Important Monuments of Delhi: 12 You Must See

Delhi's monuments span nearly a thousand years of history, and the most important of them are easy to name. Three are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Red Fort, the Qutub Minar and Humayun's Tomb, and around them stand the great Mughal and Sultanate landmarks like the Jama Masjid, Purana Qila and Safdarjung Tomb, the colonial-era India Gate, the astronomical Jantar Mantar and the hidden Agrasen ki Baoli, and the modern icons of the Lotus Temple and Akshardham. Between them, they trace the whole story of the city.

I was born and raised in Delhi, and in 11 years guiding the city for Experience My India I have walked visitors through every one of these monuments many times over. Each is a chapter in Delhi's long history, from the first Islamic sultans to the Mughals, the British and modern India. Here are the twelve most important monuments of Delhi, what each one is and why it matters, grouped so you can plan which to see.

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The most important monuments of Delhi

A quick overview, then the detail on each. For the city's wider sights, markets and gardens, see our guide to places to visit in Delhi.

The UNESCO World Heritage monuments

Red Fort

The Red Fort, or Lal Qila, is Delhi's greatest Mughal monument, the massive red sandstone palace-fort built by Shah Jahan in the 1640s as the centre of his new capital. It is from its ramparts that the Prime Minister addresses the nation each Independence Day. Our Red Fort history and timings guide covers its story, halls and practical details in full.

Qutub Minar

The Qutub Minar is the world's tallest brick minaret, a soaring 73-metre victory tower begun around 1193 by Delhi's first Islamic ruler and finished by his successors. It stands in the Qutub complex alongside the earliest mosque in India, the ornate Alai Darwaza gateway and the famous rust-resistant Iron Pillar, making it the birthplace, in stone, of Islamic Delhi.

Humayun's Tomb

Humayun's Tomb, built in the 1560s for the second Mughal emperor, was the first great garden-tomb in India, a majestic red sandstone and marble mausoleum set in a formal char-bagh garden. It was the direct inspiration for the Taj Mahal, as our Taj Mahal history and facts guide describes, and its serene gardens are among the loveliest spots in the city.

The great Mughal and Sultanate monuments

Jama Masjid

The Jama Masjid, also built by Shah Jahan and completed in 1656, is the largest mosque in India, a vast red sandstone and marble courtyard that can hold tens of thousands of worshippers, crowning the heart of Old Delhi above the bazaars of Chandni Chowk. Climb the southern minaret for one of the best views over the old city.

Purana Qila

The Purana Qila, or Old Fort, is one of the oldest forts in Delhi, its massive walls raised in the sixteenth century by the Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri and the emperor Humayun on a site associated with the legendary city of Indraprastha. Its gateways, the octagonal library tower where Humayun died, and the boating lake in its moat make it a quietly rewarding visit.

Safdarjung Tomb

The Safdarjung Tomb, built in 1754, is often called the last great flicker of Mughal architecture, a graceful marble and sandstone garden-tomb in the style of the earlier imperial mausoleums, set in a formal char-bagh. It is elegant, uncrowded, and a fine bookend to the Mughal story that Humayun's Tomb begins.

Tughlaqabad Fort

For raw, atmospheric ruins, Tughlaqabad Fort is unmatched: the vast, crumbling remains of a fortified city built in the 1320s by the Tughlaq dynasty, with sloping stone walls stretching for kilometres over the rocky ground. Little-visited and evocative, it rewards those who love history off the tourist trail.

Historic landmarks and stepwells

India Gate

India Gate, the 42-metre sandstone arch on the ceremonial Kartavya Path, is Delhi's great war memorial, built by the British in 1931 to honour Indian soldiers who died in the First World War and the Afghan wars. Floodlit at night and surrounded by lawns, it is the symbolic heart of New Delhi and a beloved evening gathering place.

Jantar Mantar

The Jantar Mantar is an open-air astronomical observatory built in 1724 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the same ruler who founded Jaipur, a collection of giant masonry instruments designed to measure time and track the heavens with the naked eye. It is a fascinating monument to Indian science, right beside Connaught Place.

Agrasen ki Baoli

Hidden among the high-rises near Connaught Place, Agrasen ki Baoli is a striking medieval stepwell, a deep, symmetrical descent of over a hundred stone steps flanked by arched niches. Atmospheric and free to enter, it is one of Delhi's most photogenic and unexpected historic sites.

Modern architectural icons

Lotus Temple

The Lotus Temple, completed in 1986, is a Bahai house of worship shaped like a half-open lotus of white marble petals, open to people of every faith and among the most visited buildings in the world. Our Lotus Temple timings guide covers its architecture, the free entry and the best time to visit.

Akshardham

The Swaminarayan Akshardham, opened in 2005, is one of the largest Hindu temples in the world, an astonishing complex of carved sandstone and marble on the Yamuna's east bank, with exhibitions and an evening water show. Our Akshardham temple Delhi timings guide explains the timings, the free temple entry and the strict security.

How to plan your monument visits

Delhi's monuments are spread across the city, so group them by area to save time. The Old Delhi cluster, the Red Fort and Jama Masjid, pairs with a Old Delhi tour and the bazaars; the New and South Delhi monuments, Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb, India Gate, Safdarjung Tomb, sit together on a New Delhi tour; and the temples and Akshardham each need their own slot. Remember the Red Fort, Lotus Temple and Akshardham all close on Mondays. Most monuments charge only a small ticket for Indian visitors and a little more for foreign tourists, so check current prices before you go.

Want Delhi's great monuments explained on the spot by a licensed guide, planned into an efficient day? Message us on WhatsApp and Experience My India will arrange it.

Plan your trip

We bring these monuments to life with the history behind them. Our Delhi city tour covers the highlights across the city, and if you are seeing Agra and Jaipur too, follow the Golden Triangle tour itinerary, which we run privately as a Golden Triangle tour with a car, driver and guides. You can also browse our Agra Tour Packages and tell us which monuments you most want to see.

 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.