Red Fort (Lal Qila)
- Address:Netaji Subhash Marg, Old Delhi
- Hours:Tues - Sun, sunrise to sunset. Closed Mondays
- Admission:Rs 250. Sound & Light Show: Rs 50
Cultural Experience, UNESCO Heritage Site, Monument - Military
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8:15 PM Sunday, May 27
Duststorm. Extremely hot.
7 day forecast »
The massive Red Fort (or Lal Qila) stands rather forlornly, a sandstone carcass of its former self. In ages past, when Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan paraded out of the fort atop an elephant into the streets of Old Delhi, he and the fort that he built were a grandiose display of pomp and power. The walls of the fort extend for 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) and vary in height from 60 ft (18 m) on the river side to 110 ft (33 m) on the city side. Shah Jahan began construction of the massive fort in 1638 and it was completed in 1648. Shah Jahan never completely moved his capital from Agra to his new city of Shahjahanabad in Delhi because he was deposed and imprisoned in Agra Fort by his sly son Aurangzeb.
The Red Fort dates from the very peak of Mughal power. Their reign from Delhi was a short one, however; Aurangzeb was the first and last great Mughal emperor to rule from here. The 33 ft (10 m) deep moat, which has been bone-dry since 1857, was originally crossed on creaky wooden drawbridges, but these were replaced with stone bridges in 1811.
Since Independence, many landmark political speeches have taken place at the fort and every year on Independence Day (15 August) it hosts the prime minister's address to the nation. In 2007, the Red Fort was added to UNESCO's World Heritage Site list.
Latest Reviews All Red Fort (Lal Qila) Reviews »
This is a great tour. I recommend it if you either have little time or are planning to see Delhi for a few days or more. The tour gave my Wife and I a great outline and overall understanding of the city and it's culture.
The Guide was excellent. Very knowledgeable and approachable. We asked a few curly questions and he was honest in his responses.
The tour allowed us to make note of places where we could tour on our own later on, and equipped us with a better understanding of how to 'survive in Delhi'.
Note on dress: My wife advises other women to dress not worrying about what you look like but about covering yourself up. No exposed chests or anything below the knees. The men/boys can't stop staring.
Note on Tips: Most hospitality est' will charge a service charge, if they don't, tipping is about 5-10% depending on service provided. Like some other countries, many workers rely on tips as the source of income. We were told that many of the budget hotel/restaurants have workers who work only for tips and don't get paid a base wage.
Note on trading days: Many of the monuments/sites have days where they are closed. Check first before going to those places.
Don't expect much from the transport car. It is only a simple old bomb, but part of the experience. Traffic in Delhi is chaos, so recommend you have a bottle of water with you.
Overall, great trip and worth doing.
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Absolutely fantastic, the guides were on time and very professional and knowledgeable. I will recommend them to anyone who travels to India.
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Excellent tour. Guide was amazing and went to all the parts of the city I wanted to go and more. The information given to me was awesome. Do this trip!
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The nearest metro station is Chowri Bazaar or get there by taxi or auto-rickshaw. Each evening (except Monday) a one hour sound-and-light show re-creates events of India's history, particularly those associated with the Red Fort.
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