8,134 miles, two plane rides, and a 48 hour layover in Amsterdam along the way. My recent journey to India was quite long and a bit strenuous, but luckily not too expensive thanks to a great deal on cheap flights that we found. However, regardless of how long we sat in a plane or how much it cost to get there, when my mom, my friend Kayla, and I finally touched down in Delhi, we completely forgot about how much effort went into actually getting there and were immediately enthralled. It was priceless.
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Over the next eight days, we explored the Golden Triangle (Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur) on an accessible tour with Enable Travel, but Delhi was our first city. It made a profound impression on all of us and even though we were only in Delhi for a few days, it was enough time for us to realize that we were in for an epic experience. The sights, sounds, and smells of Delhi were sensory overload and unlike anywhere else that I’ve been. It was pretty much the total opposite of everything that I am accustomed to when traveling, and I loved it. As a traveler, I’m always looking for new experiences and different cultures to learn about, and within mere hours of rolling around Delhi I felt like I was in a different world.
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While hectic in some ways, Delhi was the perfect introduction to India and is now one of my favorite cities in the world. From visiting numerous World Heritage Sites to embracing the hustle and bustle of India’s capital city, I had a remarkable time in Delhi as a wheelchair user. Here are 7 of the best places to visit in Delhi, India if you happen to use a wheelchair –
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The Best Places to Visit in Delhi
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Qutub Minar
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After arriving in Delhi and getting a bit of rest, we set out in Enable Travel’s wheelchair accessible van to our first attraction – Qutub Minar! Before going to India, I had never even heard of Qutub Minar, but I was excited to check it out, as our guide said that it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. I’ve visited numerous UNESCO sites all over the world and they never disappoint, so I knew that it would be spectacular.
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Upon arriving at Qutub Minar, I was immediately impressed by the ramps to enter the complex. I wasn’t expecting the greatest accessibility in Delhi to be honest, but it surprised me. There were ramps at all of these attractions that I visited and with the help of Enable Travel, we never had any big issues with accessibility.
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Once I entered the grounds of Qutub Minar, I quickly spotted a huge tower made of beautiful red sandstone. When I say that it was huge, I’m not exaggerating either. It is nearly 240 feet high and was built in 1193 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak. The tower is said to signify the beginning of the Muslim rule in India, as it was built right after the defeat of the last Hindu kingdom in Delhi. I sat there and gawked at the tower for a while and tried to imagine how in the world they built this back in the 1100s without modern technology… just unbelievable.
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In addition to the tower, the Qutub Minar complex also had a mosque, but I did not go inside of it with my wheelchair. While it’s not accessible, viewing the Qutub Minar tower is enough of a reason to visit. It was extremely impressive and the perfect place to start our tour of the best places to visit in Delhi.
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Humayun’s Tomb
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If you are in India, then there’s a good chance that you’re planning to visit the world-famous Taj Mahal. If you’re anything like me, the Taj is probably the main reason why you had a desire to visit India in the first place. While the Taj Mahal is amazing (read about my visit to the Taj Mahal by clicking here), to fully understand and appreciate it, you need to see Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi first.
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Humayun’s Tomb was built in 1570 and is easily one of Delhi’s best historic sights. It was the inspiration for the construction of the Taj Mahal 80 years later. It was actually the very first garden-tomb in all of India, so served as inspiration for many landmarks throughout the country. The tomb was built for the Mughal Emperor Humayun and was commissioned by his wife, Empress Bega Begum. There are now more than 150 Mughal family members buried in the cells of Humayun’s Tomb, so you can imagine the size of it. It’s not as large as the Taj Mahal and not that famous white marble color, but when I first saw it my eyes did widen with delight. It’s gorgeous!
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Accessibility around the grounds of Humayun’s Tomb was great with ramps and smooth surfaces, but it was not possible to go inside the tomb with a wheelchair. The grounds were quite large though and I enjoyed rolling around and admiring the tomb for about an hour.
