Old Delhi: Food Walk, Spice Market & Gurudwara Tour

4.99

(190 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I remember is the clatter — wheels on stone, voices bouncing off old walls in Chandni Chowk. Our guide, Priya, waved us over to a chai stall tucked behind a cart selling marigolds. She handed me a tiny clay cup; the tea was sweet and smoky, and I could feel the steam on my face as scooters zipped past. I tried not to spill any on my shirt (failed). There’s this constant hum in Old Delhi that gets under your skin — not loud exactly, just… alive.

We ducked into the spice market next. It hit me right away — that sharp tickle in my nose from sacks of red chili, turmeric dust floating in the air like gold mist. Priya pointed out fenugreek seeds and something called kalonji (I still can’t pronounce it). The shopkeeper grinned when I sneezed for the third time. That smell clings to you all day; even now, my backpack still smells faintly of cardamom weeks later.

I didn’t expect to be invited into Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib’s kitchen. We tied scarves around our heads and watched volunteers flipping mountains of bread for anyone who came through the door — no questions asked. Someone pressed a steel plate into my hands and showed me how to ladle dal without making a mess (sort of managed). It was quiet in there except for soft laughter and the scrape of metal plates. For a moment I forgot about the city outside.

Afterwards we wandered through the wedding market — all sequins and colors I don’t have names for — then squeezed down Paranthe Wali Gali for fried bread stuffed with potato and paneer. Li laughed when I tried to say “parantha” properly; probably butchered it. The day trip through Old Delhi with our local guide felt messy and honest in all the best ways. Sometimes I catch myself missing that chaos.