Exploring Delhi by Car: A Self-Drive Guide to the Capital and NCR

Delhi's sights are spread across a huge city, from India Gate and Humayun's Tomb in New Delhi to the Qutub Minar in the south and the Red Fort in the old city. With a car you can link them in a single day, skip the autos and the crowded metro at rush hour, and carry on in the evening. This guide gives you a one-day route, where to park, how to handle Old Delhi and rush hour, and the best drives out of the city.

Delhi by car at a glance

• A day's sightseeing covers about 60–80 km in the city.
• Rush hours: roughly 8:30–11 am and 5:30–9 pm, best avoided.
• Parking: use the paid lots at monuments and markets.
• Closed on Mondays: the Red Fort, Akshardham and the Lotus Temple.
• Best time: October to March. Summers are very hot, and winter can bring smog.

A one-day route through New Delhi

1. Start early at India Gate and drive along Kartavya Path towards Rashtrapati Bhavan, before the traffic builds.
2. Head to Humayun's Tomb, about 10 minutes away, while the light is soft.
3. Walk through Lodhi Garden, then have lunch at Khan Market or Lodhi Colony nearby.
4. Drive south to the Qutub Minar in Mehrauli for the afternoon.
5. End the day at Hauz Khas, with its lake, ruins and cafes.

If you have a second day, swap in Akshardham and the Lotus Temple (both closed on Mondays), or spend a morning in Old Delhi.

Old Delhi: park the car

Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid and the Red Fort are best on foot. The lanes are packed with people, rickshaws and handcarts, and there is almost nowhere to stop. Park outside the old city, or leave the car at your hotel and take the metro to Chandni Chowk. Try the parathas, the chaat and Karim's near Jama Masjid.

Driving tips for Delhi

• Follow Google Maps for live traffic: the Ring Road and the main arterial roads clog quickly at peak hours.
• Lane discipline is loose, so leave space and watch for autos and two-wheelers cutting in.
• Speed and red-light cameras are common, and challans arrive by SMS.
• Park only in marked, paid lots: cars in no-parking zones are towed.
• In winter, check the GRAP pollution stage: Stage III bars BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars in Delhi NCR.

Day trips from Delhi by car

• Sultanpur National Park near Gurugram, for migratory birds in winter.
• Neemrana Fort-Palace, about 120 km away on the Jaipur road.
• Agra and the Taj Mahal, about 230 km on the Yamuna Expressway: see our Delhi to Agra guide.
• Jaipur, about 280 km, for a weekend: see our Delhi to Jaipur guide.

For 15 drives you can do there and back in a day, nearest first, see our one-day trips from Delhi by car.

Renting a self-drive car in Delhi

• Delivery to your door across Delhi NCR for a driver charge, including Gurugram, Noida, Dwarka, South Delhi and IGI Airport; or collect it at our Mahipalpur office.
• Compact cars are easiest to park: a Swift, i20 or Tiago; an automatic like the Brezza takes the stress out of traffic.
• Unlimited kilometres, with a 24-hour minimum booking.
• You need a driving licence held for at least a year, a government ID and a ₹5,000 refundable deposit.

See all our cars or read about self-drive car rental in Delhi.