# Delhi layover guide

Almost every visitor needs an Indian visa to leave Delhi airport, and the e-Visa takes days, so the decision is made before you fly. With one, 6 hours is enough for India Gate or Humayun's Tomb by cab, and the Airport Express reaches New Delhi station in about 25 minutes. Without one, stay inside Terminal 3, where the transit hotel needs no visa.

- Web page: https://delhilayover.com/
- 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 leave Delhi airport on a layover?

Yes, if you have an Indian visa before you fly and about 6 hours. US, UK, EU, Canadian and Australian passports all need one: apply for the e-Visa online at least 4 days ahead, or a week to be safe, because you can't get it at the airport. With a visa, a cab reaches India Gate or Humayun's Tomb in about 50 minutes, and the Airport Express takes about 25 minutes to New Delhi station for the Red Fort. Without one, stay inside Delhi airport's Terminal 3, where changing planes needs no visa. Be back 90 minutes before departure.

## Every layover length

- **Under 6 hours** (Stay airside): Stay at Terminal 3. Under 6 hours leaves too little time in town once you've cleared immigration both ways. Changing planes needs no Indian visa, and the transit hotel inside the terminal rents cabins from 1 hour.
- **6 to 7 hours** (Possible but tight): About 2 hours in town, and only with an Indian visa already approved. Take a cab to India Gate, free and open all day, or to Humayun's Tomb; from 6.5 hours, the Airport Express and metro to the Red Fort.
- **7 to 12 hours** (Go into Delhi): About 3 to 7.5 hours in town. Take the Airport Express and metro to the Red Fort and Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi, or a cab to Humayun's Tomb and the Lotus Temple (closed Mondays).
- **12 to 24 hours** (Go into Delhi): Most of a day in town: the Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb and India Gate by cab. Landing at night? Clear immigration, sleep at Aerocity next to the airport, and be at Humayun's Tomb at sunrise.
- **Over 24 hours** (Go into Delhi): Too long for the transit hotel, which takes stays of up to 24 hours, so book a hotel and see Delhi over two days. The 30-day e-Tourist visa covers it.

**Landing late at night:** The first Airport Express train from the airport leaves about 5am and the last one back from New Delhi about 11:30pm. Outside those hours, a prepaid taxi or app cab takes about 45 minutes. If no plan into Delhi fits around those hours, the verdict is to sleep near the airport.

## Time in town

Worked out with this guide’s allowances: about an hour from landing to a train, the ride each way, and back at Delhi 90 minutes before departure.

| Layover | In town, about | On the plan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 6 hours | 2 hours | The Red Fort and Chandni Chowk by metro |
| 8 hours | 4 hours | The Red Fort and Chandni Chowk by metro |
| 10 hours | 6 hours | The Red Fort and Chandni Chowk by metro |
| 12 hours | 8 hours | The Red Fort and Chandni Chowk by metro |

## Layover plans

Every plan on the overview, in the order it lists them. On the web page each plan's route is timed from your layover length and landing time.

### India Gate and Kartavya Path

- **Hint**: Free, quickest
- **Layover**: 6 hours or more
- **Ride**: Prepaid taxi or app cab, about 50 minutes there; leave town 2 hours 30 minutes before your flight

1. **India Gate and Kartavya Path**: Free, open morning to night every day. Walk round the arch, then along Kartavya Path.

### Humayun's Tomb

- **Hint**: Mughal garden tomb
- **Layover**: 6 hours or more
- **Cost**: $
- **Ride**: Prepaid taxi or app cab, about 50 minutes there; leave town 2 hours 30 minutes before your flight

1. **Humayun's Tomb**: ₹600 for foreign visitors, open every day from sunrise to sunset.

### Qutub Minar

- **Hint**: Closest big sight by road (estimate)
- **Layover**: 6 hours or more
- **Cost**: $
- **Ride**: Prepaid taxi or app cab, about 50 minutes there; leave town 2 hours 30 minutes before your flight

1. **Qutub Minar complex**: ₹600 in cash or ₹550 online for foreign visitors, children under 15 free; open every day from sunrise to 8pm.