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Old Delhi
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Delhi, India is split up into a couple different areas: New Delhi and Old Delhi. While I stayed in New Delhi and most of these attractions were in New Delhi, Old Delhi is definitely worth exploring if you want to get a true sense of Indian culture and the differences between Delhi and almost any other city in the world. Think of New Delhi as a more modern city with new architecture and five star hotels, and then Old Delhi as its fun, wild, and more historic counterpart.
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You could roll down the streets of Old Delhi in your wheelchair and stop at shops and eateries along the way, but the traffic is INSANE, so I opted for a driving tour in our van of Old Delhi. There are narrow lanes (and people don’t really obey the lanes at all) and it seemed like a million cars and motorbikes whizzing by at every second. It was loud and a bit unbelievable, but the ultimate glimpse into Indian culture. At one point, we saw a family of five on one motorbike and at another time, we saw a goat tied to the side of a motorbike and holding on for dear life. It’s honestly difficult to explain exactly what driving through Old Delhi is like, but I will say that it was the complete opposite of driving down any street in the USA. Completely wild, but so incredible at the same time.
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Raj Ghat
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One of my favorite quotes ever, and one that I try to live by, is “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Do you know who said that? It was Mahatma Gandhi, a freedom fighter of India. He said many beautiful quotes throughout his life and is one of my inspirations still today, so while in Delhi, I had the chance to visit his memorial, known as Raj Ghat.
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Gandhi was cremated at Raj Ghat in 1948 and an eternal flame still burns at his memorial. Gandhi was a simple man, so his memorial site is very simply designed as well, but beautiful. On the memorial is the epitaph “Hē Ram”, which means “Oh god” and were Gandhi’s last words. As I sat there watching the eternal flame and thinking about the impact that he made on the world, I became somewhat emotional. When I learned about Gandhi as a teenager, I could’ve never imagined visiting his memorial one day in India, but there I was. Sometimes life can be pretty surreal and I’m glad that Raj Ghat gave me a chance to reflect on that.
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Accessibility at Raj Ghat was kind of tricky in certain areas, but we made it work and I’m sure that you can do the same. There were ramps and smooth surfaces throughout the grounds, but in a couple spots, there was a small step. It was really just a two inch lip, so I was able to handle it with the help of our guide and the workers, but in a scooter, or if you’re just not a risk-taker, it could be tricky. I would highly encourage you to give it a try though, as being at Gandhi’s memorial was really special.
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Aside from the memorial, there was also a book shop selling all of Gandhi’s greatest works. Talk about the ultimate souvenir, right?! Another special moment at Raj Ghat happened when a group of Indian women wanted their photo taken with my mom, my friend, and I. They were dressed in saris, which were colorful and stunning, and I’m not sure why they wanted a photo with us (probably because they had never seen an electric wheelchair before if I had to guess), but I was happy to oblige in exchange for a photo of my own in return. This instance happened at least a dozen times while in India and I started feeling like a celebrity of sorts, but never minded getting my photo taken with anyone. They were just curious.
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India Gate
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One of Delhi’s most known landmarks is undoubtedly India Gate. Standing at nearly 138 feet high, it’s impossible to miss and is pictured on nearly every postcard in the city. The gate looks like a replica of Paris’ Arc de Triomphe and whether you get up close to it or just drive by while on your way to another one of the best places to visit in Delhi, you should definitely try to see it at some point during your trip.
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India Gate was built as a remembrance to the 70,000 Indian soldiers that died during World War I. Today, an eternal flame burns under the arch and all around the gate are lawns, where you could enjoy a nice picnic or just capture some great photos of the gate.
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Gurudwara Bangla Sahib
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Easily, my favorite place that I visited while in Delhi was Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. I didn’t even know that I would be visiting this place before I actually did, but it completely blew me away. Gurudwara Bangla Sahib is the most prominent Sikh temple in Delhi and it was built in 1783 to honor Guru Har Krishan, the eighth Sikh Guru. He used to give sanctified water to sick people to heal them and it’s still believed that the water in Gurudwara Bangla Sahib’s pools is holy water, so if you’re looking for a miracle, this might be a good place to start.
