Delhi Activities — Tours, Cooking & Experiences

Delhi offers hands-on experiences beyond monument visits. Here's where to cook, cycle, walk, stretch, and explore.

Cooking Classes

The Experience

Delhi cooking classes typically include:

Market visit (often spice market or local vegetable market)
Hands-on cooking (3-5 dishes)
Eating what you cook
Recipes to take home

Duration: 3-4 hours Cost: ₹2,500-5,000 per person Group size: 2-8 people typically

Top Classes

Saffron Palate

Setting: Home kitchen in South Delhi
Style: Traditional North Indian recipes
Includes: Spice shopping, cooking, meal
Best for: Authentic home-style learning
Book: Through website or Viator

Indian Cooking Classes (with Neha)

Setting: Home kitchen
Style: Flexible — can request specific dishes
Includes: Market visit, cooking, recipes
Best for: Personalized experience
Book: Airbnb Experiences

Cooking With Locals (Airbnb)

Setting: Various hosts' homes
Style: Varies by host — North Indian, Mughlai, street food
Best for: Meeting local families
Book: Airbnb Experiences

What You'll Cook

Typical classes cover:

Starters: Pakoras, samosas, or kebabs
Main: Butter chicken or dal makhani (or vegetarian equivalents)
Bread: Chapati, naan, or paratha
Rice: Biryani or pulao
Dessert: Kheer or gulab jamun

Tips

Request vegetarian or non-vegetarian when booking
Classes in home kitchens are more intimate than restaurants
Morning classes often include market visits
Book at least a few days ahead

Cycling Tours

Why Cycle Delhi?

Early morning cycling avoids traffic and heat. You cover more ground than walking, access narrow lanes cars can't enter, and see the city waking up.

Delhi By Cycle

The established cycling tour operator in Delhi.

Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad) Tour

Start time: 6:00-6:30 AM
Duration: 3-4 hours
Distance: 15-20 km
Route: Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk lanes, spice market, street food stops
Includes: Bike, guide, breakfast, water
Cost: ₹2,500-3,500
Best for: Experiencing Old Delhi before crowds

New Delhi Tour

Start time: 6:00-6:30 AM
Duration: 3-4 hours
Route: India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Lutyens' Delhi, Lodhi Gardens
Cost: ₹2,000-3,000
Best for: Colonial architecture, wide boulevards

Practical Information

When to go: October-March is ideal (cool mornings). Summer is too hot. Monsoon is possible but wet.

Fitness level: Easy to moderate. Flat terrain. Stops included.

What to bring:

Comfortable clothes
Closed shoes
Sunglasses
Sunscreen (even early morning)

Book: Through Delhi By Cycle website or Viator

Walking Tours

Guided Walking Tours

Street Connections

Small groups, intimate
Old Delhi focus
Local stories and history
₹1,500-3,000 per person

Delhi Heritage Walks

Academic, detailed
Various neighbourhoods
Architecture and history focus
₹1,000-2,500 per person

INTACH Walks

Monthly scheduled walks
Different areas each time
Book through INTACH website
₹500-1,000 per person

Self-Guided: Old Delhi Walk

Route:

Start: Chandni Chowk Metro (exit Gate 3)
Walk: Down Chandni Chowk main road toward Jama Masjid
Stop: Paranthe Wali Gali (parathas)
Continue: To Jama Masjid (10-minute visit)
Explore: Kinari Bazaar (wedding lane)
Walk: To Khari Baoli (spice market)
End: Fatehpuri Mosque

Time: 3-4 hours with stops Distance: 3-4 km of walking Best time: 8-11 AM

Tips:

Download offline Google Maps
Bring water
Wear comfortable shoes
Keep valuables secure

Self-Guided: Lodhi Colony Street Art

Route:

Start: Jor Bagh Metro
Walk: Through Lodhi Colony residential blocks
Look for: Large-scale murals on building walls
Key streets: Khanna Market area, blocks around it

