Indira Gandhi International Airport: where to stay, areas and…

Delhi is a metropolis with unpredictable traffic: the 16 km to the centre take 20 minutes by metro and 30-50 by taxi, depending on the hour. Anyone with a morning or dawn flight, or a tight connection, does well to sleep in Aerocity, the hotel district built next to the terminals and served by the same Airport Express. To see the capital, Connaught Place is the better choice, with the metro arriving after a single change. Gurugram is of interest almost only to business travellers. With an international flight the ideal is to arrive well in advance, so the evening before it is best not to go far.

Aerocity

Airport area · Aerocity has a stop on the Airport Express, the same line as Terminal 3; by taxi or the hotel shuttle the terminal is about 10 minutes away.

Best for: Night or dawn international departures and overnight connections, with metro and taxis a few minutes away.

Pros

Airport Express metro 2-10 minutes on foot, depending on the hotel
Taxis and shuttles take about 10 minutes, even when Delhi traffic is heavy

Cons

A district of offices, hotels and shopping centres, with little local life
The old city is 20 minutes away by metro, plus the change for Connaught Place

Recommended hotels in this area

Roseate House: About 2 minutes on foot from the Airport Express Aerocity stop, with 216 rooms; the terminal is 4.5 km away.
Pullman New Delhi Aerocity: About 3 km from the terminal, around ten minutes by car; the metro stop can be reached on foot in 10 minutes and the hotel offers a shuttle service.
Andaz Delhi: In the Aerocity district, served by the Airport Express, about 10 minutes by car from the terminal: convenient by both metro and taxi.

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Mahipalpur, on the NH48

Airport area · From the NH48 the hotel offers a free shuttle in the area; by taxi the terminal is a few minutes away, but with no metro within reach.

Best for: Those who want a cheaper option than Aerocity and get around by car or the hotel shuttle.

Pros

Hotel overlooking the NH48, with taxis always available
Free shuttle in the area offered directly by the hotel

Cons

To reach the centre you need a taxi or a long metro journey
On either side of the highway the traffic and noise are constant

Recommended hotels in this area

Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi Airport: Near Mahipalpur Extension on the NH8, with a free shuttle in the area and a wide choice of rooms for those landing late.

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Connaught Place

City centre · Airport Express to New Delhi in about 20 minutes, then the Yellow Line for a single stop to Rajiv Chowk; by taxi it takes 30-50 minutes.

Best for: One or more nights to see Delhi, with the metro, restaurants and monuments nearby.

Pros

Restaurants, shops and Janpath on foot, without depending on traffic
Rajiv Chowk is a metro hub for the whole city

Cons

The Airport Express stops at 23:30: with a later arrival you have to take a taxi
Crowded streets and insistent street vendors

Recommended hotels in this area

The Imperial New Delhi: A historic hotel from 1936 in Janpath Lane, with over 5,000 works of art on display; about 30 minutes by car from the airport.
Radisson Blu Marina Hotel Connaught Place: Inside Connaught Circus, 350 metres from Rajiv Chowk: from the airport the Airport Express and the Yellow Line are all you need.

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Gurugram

Nearby town · To Cyber City the metro requires a change at New Delhi and can take over an hour; by road it takes 45-60 minutes for about 25-30 km on the NH48.

Best for: Business trips to the Cyber City offices, with meetings right outside the hotel.

Pros

Offices and company headquarters nearby, handy for morning meetings
Direct road from the airport, without passing through central Delhi

Cons

The journey varies greatly with traffic on the NH48
Little to see for a tourist: Delhi remains far away

Recommended hotels in this area

Hyatt Regency Gurgaon: A business hotel on the NH48, in Sector 83, about 30 minutes from the airport and 15 from central Gurgaon, with event halls for up to 3,000 people.

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