Unusual Things To Do In Delhi

Last updated: 22 October 2026. Fees and hours were checked against official pages where one exists. 

Most first trips to Delhi follow the same loop: the Red Fort, Qutub Minar, India Gate, then a lot of traffic. The unusual things to do in Delhi sit outside that loop, and many of them depend on a day or an hour. Qawwali at a Sufi shrine is best on a Thursday evening. The guard change at Rashtrapati Bhavan happens on Saturday mornings. A second-hand book market appears only on Sundays. Arrive on the wrong day and you find an empty lane.

This guide covers 15 offbeat places and experiences, with the timings, nearest metro stops and local rules that decide whether a visit works. Where sources disagree on a fee or an opening hour, we say so instead of picking one.

Which unusual things to do in Delhi suit your trip?

These unique things to do in Delhi suit different moods, so pick by what you enjoy, then check the day.

Plan around the day of the week

Several stops only work on one day. Use this table first, then group the rest by area.

Unusual things to do in Delhi on a Thursday

Thursday is the strongest day on this list. Start at Agrasen ki Baoli when it opens at 9, head to Feroz Shah Kotla in the afternoon, and finish at Nizamuddin Dargah for Maghrib. The stops run from central Delhi towards the south-east, so you never double back. Leave generous gaps between them, because Delhi traffic changes the timing hour by hour.

Rituals, music and ceremonies

1. Listen to qawwali at Nizamuddin Dargah

Qawwali is sung at Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah in the evenings after the Maghrib prayer, and Thursday is the busiest night. Arrive a little before Maghrib so you can find a place to sit once the singing starts. Dress modestly, cover your head and expect to leave your shoes at the entrance. Ask before photographing anyone, since this is an active shrine.

2. Leave a letter for the djinns at Feroz Shah Kotla

Feroz Shah Kotla is a ruined fort that Feroz Shah Tughlaq built in 1354 as part of his new city of Firozabad. On Thursdays, people light lamps and incense and leave letters addressed to the djinns they believe live in the ruins. The ASI has sold tickets for entry since 2022, and reports put the Indian ticket at ₹25. Foreign rates are not confirmed, so check at the gate. For many visitors this is worship, not sightseeing, so keep photos respectful and remove your shoes where asked. Delhi Gate is the nearest metro station.

3. Watch the Changing of the Guard at Rashtrapati Bhavan

The ceremony runs on Saturdays, and the booking page gives 7:30 to 8:30 am from 10 October 2026. Registration costs ₹50 per visitor and is paid online at visit.rashtrapatibhavan.gov.in. Carry photo ID. Entry opens 40 minutes before the ceremony and closes 15 minutes before it, so a late arrival means a closed gate. Some Saturdays are cancelled, for example 1 and 8 August 2026 for Independence Day rehearsals, and 3 October, so check the President’s Secretariat notices before you leave.

Old Delhi, off the usual route

4. Walk through the Khari Baoli spice market

Khari Baoli, near Fatehpuri Masjid at the western end of Chandni Chowk, is often described as Asia’s largest wholesale spice market. Atlas Obscura lists a rooftop here as a viewpoint, but we found no public access arrangement, so treat the view as a bonus, not a plan. Go in the morning, cover your nose against chilli dust and step aside quickly when porters carry sacks through the lane. If you plan to buy spices, ask for a sample first and keep cash handy.

5. Browse the Sunday book market near Delhi Gate

On Sundays, second-hand book sellers set up at Mahila Haat, reached from Delhi Gate metro on the Violet Line. Arab News counts more than 300 of them. The market moved there from the Daryaganj pavement in 2019 after a Delhi High Court order, so older directions will take you to the wrong place. Homegrown reports a few titles going for as little as ₹20, but treat that as a lucky find, not a standard price. Go early, wear comfortable shoes and watch your pockets in the crowd.

Hidden gems in Delhi for history lovers

These lesser-known places in Delhi sit outside the standard sightseeing circuit and reward a slower pace.

6. Climb down Agrasen ki Baoli

This protected stepwell sits in the lanes off Hailey Road near Connaught Place. It is about 60 metres long and 15 metres wide, with roughly 100 steps. Delhi Tourism lists it as open daily from 9 am to 5:30 pm and names Mandi House (Blue Line) and Janpath (Yellow Line) as the nearest metro stations. It gives no entry fee, and most guides call the visit free. Local legend calls the place haunted, which is folklore rather than documented fact.

