The flexible one
Sightseeing bus
One loop, many sights
- RunsEvery 45 minutes
- ClosedMonday
- TicketsOnline or on board
Look up your stop
Hop on hop off Delhi: how the sightseeing bus works
Quick summary
The Delhi Tourism hop-on hop-off bus covers the main attractions and, in its Citizen Charter, runs every 45 minutes from 8 AM, Monday closed, from Connaught Place; confirm the service first, since the document is old.
Bus facts
See all 18 stops
Delhi's main sights, pin by pin
Pick a route, then tap a marker or a stop for notes and a Google Maps link.
The Red Fort was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century as a red sandstone fortress of Mughal architecture.
Google MapsJama Masjid is one of India's largest mosques.
Google MapsChandni Chowk is the heart of Old Delhi, with spices, sweets and street food.
Google MapsKhari Baoli is described as Asia's largest spice market.
Google Maps
India Gate is a symbol of Indian courage, patriotism and sacrifice.
Google MapsThe National War Memorial pays tribute to India's Armed Forces.
Google MapsThe Change of Guard Ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan can be watched free on Saturdays, on the first trip of the Delhi Tourism hop-on hop-off bus.
Google MapsConnaught Place is a hub with a global range of food.
Google MapsJantar Mantar is an observatory with ancient astronomical instruments.
Google MapsGurudwara Bangla Sahib has a langar, a community kitchen, that serves all who come.
Google MapsAgrasen Ki Baoli is an intricately designed stepwell.
Google MapsDelhi Tourism runs an information counter on the Paharganj side of the station, near Exit Gate no. 1.
Google Maps
Humayun's Tomb is a 16th-century garden mausoleum with an octagonal design.
Google MapsSunder Nursery is one of the green places for a picnic or a rest.
Google MapsLodhi Garden is one of the green places for a picnic or a rest.
Google MapsThe Lotus Temple is an architectural wonder shaped like a lotus flower.
Google MapsQutub Minar is a 12th-century red and buff sandstone tower.
Google MapsAkshardham Temple is dedicated to Lord Swaminarayan.
Google Maps
Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
Hop on hop off Delhi means a Delhi Tourism bus that links the main attractions. This page sets out what the official document says, what it does not, and which other ways to cover the sights work well.
Editorial team, delhicitytour.click · Updated November 7, 2026 · Read in 7 min
Summary view
- The serviceDelhi Tourism describes a Hop On Hop Off bus that covers monuments, bazaars, museums and cultural centres.1
- Start and timingBuses ply every 45 minutes from 8 AM, six days a week, Monday closed, from Connaught Place.2
- TicketsA ticket can be booked online or bought on board.3
- Check firstThe document is old, with coach rates valid up to 31.03.2015, so confirm the schedule with Delhi Tourism.4
- The alternativeA private car tour with a guide covers Old and New Delhi in 4 to 7 hours.
What the sightseeing bus is
A hop-on hop-off bus is a loop that visitors can join and leave at will, and Delhi has its own version run by the city's tourism corporation. Delhi Tourism's Citizen Charter says the service covers the main tourist attractions of Delhi, including monuments, bazaars, museums and cultural centres.1 People search for it as HOHO Delhi Darshan, and the idea is the same: one ticket, one bus, many sights.
The charter also says the bus is air conditioned and runs on CNG fuel.5 For a visitor in the hot months that matters, because the loop lets you move between sights in a cooled vehicle instead of waiting in the sun for a taxi. It is a way to see the city's outline cheaply and to decide where to stay longer, rather than a replacement for a guide who explains what you are looking at.
One honest point first. The document that describes the bus is a Delhi Tourism Citizen Charter, and its coach rates are marked as valid up to 31.03.2015.4 Treat everything below as the corporation's own description, and confirm the current service with Delhi Tourism before you plan a day around it.
Compared
Ways to cover the sights
| Option | How it works | Time | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hop-on hop-off bus | Every 45 minutes from 8 AM, Monday closed2 | A free day | Flexible sightseeing |
| Delhi Tourism tours | Cars and coaches booked at information offices15 | Per tour | A fixed programme |
| Private car tour | Guide, car and entry fees | 4 to 7 hours | Short stays |
| Delhi Metro | Rapid transit across the city16 | Your own pace | Long distances |
| Cab or auto rickshaw | Listed by Delhi Tourism12 | Your own pace | Door to door |
Check the bus timetable with Delhi Tourism first, since the document describing it is old; tour prices elsewhere on this page are from prices only.
Where it starts and how often it runs
According to the charter, the buses ply every 45 minutes from 8 AM onwards, six days a week, with Monday closed.2 The starting point is Baba Kharak Singh Marg, near Coffee Home, in Connaught Place.2 That is also the address of Delhi Tourism's central reservation office, so the starting point doubles as the place to ask questions in person.13 The same ticket is what people mean when they look for hop on hop off New Delhi.