Time: 1-2 hours Distance: 2-3 km Best time: Morning or evening light for photos

What you'll see:

30+ large murals by international artists
India's first open-air street art district
Works by artists from Brazil, Germany, India, and beyond

Yoga

Drop-In Classes

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre

Location: Kailash Colony (South Delhi)
Style: Traditional Sivananda (12 basic postures)
Classes: Multiple daily
Drop-in: ₹500-800
Best for: Traditional approach

Delhi School of Yoga

Location: Lajpat Nagar
Style: Various (Hatha, Vinyasa)
Drop-in: ₹600-1,000
Best for: Modern studio setting

Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga

Location: Near CP (Government institute)
Style: Various
Cost: Subsidized rates
Best for: Budget option, serious practitioners

Hotel Yoga

Many upscale hotels offer morning yoga sessions:

The Imperial
The Lodhi
ITC hotels

Check with your hotel — often complimentary for guests.

Tips

Bring your own mat or confirm they provide
Arrive 10-15 minutes early
Morning classes (6-8 AM) are most traditional
Many teachers speak English

Bollywood Experience

What's Available

Bollywood Tours

Visit film studios (if shooting permits)
Learn Bollywood dance steps
Costume dress-up and photos
₹3,000-8,000 per person

Bollywood Dance Classes

Learn iconic song choreography
1-2 hour sessions
Available through Airbnb Experiences
₹1,500-3,000

Reality Check

Delhi is not Mumbai — there are no major film studios here. "Bollywood experiences" in Delhi are typically:

Dance classes
Photo shoots in costumes
Watching films at vintage cinemas

For actual studio visits, go to Mumbai.

Alternative: Catch a Film

PVR Rivoli (Connaught Place) — Historic cinema, modern renovations

PVR Select Citywalk — Premium multiplex

Watch a Bollywood film with a local audience for an authentic experience.

Street Art

Lodhi Art District

What: India's first open-air public art district

Where: Lodhi Colony, South Delhi (residential neighbourhood)

What you'll see:

30+ massive murals on apartment buildings
Works by international and Indian artists
Styles range from abstract to portraits to social commentary

Key artists featured:

Brazilian twins Os Gemeos
French artist Seth
Indian artists Anpu Varkey, Hanif Kureshi

How to explore:

Walk through the residential blocks
Murals face streets and are visible from sidewalks
No entry fee, no tickets — it's a public neighbourhood
Respectful photography allowed

Best time: Morning or late afternoon for photography

Getting there: Metro to Jor Bagh (Yellow Line)

Other Street Art

Shahpur Jat

Design village with gallery-sponsored murals
Combined with boutique shopping
Near Hauz Khas

Hauz Khas Village

Some installations in the lanes
Combined with cafe hopping

More Activities

Heritage Walks

Delhi has several heritage walk circuits:

Nizamuddin — Sufi shrine, Humayun's Tomb area
Mehrauli — 1,000 years of ruins
Lutyens' Delhi — Colonial architecture
Hauz Khas — Medieval tank and ruins

Book through Delhi Heritage Walks or INTACH.

Food Walks

See our food guide for options. Old Delhi food walks are the most popular.

Photography Tours

Available through tour operators for:

Old Delhi (best morning light)
Humayun's Tomb (golden hour)
Street photography

Volunteering

Short-term opportunities exist with:

Salaam Baalak Trust (street children)
Various NGOs

Research carefully and book in advance.

Activity Summary

Activity	Duration	Cost	Best For
Cooking class	3-4 hours	₹2,500-5,000	Food lovers
Cycling tour	3-4 hours	₹2,000-3,500	Early risers
Walking tour	2-4 hours	₹1,000-3,000	History buffs
Yoga drop-in	1-1.5 hours	₹500-1,000	Practitioners
Street art walk	1-2 hours	Free	Art lovers
Food tour	3-4 hours	₹2,000-5,000	Everyone

For what to see, check our things to do guide.