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Essential Old Delhi

Tour Creator

Anthon Jackson
Anthon is a writer and photographer from Utah, currently based in Aarhus, Denmark. Having traveled to more than 80 countries, he's written for more than a dozen travel guidebooks for…Read More Bio »

Tour Type:

Historical

Introductory

Delhi

GPS-directed

Remote Tour Included

2hrs

2km

Delving into the heart of Old Delhi, our tour takes us through its twisting alleyways to pass lively bazars and colorful places of worship, from the city’s grandest mosque to the sacred sites of Sufis, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Christians. As well as Delhi’s diversity of belief, we’ll be treated along the way to its glorious, tumultuous history, getting to know some of its most intriguing characters, from the launch of the Mughal empire to the declaration of Indian independence.

Avoid the Crowds

Allows you to explore without having to be shoulder-to-shoulder in a large tour group

Expert-created Tour

Written by a travel writer with a Master of Arts in Arab & Islamic Studies

GPS Directions

Easy-to-follow GPS directions to get you from one point to the next on your tour

Highlights include:

Jama Masjid, Gurdwara Sis and the Red Fort

Remote Tour Included

As with all our tours, a remote tour is included that can be enjoyed from home

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essentialdelhichandni-chowk
essentialdelhiCentral_baptist_church
essentialdelhi10. Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir 800px-Digambar_Jain_Lal_Mandir,_Chandni_Chowk,_Delhi
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essentialdelhiold-buildings-4641481

Itinerary

Essential Delhi

  1. Meena Bazar - Our tour begins a short walk from the Jama Masjid Metro station, between the Red Fort and the Jama Masjid in the lively Meena Bazar, where we’ll introduce the founder of the city, tracing his Mughal lineage.
  2. Jama Masjid - This was the largest mosque in the subcontinent when built under the reign of Shah Jahan, a striking structure that remains among the most important Muslim sites in India.
  3. Dargah Hazrat Sarmad Shaheed - At this tiny pair of humble shrines, we’ll discuss Sufism in the subcontinent, introducing both saints as well as two vastly different brothers’ fight for the succession to the throne.
  4. Dariba Kalan - In this bustling jewelry market, first built for the nobles of the Mughal court, we’ll pick up the story of Aurangzeb, tracing the Mughal’s 18th century slide.
  5. Naughara Havelis - This tiny lane hides some beautifully painted doorways, some of the city’s best-preserved, as well as a temple for Jains, a group which we’ll introduce here.
  6. Chandni Chowk - Emerging at the broad, royal boulevard of Jahanara, we’ll give Shah Jahan’s favorite daughter a proper introduction, while discussing the street’s recent revival.
  7. Sis Ganj Gurdwara - One of Delhi’s most prominent Sikh sites, this gurdwara marks the martyrdom site of its ninth guru, presenting us the occasion to delve into the Sikhs’ troublesome early history while touching on their later rise to power.
  8. Central Baptist Church - Here, at the oldest Christian church in Northern India, we’ll discuss the British entry onto the scene – from their navigation of social policy in the subcontinent to their quelling of the bloody Indian Rebellion, ending the Mughal era.
  9. Gauri Shankar Temple - This Shaiva Temple was built in the 18th century by the Marathas, but the story of its sacred lingam stretches back significantly further.
  10. Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir - Our second Jain temple is the last sacred site on our tour. The oldest such temple in Old Delhi, it belongs to a different sect than that of our first Jain temple, and is adjoined by a hospital exclusively reserved for birds.
  11. The Red Fort - At last, here we’ll introduce Shahjahanabad’s largest legacy in Delhi, completed in 1648, tracing the fort’s history down to independence and considering its various uses to this day.

Check out a free sample of this tour!

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