The Capital Region Travel Guide

Delhi is northern India's largest city. One part of it, known as New Delhi, is officially designated the capital of India, but the names are often used interchangeably. Like the rest of the Gangetic Plains, Delhi is as flat as a pancake. The only geographical features of any significance are the river Yamuna, which flows down the eastern side of the city, and the Aravalli Hills, which form a wide but low arc across the west. On the west bank is the crowded and congested Old (Central) Delhi and, to the southwest, the broad, tree-lined avenues of New Delhi, built by the British to rule their empire. The rest is an endless low-rise sprawl of suburbia and slums, with southwestern Delhi (nearer to New Delhi) generally somewhat wealthier. Delhi has a monsoon influenced humid subtropical climate, with temperatures (especially in the summer) more extreme than other subtropical cities like Sao Paulo and Canberra. Summers begin in April and are notoriously hot, with temperatures over 40C common. The monsoons start in late June and Delhi gets rain till about early October, although this is extremely variable. The summer and monsoon months should be avoided, especially if one is not accustomed to extreme heat, high humidity and torrential rainfall. Winters are short and usually mild. Increasing air pollution in recent years has made the winters extremely foggy, with frequent flight and train cancellations and very low visibility. The short spring (February-March) and autumn (November) season are comparatively more pleasant with temperatures in the 12 to 25C range. They are the best time to visit Delhi.