TWO DAYS IN DELHI
Every year I plan a trip over the winter holidays to spend the new year in another country. The past few years I’ve celebrated in Cuba, Vietnam and Thailand! This year, I decided to travel to India with my boyfriend, Daniel.
THIS IS MY FIRST INDIA POST, AND I'M SHARING WITH YOU WHAT TO SEE IN DELHI IN TWO DAYS.
South Asia is the perfect destination to visit during winter because it is still warm but not as extreme as the sweltering heat of summer and the monsoon season is over. Also, I luckily have two weeks of vacation during the last two weeks of the year. Considering it takes 20+ hours to get to India, it made sense to spend these two weeks exploring as much as I could.
So, why did I choose to go to India? It started as my boyfriend’s idea but as soon as I did a bit of research, I was determined to go. I always wanted to see the Taj Mahal, but after reading about such amazing cities and destinations such as Jaipur, the pink city, Jodhpur, the blue city, and the gorgeous beaches of Goa, I couldn't wait to plan our itinerary.
I set out on this India trip to learn about its rich and complex history, see the sights and monuments, and lay on the beach...but while I was there, I soon realized that I fell in love with the country for a reason that wasn't on my to do list. India offers everything an adventurous traveler is looking for, but it is the people and culture that transformed my view of the country. It’s hard to explain in words how this country makes you feel so I strongly recommend visiting yourself, but I'll share this quote from Shantaram
“This is India. This is the land of the heart. This is where the heart is king. That’s how we keep this crazy place together - with the heart. Two hundred languages, and a billion people. India is the heart. It’s the heart that keeps us together. There’s no place like India. There’s no heart like the Indian heart.”
This is my very first post from my adventure throughout India, starting at the beginning with a two day itinerary on what to see in Delhi. I’ll also share where to stay, Two Blue Passports insider tips, and a map of my favorite spots. I hope this post inspires you to plan your own successful trip!
xxA
The Hayat Bakhsh Bagh inside the Red Fort in Delhi.
QUICK LINKS
1. ITINERARY AT A GLANCE
2. WHAT TO SEE BY DAY
3. WHERE TO STAY
4. TBP INSIDER TIPS
5. TBP MAP OF DELHI
One of the many reasons Indian food is so spicy.
ITINERARY AT A GLANCE
We started our India adventure in New Delhi, the capital city located in the North, and spent two full days there. On our third day, we continued to the western state of Rajasthan and then eventually ventured south to Goa and Kerala. If you aren’t sure where these places are, don't worry, I’ll have blog posts linked to the itinerary below very soon. India is a huge country and early on during our planning we had to accept that we couldn’t see everything. We chose a mix of history and culture, beaches and relaxation, all while prioritizing the best Indian food we could find.
WEEK 1: DELHI & RAJASTHAN
WEEK 2: GOA & KERALA
The prettiest blue doorway in Delhi.
WHAT TO SEE BY DAY
Day 1: See the sights! I’ll admit this was a long day, but with only 2 days to explore we wanted to see as much as possible. We arranged for a driver who stayed with us during the first half of our trip and I recommend doing the same as driving through the streets of Delhi can be chaotic. Our flight got us into the city at 4am local time so we spent the early morning exploring the Hauz Kauz neighborhood near our Airbnb and asked our driver to pick us up around 10 AM. Here’s the itinerary for Day 1 in Delhi.
+Start your morning with a cup of coffee and breakfast at your Airbnb. Unlike in the states, many of the Airbnb's in India are actually homestays and include a home cooked traditional Indian breakfast. If you’re lucky enough to book our recommendation in Hauz Kauz Village, you can enjoy your free breakfast while watching the sun rise over Hauz Kauz Lake.
+Take a stroll through the Hauz Kauz Complex just at the edge of the main street in Hauz Kauz Village. The complex dates back to the 13th century and was a part of the second medieval city of India, called Siri (not to be confused with your favorite Apple virtual assistant). This was during the time of the Muslim Sultanate that lasted from 1206 - 1526.
The ruins of the Hauz Kauz complex are very unique compared to other monuments I visited later on the trip. They are not as colorful or decorated as they represent a much older time period and are slightly off the beaten path so are less touristy. My favorite area in the complex was the domed tombs that are said to hold Muslim royalty from the 14th-16th centuries. We spent about an hour exploring this area and then met our driver around 10 AM to venture off into Old Delhi.
Fun fact: In 1236, Razia Sultana took the throne as the first and only female ruler of the Delhi Sultanate and is one of only a few female rulers throughout all of Islamic history. #GirlBoss
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