Old Delhi Tour With Local Experience

Booked at the last minute but, Pradeep, the owner of Delhi by Locals, stepped up and took me on the tour. His knowledge of the history of India and the local area was impressive. It was a delight to spend the day with such a pleasant young man with a great sense of of humour that just made the tour a fantastic experience. I went on and bought a three day trip/tour to Amritsar and the Wahgha border with these guys and they didn’t let me down. It was another unforgettable experience 🙏🙏👍

A brilliant morning exploring Old Delhi. I’d absolutely recommend it to anyone visiting Delhi. Pradeep was so knowledgeable, sharing lots of information that you would have to know Old Delhi to know. The streets are an absolute labyrinth so there’s no way I’d recommend going solo. An amazing trip, and a must do in my opinion. Old Delhi is so vibrant and colourful, a real feast for the eyes.

Pradeep and Indu were brilliant guides on a fascinating, must do tour of Old Delhi

This is the best tour of Old Delhi. The guides have grown up in Delhi and know all the back streets like the back of their hand and the best places to go. We did the Spice Market, wedding market, paratha alley, the Sikh Temple, old havelis and chai and samosas in a quiet, back street shop. Even our teenagers loved it! Plus we had the added bonus of experiencing the Delhi Metro. Can’t recommend this highly enough. I use Delhi by Locals for all of our visitors and guests.

A memorable experience in Delhi with my son My son and I had a wonderful experience with Delhi By Locals during our trip to India. Exploring the city with a local guide gave us a chance to see and learn things we would have missed on our own. One particularly memorable experience was visiting a school in a local community. It was our favourite experience of our entire holiday in India and Vietnam. We came home with lasting memories, and I’m very glad we shared this experience together. Thank you, Delhi By Locals!

Our guide was very knowledgeable and thoughtful. The tour was incredibly interesting and really showed us a side of Delhi it would have been very difficult to access by ourselves.

From the first message connecting with Pradeep I felt assured that my needs were heard and I had connected with a trust worthy person, willing to be flexible with the schedule to suit our needs. Travelling alone with my 3 young children, I wanted adventure, entertainment and above all care. Right from when we met our tour guide (exactly on time), Salman at our hotel I felt so happy to be connecting with such a kind, helpful and knowledgeable human. The kids adored Salman and we had the happiest day catching different local modes of transport and seeing sights that only Mother India can offer. Salman was so sweet and had eyes in the back of his head…. Always looking out for my kids, especially Maverick who is only 4. I would absolutely choose this tour company time and time again… thanks for the fun and care guys!

Super nice experience to discover old delhi . Our guide ‘ salman ‘ was super friendly, caring and spoke very good English. The tour was very diverse and educational.

We loved the tour! It was super interesting, educative and insightful. We saw many many things and the guides were absolutely amazing and had so much knowledge. 10/10 recommend.

Salman was a great tour guide! He was warm and friendly and I felt very comfortable in the chaos of Old Delhi.

This tour is absolutely incredible!! Our guides, Salman and Badal, were so attentive, knowledgeable and kind. They took us to the most incredible spots in Old Delhi. Every part of the tour is exciting. There is truly not a dull moment. They way they engage with and talk about these places was so interesting and personal. We learned so much and really connected with our guides. The mission of Delhi by Locals is so incredible too! 50% of all the profits go to their nonprofit and they've helped so many of their students reach wonderful opportunities through education. This will be the highlight of your trip! Do not miss Old Delhi with Delhi by Locals!

We had a wonderful tour with Salman in Old Delhi! He made us feel safe and told us all about the area and the people living there. It’s great to do this kind of tour with someone you feel comfortable asking anything. We learned a lot about India in general thanks to our conversations. Definitely a must‑do if you’re visiting Delhi and want an authentic experience! Thanks!

We were recommended Pradeep by a friend who had previously done a Delhi By Locals tour and we were not disappointed. We only booked the morning of and Pradeep was super flexible and accommodating. We did a 3 hour tour including the spice market, the old houses, the nine doors, Sikh temple and community kitchen, Red Fort, chai and local delicacies. Pradeep and his colleague, Hindi, were great. Definitely would recommend as a way to see Delhi.

We really enjoyed that tour, our guide Salman showed us places, we would not have found without a local. The Sikh Temple was one of the Highlights but also having a Riksha ride through the Delhi Chaos was something you should definitely do. Those three hours were filled with interesting facts, nice conversation and some nice chai! (And in the end he gave us a nice tip where to eat) Thank you for this non-touristy tour!

