Delhi Darshan | Delhi Sightseeing

Every Year on 26th January, I and My Family position ourselves in front of the Television, eagerly waiting for the LIVE telecast of the Republic day parade to start on Doordarshan. Since 2013 it has started telecasting it LIVE on it's Youtube Channel. Here is the Link in case you are curious ;)

Yesterday, I was wondering if I could see 65th Republic Day of India Live at Vijay Chowk, you know.. witnessing the parade and the Colorful Procession (Jhankis) for real would be a Life Time Experience Indeed! But the Question was, from where can I buy the Tickets? And if the tickets are actually available or not?

Here came our Friend GOOGLE. I typed "Buy Republic Day Ticket 2014" ..and TADANG!

I got all the basic information I needed . Thanks to Sharell Cook ( goindia.about.com) :). With the Help of HOHO's Guest Relation Executive (Ms. Dolly Sharma) who knows nook and corner of Delhi roads and where-about, I have prepared a quick list of Ticket Counters.

If You are like Me looking for Republic Day Tickets, then Read on.

Tickets are available from 10th to 25th January. Following are the 7 Easy Ways you can buy one for Yourself. Some of the ticket counters are painted in white, "Republic Day Tickets Available Here" mentioned on top of them.

1. India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) Travel Counters

I did not know the Office were located at Ashok and Janpath Hotels. Open only on Working days, so you better get them on or before 25th Jan. For Directions Click Here, (I have taken HOHO Delhi Counter as Reference point as it is centrally located in Connaught Place)

2. Tickets are available at all the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) counters

At a Stones throw distance from HOHO Centre is Coffee Home at Baba kharak Singh Marg. Besides that you can find it at Dilli Haat -INA and Pitampura. For Directions Click here

3. Departmental Counters at South & North Block Entrance

which happens to be adjacent to President House, near Vijay Chowk. For Direction Click here.

4. At Jantar Mantar Entrance

just next to ticket counter of Jantar mantar monument . Click here for Directions.

5. At Outer Circle of India Gate, near Shanjahan Road

you will find small white painted iron counters. Click here for Directions

6. Parliament house reception Office

Tickets are available between 11am and 4pm. Satuday, Sunday and Holidays Closed. For Directions Click here

7. Government of India Tourist Office

Centrally located just opposite to Janpath Market, Connaught
Place. Closed on Sunday. For Directions Click here

Ticket Price for 2014

I am not sure of the Ticket Price for 2014, as per Press Information Bureau, Government of India 2013 release, prices are as follows:

The price of tickets for the Republic Day Parade on 26th January 2013 will be Rs. 300/- and Rs 150/- for reserved seats and Rs. 50/- and Rs. 10/- for unreserved seats. The tickets for the Beating Retreat Ceremony (Full Dress Rehearsal) on 28th January 2013 will be in the category of Rs.50/- and Rs.20/- respectively and will not have reserved seats.

Beating Retreat Ceremony

3 days after republic day Beating Retreat Ceremony is organized in the afternoon on January 29 each year. Tickets are also available for this event at the above outlets.

Thanks Sharell Cook of goindia, and Dolly Sharma of HOHO Delhi for helping me write this post.

Did you find the information helpful. Do you have any question to ask? Please feel free to put across suggestions or queries in the comment section below.

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Surojit Ghosh

Delhi City has been in News for not so good reasons lately. Travel Scams are so common; Tourists are tricked by the Taxi or Auto Rickshaw Drivers, Nexus of Touts not missing a single chance to rip you off. Delhi is the entry point to all the foreign visitors and so they are most vulnerable to be duped by Tricksters.

Travel Blogs and Forums filled with Bad experiences, warnings and tips to survive in Delhi. Tourists like You & me would "Love to Hate Delhi, but Cannot Ignore Delhi". Statistics confirm this; more than 20 million tourists visited Delhi in 2012 (by Ministry of Tourism). Delhi will always remain in the Tour Itinerary of every visitor to India for its magnificently rich culture, history and traditions.

“A visit to Delhi should not only be memorable but also Safe and Scam-Free”. Committed to this idea, Delhi Tourism launched a reliable, tourist Friendly Hop On Hop Off Bus for Delhi Sightseeing in 2010. Probably, you are planning a visit to Delhi soon and looking for a safe and reliable Sightseeing service, then read on.

