keeps things simple. <div class="purple-line"></div>

Q: **Q: What should we pack in the day bag?**

A: Water, hats, sunscreen, snacks, wet wipes and a spare T-shirt. Add socks, since temple floors can get hot underfoot. Carry a scarf or bandana to cover heads at the gurdwara. <div class="purple-line"></div>

✨ kites • jalebi • metro zoom • fort glow • lassi

CONNECTING TODelhi New

SHORT HISTORY

- 🏹 Long ago, old stories say a great city of kings and heroes stood here by the Yamuna river. - 🕌 Over time, new rulers built new cities on the same land. One emperor built a walled city with a giant red fort and busy bazaars. - 🏛️ Later, New Delhi was built with wide roads, big lawns and grand government buildings. - 🌆 Today, Delhi is India's capital. It is a huge city of fast metros, green parks and very old monuments.

Highlights

TOP KID APPROVED ADVENTURES

Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple

Completed in 2005 in pink sandstone and white marble, this Swaminarayan complex was built without structural steel, using traditional stone craft at a scale almost nothing else attempts.<br/> Carved elephants run the length of the plinth, and the crowd noise drops as people walk the colonnade and start looking upward.<br/> - Built in pink sandstone and white marble using traditional stone craft - Thousands of individually carved figures across the plinth and mandapams - Holds exhibitions, a heritage boat ride and the Sahaj Anand water show - Rated 4.6 across more than 57,000 Google reviews

4.6 (57455)

🛶 Swaminarayan Akshardham Float on a boat ride through thousands of years of Indian stories, then watch a film on a giant screen. After sunset, the musical fountain dances with water, light and music. Great for curious kids who love stories, boats and big shows.

Old & New Delhi Private Tour - Half or Full Day (Rated Excellent)

Two cities sit inside one municipal boundary, and this private tour covers both. A guide and driver handle the distances between the lanes of Shahjahanabad and the wide avenues to the south. Durations run from four to eight hours, so the itinerary can be trimmed or extended. A cycle-rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk is included in every option.<br/> - Carries a Viator Badge of Excellence and a recommendation from 98 per cent of travellers. - Reviewers single out named guides for their command of Mughal and colonial history. - The base fare starts at USD 20, with entrance fees bundled only in the ticketed option. - Only your own party travels, so the pace at each monument is yours to set.

4.91 (2576)

🚗 Old and New Delhi private tour Your own guide and car take you to Delhi's big sights at your family's pace. A cycle-rickshaw ride through Old Delhi's lanes is often the best bit. Great for families who want to see a lot without tired legs.

India Gate

Designed by Edwin Lutyens and completed in 1931, this arch carries the names of more than 13,000 soldiers of the Indian Army who died in the First World War and the Third Anglo-Afghan War.<br/> Ice cream carts and balloon sellers work the lawns as the light goes. The arch is floodlit after sunset and the crowd thickens rather than thins.<br/> - A war memorial inscribed with over 13,000 names - Designed by Edwin Lutyens and completed in 1931 - The National War Memorial was added alongside it in 2019 - Rated 4.6 across more than 280,000 Google reviews

4.6 (286971)

🍦 India Gate A giant stone arch with huge lawns all around it. Run, play and grab an ice cream from the carts. At night, the arch glows with lights. Great for little runners who need space to play.

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib

Built on the site of a bungalow where the eighth Sikh Guru tended Delhi's sick during a smallpox epidemic in 1664, it is now the city's principal gurdwara and open to everyone.<br/> Kirtan carries continuously across the marble courtyard, and the sarovar throws the gold dome back at you. The kitchen behind smells of dal and roasting roti. 🙏<br/> - Delhi's most visited Sikh house of worship, founded on an eighth-Guru site - The langar kitchen serves free meals to tens of thousands every day - Rated 4.8 across more than 116,000 Google reviews — among the highest in the city - Open around the clock, every day of the year

4.8 (116886)

🫓 Gurudwara Bangla Sahib Walk barefoot around a shiny pool, then peek into a giant kitchen. Volunteers here cook free meals for thousands of people every day, and you can often help roll rotis. Great for kids who love to help and try new things.

Dilli Haat

An open-air craft and food market laid out as a village bazaar, with stalls allotted to artisans from across India on a rotating basis and a food court covering every state.<br/> Thatched stalls around brick courtyards, with cooking smells shifting state by state as you cross the food court.<br/> - Stalls rotate between artisans from every Indian state - A food court covering regional cuisines from across the country - Cultural performances staged regularly in the evening - Rated 4.4 across more than 47,000 Google reviews

4.4 (47382)

🎪 Dilli Haat An open-air market packed with colourful crafts and food stalls from all over India. Pick a snack from a different state each visit. Great for kids who love to shop, snack and explore.

