One-Day Trips from Delhi by Car: 15 Drives, Nearest First

You don't need a long weekend to get out of Delhi. Within an hour there are lakes, bird parks and dhabas; within three to four hours, Mathura's temples, Neemrana's fort and the Taj Mahal. These are 15 places you can drive to and back from Delhi in a single day, nearest first, with the distance, the route and what to see. Distances are from central Delhi; from our Mahipalpur office near the airport, the Gurugram and Rajasthan side is closer. Where we've written a full road-trip guide, the name links to it.

How to plan a day trip

• Keep each way to about 4 hours or less, so you get 5–6 hours at the place itself.
• Leave by 6 am. The first hour out of Delhi, past Gurugram on NH48 or Sonipat on NH44, decides the day.
• Head home by 4–5 pm, so that most of the drive back is in daylight, or on the expressways after dark.
• Check the closed days before you go: the Taj Mahal shuts on Fridays.

Within 100 km: about 1–2 hours

• Sultanpur National Park: about 50 km, 15 km beyond Gurugram. A small wetland park of about 1.4 sq km, full of migratory birds from November to February. Go early in the morning.
• Damdama Lake: about 45 km, near Sohna, 20–24 km from Gurugram. Boating on a lake below the Aravalli hills, and an easy pair with Sultanpur.
• Surajkund: on Delhi's southern edge in Faridabad, about 8 km from South Delhi. A 10th-century stepped reservoir credited to the Tomar king Surajpal. The Surajkund crafts mela fills the grounds for about two weeks, usually in early February.
• Murthal: about 45 km north on NH44, just past Sonipat. Not a sight but a breakfast: the highway dhabas are famous for their parathas. Go early to beat the weekend queues.
• Hastinapur: about 100 km via Meerut, 37 km beyond it. Jain temples, including the Jambudweep complex, and places linked to the Mahabharata.

About 2–3 hours

• Garhmukteshwar and Brijghat: about 100–120 km on the Delhi–Meerut Expressway and NH9. The nearest Ganga ghats to Delhi, with an evening aarti at Brijghat and a large fair at Kartik Purnima.
• Neemrana Fort-Palace: about 120 km and 2.5–3 hours down NH48 past Manesar. A 15th-century fort that's now a heritage hotel; day visits are by prior booking and include a meal.
• Mathura and Vrindavan: 150–180 km and 2.5–3.5 hours on the Yamuna Expressway. Krishna's birthplace and the Banke Bihari temple, and Prem Mandir in Vrindavan, lit up after dark. Banke Bihari's darshan hours have changed recently, so check them before you go.
• Alwar: 150–170 km and 3–4 hours. The Bala Quila fort above the city, the City Palace and Siliserh lake.
• Kurukshetra: about 160 km up NH44 through Panipat and Karnal. Brahma Sarovar, one of India's largest temple tanks, and Jyotisar, where the Bhagavad Gita is said to have been spoken. The International Gita Mahotsav fills the town each year around November–December.

About 3.5–4 hours: a full day

• Agra: about 230 km and 3.5–4 hours on the Yamuna Expressway. The Taj Mahal opens 30 minutes before sunrise and is closed on Fridays; Agra Fort is 2.5 km away.
• Fatehpur Sikri: 36–40 km beyond Agra. Akbar's red sandstone city, with the Buland Darwaza, the Jama Masjid and Salim Chishti's tomb; open roughly 6 am to 6 pm.
• Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur: about 185 km, 55 km west of Agra. A UNESCO World Heritage wetland of herons, storks and ducks, best from October to February. Hire a cycle-rickshaw or a bicycle inside.
• Sariska Tiger Reserve: about 200 km, beyond Alwar. Morning and afternoon jeep safaris, booked on the Rajasthan forest department's site; the core zones close from 1 July to 30 September.

A long day: Jaipur

Since the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway's link to Jaipur through Bandikui opened in July 2025, the drive takes about 3–3.5 hours. You can see the Amber Fort and Hawa Mahal and drive back the same day, but it's 7 hours on the road. Most people are better off with a night there: see our Delhi to Jaipur guide. Bhangarh Fort, near Sariska, is a similar long day; it is open only from sunrise to sunset.

Three easy day plans

Birds and a lake (Gurugram side, November to February)

1. Reach Sultanpur National Park by 8 am, when the birds are most active.
2. Drive about 30 minutes south to Damdama Lake for lunch and a boat ride.
3. Be back in Delhi by mid-afternoon, before the evening rush on NH48.

The Taj and Fatehpur Sikri (not a Friday)

1. Leave Delhi by 5 am and take the Yamuna Expressway from Greater Noida.
2. See the Taj Mahal in the morning, before the crowds and the heat.
3. Drive 40 km to Fatehpur Sikri after lunch, then join the expressway home.

Mathura and Vrindavan

1. Drive down the Yamuna Expressway in the morning and start in Mathura.
2. Move to Vrindavan, about 10–15 km away, in the afternoon.
3. Stay for Prem Mandir after dark, then take the expressway back to Delhi.

Driving tips for a day out

• Keep the FASTag topped up: the Yamuna, Delhi–Meerut and Delhi–Mumbai expressways and NH48 and NH44 are all tolled.
• Fill up before you join an expressway; fuel stops on the newer ones can be far apart.
• Agra, Mathura and Vrindavan get busy at weekends and festivals. Park in the official lots and walk the last stretch.
• In winter, check Delhi's GRAP pollution stage before you leave, as Stage III bars older BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars.

Which car for a day trip

• Hatchback: light on fuel for a 300–450 km day. The Swift and Baleno are popular; see our hatchbacks on rent.
• SUV: more comfortable over a long day on the highway. See our SUVs on rent, such as the Brezza and Creta.
• 7-seater: for a family or a group of friends. See our 7-seater cars, such as the Ertiga.
• Automatic: easier in the stop-start traffic leaving Delhi and around Agra and Mathura. See our automatic cars.

Renting a car for the day

• Unlimited kilometres and an All-India permit on every car, so Agra, Bharatpur and Jaipur are all fine; you pay the tolls and any state entry taxes.
• Turn the day into a weekend and trips over 48 hours get 10% off. See our prices.
• Collect the car at our Mahipalpur office, about 5 minutes from IGI Terminal 3, or have it delivered anywhere in Delhi NCR.
• You need a driving licence held for at least a year, a government ID and a ₹5,000 refundable deposit. What renting involves.

Got two days? See our weekend getaways from Delhi and hill stations near Delhi. Staying in the city? Try our Delhi sightseeing by car route, or browse all our cars.