7. Explore Mehrauli Archaeological Park

Mehrauli Archaeological Park covers about 200 acres beside the Qutub Minar complex, and counts of its monuments run from dozens to more than 100 depending on the source. Entry is ticketed. DDA raised the domestic ticket from ₹30 to ₹50 in December 2024, and a May 2026 directive reportedly waives the fee until 10 am, so ask at the gate. A popular route runs from the Jamali Kamali mosque and tomb past Balban’s Tomb to Rajon ki Baoli, a stepwell dated to 1506, and takes about two hours at an easy pace. Qutub Minar is the usual metro stop. Carry water and expect monkeys.

8. See Tughlaqabad Fort

The Tughlaq dynasty built this huge ruined fort in south Delhi in the 14th century. The Travelling Slacker points to nilgai grazing near the fort and to nearby Adilabad Fort as an easy add-on. Wear shoes with grip, carry water and visit in daylight. Check hours and the ticket price before you go.

9. Visit Sunder Nursery and Sunderwala Burj

Sunder Nursery is a 90-acre heritage park beside Humayun’s Tomb, with historic monuments inside its grounds. Atlas Obscura lists Sunderwala Burj, a 16th-century necropolis in the complex, as a conservation success, and Tripadvisor includes the park among Delhi’s hidden gems. Delhi Tourism lists it as open daily from sunrise to sunset, with Jangpura (Violet Line) as the nearest metro station. Fees differ between sources, so check before you go. It pairs well with Humayun’s Tomb for a half day.

Art, museums and quirky cafes

10. Walk the Lodhi Art District

The St+art India Foundation began this open-air art district in 2015 with government support, and more than 50 murals now cover residential blocks in Lodhi Colony. Most sit between Meherchand Market and Khanna Market. There is no single official map, so use the map St+art publishes or join one of its guided walks, which have started at India Habitat Centre Gate 3. One local blogger says seeing every mural takes most of a day, so pick a cluster. Lodhi Garden is about ten minutes away on foot.

11. Tour the Sulabh International Museum of Toilets

The Sulabh International Museum of Toilets, on Palam Dabri Road in Mahavir Enclave, traces the history of toilets around the world. Delhi Tourism lists it as open from 10 am to 5 pm and closed on Sundays, while other guides give longer hours and some open on Sundays. Go on a weekday. Guides report free entry. It is in West Delhi, far from Old Delhi, so treat it as its own stop.

12. Sit in the Kunzum Travel Cafe in Hauz Khas Village

Kunzum is a travel-themed book and cafe space in Hauz Khas Village. Its own site lists the outlet (T49) as open daily from 11 am to 7:30 pm, with Green Park as the nearest metro station and an auto ride from there. Expect about six steps up from the street and no ramp.

13. Have lunch at Cafe Lota

Cafe Lota sits inside the National Crafts Museum complex, and Atlas Obscura describes its menu as regional dishes from across India that are hard to find elsewhere. The museum’s contact listing gives the cafe hours as 8 am to 9:30 pm daily, while the galleries open Tuesday to Sunday. The two pair well.

Markets and hands-on experiences

14. Eat momos in Majnu ka Tilla

This Tibetan settlement near Vidhan Sabha metro is known for momos and for gifts that are hard to find elsewhere in the city, according to TravelTriangle and The Broke Backpacker. Carry some cash for smaller stalls.

15. Try a Bollywood dance workshop or an escape room

For something hands-on, Delhi Dance Academy lists a two-hour Bollywood workshop on Tripadvisor for individuals, couples and groups of up to 15. Escape rooms such as Mystery Rooms run one-hour puzzle sessions for small teams, according to Splashit. Book with the provider and confirm the price first.

Entry, timing and metro at a glance

These are the figures we could tie to an official or institutional page. Fees and hours change, so check the evening before you go.

Metro stops that matter: Mandi House or Janpath for Agrasen ki Baoli, Delhi Gate for Feroz Shah Kotla and the Sunday book market, Qutub Minar for Mehrauli, Jangpura for Sunder Nursery, Green Park for Kunzum, and Vidhan Sabha for Majnu ka Tilla.

How to plan your day, step by step

1. Choose your day first, using the weekly table above.
2. Group by area. Old Delhi covers Khari Baoli, the book market and Feroz Shah Kotla. Mehrauli and Tughlaqabad are in south Delhi. Lodhi Colony, Sunder Nursery and Nizamuddin sit in the south-central belt.
3. Book what needs booking. The guard change goes through the official Rashtrapati Bhavan site, and workshops or escape rooms go through the provider.
4. Check hours the evening before for any monument, because sources on this list disagree.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Going on the wrong day. The djinn ritual, the busiest qawwali night and the guard change each belong to one day of the week.
• Following old directions. The book market moved in 2019, and the guard ceremony timing changes during the year.
• Trusting an older guide for a fee. Mehrauli and the guard change both added charges recently, so a blog from before 2025 can be wrong.
• Combining Old Delhi and Mehrauli in one day. They sit at opposite ends of the city, and traffic eats the time.