### The Red Fort and Chandni Chowk by metro

- **Hint**: Old Delhi by metro
- **Layover**: 6.5 hours or more
- **Cost**: $
- **Ride**: Airport Express, about 40 minutes there; leave town 2 hours 15 minutes before your flight

1. **Red Fort**: Yellow Line one stop from New Delhi to Chandni Chowk, then a walk: about 25 minutes. ₹600 in cash or ₹550 online; open every day, Mondays included, from sunrise to sunset.
2. **Chandni Chowk**: Walk back along Old Delhi's main market street and stop for a snack, then take the Yellow Line one stop to New Delhi.
3. **New Delhi station**

### Humayun's Tomb and the Lotus Temple

- **Hint**: Two sights, one cab zone
- **Layover**: 7.5 hours or more · Tue to Sun
- **Cost**: $
- **Ride**: Prepaid taxi or app cab, about 50 minutes there; leave town 2 hours 30 minutes before your flight

1. **Humayun's Tomb**: ₹600 for foreign visitors, open every day from sunrise to sunset.
2. **Lotus Temple**: About 20 minutes by cab from the tomb. Free, 9am to 5pm, closed on Mondays; no large bags.

### Old and New Delhi in a day

- **Hint**: The highlights in one go
- **Layover**: 9.5 hours or more
- **Cost**: $$
- **Ride**: Prepaid taxi or app cab, about 50 minutes there; leave town 2 hours 30 minutes before your flight

1. **Red Fort**: ₹600 in cash or ₹550 online, open from sunrise; then lunch in Chandni Chowk.
2. **Humayun's Tomb**: About 30 minutes by cab from Old Delhi; ₹600, open to sunset.
3. **India Gate and Kartavya Path**: Free, open morning to night, so it can come last; then a cab back to the airport.

### Rest at the airport, then Humayun's Tomb at opening

- **Hint**: For night arrivals
- **Layover**: 10 hours or more · overnight
- **Cost**: $
- **Night**: rest near the airport, then head in for the morning
- **Ride**: Prepaid taxi or app cab, about 50 minutes there; leave town 2 hours 30 minutes before your flight

1. **Humayun's Tomb**: Opens at sunrise, about 7am in winter; ₹600 for foreign visitors, every day. Take a cab from the airport or Aerocity about 50 minutes before.

### Holiday Inn Express transit hotel, Terminal 3

- **Hint**: No Indian visa needed
- **Where**: Airside

- **Holiday Inn Express transit hotel, Terminal 3 international wing**: Cabins for 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 or 24 hours, for passengers flying on from Terminal 3, with no Indian visa. Bring your onward boarding pass; your bags must be checked through. Prices aren't published.

### Encalm Privé lounge, Terminal 3 departures

- **Hint**: Showers, sleeping pods and nap rooms
- **Where**: Airside
- **Cost**: $$

- **Encalm Privé, Terminal 3 international departures, level 3**: Past security. ₹5,150 for 2 hours, walk-in (seen November 2026), with showers, sleeping pods and nap rooms.

### Nap and Shower, Terminal 3 Arrivals

- **Hint**: A cabin or a shower after immigration
- **Where**: Landside · needs India entry
- **Cost**: $$

- **Nap and Shower by Encalm, Terminal 3 Arrivals, Meet and Greet area**: In arrivals, after immigration, so you need a visa. 3 hours ₹5,000 single or ₹6,000 double, 6 hours ₹8,500 or ₹9,500, a 30-minute shower ₹1,050 (seen November 2026).

### Hotels at Aerocity, landside

- **Hint**: Needs an Indian visa
- **Where**: Landside · needs India entry

- **Novotel, Pullman, Roseate House and Andaz Delhi, Aerocity**: Landside, 3 to 4.5 km from Terminal 3, so you need an Indian visa. A short cab ride, or the Airport Express one stop to Delhi Aerocity (₹21).

## At a glance

- **Airport**: Delhi (DEL); every international flight uses Terminal 3
- **Airport Express to New Delhi**: About 25 min, ₹64
- **Last train back**: 11:30pm from New Delhi; matters only for flights after about 1:45am
- **Minimum to leave**: 6 hours, with an Indian visa already approved
- **Be back**: 90 minutes before departure, boarding pass and passport in hand
- **Sleep airside**: Holiday Inn Express transit hotel, 1 to 24 hours, no Indian visa
- **Currency**: Indian rupee (₹)
- **Don't forget**: e-Visa at least 4 days ahead; free e-Arrival card in the 72 hours before landing

## Arrivals

A Delhi layover is worth leaving the airport for from about 6 hours, but only if you have an Indian visa before you fly.

Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) is on the southwest edge of Delhi, about 25 minutes from New Delhi station on the Airport Express metro. Every international flight uses Terminal 3, and the metro station is in a building beside it.

- **Bags.** When you check in for your first flight, ask whether your bags can stay checked through to your final destination if you leave the airport at Delhi. If they can't, or you're on separate tickets, collect them at the belt and leave them at the cloakroom in the metro building at Terminal 3: open 24 hours, from ₹150 for 2 hours.
- **Tickets.** For the Airport Express, buy a QR ticket at the machines in the station: ₹64 to New Delhi. Change a little money at an exchange counter in Terminal 3 first, in case the machine won't take your card.
- **Phone.** The airport's Wi-Fi is free, but without an Indian number you sign in by showing your passport at an information desk or kiosk. An eSIM set up before you fly keeps maps and Uber working in town.

Left luggage, showers and rooms: [at the airport](https://delhilayover.com/airport/).

## Border

Almost nobody can leave Delhi airport without a visa arranged in advance, but changing between international flights needs none.

- **US, UK, EU, Canadian and Australian passports.** All need a visa: India has no visa-free entry for them. Apply for the e-Visa on the Indian government's site, indianvisaonline.gov.in, at least 4 days before you land, and a week ahead if you can: you can't get one at the airport. The 30-day e-Tourist visa costs US$25 for most passports (US$10 from April to June), plus a 3% bank charge.
- **Japanese and South Korean passports** can get a visa on arrival at Delhi for ₹2,000.
- **Indian passports** need nothing: you're entering your own country. OCI cardholders travel on their OCI card, with no visa.
- **The e-Arrival card.** Every foreign passport holder, OCI cardholders included, fills in India's free e-Arrival card online in the 72 hours before landing, on indianvisaonline.gov.in or the Indian Visa Su-Swagatam app. It isn't a visa.
- **Staying airside.** Changing between international flights, you stay inside Terminal 3: follow the orange transfer signs, go through security again, and you need no Indian visa and no arrival card.
- **Time.** Delhi publishes no arrival queue times, so allow about an hour from landing to the Airport Express. A slow queue costs you time in town, not your flight: the time you must head back stays the same.

Who needs which visa: [visa and transit rules](https://delhilayover.com/visa-and-transit/).

## Into Delhi

The Airport Express is the way in for the Red Fort, about 25 minutes to New Delhi station for ₹64; for the other sights, take a cab.

| Ride | Into town | Fare |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Airport Express, for Old Delhi | About 25 minutes to New Delhi station, then one metro stop to Chandni Chowk | ₹64 |
| Prepaid taxi | About 50 minutes to the centre, longer at rush hour (our estimate) | Fixed at the booth before you ride |
| Uber or Ola | As a taxi | Shown in the app |

After customs, follow the signs to the metro. Trains into town start at about 5am (the first leaves Dwarka Sector 21, one stop before the airport, at 4:45am), and the last train back leaves New Delhi at 11:30pm. Taxis and app cabs pick up on Level 0 of the multi-level car park at Terminal 3, not at the kerb, and run all night.

Every way in, compared: [getting into the city](https://delhilayover.com/getting-to-the-city/).

## What to do

The Airport Express and one metro stop reach the Red Fort in Old Delhi; Humayun's Tomb, Qutub Minar and India Gate are simplest by cab.

### The fastest plan for a short layover

1. Take a prepaid taxi or an Uber from Level 0 of the car park at Terminal 3.
2. Ride about 50 minutes to **India Gate**, the war memorial arch at the end of Kartavya Path (our estimate; longer at rush hour).
3. Walk round India Gate and along Kartavya Path for about an hour. It's free, and open morning to night every day.
4. Take a cab back 2.5 hours before your flight.

It needs about 6 hours, which gives you about an hour and a half in town. With the same time, Humayun's Tomb (₹600) works too, by daylight.

