Family Days in New Delhi: Trains, Zoo, Gardens

A simple way to plan family days in New Delhi

Children cope best with Delhi when the day has a fixed shape: an early outing, a long lunch indoors and one easy stop after a rest. The list below groups the family options by the day of the week they are open, because several of them close on different days.

Open Tuesday to Sunday, closed Monday

National Rail Museum, Chanakyapuri. Old steam and diesel locomotives stand along open-air tracks, with the Fairy Queen of 1855 among them. Opening runs from about 09:30 or 10:00 to 17:00 or 17:30. Entry for Indian visitors is Rs 50 for adults and Rs 10 for children on weekdays, and Rs 100 and Rs 20 at weekends; foreign visitors should ask at the window for their rate.

Swaminarayan Akshardham. The complex has three ticketed exhibitions and an evening water show. Exhibition tickets are Rs 260 for adults, Rs 210 for seniors and Rs 160 for children aged 4 to 11, and the water show costs Rs 110 for adults and Rs 80 for children. Under-fours enter free. Phones, cameras, bags and electronics must be left in the free cloakroom, so bring only what you need.

Open every day except Friday

National Zoological Park (Delhi Zoo). The zoo sits beside Purana Qila on Mathura Road. Summer hours are roughly 09:00 to 16:30 and winter hours roughly 09:30 to 16:00. Online booking saves time at the gate, and check the current ticket price on the day. Please do not feed or tease any animals.

Open daily

Sunder Nursery. Wide lawns and shaded paths next to Humayun’s Tomb, good for running around. Foreign visitors pay Rs 200. Hours are 07:00 to 19:00 from April to September and 07:00 to 18:00 from October to March, as given on the official booking page .

Lodhi Garden. A free park with wide paths and old tombs, popular with local families at weekends.

Dilli Haat INA. A craft and food market run by Delhi Tourism, with regional snacks and stalls that children can browse; check entry fees at the gate.

Tips that matter with children

  1. Carry sealed bottled water and sunscreen, and avoid ice unless you know its source.
  2. From mid-October to January the air is often poor, so keep a shorter indoor itinerary ready and check the daily air quality index.
  3. Midday heat in May and June is intense, so do outdoor stops before 10:00.
  4. On the Metro, the first coach in the direction of travel is for women, a comfortable option for mothers with children.
  5. Keep close to children in crowds at the stations and markets.

For help comparing organised family outings, try GetYourGuide . The Delhi Tourism site, delhitourism.gov.in , lists official parks and markets.

Read more: couple activities in New Delhi , outdoor activities in New Delhi and the 3-day plan .