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Mehrauli Archaeological Park, Delhi
Mehrauli Archaeological Park is free and open every day from sunrise to sunset. Its 200 acres of woodland beside Qutub Minar hold more than a hundred monuments from a thousand years of Delhi, including the Jamali Kamali mosque, the Rajon ki Baoli stepwell and Balban's tomb.
Two hundred acres of woodland right beside Qutub Minar, holding more than a hundred monuments from a thousand years of Delhi: the Lodi-era Rajon ki Baoli stepwell, the painted ceiling of the Jamali Kamali mosque and tomb (1526–1535), Balban's tomb, an English resident's folly. Most visitors photograph the Minar and leave without knowing the gate is there. The park is free, open sunrise to sunset and quiet on weekday mornings. Give it two or three unhurried hours; paths are rocky, and a guided heritage walk pays for itself.
A thousand years of ruins in a free forest park that Qutub Minar's crowds walk straight past
Timings and entry fee
Mehrauli Archaeological Park is free and open from sunrise to sunset, every day. There is no ticket counter for the park itself: the only paid site next door is the Qutub Minar complex, which has its own ASI ticket.
Weekday mornings are the quietest time. The monuments are spread out over a large wooded area, so in the hot months it pays to start early.
What the park is
The park covers about 200 acres (81 hectares) of woodland beside the Qutub Minar and holds more than a hundred monuments. It is often described as the one part of Delhi with a thousand years of continuous occupation: the remains run from Lal Kot, the Tomar Rajput fort of about 1060, through the Sultanate, Lodi and Mughal periods to the British Raj.
It is looked after by three bodies: the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and INTACH. Conservation of the park began in 1997, and INTACH has since restored some 40 of the monuments.
What to see
A loop between these covers the main sights; give it two or three unhurried hours.
Jamali Kamali mosque and tomb (1526–1535)
An early mosque of the pre-Mughal type, and beside it a small tomb with a painted ceiling, one of the finest details in the park.
Rajon ki Baoli
A Lodi-era stepwell, sometimes called the stepwell of the masons, with galleries stepping down to the water.
Gandhak ki Baoli
A second stepwell inside the park.
Balban's tomb (c. 1287)
A plain ruin with a big place in architectural history: it holds the earliest surviving true arch and true dome in the subcontinent.
Quli Khan's tomb and Metcalfe's Dilkusha
A Mughal-era tomb, and next to it the ruins of Dilkusha, the retreat of Sir Thomas Metcalfe, the East India Company's agent in Delhi in the last decades of the Mughal court.
Lal Kot walls
Traces of the Tomar Rajput fort of about 1060, the oldest layer of Delhi in the park.
How to get there
The park lies in Mehrauli, directly beside the Qutub Minar complex in South Delhi. Most visitors combine the two: see the Minar first, then walk into the park, which the Minar's crowds mostly never reach. Taxis and app cabs will drop you at the Qutub Minar.
✅ Before you go
- Shoes with grip: the paths are rocky and uneven.
- Water and a hat: you will be walking outdoors for two to three hours.
- A guide or heritage walk pays for itself: with over a hundred monuments, much is easy to miss on your own.
- Go in daylight and leave before sunset, when the park closes.
❓ FAQ
Is Mehrauli Archaeological Park free?
Yes, entry is free. Only the neighbouring Qutub Minar complex charges for a ticket.
What are the Mehrauli Archaeological Park timings?
Every day from sunrise to sunset.
Is Mehrauli Archaeological Park worth visiting?
Yes, if you like ruins without crowds: over a hundred monuments spanning a thousand years, a short walk from Qutub Minar. Allow two to three hours.
How big is Mehrauli Archaeological Park?
About 200 acres (81 hectares), with more than 100 monuments.
Who maintains the park?
The ASI, the Delhi Development Authority and INTACH share the work; INTACH has restored around 40 monuments since 1997.