01India's capital, population 34 million (metro), built over the ruins of seven historical cities from the Tomars (736 AD) through the Delhi Sultanate, Mughals, and the British Raj capital Lutyens' New Delhi (1911–1931).
02Layered: Qutub Minar complex (1192, UNESCO), Humayun's Tomb (1570, UNESCO — the prototype for the Taj Mahal), Red Fort (1648, UNESCO), and Edwin Lutyens' Rashtrapati Bhavan (1929, 340 rooms).
Culture & flavour
How it feels, how it tastes
The mood
Punjabi + Mughal + South Indian government layers.
Old Delhi's Chandni Chowk vs New Delhi's Lutyens' bungalows are two different worlds.
On the plate
Butter chicken (invented here 1948 at Moti Mahal), dal makhani, kebabs at Karim's (since 1913), tandoori at Bukhara (35 years unchanged menu).
Fine dining: Indian Accent (world's best Indian restaurant, 4× on Asia's 50 Best), Comorin, Dum Pukht.
02The Oberoi, New Delhi — golf-course-facing rebuild (2018), Vetro rooftop bar
03The Leela Palace New Delhi — Lutyens'-style palace, Le Cirque
04Taj Mahal, New Delhi — since 1978, Wasabi by Morimoto
05ITC Maurya — Bukhara, the world's most-awarded Indian restaurant
Signature moments
Frame these
Humayun's Tomb at 7:00 AM (golden light, empty)Lodhi Gardens (700-year-old tombs among joggers)Jama Masjid rooftop over Old DelhiIndia Gate at 6:30 PM (lit up)Rashtrapati Bhavan gates on Rajpath
Souvenirs & swerves
Bring home / Skip the rest
Bring home
Pashmina from Kashmir Loom, silver from Amrapali, contemporary art from Devi Art Foundation.
Politely skip
Old Delhi street food unless we advise the specific stall.
Peak-hour Chandni Chowk (crowds) — go by rickshaw at 8:00 AM.
Traveller notes
Insider details
Safety & discretion
Very safe for luxury travellers. Private transfers and vetted guides accompany every part of the journey.
On the ground
Multiple daily connections into Delhi via Dubai, Doha & Istanbul.
Multilingual city guides are widely available.
Book Bukhara and Indian Accent 30+ days ahead.
Did you know
Trivia worth telling
01Delhi has been the capital of an empire 7 different times over 1,200 years.
02Humayun's Tomb (1570) was the architectural prototype for the Taj Mahal.
03The Qutub Minar (1192) is 72.5m tall — the world's tallest brick minaret.
04Lutyens' Delhi's bungalow zone has ~1,000 heritage bungalows on 2,800 acres — worth an estimated $50 billion.
05Indira Gandhi International handles 70+ million passengers a year — Asia's 3rd busiest.
Elevate the trip
Optional flourishes
Private after-hours Humayun's Tomb visit Chef's table at Indian Accent with tasting menu Vintage-Ambassador tour of Lutyens' Delhi Private old-city rickshaw walk at dawn with a historian Bukhara private dining room dinner
India Tour, by the numbers
1:1
Guest to concierge ratio
24/7
Destination manager
05
Curated stays
Ready to travel?
Turn this guide into a private journey.
Every India Tour experience is built around a single family, couple or party — never a group. Our signature Delhi journey combines these highlights into one seamless, chauffeur-driven itinerary.