In the following post I will put across 12 facts about Delhi Tourism’s Sightseeing Bus Service that can make your Delhi Tour Safe, Scam Free and Memorable one. Each and every point has been amply supported by Actual Tourists reviews on Tripadvisor!

1) Hop On Hop Off Concept

Harish Manna from New Delhi says, “ I like most is the concept that You can get down at any stop and can spent as much time you feel. You can catch ANY bus whose frequency is every 45 minutes. So no need to rush and catch the bus. Basically this idea comforts the entire tour by skipping some points and staying back at some points.”

Sree from Trivandrum adds, “The hoho bus is an excellent idea as you have the freedom to explore a place as long as you want. Or you can skip a place if not interested.”

In London, Rome, New York, Paris and many cities - Hop On Hop Off Bus for Local Sight-seeing has always been the most preferred choice. Tourists are simply loving it.

2) Delhi Tourism’s Official bus for Delhi Sightseeing

DelhiTourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) is an undertaking of the Government of Delhi, has been promoting tourism since 1975. It launched Hop on Hop off (HOHO) Bus Service in Delhi to facilitate tourism. You can TRUST HOHO, because it’s an Official Local Sightseeing service form Delhi Tourism.

3) Completely Safe for Female Travelers?

Swati from New Delhi says, “Great experience. would advise this for all! good guides and well-covered tour. The cost of the tour is reasonable and suits all pockets. The tour is safe and can be taken without any fear.”

ITravel travelling with her daughter says, “ I never felt more secure
-wide transparent windows(without blinds),uniformed and courteous staff and the bus route that cut through the busy sections of the city,and hardly across any deserted areas.”

4) No more hassle of bargaining with Taxi and Auto

Ariel from Roma says, “HOHO Bus service saves you from the usual discussion with the drivers auto-rikshaw, the various bargaining on the price and you go in peace.” Delhi Tourism is committed to provide you with a hassle free Sightseeing Service. Ticket Fares are Government approved and very reasonable for the Quality of service provided.

Stefano from California adds, “Given the state of public transportation, road signals and weather in Delhi, this service is perfect. It allows you to visit the best sites without wasting time bargaining for prices with cab drivers, figuring out the directions to the site and without having to be squished between people in the subway.”

Remember, No more bargaining. It’s as simple as Paying and enjoying your tour with complete Peace of Mind!

5) Would not take you to Commissioned Shops, Selling at Astronomical Prices?

Evargentina from Argentina says, “The city tour of many Tour Operators are misleading as, they only end up taking you to places to buy things (and obviously taking home a commission selling you things at astronomical prices), do not show anything about the city.”

This has been a common problem among all the tourists. Delhi Tourism’s Bus service has no tie ups with any commissioned shops. It has a very Clear idea about its service that is to provide you with a Clean and Quality Hop On Hop Off Service.

6) Punctual Service

     Pablo from Uruguay says, “The buses are very punctual and spend exactly the time they are scheduled by the different stops and considering the traffic in Delhi, that's saying something.”

     Delhi is known for many things and one of them is Traffic, It is an operational challenge to run Hop On Hop Off bus service with Punctual timings. Thanks to the Professionally Driven management that, Time punctuality has been its USP since 2010.

     Vishnu from New Delhi adds, “This is a very good initiative by the Delhi Tourism, and the concept is very tourist-friendly. The bus service takes you around the major attractions in Delhi, and drops you off where ever you want. After your sightseeing, you can just hop onto the subsequent buses by just showing your day's sightseeing ticket. The buses were punctual, with some arriving upto 5 mins earlier than the scheduled time, and they do wait till the scheduled departure time”.

7) Helpful Staff & Customer Support Team

       Wrld_Travel from Chicago says, “I was having a hard time finding the HOHO Bus stop by the , I called the helpline and he had the two tour people get off the bus and look for me. Talk about helpful!”


    That being just one of the several incidents which the customer support team & its team handles as a daily routine.

   Philly Joan from Thailand says, “really really great service and the buses are very clean new and aircondictioned with very helpful people on board, very worth it!”.

    8)    Very Cheap and Reasonable Fare!

TravellerBang from Bangalore says, “I just had a weekend in Delhi and upon enquiry found that Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) is one of the ways to explore this great old city. I should say that I was overwhelmed by the service of HOHO, a Great Value for Money”. HOHO Bus an Initiative of Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation,(DTTDC) Government of Delhi. It Follows Govt. Approved Rates.

