Chandni Chowk Food Tour Delhi: 15+ Tastings & Sikh Temple

Fifteen Tastings Through Old Delhi's Backstreet Food Scene

You'll taste 15+ dishes across Old Delhi's maze of backstreets with a food-obsessed guide, visit a Sikh temple kitchen that feeds 30,000 people daily, and learn the story behind each stop. Groups stay small (maximum 8 people), which means you're not herding through crowds. You're actually stopping at the places locals eat. Bottled water is included, and the tour works for vegetarians. Wear comfortable shoes and expect moderate walking through narrow streets.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Old Delhi food and culture

• Meet outside La Quila metro station Gate 1
• Eat soaked vadas with yogurt and pomegranate
• Drink sweet frothy lassi
• Try the finest jalebi in North India
• Tour Sikh temple 24-hour kitchen
• Make chapattis and stir large pots
• Walk Old Delhi maze with guide
• Try pani puris, pakoras, and stuffed parathas
• Taste winter white mousse dessert if available
• Eat paneer masala curry at secret restaurant
• Drink masala lime soda nearby
• Visit fragrant spice market and learn about spices
• Try carrot halva and Mughal vermicelli dessert
• Eat paan made by guide
• End with rickshaw ride and local hospitality

The experience

You're standing outside Gate 1 of La Quila metro station, and already the smell hits you: cumin, cardamom, something frying in oil that you can't quite name. Your guide appears, and within minutes you're holding a bowl of vadas soaked in creamy yogurt with pomegranate seeds scattered on top, the kind of thing no Indian takeaway back home has ever served. The frothy lassi comes next, sweet and cold, then the jalebi, and your guide isn't exaggerating when they say it's the finest in North India. You're three tastings in and you haven't even left the first corner of Chandni Chowk.

The real shift happens when you walk into the Sikh temple kitchen. Thirty thousand people eat here every single day, and the scale of it stops you: enormous pots big enough to feed an army, volunteers moving with practiced rhythm. Your guide hands you a chapatti to make, and you'll actually stir one of those massive pots, feel the weight of feeding a city. Then you're back out into the narrow streets, dodging cycle rickshaws and cows, stopping at a little vendor who's been making pani puris the same way for almost a century. Pakoras, stuffed parathas, and if you're there in winter, a white mousse-like dessert covered in saffron that tastes like it's made of clouds. The food tour isn't a lecture. It's a walk, and the walking is real.

By the time you reach the unsigned restaurant tucked into the backstreets, you've already eaten more than most people manage in a day. The paneer masala curry here is the kind of thing that makes you stop talking and just eat. A masala lime soda washes it down. Then comes the spice market (your guide talks you through the herbs and heat of Indian cooking while you're surrounded by the smell of it all), and the final stretch of desserts: carrot halva, vermicelli noodles with a creamy nutty layer, and a paan made fresh for you, betel leaf filled with dried fruits and syrups. The tour ends with a full-bellied rickshaw ride back, and you leave knowing how to eat your way through India instead of just guessing.

What’s included

Your day includes 15+ different tastings (vadas with yogurt and pomegranate, lassi, jalebi, pani puris, pakoras, stuffed parathas, paneer masala curry, carrot halva, vermicelli dessert, paan, and more), a guided walk through Chandni Chowk and Old Delhi's backstreets, a visit to a Sikh temple kitchen where you'll help make chapattis and stir the cooking pots, a walk through the spice market with commentary on Indian herbs and cooking, bottled water throughout, and a rickshaw ride back at the end. Your guide is a licensed professional who knows the food scene and the neighborhood.

Information

Lasts 4h, runs Monday to Saturday at 10:30 and 16:00, from US$ 39 per person, with a live guide in English, in groups of up to 8 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesMonday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: 10:30Tuesday and Saturday: 10:30 and 16:00Another time? ›

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglishOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3): free

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancy

Operated by A Chef's Tour

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to eat your way through Old Delhi without figuring out where to go or what's safe to try. The guide handles the navigation and the food knowledge, and the small group size means you're actually stopping at the places instead of rushing past them.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3): free.

How long is the Chandni Chowk food tour?

The itinerary spans multiple stops from Gate 1 of La Quila metro station through Old Delhi's backstreets, temple kitchen, spice market, and back. Plan for a full morning or afternoon depending on your pace.

Is this tour suitable for vegetarians?

Yes. The tour is explicitly suitable for vegetarians, and many of the 15+ tastings (vadas, lassi, jalebi, pakoras, parathas, paneer masala, and desserts) are vegetarian by default.

What's included in the price?

15+ different tastings, a licensed professional guide, bottled water, and access to the Sikh temple kitchen. No additional food costs during the tour.

How many people are in each group?

Maximum 8 guests per tour, the smallest group size available for Delhi food tours.

Do I need to cover my shoulders and knees?

Yes, long-sleeved clothing to cover shoulders and knees is expected at the Sikh temple. You can rent fabrics there if needed.

Is the walking difficult?

There is moderate walking through Old Delhi's narrow streets and backstreets. Wear comfortable shoes. The tour is not recommended for pregnant travelers or those with limited mobility.

What do the reviews say?

The tour has over 150 five-star reviews on review sites.