Chanakyapuri

Vinay Marg, opposite the Ashok. Eighty acres of lawn and old trees, open from about 5am, free, and full of walkers, yoga groups and laughter clubs before eight. In winter the Delhi government runs free morning concert series here on some Sundays — check the boards at the gate.

Service Road, off Shanti Path near the Bhutan embassy. Closed Mondays, open roughly 10am to 5pm, entry about ₹50 on weekdays. The outdoor yard holds the Fairy Queen of 1855 and the Maharaja of Mysore's saloon; the narrow-gauge joyride is ₹20 and popular with children.

The house where Gandhi spent his last 144 days and was shot on 30 January 1948. Free, closed Mondays, open about 10am to 5pm. Concrete footprints mark his final walk to the prayer ground. It is a 10-minute taxi from Shanti Path and takes about an hour.

Sardar Patel Marg. Bukhara has been serving the same North West Frontier menu since 1978 — no cutlery, aprons instead of napkins, the black dal simmered overnight at around ₹1,700 and the raan closer to ₹4,500. Reserve or turn up at 7pm sharp. Dum Pukht upstairs is the quieter, richer alternative.

Behind the embassies off Niti Marg. A small parade with a European-style bakery, an imported grocer, a bookshop and two or three cafés. Prices are diplomatic-quarter high — ₹400 for a coffee and a pastry — but it is the only walkable street life in Chanakyapuri. Most units close by 9pm.

Fifteen minutes south by taxi. Export-surplus clothing at ₹150 to ₹400 a piece, sold from stacked piles by men shouting a single price. Closed Mondays, busiest 4pm to 8pm. Take cash in small notes, wear nothing loose, and check for cut labels and factory faults before paying.

From Terminal 3, a prepaid taxi is ₹600 to ₹800 and takes 25 to 35 minutes via NH-8 and the Ring Road — this is the fastest airport-to-hotel run of any central Delhi district. The Airport Express to Dhaula Kuan puts you 10 minutes by cab from most Chanakyapuri hotels. There is no metro station inside the enclave: Lok Kalyan Marg on the Yellow Line is the nearest for Connaught Place, about 12 minutes by taxi, and Bhikaji Cama Place on the Pink Line serves the south. Inside the area, distances are deceptive — Shanti Path to Malcha Marg is 1.5 km with no shade in summer. Budget ₹150 to ₹250 per app-cab hop and expect five to eight minutes' wait.

Only if you are happy to use app cabs for everything. There is no metro station in the enclave and no through bus you would want, so every trip to Connaught Place, Hauz Khas or Old Delhi begins with a ₹150 to ₹250 taxi. Budget around ₹600 a day in local transport. If that irritates you, base yourself somewhere on the Yellow Line instead.

Typically 25 to 35 minutes to Terminal 3 by taxi, and closer to 20 minutes at 5am. It is one of the shortest airport runs in central Delhi because you join NH-8 at Dhaula Kuan almost immediately. Allow an extra 30 minutes on weekday evenings between 6pm and 9pm, when the Ring Road backs up badly.

Malcha Marg market has a handful of cafés and restaurants, and that is genuinely the whole list within walking distance. Everything else means a short cab: Khan Market for restaurants, Sarojini Nagar for cheap eats, or Aerocity for the newer bar and dining cluster. Hotel restaurants here are excellent but priced accordingly, from about ₹2,500 a head.

Yes — Shanti Path, Niti Marg and the surrounding roads are public and pleasant to walk, especially before 9am. Do not photograph gates, guards or security installations, and expect to be moved along if you stop directly outside a mission. Nehru Park and the Rail Museum are fully open to visitors with no restrictions beyond the usual bag checks.