Delhi traffic can swallow hours of your day, which is why the city's metro is the smart traveller's secret weapon. Opened in 2002, the network is one of the largest in the world with around 271 stations across ten colour-coded lines — and it holds the distinction of being the first railway system to earn UN certification for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Locals are proud of it, and after one air-conditioned ride past a gridlocked road, you will be too.
Tickets have gone digital. The easiest route is the DMRC Travel App, which issues QR code tickets, or you can buy them over WhatsApp by messaging the DMRC ticketing number and following the chat prompts. Prefer plastic? A Tourist Card with unlimited travel is sold at the customer care centre of any station (except the Airport Express Line). Fares aren't flat like in New York — you pay by distance, so check your route before you go.
A few practical rules to know. Rush hour is brutal: locals suggest avoiding 9 am to noon and 6 pm to 8 pm, though sometimes a squeeze is unavoidable. Every train has a women's-only carriage, introduced in 2010, which many female travellers appreciate. Bags go through an X-ray scanner at every station, with size and weight limits of one bag up to 80x50x30 cm and 25 kg (generous limits apply on the airport line). No eating on board — but plenty of stations have kiosks and even food courts, where local chains beat the international ones every time.
Coming in from the airport? The Orange Airport Express Line runs from Terminal 3 to New Delhi station roughly every 10 minutes, from about 5 am to 11:30 pm. Since 2017 there's also the Magenta Line from Terminal 1 — slower, but with 26 stations that interchange with much of the network.
The real joy of the metro is where it drops you. Chandni Chowk on the Yellow Line puts you in Old Delhi near the Red Fort, the Mughal-era bazaar and a street food scene worth crossing the city for. Rajiv Chowk gets you Connaught Place, the white-colonnaded commercial heart full of markets and souvenirs. Hauz Khas is the trendy side: craft beer, indie boutiques, street art and a big park wrapped around a 13th-century reservoir dotted with ruins. Nehru Place sits by the Lotus Temple, one of Delhi's most popular sights, plus a solid food court. And Central Secretariat is your stop for India Gate, Lodhi Garden and the Indira Gandhi Memorial.
For anyone visiting the Indian capital, this is the piece of local knowledge that saves the most time and money. Rickshaws and ride apps have their place, but for crossing a city of 30-plus million, nothing beats the metro — and riding it is a window into daily Delhi life in its own right.