Pro tips

• Start the Old Delhi stops early, before the crowds and the heat build.
• Wear shoes that come off easily, and carry a scarf or cap for covering your head.
• Use the metro for the Delhi Gate, Mandi House or Janpath, Qutub Minar and Vidhan Sabha stops, then walk or take an auto for the last stretch.
• Save the St+art mural map before you leave.

What has changed on the ground

A few entries here look different from older articles. The Sunday book market left the Daryaganj pavement in 2019. The Rashtrapati Bhavan guard change now runs on Saturdays at 7:30 am, and notices show cancellations on some dates. Mehrauli and the guard change both carry a ₹50 charge now. Kathputli Colony still appears on older lists, but families were moved to a transit camp from 2014 and the redevelopment status is unclear, so we left it out.

Plan these stops with The Delhi Tours

Most of these places are easy to reach by metro, but the rules around timing, dress and crowds add up. A local guide helps when you want to sit through qawwali comfortably, find the right lane in Khari Baoli, or fit three stops into one Thursday. Share your dates and interests through the booking page, and the team can suggest which of these fit your trip. [Add: years in operation, registration details and a support number once confirmed.]

FAQs

What are the most unusual things to do in Delhi?

Good picks include Thursday qawwali at Nizamuddin Dargah, the letters to djinns at Feroz Shah Kotla, the Saturday guard change at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Agrasen ki Baoli, Mehrauli Archaeological Park, the Lodhi Art District murals and the Sunday book market. Each offers something the standard monument circuit does not.

What are some free unusual things to do in Delhi?

Delhi Tourism lists no fee for Agrasen ki Baoli, and most guides call it free. The Lodhi Art District murals are public art you can walk past at no cost. Mehrauli Archaeological Park charges ₹50 to domestic visitors, though a May 2026 directive reportedly waives the fee until 10 am.

Which day is best for offbeat things to do in Delhi?

Thursday gives the most choice, with qawwali at Nizamuddin Dargah and the djinn ritual at Feroz Shah Kotla. Saturday morning suits the Rashtrapati Bhavan guard change, and Sunday morning suits the book market near Delhi Gate. The other places on this list can be visited any day in daylight.

When is the Changing of the Guard at Rashtrapati Bhavan?

The booking site says the ceremony runs from 7:30 to 8:30 am on Saturdays from 10 October 2026. Registration costs ₹50 per visitor. The timing has changed during the year, and some Saturdays are cancelled, so check the President’s Secretariat notices before you travel.

Where is the Delhi Sunday book market now?

It is at Mahila Haat near Delhi Gate, not on the old Daryaganj pavement. A Delhi High Court order moved it in 2019. Take the Violet Line to Delhi Gate metro station and go early, as guides advise.

Can tourists attend qawwali at Nizamuddin Dargah?

Visitors do attend the evening qawwali after the Maghrib prayer, and Thursday is the busiest night. Dress modestly, cover your head, expect to remove your shoes and ask before photographing anyone. It is an active place of worship.

What are the unusual museums in Delhi?

The Sulabh International Museum of Toilets is the oddest, and Delhi Tourism lists it as open 10 am to 5 pm, closed on Sundays. The National Crafts Museum is the quieter choice, with galleries open Tuesday to Sunday and Cafe Lota next door.

Are these places safe for solo travellers?

Most are public places with other visitors around. Use daylight for ruins such as Mehrauli and Tughlaqabad, keep valuables out of sight in crowded markets, and go with a guide if you are unsure about the lanes near a shrine. Pickpockets are reported around the book market.

What are the best offbeat places in Delhi for history lovers?

Mehrauli Archaeological Park, Tughlaqabad Fort, Feroz Shah Kotla and Sunderwala Burj are the strongest picks. Mehrauli alone covers about 200 acres of ruins, so it can fill a morning. Agrasen ki Baoli adds a short stepwell stop.

What are the best unusual things to do in Delhi for couples or friends?

Pair the Lodhi Art District with a walk in Lodhi Garden, which one guide puts at about ten minutes away. Cafe Lota suits a long lunch. For something active, Delhi Dance Academy lists a two-hour Bollywood workshop for individuals, couples and groups of up to 15.

Next steps

The unusual things to do in Delhi reward planning more than speed. Pick one day from the weekly table and build the rest around it. A Thursday gives you three stops, a Saturday morning gives you the guard change plus one more, and a Sunday belongs to the book market. Keep the mainstream sights for another day. For those, see our guide to the best places to visit in Delhi.