Akshardham Temple Delhi: Timings, Tickets and Visitor Guide

I was born and raised in Delhi, and in 11 years guiding the city for Experience My India, Akshardham is the one stop where I always brief people carefully before we go, because a little preparation changes the whole visit. It is a vast, astonishing temple, one of the largest in the world, but the security is strict and it takes half a day to see properly. Get the timings, the tickets and the no-phone rule right and it becomes many people's favourite thing in Delhi. So let me start with exactly that.

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Akshardham timings in 2026

Akshardham is open every day except Monday, and different parts of the complex keep slightly different hours.

Complex and exhibition hours

The temple complex is generally open from about 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM, with the last entry a little before closing, and it is closed all day every Monday. The ticketed exhibitions run for a slightly shorter window in the middle of the day, so if you want to see them, do not arrive too late in the afternoon.

The Sahaj Anand water show

The Sahaj Anand water show is held after sunset, so its start time shifts with the season, usually around 7:00 PM, and it lasts about 45 minutes. If you want to see it, plan to arrive in the mid to late afternoon, do the temple and exhibitions first, and stay on for the show as the light fades. Confirm the exact show time on the day, since it changes through the year.

Tickets and what is free

Entry to the temple and the grounds themselves is free. What you pay for are the extras: a combined exhibition ticket for the Hall of Values, the giant-screen film and the boat ride, and a separate ticket for the evening water show. Prices are modest and are revised from time to time, with reduced rates for children and seniors, so check the current ticket prices when you arrive or before you book. Even if you skip the paid attractions, the temple and gardens alone are worth the trip.

The security rules: no phones, no bags

This is the single most important thing to know, and the reason people get delayed or turned back. Akshardham has airport-style security, and mobile phones, cameras, electronic gadgets, bags, food, and even pens are not allowed inside the complex. There is a free cloakroom at the entrance where you deposit everything, but the queues for it and for security can be long, especially at weekends. The simplest fix is to leave your bag and camera at your hotel and carry as little as possible, just your money and ID, so you walk straight through. Photography is not permitted inside, which is part of why the place feels so peaceful.

What to see at Akshardham

The main monument

The centrepiece is the Akshardham Mandir itself, opened in 2005 and built by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha entirely from pink Rajasthani sandstone and Italian marble, without structural steel, following ancient Indian temple-building texts. It carries thousands of carved figures, a ring of ornately carved domes and pillars, and a plinth of life-size stone elephants, and at its heart sits a gold-leafed image of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. It has been recognised as one of the largest comprehensive Hindu temples in the world, and simply standing before it is the highlight for most visitors.

The exhibitions

The ticketed exhibitions tell the story behind the temple. The Hall of Values uses lifelike animatronic figures to dramatise episodes and values from the life of Swaminarayan; the giant-screen film follows the teenage yogi Nilkanth on his seven-year journey on foot across India; and the boat ride carries you gently through ten thousand years of Indian heritage, past scenes of ancient learning and invention. Together they take an hour or more and are well worth the modest ticket.

The gardens and the water show

Around the monument are formal gardens, including the Garden of India with its bronze figures of national heroes, and a lotus-shaped garden, all wrapped by the Narayan Sarovar water channel. As night falls, the Sahaj Anand water show brings a step-well to life with fountains, light, fire and projection to tell a story from the ancient scriptures, a genuinely moving 45 minutes and the perfect way to end the visit.

How much time you need, and the best time to visit

Give Akshardham at least three to four hours, and closer to five if you want the exhibitions and the evening water show. The best plan is to arrive in the mid-afternoon, around 3:00 or 3:30, see the temple and exhibitions in daylight, and stay for the water show after dark. Come on a weekday if you can, since weekends and holidays bring big crowds and slow security lines. Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered; robes are provided at the entrance if needed. And remember it is closed on Mondays.

How to reach Akshardham

Akshardham stands on the east bank of the Yamuna in east Delhi, near Noida Mor. The easiest way there is the Delhi Metro Blue Line: the Akshardham station is a short five to ten minute walk from the entrance. Autos and app cabs reach the gate easily, and there is car parking on site. Because it sits on the eastern side of the city, it is best treated as its own half-day rather than squeezed between sights across town.

Want Akshardham planned properly, timed for the water show and briefed so you breeze through security? Message me on WhatsApp with your dates and I will build the day around it.

Combining Akshardham with the rest of Delhi

Because Akshardham needs a good half day and its own side of the city, it is best paired with a full day of sightseeing rather than rushed. A full Delhi city tour can build it into your itinerary, or you can add it either side of a New Delhi half-day tour, and our guide to the best places to visit in Delhi helps you plan the rest.

Keep the Monday trap in mind: Akshardham, the Lotus Temple and the Red Fort all close on Mondays, so plan a Monday around the sites that stay open. If you are travelling on to the Taj, line Delhi up with a Delhi, Agra and Jaipur Golden Triangle tour, check how far Delhi is from Agra for the drive, or browse our full range of Delhi Agra tours. Our licensed local guides at Experience My India can shape the whole trip around you.

 Experience My India. He has personally hosted 50,000+ travelers and the service he leads is rated 4.9 from 2,600+ reviews, operating since 2015. Delhi Agra Tour Packages is a unit of Experience My India.