Delhi in 3 days: what to see, in what order

The red sandstone fort Shah Jahan built in 1639 to 1648 when he moved the Mughal capital from Agra to Delhi. You go in through the Lahori Gate and the covered Chhatta Chowk bazaar, then on to the halls where the emperor met his people (Diwan-i-Aam) and his nobles (Diwan-i-Khas), the marble palaces along the old river front and the small Moti Masjid. The Prime Minister raises the flag here every Independence Day.

The black marble platform in a walled lawn by the Yamuna that marks where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated on 31 January 1948. An eternal flame burns at one end, and his last words, "He Ram", are cut into the stone. Visiting leaders lay wreaths here.

The main street of Shah Jahan's walled city, laid out in the 1650s and now a 1.3 km run of sweet shops, temples and wholesale lanes. Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, halfway along, marks where the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was killed in 1675. Side lanes lead to the spice market of Khari Baoli, Parathe Wali Gali and the silver shops of Dariba Kalan.

India's biggest mosque, built by Shah Jahan from 1650 to 1656 on a rise facing the Red Fort. The courtyard holds about 25,000 people, and three marble domes and two 40 m minarets rise above it. You can climb the south minaret for a view over the Old Delhi rooftops to the fort.

A huge Hindu temple of pink sandstone and white marble opened in 2005 on the east bank of the Yamuna. The main monument is carved all over with 20,000 figures and stands on a plinth ringed by 148 stone elephants. Exhibitions, a boat ride through Indian history and a giant-screen film are on a separate ticket, and the musical fountain show runs after sunset.

Delhi's best-known Sikh temple, with a gold dome, white marble halls and a large tank of water (the sarovar). It stands where the eighth Guru, Guru Har Krishan, stayed in 1664 and helped the sick in a smallpox outbreak. Anyone can sit down to the free meal in the langar hall, cooked by volunteers.

An old stepwell hidden between office blocks near Connaught Place: 108 stone steps go down between arched walls, 60 m long, to where the water used to be. It is probably from the 14th century, though the builder is not known.

India's largest museum, with about 200,000 objects across 5,000 years: the Harappan gallery with the bronze "dancing girl", Buddhist relics, Chola bronzes, Mughal paintings, armour and jewellery. It sits on Janpath, a few minutes from India Gate.

The 42 m arch at the end of Kartavya Path, built in 1921 to 1931 for the Indian soldiers who died in the First World War; their names are carved on it. Since 2019 the National War Memorial just east of it holds the names of the soldiers who have died since 1947, in rings round an eternal flame. The statue of Subhas Chandra Bose stands under the canopy nearby.

The house where Mahatma Gandhi spent his last 144 days and where he was shot on 30 January 1948. Stone footprints lead across the lawn to the spot where he fell. Inside are his room, kept as he left it, and galleries on his life.

The tomb of the Mughal emperor Humayun, built in the 1560s by his widow, and the first great garden tomb in India: the plan the Taj Mahal followed 80 years later. Red sandstone and white marble rise from a garden cut into four by water channels. Smaller tombs, like Isa Khan's, stand in the same grounds.

The shrine of the Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya, who died in 1325, at the heart of a busy old neighbourhood. You walk in down a lane of flower and sweet stalls to a small marble courtyard. On Thursday evenings qawwali singers perform in front of the tomb.

The 73 m tower of red and buff stone started in 1199 by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the first Delhi sultan, and finished by his successors. Around it are the ruins of Delhi's first mosque, built from the stones of older temples, the 1,600 year old iron pillar that has not rusted, and the Alai Darwaza gateway.

A big 13th century water tank, now a lake, with the domed tomb of Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq and the arcades of his 14th century college along its bank. Next to it is the Deer Park, with deer, peacocks and paths. Hauz Khas Village, the lane outside, is full of cafes and small shops.

The Krishna temple on a hill at East of Kailash, opened in 1998, with tall red and cream towers and a lively hall of chanting. A Vedic culture show with robots and a light show runs inside, and the Govinda's restaurant serves vegetarian lunch.

The Bahá'í House of Worship, opened in 1986: 27 white marble petals in the shape of a lotus flower, surrounded by nine pools. People of any faith can sit in silence in the hall inside.

The last big Mughal garden tomb, built in 1754 for Safdarjung, a minister of the Mughal court. It follows the plan of Humayun's Tomb, with a central dome over a raised platform, in a quieter garden.

A 36 hectare park round the 15th and 16th century tombs of the Sayyid and Lodi sultans: Mohammad Shah's octagon tomb, the Bara Gumbad and Sheesh Gumbad, with a stone bridge over a pond. Delhi comes here to walk, jog and picnic.

An open-air crafts market run by Delhi Tourism, where stalls from every state rotate every two weeks: shawls, block prints, pottery, brass and jewellery. Food stalls from the different states serve momos, Rajasthani thalis and Kashmiri wazwan.