# Spending your layover inside Indira Gandhi International Airport

Every international flight at Delhi uses Terminal 3, and you can rest there without an Indian visa: the Holiday Inn Express transit hotel rents cabins by the hour, and Encalm's lounges sell walk-in entry. With a visa, Nap and Shower in arrivals and the hotels at Aerocity are options too.

- Web page: https://delhilayover.com/airport/
- Guide: [Delhi Layover](https://delhilayover.com/), an independent layover guide to Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), part of City Layover
- Updated 10 November 2026; facts checked 8 November 2026

## Can you sleep at Delhi airport during a layover?

Yes, without an Indian visa. The Holiday Inn Express transit hotel inside Delhi's Terminal 3 rents cabins for 1 to 24 hours to passengers flying on from Terminal 3, with bags checked through; it doesn't publish its prices. The Encalm Privé lounge in departures has sleeping pods and showers, at ₹5,150 for 2 hours (seen November 2026). With a visa, Nap and Shower in arrivals sells cabins from ₹5,000 for 3 hours.

## At a glance

- **Hotels at the terminals**: Transit hotel inside T3; Aerocity hotels 3 to 4.5 km away, landside
- **Airside rooms**: Holiday Inn Express transit hotel, 1 to 24 hours, no Indian visa
- **Lounge entry**: From ₹4,150 for 2 hours at Encalm (seen November 2026)
- **Shower only**: ₹1,050 for 30 minutes at Nap and Shower, in arrivals
- **Left luggage**: Cloakroom in the metro building, 24 hours, from ₹150 for 2 hours
- **Wi-Fi**: Free; without an Indian number, show your passport at a desk

## Hotels in and next to the terminals

At Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), the only rooms you can use without an Indian visa are in the Holiday Inn Express transit hotel inside Terminal 3. Everything else is after immigration, so you need a visa that lets you into India: see [visa and transit rules](https://delhilayover.com/visa-and-transit/).

| Hotel | Where | Who can use it | How you get there |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Holiday Inn Express transit hotel, international wing | Inside Terminal 3 | Passengers changing between international flights; no Indian visa needed | Inside the terminal, without passing immigration |
| Holiday Inn Express transit hotel, domestic wing | Inside Terminal 3 | Travellers already in India, by road or by air, with a flight from Terminal 3 within 24 hours | Inside the terminal |
| Nap and Shower by Encalm | Terminal 3 arrivals, Meet and Greet area | Landside: anyone past immigration | In the arrivals hall |
| Novotel, Pullman, Andaz Delhi, Roseate House | Aerocity, 3 to 4.5 km from Terminal 3 | Landside: anyone past immigration | A short cab ride; the Airport Express also stops at Delhi Aerocity (₹21) |

**The transit hotel** rents private cabins for 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 or 24 hours, booked on the airport's website. Only passengers with a departing flight from Terminal 3 can stay, which covers every international flight. You need the boarding pass for your next flight, and your bags must be checked through to your final destination, so bring only what you'll carry on. Once you've checked in you can't leave the airport, and the longest stay is 24 hours. The hotel doesn't publish its prices.

Bring your passport for check-in. The hotel's general rules ask foreign guests for a visa too, so if you have no Indian visa, make sure your booking is for the international wing; if you booked through another site, call the hotel on +91 11 45252000 to confirm.

**Aerocity** is the hotel district next to the airport. Plan on a cab to reach it, or the Airport Express one stop to Delhi Aerocity while the trains run. Its hotels suit a night layover when you have a visa and want a full hotel room, or an early start into town.

## Day rooms

Two places at Terminal 3 sell rest by the hour.

| Where | Slots | From |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Holiday Inn Express transit hotel, inside Terminal 3 | 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 or 24 hours | Not published |
| Nap and Shower, Terminal 3 arrivals | 3 or 6 hours | ₹5,000 single or ₹6,000 double for 3 hours; ₹8,500 or ₹9,500 for 6 |

Nap and Shower's prices were seen in November 2026. It's in arrivals, after immigration, so it's for travellers with a visa, or for a rest before heading into town.

## Lounges you can pay for

Encalm runs the walk-in lounges at Terminal 3, past security in international departures. These are its prices for 2 hours, including tax, seen November 2026:

| Lounge | Where | Adult | Child, 6 to 11 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Encalm Lounge | Terminal 3 international departures | ₹4,150 | ₹2,900 |
| Encalm Privé, with showers, sleeping pods and nap rooms | Terminal 3 international departures, level 3 | ₹5,150 | ₹3,600 |
| Xenia, first-class lounge | Terminal 3 | ₹12,000 | ₹8,400 |

- **Children** under 6 go free.
- **Opening hours** aren't published, so ask at the door when you arrive.
- **Passes and memberships** such as Priority Pass: check your card's app for Delhi before you rely on it; otherwise, pay at the door.

## Showers

- **Nap and Shower**, in Terminal 3 arrivals after immigration, sells a 30-minute shower for ₹1,050 (seen November 2026).
- **Airside**, without passing immigration, Encalm Privé lists showers among its facilities, with entry at ₹5,150 for 2 hours.