My wife and I recently visited India for the first time, and after a lot of research we chose Delhi by Locals for our tours. One of the best decisions of our trip. Pradeep was amazing from start to finish, helping us organise three tours across two days and always staying in touch with us to make sure everything was going smoothly. On our first day, Salman guided us through both Old and New Delhi, bringing the city to life and making it an unforgettable experience. The following day, we made the trip to Agra for the Taj Mahal, which Pradeep had arranged without a hitch. Another great guide and another highlight of our visit. On top of that, Pradeep also sorted out a last-minute airport pickup when we arrived late at night, connecting us with a reliable driver in no time. I'd recommend Delhi by Locals to anyone visiting India, and I'll be doing exactly that with every friend and family member who plans a trip!

We had a most wonderful walking tour with our guide Pradeep! We can highly recommend this tour! He is very knowledgable and takes time to explain everything. The experience in the Sikh temple was very very special and high recommended to better understand this religion. By walking on the various Delhi markets while being explained how things work, helps to understand the complexity of this economic system. It is a very fun experience as well!!! Highly recommended.

Really enjoyed my tour of Old Delhi with Salman, who was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. Visited places and had experiences I would never have seen or done without him and I had a wonderful afternoon. Thoroughly recommend this tour and I am now planning to do another.

An unforgettable tour of Old Delhi, made exceptional by our guides, Salman and Badal. Beyond the fascinating history and vibrant streets, what truly stood out were the deep, meaningful conversations we shared with them. They offered honest insights into life, culture, faith, and modern India, turning the walk into a genuine exchange rather than a scripted tour. We felt welcomed, not rushed, and came away with a far richer understanding of Old Delhi and its people. If you’re looking for an authentic, thoughtful experience with guides who truly care, this tour is highly recommended.

It is our first visit to India and knew it would be overwhelming to explore independently. We booked a private guide for 2 days through Delhi By Locals and are so glad we did! Salman is not only a fabulous professional guide but also a great human. We explored both Old & New Delhi utilising all forms of transport rickshaw, tuk tuk, metro, walking tour & private car. Exploring with Salman enabled us to go beyond the monuments, experience local culture, to talk, to see, to smell and to hear the beautiful chaos of Delhi. Just wonderful!

We had a great guide who was friendly, informative and just a nice young family man. His name was Salman. He took us around up and down alleys, rickshaw ride, went to his friends for tea and made sure we didn’t eat or dink anything that would cause us an issue even down o buying a bag of geese balls sealed in a packet he made sure it was from a reliable company. We went on the metro, and just experienced the hustle and bustle of the old town.

We had a day and a half of tours with Salman at the very start of our India adventure. Salman’s knowledge was impressive as was his passion for his city, shared with us most eloquently. We learnt so much and had lots of fun whilst doing so. We cannot recommend Salman enough for getting under the skin of Delhi, what a fabulous destination!

Amazing experience with Pradeep and his guidance the whole time he was there for us to see we had enjoyed the journey and it is a lifetime memorable trip

The itinerary was great but my favourite part was sitting in the Chai cafe chatting with our amazing guide Salman and the cafe staff and family. These immersive glimpses into their everyday lives was priceless. Highly recommend DBL to anyone.

We started our first day in India with an incredible tour of Old Delhi with Delhi by Locals. We were two couples from USA traveling throughout India and this tour was one of the highlights of our entire journey. Pradeep (owner) arranged two knowledgeable and friendly guides for us that made this full day an amazing experience. There is no way we would have navigated accessed Old Delhi spice market streets, temples, restaurants, and transportation without their expertise as locals. HIGHLY RECOMMEND to any foreign travelers!

Absolutely perfect and the sweetest guides (especially Pradeep)!!! The tour was very educational and exciting. The guides made sure we experienced New Delhi from many different perspectives and were always making sure everyone was comfortable and felt safe. They were present, friendly, and always up for a nice chat. A huge recommendation from me!

I joined the Old Delhi tour this afternoon and had a thoroughly enjoyable experience. My tour guide Badal was excellent, very knowledgeable and also kept me safe and comfortable throughout. I would recommend this tour to anyone, there was so much I saw that I would have seen or experienced by myself! Thank you :)

Excellent experience and superlative service . My sister and I have visited Old Delhi to shop, eat and browse multiple times. My sister has lived in Delhi for four decades. This tour of the area was an experience quite apart - Salman met us on the metro and we travelled to Chawri Bazaar with him, got an in depth and interesting background. Pradeep joined us there and we spent several hours in lanes and by-lanes, My favorite was the wholesale spice market while my sister couldn’t stop taking about the “behind the scenes” trip to the Gurudwara Sisganj community kitchen. We also continued to do several private tours with this group. The organization and quality of staff was outstanding. They are a cut above and I would highly recommend them.

