India's capital has more sights than any other city in India, but they are concentrated in three distinct areas -- Old Delhi, New Delhi, and South Delhi (known as the Qutb Minar Complex) -- which can be tackled as separate tours or grouped together. Most organized tours spend a half-day covering the top attractions in New Delhi, and another half-day exploring the 17th-century capital, Shahjahanabad. Commonly referred to as "Old Delhi," Shahjahanabad lies a mere 5km (3 miles) north of centrally located Connaught Place, the commercial heart of New Delhi, but it feels a hundred years away (400 to be exact). If you do only one sightseeing excursion, make it here, for this is most authentically India, where imposing Lal Qila (Red Fort) and Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque, pay testament to the vision and power of Shah Jahan, and the chaos and pungent smells from the overcrowded and ancient streets are a heady reminder that you are far from home. Surrounding and immediately south of Connaught Place is New Delhi, built by British imperialist architects Baker and Lutyens. Its primary attractions are the architectural gems centered around Rajpath and Rashtrapati Bhavan, official residence of the president of India. Of Delhi's remaining cities, all of which are today deserted and in ruins, only the 12th-century Qutb Minar, a World Heritage Site monument built in Delhi's first city and surprisingly intact, is definitely worth inclusion in your itinerary. (Note: Most museums in Delhi close Mon.)
