Delhi

Seventeenth-century Mughal fort with grand halls and gardens, symbolically central to Independence Day. Closed Mondays.

War memorial arch with lawns and gardens, lively at dusk and lit up at night.

Soaring thirteenth-century victory tower of red sandstone, with ancient ruins and an iron pillar.

Garden tomb that inspired later Mughal monuments, restored and beautifully lit in the afternoon.

Lotus-shaped Baha'i house of worship set in gardens, open to people of all faiths.

Modern complex of carved stone, with exhibitions and an evening water show. Phones and bags are stored outside.

India's largest mosque, with towering minarets and views over Old Delhi. Dress modestly.

Fourteenth-century reservoir and madrasa ruins beside a district of cafes and boutiques.

Atmospheric stepwell hidden among tall buildings in Connaught Place's neighbourhood.

Wooded park scattered with tombs, mosques and stepwells from a thousand years of rulers.

Peaceful garden of fifteenth-century tombs where Delhiites jog, picnic and stroll.

Restored Mughal-era garden complex with lakes, bird habitats and a calm picnic spot.

Eat your way through an old-city lane of parathas, chaat, kebabs and sweets with a local guide.

Century-old alley of stuffed-paratha shops, eaten with chutneys and pickles.

Open-air market of regional handicrafts and food stalls, with fair prices from artisans.

Join the free community meal served to everyone at a Sikh temple. Cover your head and remove shoes.

Devotional Sufi music sung beside the Nizamuddin shrine on Thursday evenings, a moving local custom.

Fourteenth-century fort complex with an Ashokan pillar and a legend of wishing jinn.

Vast ruined fortress with huge walls, tunnels and sweeping views, almost deserted.

Fourteenth-century mosque with unusual covered courtyard and latticed windows, hidden in a busy neighbourhood.

Thirteenth-century stepwell in Mehrauli Park, quiet and shady, once used to cool pilgrims.