Had such a good tour with Salman showing me around Delhi for 1.5 days! He had endless knowledge and an felt like I was able to experience all these locals gems within Delhi. Thank you!

Highly recommend this tour. The guides are great and you will see a side of Delhi that you wouldn’t otherwise experience as a solo tourist.

We had the most phenomenal experience with Delhi by Locals on our Old Delhi tour! The day started with us catching the metro, which honestly put Melbourne’s metro to shame – it was so efficient and well-run. From there, we hopped on both electric and bicycle rickshaws, weaving our way through the buzzing streets of Old Delhi. The energy, chaos, and charm of the city were everywhere – from the winding alleyways and hidden underground passages to the bustling markets selling everything from spices, jewelry, and wedding attire to vintage treasures. The spice markets were an absolute highlight – chillies, cardamom, saffron, and every aroma imaginable surrounded us, and we even got to see the market from an aerial view. We paused for a traditional chai at a local shop (which was incredible!) before being welcomed into a Sikh temple. This was such a humbling and beautiful experience – washing our hands and feet, covering our heads, and joining in the prayers. We even helped make chapati in the community kitchen, which was both moving and unforgettable. The warmth and generosity of the people truly touched us. We also wandered through the historic Jain streets and stumbled into vintage stores where we found old-school rotary phones – such a nostalgic surprise! What really made this tour extra special were our guides, Pradeep and Salman. They were absolutely fantastic – so knowledgeable, fun, and deeply caring. Their passion for sharing Delhi’s culture shone through in everything they did. They made sure we felt safe and comfortable the whole time, cracked jokes along the way, and shared stories that brought the city to life. They even went above and beyond by calling in a friend for a henna experience, which was such a thoughtful touch. This wasn’t just a tour – it was an immersion into the heart and soul of Delhi. Thanks to Pradeep and Salman, we didn’t just see Old Delhi, we felt it. Highly, highly recommend booking with Delhi by Locals if you want a genuine, unforgettable experience.

Returning to New Delhi over 25 years later since living there in the 90's, I decided it would be worthwhile to use a guide to revisit Old Delhi. A colleague highly recommended Delhi by Locals. I was not disappointed. I was introduced to many new fascinating corners that I would never have found on my own. My guide was knowledgeable and engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure and would highly recommend the tour both for first time visitors and "old hands". In addition to introducing me to the Metro t the outset, the Masala Chai at the end was.also a welcome touch and a lovely opportunity to relax and have a good conversation with.my guide.

Absolutely fantastic tour, a wonderful experience. Our guide, Pradeep, was knowledgeable, kind, friendly, and took us to all sorts of incredible places we never would have seen otherwise. Amidst the business and sensory overload of Old Delhi, Pradeep made us feel calm and able to enjoy. I highly, highly recommend this to anyone visiting Delhi, especially first time visitors like us.

Had the most amazing experience with the Old Delhi Tour guided by Salman. Salman was very friendly and generously shared his excellent knowledge of history, culture and architecture during the tour. He was open to questions and gave plenty of time to explain the background of different landmarks. Would highly recommend anyone to this tour and would definitely recommend Salman ! Thank you again.

Great experience, very good balance between historical info and human interest! Our guide Salman was excellent, I’d definitely recommend him and the tour, we explored places we’d never have found on our own.

Our guide from India was absolutely fantastic! Their knowledge was impressive, and they took us to some truly unique places. We had amazing experiences throughout the trip. Highly recommended!

Salman was our guide and he did an excellent job of guiding us through old Delhi. We took the metro for the first time and visited the spice market, had chai, took a ride in a tuk tuk and also a bike taxi, then visited the Red Fort. Salman was a great guide and we learn’t lots about the history of the places we visited. The tour was well put together and we would recommend this company and highly recommend Salman as a guide.

First rate tour tailored to our needs as we’d toured Old Delhi previously. Salman had excellent English, a keen sense of humour, and provided us with numerous interesting tidbits throughout the 4-hour tour. This tour was heads and shoulders better than our previous tours in the Capital. Can Highly recommend ‘Delhi by Locals’.

Fantastic day with Cloud (and Pradeep)! They were so friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable! We could not have explored Old Delhi is such a comprehensive, organized and enjoyable day without Cloud. He shepherded us through the Metro, the Market and shared details of his life and goals with us.

Pradeep and the team (Salman and Badal) were amazing for two weeks, hosting 20 students from the University of Melbourne (I was the academic leading the trip). We basically trust them with all of our lives over this time, and they are so knowledgeable that they are always able to cater to our needs on the fly. Thanks to them, our itinerary with them not only included all the famous destinations, but also some really great off the beaten track items tailored to where we needed to be at the time. They never wasted any dead time, finding new places to show us, and also learned the preferences of the group quickly and adapted our itinerary as we went along.