Keeping in view the overall features like Air Conditioned bus, Onboard Guide, Availability of Monument Entry Tickets to Skip the Queue, etc and the overall quality of Service like Time Punctuality, Awesome Commentary by Qualified Guides and much, much more, the price is very reasonable. Rs *300 (Adult) Only! Compared to other Sightseeing Services this is very Reasonable. Won’t you Agree?

Child Ticket is based on height criteria of upto 3 feet. Fare would be half. In case of infant – Zero Fare, up to 2 years age.

9) Short on Time? Hop On to HOHO Bus!

   Are you short on time? Are you just transiting Delhi and have half a day or so with you. I suggest its best not to kill time at Railway Stations or Airports and rather hop on to HOHO Bus and get a quick Panoramic View of this Historic City in about 3 Hrs.

IIf you have like 8-9 hours in hand you can plan a Taj Mahal round trip too with Agra One Volvo bus tour, they start at 6 am from INA Metro station Gate No.2. All you need to do is hop on to a taxi from the Airport & pre-book the ticket to Taj Mahal tour. Read this helpful guide on How to go to Taj Mahal from Delhi Airport by HOHO Holidays.

    So Next time you are transiting Delhi, just Hop on Delhi Tourism Bus. You can locate your Nearest HOHO Bus Stop here. You might find this post useful as well.

10) Clean, Air-Conditioned Bus for Total Comfort

Jim B from Indiana says, “It was 115 degrees during our visit in June. The HoHo gave us an opportunity to see the significant sights of the city in the confines of an air conditioned bus. I'd recommend this as a first step during a visit. You can then go back and visit the sites of interest for a more detailed look.” Delhi Summers can be torturous, No kidding! It’s a sigh of relief everytime you hop on to HOHO bus after exploring a tourist attraction.

To tell you the truth, Air Conditioners work so good, that we have seen tourists not hopping off at any of the place, and they just prefer sitting in the comfort of cool ambiance taking a panoramic view of Delhi city from Big windows of buses !!

HOHO Buses has always been praised for it’s Cleanliness and Air Conditioner always working in good condition, especially when compared to other Public Transport running in Delhi.

11) Free Change of Guard Ceremony at President House

Sumit2013 from New Delhi says, “Used the service to explore the attractions around Delhi. Very convenient, fast and good service by the Guest Service Associates. Great Job!! Also the change of Guard ceremony at the Presidential Palace on Saturday morning thrown in complimentary was great. Thanks to the whole team.”

Delhi Tourism’s HOHO Bus service introduced in 2013 a great opportunity to Witness the Change of Guard Ceremony at President House, without any extra charges to its customers. A great show by the President’s Body guard

12) Skip the Queues at World Heritage Sites

Did you know that now you can save time at world heritage monuments? Isn’t that a great relief! Rather than getting in queue in the scorching heat, you can simply buy entry tickets in advance from HOHO Counter and skip the queues to explore the World Heritage Monuments.

HOHO provides entry ticket to Red Fort, Humayun Tomb and Qutub Minar onboard for Indian nationals and at HOHO Counter, Baba Kharak Singh Marg for Non-Indian Nationals.

Click to BOOK NOW OR CALL 011-40940000

Did you find the information helpful. Do you have any question to ask? Please feel free to put across suggestions or queries in the comment section below.

11 Most Frequently Asked Questions about Delhi Darshan

“Is this Delhi (Dilli) Darshan?”, “Is this the Delhi Tourism Bus Service?” Our HOHO Customer Support team hears this in almost every second call. What follows after that is an avalanche of Questions.
- How many places one can cover?
- How much time one will get at each spot?
-Will there be any facility for Lunch?
...and a whole host of questions related to their Sightseeing Plan.

If you are also planning a Delhi Sightseeing but clueless from where to start, then you have come to the right place.
Here, we have complied a list frequently asked questions by our lovely Customers.

1) How Many Sights will be covered?

HOHO bus covers more than 22 sightseeing places. It has one day as well as two days package. One day tour allows you to explore the main tourist attractions like Qutab Minar, Lotus Temple, Red For that you always wanted to visit. However, we strongly recommend to go for the 2 days sightseeing tour. Why? because Delhi is a big city and there is so much to see and explore, you can also enjoy shopping at Chandni-chowk, Hauzkhas, Dilli-Haat and see places at your own pace.

