In short
Delhi is a stack of successive capitals. The Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb and the Red Fort are all World Heritage sites and tell three different eras.
Old Delhi and New Delhi are two distinct cities: the lanes of Chandni Chowk on one side, Lutyens' avenues on the other.
What it really costs
Delhi is cheap and the metro, modern and air-conditioned, costs a few rupees. It is the best way to dodge the traffic and the rickshaw haggling.
Ride-hailing apps work everywhere and remove the negotiation that is otherwise the rule.
What nobody tells you
Air pollution reaches dangerous levels from November to January, when Punjab crop burning adds to the traffic. It is a health constraint, not an inconvenience.
Touts at New Delhi station and the airport will tell you your hotel is closed, full or flooded, and offer an agency. It is untrue, and it is the most documented scam in the country.
Summer is crushing: May and June regularly pass forty-five degrees. The monsoon follows in July and August. October–November and February–March are the real windows.