Would you rather have a guide? No airline or tourist board runs a transit tour from Delhi, but GetYourGuide and Viator list private layover tours that pick you up at the airport. Viator's start from about US$35 (seen November 2026). You still need an Indian visa for a tour.

### Watch the calendar

- **Mondays.** The Lotus Temple and Akshardham are closed. The Red Fort is now open on Mondays too, since 16 February 2026.
- **Daylight.** Humayun's Tomb and the Red Fort are open from sunrise to sunset, which is as early as about 5:30pm in winter. For a late-afternoon landing, India Gate, open into the night, and Qutub Minar, open to 8pm, are the plans that still work.
- **Republic Day and Independence Day.** The Republic Day parade on 26 January runs along Kartavya Path to India Gate, and the Independence Day ceremony on 15 August is at the Red Fort. Security is tight around both, and the sights can be closed: check before you go.
- **Air quality.** Delhi's air is often hazy, usually worst from late autumn into winter. Check the air quality index (AQI) on the day: on India's scale, 301 to 400 is "Very poor" and above 400 "Severe". On a severe day, resting at the airport may be the better plan.

Timed plans from 6 to 24 hours, including Humayun's Tomb with the Lotus Temple, Old and New Delhi in a day, and a plan for night arrivals: [itineraries](https://delhilayover.com/itineraries/).

## Head back

Be back at Delhi airport 90 minutes before departure, with your onward boarding pass and your passport.

- **Time.** Leave New Delhi station 2 hours 15 minutes before your flight, or a sight by cab 2.5 hours before: that covers the wait for a train or the traffic, the ride, and 90 minutes at the airport. That makes **6 hours** the realistic minimum, with about 2 hours in town (1.5 by cab); 8 hours gives about 4.
- **The terminal door.** Guards at the door let in only passengers with a ticket, from about 6 hours before an international flight. Show your boarding pass or e-ticket, on paper or on your phone, with your passport and visa, so keep them on you, not in a bag.
- **Why 90 minutes is enough.** With your boarding pass already issued and no bag to drop, you only need departure immigration and security. The airport's website shows live queue times for both, so check them on the way back. Its advice to arrive 3 hours early is for check-in. If you still need to check in or drop a bag, come back earlier: Air India's international counters close 75 minutes before departure.
- **Late at night.** The last Airport Express leaves New Delhi at 11:30pm, and it only matters for a flight after about 1:45am. After that, a prepaid taxi or an app cab takes about 45 minutes at night (our estimate).

Time in town at each layover length: [how much time you'll have](https://delhilayover.com/getting-to-the-city/#timing-your-return).

## Departures

Staying at the airport instead: without a visa, you can rest inside Terminal 3, in a transit hotel or a lounge.

- **Holiday Inn Express transit hotel.** Cabins inside Terminal 3 for 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 or 24 hours, for passengers flying on from Terminal 3. Its international wing needs no Indian visa, only your onward boarding pass and bags checked through, and once you've checked in you can't leave the airport. It doesn't publish its prices.
- **Encalm Privé.** A lounge in international departures, on level 3, with showers, sleeping pods and nap rooms: ₹5,150 for 2 hours, walk-in (seen November 2026). Encalm's main international lounge costs ₹4,150.
- **Nap and Shower.** Cabins in Terminal 3 arrivals, after immigration, so only with a visa: ₹5,000 for 3 hours or ₹8,500 for 6, or a 30-minute shower for ₹1,050 (seen November 2026).
- **No free hotel.** Neither Air India nor the airport offers a free transit hotel or stopover for Delhi.

Rooms, lounges and showers: [at the airport](https://delhilayover.com/airport/).

## Questions people ask

### Can I leave Delhi airport during a layover?

Yes, if you have an Indian visa before you fly and about 6 hours. US, UK, EU, Canadian and Australian passports all need one: the e-Visa, applied for online at least 4 days before you land, and better a week. Only Japanese and South Korean passports can get a visa on arrival. Without a visa, stay inside Terminal 3: changing between international flights needs no Indian visa.