2) How Much Time is Provided at Each Spot?

Delhi Darshan with Hop On Hop Off Bus (popularly known as HOHO Bus) is very Unique. There is NO TIME LIMIT. Yes, You heard me right! There is complete time Flexibility.

How it works?

Well, Buses are available at each HOHO Sightseeing Stop at a regular frequency. You are free to board any HOHO Bus and go to the next stop. For instance, If You get down at Red Fort, you might take 45 mins or 1hr 30 mins to explore the place. Moreover, If you felt like exploring the nearby tourist attractions like Jama Masjid, savor Old Delhi Food at Chandni Chowk and much more, (Opposite side of Red Fort) you can do that.

That means, you can enjoy your City Sightseeing, without worrying about bus leaving you. That’s why I say HOHO Delhi is The Best Way to Delhi Darshan (not bragging, it’s a fact!)

3) What are the Timings of Buses?

May be you only have a day for Delhi Sightseeing, may be you just have half a day or possibly, you are in Delhi at Odd Hours (after 10 am) when no sightseeing Bus service is available. I have good news for you. HOHO Buses are available starting 8:50 am and at a regular frequency of 40 minutes You can check out the HOHO Bus Timings .

4) Which is the Nearest Delhi Darshan Bus from My Place?

Nupur asked, “I will be staying at a Hotel in Paharganj. Which is the closest point for me to board HOHO Delhi Darshan Bus? ” Well the best part about HOHO bus service is the accessibility!

There are 20 HOHO Bus stops spread across North, Central and South Delhi. You can start your Delhi Darshan from any HOHO Bus Stop. For instance, in the aforementioned Nupur’s Question the nearest boarding point would be the HOHO Cente at Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Connaught Place. You can easily locate yours using this Google HOHO Stop Locator .

5) Which is the Nearest Boarding Point from Railway Station or Airport?

Many times travelers are just transiting Delhi, and they want to make the Best Use of the time available to them. HOHO Buses are well connected to Delhi Airport and all the three major railway stations i.e Nizamuddin, New & Old Delhi Railway Station. You can find Delhi Darshan Bus from New Delhi Airport here

6) By what time the Tour Ends?

As I mentioned, the Buses run at a regular frequency starting 8:30 am. The Buses run till 6:00 pm. That means you can spend 9 to 10 hrs with HOHO Bus, experiencing Delhi at your own pace. You can choose to finish the tour early too, just in case you have a plane or train to catch.

7) What are the Ticket Fare for Adult, Children & Infants?

HOHO Bus an Initiative of Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation,(DTTDC) Government of Delhi. It Follows Govt. Approved Rates.

Keeping in view the overall features like Air Conditioned bus, Onboard Guide, Availability of Monument Entry Tickets to Skip the queue, etc and the overall quality of Service like Time Punctuality, Awesome Commentary by Qualified Guides and much, much more, price is very reasonable. Rs 400 (Adult) Only! Compared to other Sightseeing Services this is very Reasonable. Won’t you Agree?

Child Ticket is based on height criteria of upto 3 feet. Fare would be half. In case of infant – Zero Fare, up to 2 years age.

8) How to Book Delhi Darshan Ticket?

You can book ticket online at www.hohodelhi.com to receive an instant SMS confirmation on your mobile (number registered in India). Facility of Counter and onboard booking is also available.

9) Do HOHO Bus Operate on Monday?

HOHO Bus do not run on Mondays. Most of the monuments and Museums are Closed in Delhi except a Few like Qutab Minar, Dilli Haat, Humayun Tomb.

10) Will You Cover Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple?

This is a very frequent Question, quite obviously this is one of the Best Man Made Wonders of this era. As of now, HOHO buses do not go to Akshardham Temple. Why? Most of the time Tourists have only one day for Delhi Sightseeing and it takes minimum 4 hours to explore this attraction.

What I would suggest is, if you have time, cover Akshardham after your Delhi Darshan with HOHO Bus. Take a Metro from Rajeev Chowk Metro Station located in Connaught Place to Akshardham Metro Station, it would hardly take you 20 mins. You would also be able to enjoy Light and Sound Show in the evening.

11) How to catch Delhi Darshan Bus by Delhi Metro?

