New Delhi Public Transportation Guide for New Visitors

Delhi Metro (Subway) trains

Delhi Metro:

The New Delhi metro system is the newest form of public transportation and is very popular.

Delhi Metro trains are crowded during peak hours. However, it is fast, efficient, fairly priced, and environmentally friendly.

The Delhi Metro is the new rail rapid transit system that serves Central Delhi and the greater Delhi areas of Gurgaon and Noida.  

The metro in Delhi is a combination of elevated, surface, and underground trains.  

Delhi Metro has 9 operational lines within the greater metro Delhi area and the Airport Express line.

The current Delhi Metro lines/Routes [Number and Color] are:

1). Line 1 - Red Line

- Red Line connects Rithala in the west to Dilshad Garden in the east.

- Red line crosses the Yamuna River between Kashmere Gate (ISBT) and Shastri Park stations.

- Passengers can transfer to the yellow line at Kashmere Gate (ISBT) station and to the green line at Inderlok station.

2). Line 2 - Yellow Line

- Yellow Line runs from north to south and connects Samaypur Badli with HUDA City Centre in Gurgaon.

You can transfer to:

   - the Red Line at Kashmere Gate station, and ISBT- Interstate Bus Station,

   - the Blue Line at Rajiv Chowk (Connaught Place) Station,

   - the Violet Line at Central Secretariat, 

   - Airport Express(Orange) Line at New Delhi, 

   - Rapid MetroRail Gurgaon at Sikandarpur, and

   - with the Indian Railways network at Chandni Chowk (Old Delhi Railway Station )and New Delhi.  

Use Yellow line to get to:

    - Old Delhi (Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid), and

    - New Delhi railway stations, the ISBT bus terminal, and Qutub Minar.

3). Line 3 & 4 - Blue Line (Main Line and Branch Line)

- Line 3 or Blue Line (Main Line) connects Dwarka Sub City in the west with the city of Noida in the east.

- Line 4 Blue Line branch line consisting of 8 stations from Vaishali to Yamuna Bank.

- This line crosses the Yamuna River between Indraprastha and Yamuna Bank stations.

You can transfer to:

    - the Yellow Line at Rajiv Chowk (Connaught Place) station,

    - the Green line at Kirti Nagar, Violet line at Mandi House,

    - Airport Express (Orange) line at Dwarka Sector 21, and

    - with the Indian Railways network and Interstate Bus Station (ISBT) at Anand Vihar station.
       Anand Vihar station connects with Anand Vihar Railway Terminal and Anand Vihar ISBT.

4). Line 5 - Green Line

- Green Line runs between Inderlok and Mundka with a branch line.

-   Green line connects the line's Ashok Park Main station with Kirti Nagar station on the Blue Line.

-   Green line runs mostly along the NH 10 route in West Delhi.

5). Line 6 - Violet Line

- Violet Line, also known as the Heritage line, connects several tourist attractions like Jama Masjid and the Red Fort along its route.

- Commuters can transfer to the Yellow Line at Central Secretariat through an integrated concourse.

6). Airport Line - Orange Line

- Airport Express line runs 22.7 km (14.1 mi) from New Delhi Railway Station to Dwarka Sector 21, linking the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

- Delhi Metro Airport Line has only 6 stops: New Delhi, Shivaji Stadium, Dhaula Kuan, Delhi Aerocity, IGI Airport, and Dwarka Sec-21.

Please Check our Hipfig's webpage - New Delhi Airport to Hotel for more information on Airport transfer.

7). Line 7 - Pink Line

- Line 7 or Pink line has 38 stations between Majlis Park Station and Shiv Vihar station.

8). Line 8 - Magenta Line

- Line 8 runs between Botanical Garden and Janakpuri West and has 25 metro stations.

9). Line 9 - Grey Line

- Line 9 or Grey line metro runs between Dwarka and Najafgarh

Go to the Delhi Metro website for more information and maps


Notes and tips for riding Delhi Metro:

- The first coach in every train is reserved for women only

- The Delhi metro is good if your hotel is located nearby and you are not traveling at peak times. 

- If you are on the metro during rush hour, you may have to push yourself in or out of the train. 

- Riding with young children during rush hour is not recommended even in the 1st women’s coach.

- You can pay for your fare using a Delhi Metro stored Smart card or a token.  

- You can purchase a Smart card at the service counters or vending machine at metro stations with cash.

- The Minimum value of a stored-value card is Rs. 100/- and the maximum is Rs. 1000/-  
   You can refill your cards in multiples of Rs. 50

- There is a refundable deposit which will be refunded upon return of the card.  

- The cards are valid within One Year from the date of purchase. 

Ticket counters are available at all stations, and Vending Machines are available at selected Metro Stations.

The Delhi Metro also offers a very affordable unlimited travel pass for 1 day and 3 days.

If using a Token:

- Walk to the entrance of the station, tap your token to the machine for the gates to open.

- When you exit, drop the token into the exit gate machine.

If using your Smart Card/ Tourist Card:

- At the entrance, tap your travel card at the entry gate.

- At the exit, tap your travel card at the exit gates, and it will display your balance after the fare has been deducted from the card.

Smart cards are transferable and can be used for multiple journeys but can be used by only one passenger at a time.

Any entry on a travel card must be followed by a valid exit from the system.

Delhi Public Buses

DTC Bus in Delhi:

New Delhi has a good public bus service serving Delhi and surrounding metro or NCR areas.

Delhi Public bus is not recommended for tourists visiting from other countries especially with young families as they can get crowded.

In addition, catching them may be confusing by Western standards in Delhi. 

If you decide to take the bus take the new red color buses which have air-conditioning.

Even with the new Metro system, buses remain the popular means of transportation in New Delhi.

Buses are run by the state-owned Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC)

There are 3 main types of buses:

- Non-air conditioned Orange buses

- Non-air conditioned Green buses- new low floor buses

- Air-conditioned Red buses- new low floor buses

Public Buses in Delhi run from around 5:30 am to about 10:30 PM (after that, you will have to take the Night buses)

You pay your fare with cash or with a computerized pass. 

Paying by cash is easier than getting a pass, as you have to apply for a pass. 

Make sure to carry small denominations of local currency bills with you before you get on board a bus.

Board buses at the back on the left side of the bus and pays the conductor by the door.

Hang on to your ticket till your ride is complete.

To get off the bus, move to the front if you can as buses get very crowded during peak times.

DTC offers the Green Card (unlimited day pass), which is valid for traveling in all DTC City bus services except Palam Coach & Tourist services throughout the day.

If you are in Delhi for vacation, then the easiest way to get to Tourist attractions by bus is Delhi Darshan tours. 

These tour buses are very reasonably priced, air-conditioned, and run by DTC.  

Delhi Darshan Buses Pick up passengers is at the Scindia House in Connaught Place.  

For Reservations, please contact by calling 23752772 Ext. 244, Or go to the Delhi Darshan Counter in the Scindia House, Connaught Place

There are also hop on hop off tours and Private car tours available too.