Private Delhi Tour with Rickshaw Ride & Lunch – Old & New Sights

4.14

(7 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The day started with a knock at my hotel door right on time—9 AM sharp. Our driver greeted me with a smile and a bottle of cold water (Delhi mornings can be surprisingly warm, even in winter). We set off through the city’s early traffic hum, picking up our guide near Connaught Place. He knew every shortcut and had stories about nearly every street corner.

First stop: Jama Masjid. I slipped off my shoes at the entrance and felt the cool marble underfoot. The mosque is massive—honestly, you don’t realize how big until you’re standing in the courtyard, hearing pigeons flap overhead and the distant call to prayer echoing off red sandstone walls. Our guide pointed out tiny details in the carvings that I’d never have noticed alone.

Next came Chandni Chowk. We hopped onto a rickshaw—the driver weaving expertly between carts stacked high with marigolds and vendors shouting over each other for attention. The air was thick with spice and incense; I caught whiffs of cardamom from a chai stall as we passed by. There’s this one shop selling jalebis that our guide swore by—I grabbed a piece, sticky and sweet, before we moved on.

The Red Fort loomed ahead but most of it’s closed off to visitors these days (the army uses part of it), so we snapped some photos from outside while our guide shared stories about its Mughal past. After all that walking, lunch was a welcome break—a local spot where the butter chicken tasted just right and naan came out piping hot.

In the afternoon we switched gears to New Delhi. Humayun’s Tomb was quieter than I expected; birds darted through arched corridors and there was this faint scent of wet earth from morning sprinklers. Driving past India Gate and Parliament House felt surreal—so many familiar landmarks from postcards suddenly right there outside the window.

Qutub Minar was next, towering above us with centuries-old inscriptions still visible if you squint close enough. By late afternoon, we reached the Lotus Temple—a peaceful spot where people sat quietly or wandered barefoot along white stone paths shaped like petals. The sun was starting to dip as we drove back through Deer Park (saw a few peacocks strutting near the fence) before being dropped off at my hotel, tired but happy.