New Delhi With Kids: Museums and Parks

New Delhi can work well with children if each day is short, starts early and mixes one indoor or shaded stop with open space. Distances are long and traffic is slow, so pick one area per day and use the Metro where the route allows. Prices are in Indian rupees, and several attractions have different closing days, so check the weekday first.

National Rail Museum

The museum in Chanakyapuri displays historic locomotives and carriages outdoors, including the Fairy Queen steam engine from 1855. It is closed on Mondays and generally opens around 09:30 or 10:00 and closes between 17:00 and 17:30, with last entry earlier. Indian visitors pay Rs 50 per adult and Rs 10 per child on weekdays and Rs 100 and Rs 20 at weekends. Foreign visitors should ask at the ticket window for their rate. Much of the display is open air, so go in the morning or late afternoon.

Delhi Zoo

The National Zoological Park lies on Mathura Road beside Purana Qila. It is closed on Fridays. Hours change with the season, roughly 09:00 to 16:30 in summer and 09:30 to 16:00 in winter, and buying tickets online is the safer way to avoid queues. Check ticket prices on the day. Keep a respectful distance from enclosures and never feed the animals. The park is large and shaded in parts, so carry water and plan on a few hours.

Akshardham

Akshardham is closed on Mondays. Children aged 4 to 11 pay Rs 160 for the three exhibitions and Rs 80 for the evening water show, and under-fours are free; adults pay Rs 260 and Rs 110. No phones, cameras, bags, food or electronics are allowed in, and the cloakroom is free, so expect a queue for lockers and security. The evening water show starts after sunset and suits older children who can stay up. See the official visitor page .

Parks and open space

Sunder Nursery beside Humayun’s Tomb has lawns, ponds and shaded paths. Foreigners pay Rs 200, and it is open 07:00 to 19:00 from April to September and 07:00 to 18:00 from October to March, as listed on the booking page . Lodhi Garden is free and has long paths for scooters and picnics. Dilli Haat in INA is a craft and food market run by Delhi Tourism where children can watch crafts being made and choose snacks.

Practical tips for families

  • Drink only sealed bottled water, and avoid ice from unknown sources.
  • Plan indoor options from about mid-October to January, when air quality is often poor, and check the daily air quality index.
  • Summer afternoons are very hot, so keep visits to the morning.
  • The Metro’s first coach in the direction of travel is reserved for women, which can help mothers travelling with children.

Compare family-friendly tours on Viator . Read more: sightseeing in New Delhi , day trips from New Delhi and the 4-day itinerary .