Delhi Hotels & Resorts

Exploring Chandni Chowk by night gives you a chance to understand the real spirit of Delhi. At night, it’s less crowded so there’s more opportunity to engage with locals and after sunset, Chandni Chowk glows and glitters with store lights. There’s a maze of different streets to discover that specialise in everything from silver and spices to saris and glass bangles. If you want to buy something, you guide will help you haggle, which is a ritual in Old Delhi. The highlight of the trip is trying some of the local food.

Exploring Chandni Chowk by night gives you a chance to understand the real spirit of Delhi. It’s like a movie unfolding around you, a whirl of architecture and food, history and business. At night, it’s less crowded so there’s more opportunity to engage with locals and after sunset, Chandni Chowk glows and glitters with store lights. There’s a maze of different streets to discover that specialise in everything from silver and spices to saris and glass bangles. If you want to buy something, you guide will help you haggle, which is a ritual in Old Delhi.

The tour starts at around 5.30pm exploring on foot, as your guide explains the evolution of Old Delhi. You’ll see various businesses and have the opportunity to sit with people and hear about their lives. You might meet the ear-cleaning-man, who wears a red hat and carries tools to remove wax from people’s ears – it’s a great photo opportunity as is the chai vendors swirling tea in their metal pans. As you walk, your guide will point out religious landmarks like the Sunehri Masjid and Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, a Sikh temple with a community kitchen.

The highlight of the trip though is always the food. You will have dinner at Karim’s (guest to pay directly), a restaurant that serves Mughlai cuisine. It was set up in the 1940s by Karim, a chef who served in the kitchen of a Mughal emperor and wanted to introduce this food to ordinary people. The dishes have a Persian influence and include lots of bread and kormas, all cooked in an open kitchen. Afterwards, wander around the street food area where you can sample desserts like bread pudding and mango ice cream. You’ll get to try everything from samosas to chai – food is a very important part of experiencing Old Delhi.

Let me show you my Delhi – along the way, you’ll meet the locals and discover that everyone has a story to tell…By Dhruv Gupta Founder of Masterji Kee Haveli, Alfred&'s partner in India

Let me show you around the Sitaram Bazar in Old Delhi, where I’ll introduce you to the people, monuments and food that make our city so special. My family is one of the oldest in this part of Delhi – I’m the fifth generation – and I’ve been leading these tours for 10 years now. I believe people today want to connect with local culture when they travel and that’s exactly why I created this tour. It’s a great introduction to Delhi and is also inspired by my passion for food; in my past career I set up the catering department for Japan Airlines.

The half-day trip is flexible and can be tailored to your specific interests, be it photography or history. It’s a personal experience that feels more like a friend showing you around. After meeting at the Chawri Bazar metro station, I take guests to a breakfast place where they make their own bread because if the stomach is happy, everyone is happy! We usually visit a temple next and then wander the back alleys of the bazar, stopping at hidden terraces where you get amazing views over Delhi. There’s also a chance to take a rickshaw ride and visit some architectural treasures.

People enjoy spending time at Asia’s largest wholesale spice market and sampling street food favourites like samosas and pav bhaji. Along the way, you’ll meet the people of Old Delhi and quickly discover that everyone has a story to tell. We finish with a big vegetarian meal at my haveli, which is an oasis in Delhi. This is the highlight of the whole experience; guests love sitting together, chatting and making friends. I had a guest recently who told me: “If my trip ends today, I’m happy,” which is the best compliment I can imagine.