Delhi Metro has been the life line for Delhi-ites for a Decade now. It is one of the BEST Transportation Systems in the world. HOHO buses can be reached easily with Delhi Metro. You might find this link useful, it includes nearest Metro for each HOHO Bus Stop.

I hope many of your questions regarding upcoming Delhi Darshan Tour have been answered upto your expectation. If you have any Question, please feel free to post it in the comment section below.

12) How to get bus from Noida, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad

This is a very frequent question too. For Noida delhi darshan bus can be reached by taking a metro to Rajeev chowk metro station. Same is applicable for Ghaziabad. For Gurgaon, take a metro to either Qutab minar metro station to catch bus from Qutab minar monument, refer Delhi darshan Timings by HOHO bus

Enjoy a quick 3 minutes video of Hop-On-Hop-Off Delhi Sightseeing Bus. Know the key places covered. What our Tourists have to say about the Service.

Probably you are here because you are planning a visit or may be an unavoidable visit to Delhi during monsoon, (no pun intended). Are you nervous, skeptical about it?

If you don't already know July-August is considered possibly the worst time of the year to be visiting Delhi and not just Delhi but other famous tourist places like Agra and Jaipur. Many would advice you to avoid Delhi as it is HOT and after the monsoons set in it can be extremely humid too.

Many times this is the only time to have a vacation with your family, that's a familiar case with families living in USA, Canada. Unfortunately school summer break (June-Aug) is the only time when it's possible to go out on a vacation if not now, then it's very much unlikely to go again any time in the foreseeable future.

I would say, "see Glass as Half Full and not half empty." Here are some great ways to make your Delhi visit Awesome during Monsoon!

6 Things to Turn Your Delhi Visit During Monsoon Awesome

1) Honey..where is the AC?

First thing first, I am sure you don't want to soak in sweat in a Hotel room because Air-Conditioner is not effective. Delhi can be both Hot and Humid. If it's a budget hotel, please ensure it is centrally Air Conditioned or rooms are furnished with Air Conditioners in Good Working Condition. Also ensure hotel has good power back up. You can find many good hotels in budget category in Karolbagh, Paharganj.

2) Foot Wear with Holes (Crocs)

Crocs are practical footwear as you can wash them under the tap after every trip, but don't run in them or you risk slipping and landing with full force in a puddle of mud.

What you want in the monsoon is a foot-wear that you can wash in the shower and dries quickly, and also offer good toe protection.

3.Click, Click, Click

When Monsoon is in it's full flow in Delhi and soaks the whole city wet, this is the best time for Photographers to go out for an photographic expedition Colors tend to brighten more in monsoon. All the monuments, shopping markets take a different dimension.

Some of the best place to try your hand for photography are India Gate, Qutab Minar, Garden of 5 senses and in and around Mehrauli complex. It might not be a bad idea to take a walk in the vast Archeological Park just behind the Qutub
The Hauz Khas Complex including the Madrassa, the Tughlak Tomb and the Lake are also very appropriate places to visit.

4. Going Agra- Stay Overnight at least

There will be rain in Delhi and Agra, but it doesn't always rain all day long. There are some wet spells but there are also dry days or days with just a little rain.

In my experience Taj Mahal looks even more magnificent, specially if it's cloudy. Most of the visitors based in Delhi often make it a day trip. However, I believe it is better to stay overnight in Agra and visit the magnificent Taj Mahal early morning, it opens at 7 am, which will get you through before the heat reaches it's peak. Book Yor Agra Taj Mahal Tour.

5. Raindrops are falling on my head

I personally very much look forward to monsoon. In fact monsoon season is really fun. My heart says- go out and dance in the rain in the streets with my friends and get soaked. When you visit here, you should at least give yourself a chance to take a walk at India Gate in rain. It is the most wonderful thing.

6) Final Tips

Some final tips- I would suggest you to carry mosquito spray, sunglasses, sun-cream, an umbrella etc. Drink plenty of fluid & bring cotton clothes. It is going to be a hot, so bring cooling clothes and a small head umbrella or rain coat, just in case you find yourself caught in the rain .

Rain in Delhi is no different to rain anywhere else. So chill out and make the most out of it.

Also read: Climate of Delhi

How can you make your Delhi visit Awesome during monsoon? Share your ideas in the comments below