### How long a layover do I need to see Delhi?

About 6 hours, with an Indian visa. Allow an hour to get through immigration, about 50 minutes by cab into town and an hour back, and 90 minutes at the airport before your flight: that leaves about an hour and a half at India Gate. With 8 hours you'll have about 4 hours in town on the Airport Express, or half an hour less by cab.

### What time is the last train back to Delhi airport?

11:30pm from New Delhi station, on the Airport Express. Few layovers need it: you leave New Delhi 2 hours 15 minutes before your flight, so it only matters for a flight after about 1:45am. If you're relying on it, check the time with the Delhi Metro on the day; if you miss it, a prepaid taxi or an app cab runs all night and takes about 45 minutes (our estimate).

### Can I sleep at Delhi airport?

Yes, without an Indian visa. The Holiday Inn Express transit hotel inside 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 nap rooms, at ₹5,150 for 2 hours (seen November 2026).

### Is there a free hotel for a long layover at Delhi airport?

Not one you can book. Neither Air India nor the airport offers a free transit hotel or stopover for Delhi. The Holiday Inn Express transit hotel inside Terminal 3 is paid, by the hour, and needs no Indian visa.

## Sources (checked 8 November 2026)

- [Delhi Airport: Airport Express metro, first and last trains (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://www.newdelhiairport.in/to-and-from-airport/metro/)
- [Delhi Metro Rail Corporation: revised last train timings (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://delhimetrorail.com/pages/en/delhi-metro-revised-last-train-timings)
- [Delhi Metro Rail Corporation: Airport Express fares (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://delhimetrorail.com/fare-for-airport-express-line)
- [Delhi Airport: cabs and taxis (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.newdelhiairport.in/to-and-from-airport/cab-or-taxi/)
- [Delhi Airport: international to international transfers (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://www.newdelhiairport.in/international-to-international/)
- [Delhi Airport: layovers (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.newdelhiairport.in/layovers/)
- [Delhi Airport: check-in and terminal access (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.newdelhiairport.in/check-in/)
- [Delhi Airport: FAQ (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.newdelhiairport.in/faq/)
- [Delhi Airport: live departure wait times (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.newdelhiairport.in/wait-time/departure/)
- [Government of India: e-Visa (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/)
- [Government of India: visa on arrival (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/visa-on-arrival.html)
- [Government of India: e-Arrival card (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival/)
- [Delhi Airport: security and baggage (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.newdelhiairport.in/security-baggage/)
- [Delhi Airport: free Wi-Fi (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.newdelhiairport.in/wifi/)
- [Encalm: Privé lounge (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://encalm.com/services/encalmprive)
- [Commission for Air Quality Management: GRAP schedule (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://caqm.nic.in/FileUploadDomain/WebsiteDocument/GRAP/GRAP%20Schedule/01fcdebf-83e1-4cfe-bc0c-d0b1470a4d4e.pdf)
- [High Commission of India, London: transit visa (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://www.hcilondon.gov.in/page/transit-visa/)
- [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)
- [Delhi Airport: cloakroom (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.newdelhiairport.in/cloak-room/)
- [Air India: Delhi airport information (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://www.airindia.com/in/en/travel-information/airport-information/delhi.html)
- [Archaeological Survey of India: Red Fort (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://asi.nic.in/pages/WorldHeritageRedFort)
- [Economic Times (PTI): Red Fort open on all days, ASI order of 13 Feb 2026 (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://m.economictimes.com/news/india/red-fort-to-remain-open-on-all-days-of-week-asi/articleshow/128643146.cms)
- [Delhi Tourism: Humayun's Tomb (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://delhitourism.gov.in/tourist_place/humayun_tomb.html)
- [Delhi Tourism: India Gate (checked 8 Nov 2026)](https://delhitourism.gov.in/tourist_place/india_gate.html)
- [Archaeological Survey of India: Qutub Minar (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://asi.nic.in/pages/WorldHeritageQutbMinar)
- [Bahá'í House of Worship, Delhi: plan a visit (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://bahaihouseofworship.in/plan-a-visit/)
- [Akshardham: visitor information (checked 10 Nov 2026)](https://akshardham.com/visitor-info/)
- [Viator: New Delhi layover tours (checked 9 Nov 2026)](https://www.viator.com/New-Delhi-tours/Layover-Tours/d804-g12-c32046)