As well as being a starting-point for visiting Agra, the home of the Taj Mahal, or the cities and forts of Rajasthan, Delhi itself has much to offer. The architectural legacy of the Islamic conquerors is rich and varied, the colonial centre is imposingly impressive; there are some interesting museums and the city's bazaars and shops offer a bewildering array of goods, from spices and silks to car spare parts. The city’s restaurants tempt the visitor with a wide variety of delicious food, which by Western standards is mostly very reasonably priced.

The best-known sights are the two buildings that dominate Old Delhi, the Red Fort and Jama Masjid. A stroll through the chaotic, raucous, smelly alleyways of the Old City (also known as Shahjahanabad, after the 17th-century Mughal emperor who built it) is a fascinating experience. The bazaars of Chandni Chowk are a riot of colorful exoticism and frenetic activity. The Old City is decaying rapidly but it is still possible to glimpse a mosque here or the courtyard of a proud old townhouse there, hidden behind a shop front.

To the south of Old Delhi and in complete contrast to it, is Rajpath and the buildings on Raisina Hill (Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Secretariat) which form the centrepiece of British New Delhi. After the clamor of the Old City, the calm elegance and baroque vistas of this most splendidly laid-out scheme is a welcome relief. Between Old Delhi and Rajpath is Connaught Place, the arcaded bull’s eye of New Delhi, where shops, banks, bars, restaurants, and hotels tout loudly for business. Heading south once more, through the leafy enclaves of New Delhi (which have an allure all of their own, as they are spacious, shady and lusciously green), the visitor will find the bulk of the ancient monuments of medieval Delhi. Humayun's Tomb and the Lodhi Gardens are readily accessible from the centre of the city. The Qutb Minar complex, the vast and formidable Tughluqabad and the remains at Haus Khaz are located deeper in the southern suburbs.

Delhi has a long way to go to compete with Mumbai as the capital of Indian nightlife. In Delhi, it is notoriously difficult to obtain an alcohol license and many of the swishiest watering holes and nightclubs are in the five-star international hotels - with prices to match. Apart from these hotels, the watering holes of Delhi are concentrated around Connaught Place, with various outposts in the more prosperous southern suburbs. Wine in Delhi is expensive and frequently of indifferent quality - those who wish to drink would be well advised to stick to beer, spirits or cocktails.