## Fast Track

There's no paid fast track through arrival immigration for foreign passports at Delhi. The automated Trusted Traveller lanes at Terminal 3 are for Indian citizens and OCI cardholders.

## Left luggage

The cloakroom is in the metro building at Terminal 3, the same building as the Airport Express station, and opens 24 hours. You can leave bags for a few hours or up to 30 days; bring your boarding pass and photo ID. It's landside, so it suits travellers going into town, and anyone back early before the terminal lets them in. Prices seen November 2026:

| Bag | First 2 hours | Each hour after that | Over 8 hours, up to 24 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Small, under 7 kg | ₹150 | ₹50 | ₹500 |
| Medium, 7 to 20 kg | ₹200 | ₹80 | ₹800 |
| Large, over 20 kg | ₹230 | ₹100 | ₹1,000 |

## Connections, money and Wi-Fi

- **Changing planes.** Between international flights you stay in Terminal 3: follow the orange transfer signs to your airline's transfer counter, then go through security to the departure level.
- **Wi-Fi.** Free: join "GMR FREE WIFI". With an Indian mobile number you get a code by text; otherwise, show your passport at an information desk or kiosk for a login.
- **Data.** Set up an India eSIM before you fly, and you'll have data from the moment you land.
- **Money.** Terminal 3 has foreign exchange counters. Carry some rupees in small notes for the metro ticket machines and snacks; the monuments take cash or online payment.
- **With children.** Terminal 3 has baby care rooms, a play area and free pushchairs to borrow.
- **Getting back in.** The terminal lets in passengers with a ticket from about 6 hours before an international flight. Keep your boarding pass or e-ticket and your passport on you.

## Questions people ask

### Can I sleep at Delhi airport on a layover?

Yes, and without an Indian visa. The Holiday Inn Express transit hotel inside Terminal 3 rents cabins for 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 or 24 hours to passengers flying on from Terminal 3, with an onward boarding pass and bags checked through. The Encalm Privé lounge in departures has sleeping pods and nap rooms, at ₹5,150 for 2 hours (seen November 2026).

### Is there a hotel inside Delhi airport?

Yes: the Holiday Inn Express transit hotel, inside Terminal 3. Its international wing is for passengers changing between international flights and needs no Indian visa; its domestic wing is for travellers already in India, arriving by road or by air, with a flight from Terminal 3 within 24 hours. Stays are limited to 24 hours, and you can't leave the airport after checking in. The nearest ordinary hotels are at Aerocity, 3 to 4.5 km away.

### Can I pay for just a shower at Delhi airport?

Yes. Nap and Shower, in Terminal 3 arrivals after immigration, sells a 30-minute shower for ₹1,050 (seen November 2026). Without a visa, the Encalm Privé lounge in departures lists showers among its facilities, with entry at ₹5,150 for 2 hours.

### How much is a lounge at Delhi airport?

From ₹4,150 for 2 hours, walk-in, at Encalm's international lounge in Terminal 3 (seen November 2026). Encalm Privé, with showers, sleeping pods and nap rooms, costs ₹5,150, and the Xenia first-class lounge ₹12,000. Children aged 6 to 11 pay less, and under-6s go free.

### How much is left luggage at Delhi airport?

From ₹150 for up to 2 hours for a small bag under 7 kg, ₹200 for a medium one and ₹230 for a large one over 20 kg, then ₹50 to ₹100 an hour; over 8 hours, up to 24, costs ₹500 to ₹1,000. The cloakroom is in the metro building at Terminal 3, open 24 hours; bring your boarding pass and photo ID.

## Sources (checked 8 November 2026)

- [Delhi Airport: transit hotel (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airport-hotel/)
- [Delhi Airport: Nap and Shower (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.newdelhiairport.in/sleep-and-shower/)
- [Encalm: lounges (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://encalm.com/services/encalmlounge)
- [Encalm: Privé lounge (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://encalm.com/services/encalmprive)
- [Delhi Airport: Encalm lounges and walk-in prices (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://www.newdelhiairport.in/encalm-lounge/)
- [Delhi Airport: cloakroom (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.newdelhiairport.in/cloak-room/)
- [Delhi Airport: free Wi-Fi (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.newdelhiairport.in/wifi/)
- [Delhi Airport: layovers (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.newdelhiairport.in/layovers/)
- [Delhi Airport: international to international transfers (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://www.newdelhiairport.in/international-to-international/)
- [Delhi Airport: check-in and terminal access (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.newdelhiairport.in/check-in/)
- [Delhi Metro Rail Corporation: Airport Express fares (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://delhimetrorail.com/fare-for-airport-express-line)
- [Novotel New Delhi Aerocity: hotel page (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://all.accor.com/hotel/7560/index.en.shtml)
- [Air India: stopover memorandum with the Ministry of Tourism (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.airindia.com/in/en/newsroom/press-release/Air-India-and-Ministry-of-Tourism-enter-MoU-to-jointly-promote-India-as-a-global-tourism-destination.html)