Delhi in 4 Days on a Budget (With Daily Costs)
Four days in Delhi: the paid monuments plus the free UNESCO pair
Four days covers Old and New Delhi’s paid monuments in the first two days, then spends day three at Qutub Minar and Hauz Khas Village, and day four at two of the city’s genuinely free landmarks, the Lotus Temple and Akshardham. This is the 2-day plan with two extra days bolted on, not a different trip; if you’ve only got a weekend, start there instead. Figure Rs 2,000-3,500 a day per person once you count one monument ticket most days, Metro fares, and real meals.
| Day | Focus | Rough spend (1 person) |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Red Fort, Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid | Rs 1,800-2,800 |
| Day 2 | Humayun’s Tomb, India Gate, Connaught Place | Rs 2,200-3,500 |
| Day 3 | Qutub Minar, Hauz Khas Village, Lodhi Garden | Rs 2,200-3,200 |
| Day 4 | Lotus Temple, Akshardham, Dilli Haat | Rs 1,500-2,500 |
Book these before you go:
- Old Delhi food and heritage walk : weekend slots fill up days ahead.
- Red Fort skip-the-line ticket : saves real time on a schedule with a monument booked most days.
- Your Delhi hotel : book early if your dates cross into the October-March peak.
Where to stay for 4 nights
Hauz Khas Village or South Delhi puts you closer to day three and four’s sights and generally runs calmer than the central tourist core, while still leaving Old and New Delhi a straightforward Metro ride away on days one and two. Paharganj is cheaper but means longer commutes on the back half of this plan; weigh the savings against the extra travel time before booking there for four full nights.
Day 1: Old Delhi on foot and by rickshaw
Start at the Red Fort at opening, Rs 500-600 for the foreigner ticket, closed Mondays. Take a short cycle rickshaw into Chandni Chowk, agree the fare first, and eat at Paranthe Wali Gali, Rs 60-150 for stuffed flatbreads. Visit Jama Masjid’s courtyard in the afternoon, free outside prayer times, then dinner at Karim’s near the mosque for Mughlai kebabs and biryani, Rs 200-400 a head.
Day 2: Humayun’s Tomb, India Gate, and Connaught Place
Visit Humayun’s Tomb in the morning, Rs 550 foreigner ticket, open daily with no weekly closure. Metro to India Gate and walk Kartavya Path at midday, free. Spend the afternoon in Connaught Place’s colonial arcades, cheap thali lunch included, and keep the evening light for a slow walk back through the market before dinner.
Day 3: Qutub Minar and the trendier side of South Delhi
Visit Qutub Minar in the morning, Rs 550 foreigner ticket; the minaret’s interior has been closed to visitors since a 1981 stampede, so you’re viewing it from ground level only, not climbing it. Spend the afternoon in Hauz Khas Village, boutiques and cafes beside a 13th-century reservoir and madrasa complex, then walk Lodhi Garden before sunset, free, scattered with 15th and 16th-century tombs.
Day 4: Lotus Temple, Akshardham, and a crafts market dinner
Morning at the Lotus Temple , free entry, closed Mondays, then the Akshardham complex in the afternoon; the temple hall and darshan are free, and only the exhibitions (roughly Rs 170-260) and the evening water show cost extra. End the day at Dilli Haat, a nominal gate fee under Rs 50, for dinner from stalls representing regional cuisines across India.
Is 4 days enough time for Delhi?
Enough to cover Old Delhi, New Delhi, and the two big free landmarks without rushing any single stop. You get the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Humayun’s Tomb, India Gate, Qutub Minar, Lotus Temple, and Akshardham, but South Delhi’s markets, Bangla Sahib’s langar, and any slower rest day get cut. The 5-day plan adds exactly that without touching these four days.
How much does 4 days in Delhi actually cost on a budget?
Figure Rs 8,000-14,000 per person total: a budget-to-mid room for three nights, three monument tickets at the foreigner rate, Metro fares across four days, and real meals split between street food and casual restaurants.
Drop to hostel dorms and lean harder on street food, and that falls closer to Rs 6,000-8,000, since the Lotus Temple, Akshardham’s complex, India Gate, and Lodhi Garden all cost nothing.
Buy the three-day Tourist Smart Card on day one, Rs 500 with Rs 50 refundable, then top up with single tokens for day four; it covers unlimited rides across the trip’s busiest three days at once.