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Before entering the Sikh temple, I had to put an orange bandana on my head, which was available for free to visitors that didn’t have anything else to cover their head with. Then, I rolled toward the temple and was struck by its opulence. It was white with a gold onion dome and one of the most remarkable temples I’ve ever seen.
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There was a ramp to get inside of the Sikh temple as well. Inside, it was equally impressive with gold everywhere and there were dozens of people chanting and singing religious hymns. The Guru Granth Sahib, the holy text of the Sikh religion, was on display inside the temple and people sing its hymns all day until the book is put away at night.
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Aside from visiting the temple, you can also have a free meal in the on-site food hall (known as “langar”) if you want to. Meal sharing is an important part of Sikhism and this particular food hall at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib feeds approximately 10,000 people per day… for free. When I visited, there were hundreds of people sitting on the floor and holding their plates as the food was passed out. There was bread, lentils, vegetable stew, rice, and more. It smelled great, but we had just eaten lunch before visiting so didn’t try anything.
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The remarkable thing about this food hall is that people from literally all walks of life come together to share a meal. It was special to see everyone together, and it was also nice to see how dedicated the cooks in the kitchen are. They consider it an honor to cook for everyone, and being in the kitchen and food hall is one of my favorite memories from my trip in India.
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DLF Place Saket
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If you’re looking for culture and an authentic Indian experience, you won’t find it at DLF Place Saket. However, if you’re looking to shop and want to buy a Hard Rock Cafe Delhi shirt to add to your collection, then this is the perfect place to visit.
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DLF Place Saket is a modern, Americanized shopping mall with all of your favorite stores, including Forever 21, Nike, Nautica, and more. There are also a plethora of restaurants and eateries, including Chili’s, Auntie Anne’s, and even McDonald’s and Burger King. While the mall was accessible for the most part with elevators, the Hard Rock Cafe had steps to get inside of it. My mom ran in to get me a t-shirt though (I have over 40 HRC shirts now, I believe), so I was happy and enjoyed shopping around for a bit.
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Where to Stay in Delhi
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While in Delhi, I stayed at The LaLiT. The LaLiT is located in New Delhi and is a modern hotel with more than 450 rooms, multiple restaurants, and even a nightclub. What makes this hotel really stand out, in my opinion anyway, is its message of inclusivity. On The LaLiT’s website, it says that inclusivity “brings creativity, drives originality of thought, and helps us understand our customer better. It is important for an organization to be inclusive.” I felt completely welcomed as a wheelchair user during my stay and the staff was incredibly kind.
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My room was wheelchair accessible and spacious enough for me to easily maneuver around, which was nice. The bed was also low enough for someone to transfer into from a wheelchair and if you use a hoist/hoyer lift, it could roll under the bed.
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In the bathroom, there was a roll-in shower, a pull-under sink, and grab bars around the toilet. There was also a fold-down seat in the shower, but as always, I had my Go Mobility travel shower chair with me. My room at The LaLiT really couldn’t have been more accommodating or accessible for me. It was a perfect place to stay and just a short drive from all of the best places to visit in Delhi.
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Check prices at The LaLiT by clicking here.
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I was only in Delhi for a couple days, but it was enough time for me to fall madly in love with India. It’s a city unlike anywhere else in the world, and despite India’s general lack of accessibility, I was able to have a phenomenal time thanks to Enable Travel. Whether you use a wheelchair or not, you’re sure to have an equally amazing experience at these best places to visit in Delhi, India.
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*Thank you to Enable Travel for working with me on this trip! While my tour was complimentary, all opinions are authentic and my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you click through on a link, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll receive a slight commission which helps us keep this information available to you. Thanks!
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Hi Cory! You really inspire me a lot. Thank you for sharing the beauty of Delhi, India to all of us. Surely, it will be on my bucket list this 2019.