A loop that runs every 45 minutes sets the rhythm of your day. If you step off at a monument and spend an hour there, you will probably wait for the next bus, so plan your stops around the interval instead of leaving each one at a random moment. Start on the first trip if you can, because later buses are the ones that fill up at the stops where tours are dropping off.
The Monday closure matters more than it looks. Many monuments have their own closing days, and a day when the bus does not run is a day to switch to the metro, a cab or a private tour. Delhi Tourism lists auto rickshaws, buses, cabs and the metro as the ways to get around the city, which gives you a fallback on the day the loop is off.12
Tickets, booking and the Saturday guard
The charter says a ticket can be booked online or bought on board when you hop on.3 That is the usual choice for a day with no fixed plan, because you can see how the weather looks and how crowded the first stop is before you pay. If you travel in a group, booking online lets you split the party cleanly and avoids queuing at the door of the bus.
There is a free extra on Saturdays. The charter says you can watch the Change of Guard Ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan free of cost on every Saturday, on the first trip.6 If you want that, plan to be at the starting point early, and treat the ceremony as the opening act of a Saturday loop rather than a stop you reach by chance later.
Because the details come from an older document, keep a plain backup. Delhi Tourism says it also runs regular and seasonal tours by cars and coaches that can be booked at its information offices.15 Its charter lists Delhi by Evening among its regular tours on group demand, and a local sight seeing tour among the others.17,18 Ask which of those is running on your dates.
Match the day
Which way suits your day?
Pick the line that sounds like you and the answer sits beside it.
If I have a free day and a loose plan
Try the loop bus
It covers monuments, bazaars, museums and cultural centres on a 45-minute rhythm.1,2
If I want a guide and no queues
Book the private tour
It includes a local guide, entry fees and a private air-conditioned car.
If It is a Monday
Use the metro or a tour
The older charter says the loop is closed on Monday; the metro serves the whole network.2,16
If It is the hottest month
Take the cooled car or bus
Average daily highs reach 40 °C in May.14
If I only want a few sights
Choose a guided half day
The tour has half-day versions for New Delhi or Old Delhi.
Three choices
Loop bus, metro or guided car
The cheap one
Delhi Metro
Fast across the city
- NetworkDelhi, Gurgaon, Noida
- Card1 day or 3 day
- Helpline24 hours
The easy one
Private guided car
Old and New Delhi with a guide
- Length4 to 7 hours
- GroupUp to 15
- From$37
Which sights the loop is aimed at
The charter does not publish a stop list, so this page does not invent one. What it does state is the kind of place the loop is meant to link: monuments, bazaars, museums and cultural centres.1 The map above shows the main sights in three panels, and the best way to use it is to treat each panel as one block of the day.
Old Delhi has the Red Fort, built by Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century, and Jama Masjid, one of India's largest mosques.7,8 Central New Delhi has India Gate and the National War Memorial.21,22 The south has Humayun's Tomb, a 16th-century garden mausoleum, and the Qutub Minar, a 12th-century sandstone tower.10,28
Delhi has 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites on its skyline, according to the national tourism board, and it lists the Red Fort, the Qutub Minar and Humayun's Tomb among its heritage wonders.31 If a hop-on hop-off loop touches none of the three on a given day, ask the staff which ones the current route reaches, and add the missing ones by metro or cab.
A loop day
How a Saturday on the loop can run
Early
Start in Connaught Place
Buses ply every 45 minutes from 8 AM, starting near Coffee Home.2
First trip
Change of guard
On Saturdays the first trip includes the free Change of Guard Ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.6
Mid-morning
Old Delhi sights
The Red Fort and Jama Masjid are the anchors of Old Delhi; the charter gives no stop list, so ask which the current loop reaches.7,8
Midday
Eat and rest
Connaught Place offers a global range of food.9
Afternoon
Tomb and gardens
Humayun's Tomb, Sunder Nursery and Lodhi Garden make an easy south Delhi block, whether or not the loop stops there.10,11
Back
Metro or cab
The metro and cabs get you home when the last bus has gone.12
When to ride: the heat and the monsoon
Weather decides how many times you will want to hop off. Delhi Tourism says the best time to visit is from October to March.32 The NOAA station at Safdarjung gives an average daily high of 20.3 °C in January and 40 °C in May.14,14 An air-conditioned bus is welcome in May, but you still have to walk across forecourts at each stop.
The monsoon changes the picture in another way. The same station records 236 mm of precipitation in July and 262 mm in August, with 8 and 10 days of at least 2.5 mm.14,14 On those days a loop bus is a dry place to sit, but monuments with long open courtyards are less pleasant. In the dry months, October to March, the loop is mostly a question of crowds and not of weather.
Daylight also shapes the schedule. Mid-December has 10.3 hrs of sun above the horizon at the Safdarjung station and mid-May 13.6 hrs.14,14 If the first bus leaves at 8 AM, the winter day gives you daylight for most of the loop, and a summer morning gives you light long before the heat arrives. Start early in every season.
Video
Comparing Old and New Delhi: first impressions
Nicole and Mico on YouTube · Until you tap play, no video is loaded.