Sunder Nursery

A 16th-century Mughal garden restored over a decade by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, holding six listed monuments across ninety acres beside Humayun's Tomb.<br/> Formal water channels and flowering beds around sandstone tombs, with birdsong carrying over an amphitheatre and a lake.<br/> - Restored over a decade by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture - Holds six listed monuments within the grounds - Hundreds of plant species across roughly ninety acres - Rated 4.6 across more than 22,000 Google reviews

4.6 (22159)

🌳 Sunder Nursery Ninety acres of gardens with water channels, old tombs and a bonsai house full of tiny trees. Look out for butterflies and birds. Great for younger kids who need room to run safely.

Lodhi Garden

Ninety acres of landscaped parkland built around the tombs of the Sayyid and Lodi dynasties, laid out by the British in the 1930s around monuments already five centuries old.<br/> Joggers and yoga groups move around domed tombs at first light, and parakeets work the old trees above the lawns.<br/> - Spread across roughly ninety acres in central Delhi - Holds the tombs of Muhammad Shah and Sikandar Lodi, plus Bara Gumbad and Sheesh Gumbad - The 16th-century Athpula bridge crosses the water at the northern end - Rated 4.5 across more than 58,000 Google reviews

4.5 (58180)

🦆 Lodhi Garden A big, shady park where you can walk right inside tombs that are over 500 years old. Stop by the pond to watch the ducks. Great for a slow family afternoon with snacks.

Light and Sound Show at the Red Fort from Delhi

The evening show projects Delhi's history onto the Red Fort's walls. Narration runs in Hindi and English at separate sittings. The fort has closed to daytime visitors by the time it begins. Transport and tickets are covered in the booking.<br/> - The Red Fort was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. - Shah Jahan completed the fort in 1648 as the seat of the Mughal court. - The Independence Day address to the nation is delivered from its ramparts each August.

4.6 (10)

🎭 Red Fort light and sound show When the sun goes down, the Red Fort's walls light up with pictures and music. Live actors help tell the story of kings, heroes and India's freedom. Great for older kids who love a big story and a late night.

These are just a small sample of what Delhi offers children. See all kid-friendly options →

TOY & GAME HEAVEN

🧸 Hamleys, Select Citywalk – A big branch of the famous London toy shop. Look for LEGO, soft toys, puzzles and games.

❄️ DLF Mall of India, Noida – A whole floor of toys and kids' clothes, plus an indoor snow park with real snow.

⛸️ Ambience Mall, Gurugram – Glide around a real-ice skating rink, then try a round of bowling.

🕹️ Vegas Mall, Dwarka – A big play zone with ball pits, slides and arcade games. Win tickets and swap them for prizes!

WHAT KIDS LOVE TO EAT

🍛 Butter Chicken – Soft chicken in a creamy, buttery tomato sauce. It is mild, and most kids love it with naan.

🧈 Parathas – Warm, flaky flatbreads stuffed with potato or paneer. Best with a blob of butter on top.

🥟 Momos – Little steamed dumplings with a soft filling inside. Ask for them without the spicy chutney.

🍯 Jalebi – Bright orange swirls, crispy outside and syrupy inside. Sticky fingers guaranteed!

🥛 Lassi – A thick, cold yoghurt drink, sweet and creamy. Perfect after a hot morning.

🍽️ Dilli Haat – Food stalls from all over India, so everyone can pick something different.

🥡 DLF Mall of India food court – A huge top-floor food court, from local snacks to familiar favourites.

PHOTOS & REELS HOTSPOTS

Children at a Historic Waterfront Gateway_compressed.webp

🌅 Stand on the lawns at India Gate just after sunset, when the arch starts to glow.

🚪 Pose inside a big stone doorway at Lodhi Garden. The old arch makes a perfect frame.

👀 Stand at the base of Qutub Minar and tilt the camera slowly up, up, up the giant tower.

📐 Walk to the middle of the long path at Humayun's Tomb. Both sides match, just like a mirror!

🪷 Spot your reflection in the long water channels at Sunder Nursery.

🎨 Twirl between the colourful craft stalls at Dilli Haat for a quick reel.

PARENTS FAQS

**Q: When is the best time of day for outdoor and indoor plans?**

A: Visit parks and monuments in the morning or late afternoon. Save malls and indoor play for the middle of the day. October to March is the most comfortable season, while April to June is very hot. Winter mornings can be foggy, so start a little later.

**Q: Do we need to book anything in advance?**

**Q: How much time should we plan for the big spots?**

**Q: Is a stroller useful in Delhi?**

**Q: What should we pack in the day bag?**

INSIDER TIPS FROM
OUR EXPERTS

📅 Plan around Mondays: Akshardham and the Red Fort show both take Mondays off, so make it a park-and-mall day.

🚆 Ride the metro for fun: It is cool, clean and quick, and kids love watching the city zoom past.

⭐ Rate each day: At dinner, everyone gives the day a star score and names one favourite moment.

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