The Ultimate Guide To Arriving At The Delhi International Airport

New Delhi airport is one of the largest airports in India. It has several accolades to its name including one for being the Most Sustainable and Green Airport. 

Here is the Visual Guide to traveling out of the Delhi International Airport, Terminal 3

Aerocity

Delhi Aerocity, a hospitality district is growing rapidly to accommodate the increasing needs at the airport. It has several hotels including international luxury chains.

Here is the list of hotels in Aerocity

• JW Marriott
• Andaz Delhi
• Pullman Delhi
• Roseate House
• Aloft New Delhi
• Radisson Blu Plaza New Delhi
• Ibis New Delhi
• Lemon Tree Premier New Delhi

Delhi Airport Transit Options

If you wish to travel via road, it takes 45 minutes to one hour (during normal traffic) to travel to City Center. Keep in mind the road becomes very congested during peak hours. Here are the travel options available to and from New Delhi airport.

• Cab services like Ola or Uber
• Pre-arranged hotel pickups
• To save time in commuting, Delhi Metro Airport Express train station opens at Aerocity (apart from this, the T3 also has a station of the Metro Airport Express.)

Terminals

The following terminals are in use at the airport:

• Terminal 1C – IndiGo and SpiceJet domestic arrivals 
• Terminal 1D – Some IndiGo and SpiceJet domestic departures 
• Terminal 2 – All Go Air domestic flights, and some IndiGo and SpiceJet domestic flights.
• Terminal 3 – International and domestic flights, with the exception of low-cost carriers listed above. This new terminal is close to Terminal 2, which has been recommissioned.
• Terminal 3 also has spice jet flights. Which flights take off from which airport changes often for Domestic carriers. Please check in advance if you are flying SpiceJet, GoAir and Indigo Airlines.

There are free shuttle buses between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. While you can walk between Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 in under 5 minutes, you need to take the NH8 between Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. It takes about 45-60

Eateries at Delhi International Airport

A wide variety of cuisines (Indian, Continental, Chinese, French, Italian, etc) is available for you to choose from. Most of them are located at Terminal 3. There are plenty of options at the other two terminals as well.

This a list of eateries at the terminal 3 International Arrival area

• Joost- juices and low-fat healthy drinks bar
• Bakers Street- European style bakery café. Serves coffees, teas, and desserts like tiramisu, cheesecakes, etc
• Vaango- South Indian cuisine
• Falafel Express- Greek Quick Service Store. Serves Falafel Wrap, Shawarma, Gyro, Rice plates, Curries & Salads.
• Domino’s Pizza
• Moti Mahal Deluxe- a multi-cuisine restaurants
• Mumbai Central- Serves authentic Mumbai street food

Here is a list of all the eateries in the Delhi International Airport.

Facilities At Delhi International Airport

• Terminal 3 has 168 check-in counters. 130 immigration counters. 78 aerobridges. 92 moving walkways. Business centers, restaurants, spas, and shopping malls, etc.
• A luggage storage facility (for both domestic and international passengers), located in the Airport Connect at the Skywalk Level of Terminal 3. 
• Free wireless Internet at all terminals. 
• Wheelchairs and attendants are available inside the terminals, for passengers with special needs.
• Money exchange counters and ATMs inside every terminal.

Lounges At Delhi International Airport

• One Premium Lounge for first-class and business-class passengers of selected airlines. Located on Level 3 (international departures area) in Terminal 3.
• Several Plaza Premium lounges for departing international passengers. The main lounge is located on Level 4 in Terminal 3. Access passes for the International Plaza Premium Airport Lounge (Departures) and International Plaza Premium Airport Lounge (Arrivals) can be purchased online from TripAdvisor. 
• The ITC WelcomGroup has an environmentally-responsible Green Lounge in Terminal 3, which, according to general consensus, is better than the premium lounges. 
•  American Express Platinum Lounge in the departures area of Terminal 3.

Most of these lounges allow you to pay and access them, regardless of your airline or flight class. The details are available in New Delhi Airport Guide. 

Shopping At Delhi International Airport

There are several convenience stores, Duty-Free areas, and hi-tech shops (Croma Zip, Gadget Point, and Samsung stores). The airport houses Armani, Marks & Spencer, Hugo Boss, Gini & Jony, Satya Paul, Shoppers Stop, UCB, Tommy Hilfiger, etc. Range of products available at Duty-Free include cosmetics, liquor, perfumes, confectionery, and souvenirs.

 Here is a link

You can even buy SIM cards at the airport. Here is how to.

Parking Facilities At Delhi International Airport

There is a six-level car park at Terminal 3. It can hold over 4000 vehicles. The rates are available in the link given below. It is around 80 INR per car for up to 30 minutes, 180 INR up to 2 hours, 90 INR for each subsequent hour, and 1,180 INR for 24 hours. The rates are the same for car parking at the domestic terminal.

Park and Fly facility is also available at Terminal 3 as well as Terminal 1D. The booking can be done online. 

Passengers can be dropped off and picked up at the terminals free of cost, so long as the vehicles remain attended.

Here is a link to parking availability. 

Places To Visit Near Delhi International Airport

Depending on the amount of time you have between flights, here are some places you can explore around the airport. 

Airport Museum

This museum houses an extensive collection of historical aircraft used by the IAF. Among the exhibits are Folland Gnats that shot down several Canadian variants of F-86 Sabres in service with the Pakistan Air Force during the 1965 war. Hawker Hunters that played a significant role in the famous Battle of Longewala during the 1971 war. As well as Mig-21s. 

Mehrauli Archaeological Park

Situated about 11 km from the airport, Mehrauli Archaeological Park houses ruins of several monuments. Such as Lal Kot, a fort built in the early 11th century. The most iconic, however, is the Qutub Minar. There is also Alai Minar, an unfinished minaret which was supposed to be twice as high as Qutub Minar. Alai Darwaza, Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, tombs of Ala-Ud-Din Khilji and Iltutmish, Jahaz Mahal, and Hauz-i-Sham are also in the same complex

You can check our article about the Architectural Evolution of Old Delhi to find out more about these monuments. We recommend you have at least seven hours between flights before you decide to go exploring. Taking the metro will save you time. You can take the Orange Line up to New Delhi (five stops) and then switch over to the Blue Line up to Chandni Chowk station (two stops). From the Chandni Chowk station, you can take a cab to Red Fort and Jama Masjid.

If you have over 12 hours, you can explore further. You can visit Humayun’s Tomb, Isa Khan’s Tomb, which also lies within the same complex, Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, which is the resting place of the most famous Indian Sufi saint, Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya.

Here is a list of monuments that most tourists overlook. 

Don’t forget to check out our Free Resources for Delhi.