Delhi Tourism has also started Hop On Hop Off bus service which covers all the main tourist attractions in Delhi including Monuments, Bazaars, Museums and Cultural Centers
Before you board
A checklist for a loop day
Check first4
Bus, metro, cab or a private tour
The sightseeing bus is not the only way to link the sights. The Delhi Metro connects the city and nearby areas and serves Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida, and it has a Tourist Card for unlimited travel over short periods, in 1 day and 3 day versions.33,16,34 Check the current card price on the metro's own site before you buy.
A private car tour with a guide is the opposite choice. The Old & New Delhi tour sold on this site is a private tour for up to 15 travelers, lasting 4 to 7 hours depending on the version, with an air-conditioned car, a local guide, entry fees to monuments, hotel or airport pick-up and a tuk-tuk ride in Old Delhi on the Old Delhi and full-day versions. It is listed from $37 per person.
The trade is simple. The loop bus is flexible and cheap but explains nothing and keeps to its timetable. The car tour has a fixed route and a guide who handles tickets and queues. Many visitors use both: a guided half day for the heart of the old and new city, and public transport for the rest. Pick the car tour if your time in Delhi is short, and the bus if you have a free day and want to wander; a hop-on hop-off day suits the second kind of traveller.
How to plan a loop day
Start at Connaught Place and eat before you board, because food stops between sights are not part of a bus ticket. Connaught Place is a hub with a wide range of food, and the national tourism board names it among the vibrant markets of the city.9,35 Take water, a hat, sunscreen and a light scarf for the mosques, and keep your ticket where you can reach it.
Choose three stops and no more. A day of hopping on and off can easily turn into a day of waiting at stops, and three well-chosen sights give you time to look properly. A sensible mix is one old-city sight, one monument in central Delhi and one garden or tomb in the south. Humayun's Tomb, Sunder Nursery and Lodhi Garden sit close together on the map, which makes an easy pair.10,11
Finish with a return plan that does not rely on the bus. If the last bus is full or gone, the metro, an auto rickshaw or a cab will get you back.12 Keep the Delhi Metro helpline number, 155370, which is staffed 24 hours.30 And remember that the Monday closure in the older charter means a day of sightseeing then needs the metro, a cab or a tour.
FAQ
Quick questions get quick answers.
Is there a hop on hop off bus in Delhi?
Where does the Delhi hop on hop off bus start?
In Connaught Place.
The starting point is Baba Kharak Singh Marg, near Coffee Home, Connaught Place.2
How often does it run?
Every 45 minutes.
The charter says the buses ply every 45 minutes from 8 AM, six days a week, with Monday closed.2
How do I buy a ticket?
Online or on board.
A ticket can be booked online or bought on the bus.3
Is the bus air conditioned?
Yes, according to the charter.
The charter says the bus is air conditioned and runs on CNG fuel.5
What can I see on Saturday?
The change of guard.
The Change of Guard Ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan can be watched free of cost on Saturdays, on the first trip.6
What if the bus is not running?
Use the metro, a cab or a tour.
Delhi Tourism lists auto rickshaws, buses, cabs and the metro, and a private car tour covers the same sights.12
Sources
- Delhi Tourism (DTTDC) · Citizen Charter (PDF) ↩
- Delhi Tourism (DTTDC) · Citizen Charter (PDF) ↩
- Delhi Tourism (DTTDC) · Citizen Charter (PDF) ↩
- Delhi Tourism (DTTDC) · Citizen Charter (PDF) ↩
- Delhi Tourism (DTTDC) · Citizen Charter (PDF) ↩
- Delhi Tourism (DTTDC) · Citizen Charter (PDF) ↩
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) · Delhi ↩
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) · Delhi ↩
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) · Delhi ↩
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) · Delhi ↩
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) · Delhi ↩
- Delhi Tourism (DTTDC) · Travel Within Delhi ↩
- Delhi Tourism (DTTDC) · Tourism Division ↩
- NOAA · Global Summary of the Month, Station New Delhi Safdarjung (NOAA GHCN IN022021900), 1991 to 2020 ↩
- Delhi Tourism (DTTDC) · Tourism Division ↩
- Delhi Tourism (DTTDC) · Transport: Metro Rail ↩
- Delhi Tourism (DTTDC) · Citizen Charter (PDF) ↩
- Delhi Tourism (DTTDC) · Citizen Charter (PDF) ↩
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) · Delhi
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) · Delhi
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) · Delhi ↩
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) · Delhi ↩
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) · Delhi
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) · Delhi
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) · Delhi
- Delhi Tourism (DTTDC) · Tourism Division
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) · Delhi
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) · Delhi ↩
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) · Delhi
- Delhi Tourism (DTTDC) · Transport: Metro Rail ↩
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) · Delhi ↩
- Delhi Tourism (DTTDC) · Best Time to Visit ↩
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) · Delhi ↩
- Delhi Tourism (DTTDC) · Transport: Metro Rail ↩
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) · Delhi ↩
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