This was the second time guide Salman took us around several areas of Delhi. He was very knowledgable and went out of his way to make us feel safe, and tour areas at our own pace. He was very kind and accommodating and was very interesting to talk to with interesting stories and background information. We took a trip to Dilli Haat market and Salman accompanied us, managing haggling on our behalf and ensuring we had an enjoyable experience. We would highly recommend Delhi by Locals as a company and Salman as a guide.

Good experience with Cloud, local guy friendly, knows the area the history and very easy going. 10/10 The tour itself I would have liked longer but that's just my own thing, was good to get familiar with the area with him first explore yourself after.

Pradeep! After great recommendations from work colleagues you didn’t disappoint. Salman & Badal really looked after me & made me feel safe being on my own. They both deserve high praise. Salman’s knowledge is outstanding & I found the whole Old Delhi experience such an adventure. Thank you I can’t praise you all enough 🙏🙋🏼‍♀️😎

Salman and Baden felt like friends after half a day showing us around old Delhi, they gave us a great taste of what the area offers for locals, and we had some great conversations about the contrasts between cultures in our respective countries. They also went out of their way to show us to places we wanted to go that weren’t on our itinerary. Thanks again guys:)

We took a tour of Chandni Chowk with Salman and Baden. They were recommended by my sister who has used Delhi by Locals many times and has only good things to say! The company funds ‘Learning by Locals’ which is an educational program for children in the slums. The tour guides are all people who have come up through the Learning by Locals program so it’s really heartwarming to be contributing to the program while seeing the benefit it has had on the lives of the people who have been in it. I have autism and we anticipated that Old Delhi might be a bit much for me but Salman checked in lots of times and made sure that the tour didn’t become too much. The tour was a journey through chaos and calm and the tour is really well put together to let you experience the different atmospheres which are all so close together but feel like different worlds! We switched between walking and rickshaw rides so the walking wasn’t too much! Salman and Baden were so knowledgeable and the whole tour was absolutely fascinating. I felt really safe and looked after and Salman and Baden’s English was absolutely flawless. We could all understand each other perfectly in spite of being in the eye of the storm. In fact, Baden rescued me from a wayward cart at one point! He had eyes everywhere and kept us super safe! I’m struggling to find enough words but, the point is; this was great. Do the tour! It’s a great day out and it funds a great program. We also met some of the children in the program and they’re really smart and friendly kids who are just lovely to meet!

I have visited Delhi 10 times and EVERY time I book a tour with these guys. I take all of my friends and family and cannot recommend it highly enough!!! The guides are fantastic and the fee paid goes towards supporting disadvantaged students in the slums. The guides are knowledgeable, friendly and make you feel so safe in some of the most hectic parts of the city. The tours are packed with lots of stops and they can also be flexible depending on the experience you would like to have. BEST your company for Delhi and the Golden Triangle!

Extremely knowledgeable, courteous and flexible guide (Salman). The driver was also very polite and drove safely. The tour was excellent.

We have been to India many times but for our long time friends, it was their first visit - and they loved it. Booked three tours with Pradeep and his small but very efficient team to show Tim & Sara the best of Delhi 1. 2x Tuk Tuk / auto rickshaw out to New Delhi and Lodi gardens on first afternoon: chance to get first taste of Delhi 2. Full day visiting Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Old Delhi, chai and food and spice market and after visiting Ranthambore (see review on Sawai Madhupor Lodge and Tigers), Jaipur and Agra 3. half day to Humayan's tomb We chose them for two reasons and they were very good a) research on their website and their reviews and b) their guides come from the communities that you will visit so they are committed to the environment and the overall well-being of the people who live there, reinvesting 50% of profits in under-privileged communities. Our three tours were led by Salman but he was clearing training Badal who came with us. They were happy to flex start times as we got accustomed to time difference and vary the itinerary whenever we wanted to stop for something interesting / chai / street food and Pradeep who runs the company was always in the background ensuring we were happy - and he took the time to visit us at the hotel to meet and chat A really great local outfit with demonstrable good community focus

Salman was a great tour guide, and a true local! He grew up next to Humayun’s Tomb and also has many connections in Old Delhi which lets you see the place inside and out. He speaks English like it's his first language and is also a great storyteller and just a nice guy all around.

Excellent option for seeing some interesting places in Delhi, and further afield. Old Delhi is incredible to see but a good guide makes all the difference. We've been repeat customers of Delhi by Locals and also worked with Pradeep for some longer trips for family around Rajasthan. Very good service and support. Also love that Delhi by Locals provides significant support to social causes, including girls' education.