Must-see shopping in Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

  • Spice market

    Spice Market

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    It feels as if little has changed for centuries in Delhi's fabulously atmospheric, labyrinthine spice market, as labourers hustle through the narrow lanes…

  • Main Bazaar

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    Backpacker Central, this crazy-busy bazaar that runs through Paharganj sells almost everything you want, and a whole lot more. It's great for buying…

  • Majnu-ka-Tilla

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    Delhi's Tibetan enclave, Majnu-ka-Tilla, is a fascinating tangle of tiny alleys – too narrow for vehicles – that are dotted with cheap guesthouses,…

  • Roopak’s

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    This spice shop have been purveyors of taste-tingling flavour since 1958. There's a huge selection of easy-to-transport-home, pre-packaged spices…

  • Aap Ki Pasand

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    Specialists in the finest Indian teas, from Darjeeling and Assam to Nilgiri and Kangra. You can try before you buy, and teas come lovingly packaged in…

  • Kinari Bazaar

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    Kinari means 'hem' in Hindi, and this colour-blazing market sells all the trimmings that finish off an outfit. It's famous for zardozi (gold embroidery),…

  • Ballimaran

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    This area is apparently where Delhi's Yamuna boat operators once lived. Today this market street and the smaller lanes fanning off it specialise in…

  • Dariba Kalan

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    For silver (jewellery, ornaments, old coins), head for Dariba Kalan, the alley near the Sisganj Gurdwara, and with the easy-to-spot Jalebi Wala at its…

  • Nai Sarak

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    Running south from the old Town Hall, Nai Sarak is lined with stalls selling saris, shawls, chiffon and lehenga (blouse and skirt combo).

  • Karol Bagh Market

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    This hectic collection of market stalls and shops on Arya Samaj Rd and the roads fanning off it, is favoured for clothes and wedding shopping, and…

  • Chandni Chowk

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    Old Delhi's backbone is an iconic shopping strip, dotted by temples, snarled by traffic and crammed with stores selling everything from street food to…

  • Daryaganj Kitab Bazaar

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    Come Sunday, second-hand books spread along the pavement for around 1km from Delhi Gate westwards along Asaf Ali Rd. Rummage for everything from Mills &…

  • Delhi Foundation of Deaf Women

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    Beautiful handmade handicrafts (bags, purses, gift cards, bookmarks) made by members of the city's deaf foundation and sold from their community hall…

  • Yes Helping Hands

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    With its roots in Pokhara, Nepal, this fair-trade nonprofit organisation sells quality weave and knitwear, including pashmina shawls, cashmere scarfs and…

  • Akama

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    This good-value Tibetan boutique is one of many tucked away in the alleys of Majnu-ka-Tilla Tibetan Quarter selling purses, prayer flags, felt toys,…

  • 24-Seven

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    Handy for Paharganj, this mini-supermarket is open round the clock and stocks a mix of Indian- and Western-branded snacks and packaged foodstuffs.

  • Lal Kuan Main Bazaar

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    For steel cooking pots and cheap-as-chapatis paper kites, head to decidedly non-touristy Lal Kuan Main Bazaar.

  • Musical Instrument Shops

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    For competitively priced instruments, inspect the instrument shops along Netaji Subhash Marg in Daryaganj.

  • Chawri Bazaar

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    For gorgeous wrapping paper and wedding cards, head to Chawri Bazaar, leading west from the Jama Masjid.

  • Whiskey, Wine & Beer Shop

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    Stocks small bottles of Kingfisher Light (₹70) as well as the usual strong stuff.

  • Paharganj Vegetable & Spice Market

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    This long side street is where Paharganj locals buy their veg, but it's also the best (and cheapest) place round here for spices – 100g bags of cumin or…

  • New Gramophone House

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    Opposite Moti Cinema, this place is a 1st-floor wonderland of vintage vinyl (₹500 to ₹2000; mostly Bollywood, but also British and American) and even…

  • Paharganj Fruit Market

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    South of Main Bazaar, fruit-stall sellers punt their wares well into the evening.

  • Lajpat Rai Market

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    Large electronics market close to the Red Fort.

More destinations you need to see