The capital city of India is not considered as a shoppers’ heaven for nothing. The place boasts of everything one could possibly dream of, from vibrant bazaars, wholesale and street markets, hosting handicrafts, textiles, clothing, carpets, jewellery, antiques, and gadgetry to plush designer malls with high-end brands and expensive boutique stores.
Delhi truly offers something for every taste and preference. So to help you shop in style and not get lost in the maze of varied options, here we have compiled a comprehensive list of the best places to shop in Delhi to buy things to your hearts’ content. Enjoy!
1) Dilli Haat
This is a large traditional open-air Haat resembling a weekly village market. It is a one-stop solution for buying Indian handicrafts and handloom items.
The unique stuff here is featured from places all over India. Here you will find:
- Pashmina Shawls from Kashmir
- Embroidered tunics (Chikankari) from Lucknow
- Juttis (footwear) from Punjab
- Intricate traditional paintings (pattachitra) from Odisha with different stalls of jewelry (gems, beads, pearls)
- Ethnic clothing, footwear, accessories, home decors, and delicacies from all the four corners of the country
- Hair-beading stalls (definitely try this)
- Rosewood/sandalwood carvings
- Brassware products, metalwares
The colorful market, in a nutshell, is an exhilarating blend of crafts, culture, music, food and traditional performances. A must-visit!
2) Janpath/Tibetan market
Put on your bargaining hat and hit the lively and colorful Janpath market. Here you will find:
- Handicrafts, cool accessories and apparel (traditional, latest, hippy, cashmere scarves)
- Footwear
- Antiques, vintage decors, and paintings (some from Tibet!)
- Brassware
- Indian artifacts
- Leatherwork items
- Cheap artificial and chunky jewelry
- Embroidered cushions and bags
- Woven carpets with beautiful patterns
You can buy gifts and souvenirs to take back home from here. Just be sure to haggle and bargain a bit and do not pay the initial quoted price.
3) Sarojini Nagar Market
This marketplace in South Delhi is a pocket-friendly option popular for affordable and cheaply priced articles. Though low-priced, the articles are of good quality.
It deals mostly in:
- Apparel, latest trendy designs, first copies of branded wears, surplus exports with small manufacturing defects
- Accessories, bags, shoes, imitation jewelry
- Household items
- Kitchenware
- Electronic products
- A sweet market (Babu market)
It is one of the favored places for street shopping where you can buy more at less cost. The prices of almost all items sold here are negotiable so be sure to bargain to get a good deal.
4) Chandni Chowk
The lanes of this winding alleyway are assorted into different bazaars according to their area of specialty. It is recommended to visit Parantha Wale Galli, a foodies’ delight, while in Chandni Chowk.
4a) Katra Neel
This is a wholesale market for fabrics of all kinds: silks, satin, crepe, cotton, muslin with lehengas, sarees, salwar suits, ethnic wear. You can also fin menswear. Kinari Bazaar is ideal for wedding shopping.
4b) Dariba Kalan
Head over to Dariba Kalan for all your silvery cravings. The lane specializes in gorgeous silver jewelry (costing at least 25 percent less from any other market) from nose-pins, earrings, neckpieces, anklets to silverware and utensils. You will find Kundan and Meenakari jewelry here along with shops selling perfumes (attars) and oils.
4c) Nai Sarak
4d) Bhagirath Palace
Visit Bhagirath Palace for light fixtures of all kinds-fancy, basic, decorative. It’s considered Asia’s largest wholesale market for electrical and electronic goods.
4e) Ballimaran
Ballimaran market sells a huge variety of frames and sunglasses (vintage and contemporary) for dirt cheap prices.
4f) Khari Baoli
This is Asia’s largest spice market. It is located at the western end of the chowk and specializes in all kinds of spices, dried fruits, nuts, and herbs. There’s really nothing in terms of spices and condiments (even the exotic ones) that you won’t find here.
4g) Moti Bazaar
It is popular for shawls and pearls while Tilak Bazaar deals in chemicals.
5) Lajpat Nagar (Central market)
One of the oldest markets of the capital, Lajpat Nagar is replete with sellers of:
- Indian clothing, especially hand embroidered Chikankari lucknowi apparel, Banarsi, ethnic, casual, Indo-western)
- Shoes, bags, and accessories
- Leather items
- Decors, kitchenware, and home furnishings
- Souvenirs
The market also boasts of many Mehendiwallahs who would apply the temporary, nature-based color paste with intricate designs on your palm at lightning speed and nominal rates. The small market packs various shades with color, variety, and quality. Don’t forget to bargain though.
6) Paharganj market
The Main Bazaar is chaotic and most of the sellers in the place are wholesale retailers. You can find:
- Many foreign products (many shops export to foreign countries)
- Unique objects at a lower cost
- Clothes (hippy, motif-Tshirts), shoes, accessories, and jewelry
- Hookah pipes, and incense
- Music, and books
- Wooden statues
- Textile, and handicrafts
Make a point to bargain for everything you buy.
7) Connaught Place
Locally known as CP. Connaught Place is right at the heart of Delhi. You’ll recognize its white facade and tall columns.
8) Hauz Khas Village
This is one of the coolest spots of the capital where trendy and traditional mesh seamlessly together. The upscale bazaar has some unique fashion options with a host of designer boutiques and high-end custom shops. Here you’ll find one of a kind items. Also, you can customize any clothing, wedding wear, or jewelry item.
The area offers products such as:
- Indo-western wear
- Bespoke suits, shirt, and trousers
- Contemporary textiles and silhouettes in ethnic wear
- Handbags, and designer shoes
- Junk jewellery, precious jewellery and other forms of accessories
- Artsy and tasteful home décor
- Affordable art, vintage finds, and antique thrift shops
- And Indian designer labels
You can find knock-down priced original Bollywood posters in the many curiosity shops.
9) Sundar nagar market
The quaint neighbourhood is famed for art and antique stores consisting of rare, expensive goods. Here, you can buy Indian and Nepali handicrafts. Also, there are tea shops. This quiet market stocks exquisite:
- Textiles
- Heirloom jewelry
- Authentic ceramic
- Carved-wood furniture, and carpets
- Indian handicrafts
- Marble figures, antique watches, and tribal artifacts
Here you can shop for everything that is extravagant and beautiful. Numerous art galleries dotting the area sell modern oil paintings and contemporary art. Try Asia tea house and Mittal tea house for buying teas and for an exemplary refreshment.
10) DLF Emporio
It is Delhi’s glitziest ultra luxury mall. Here you can shop for all the high-end designer staples like TOD’s, Louis Vuitton, Tom Ford, Fendi, Dior, Armani, Burberry, Versace, and Jimmy Choo. Also, find some of the India’s top fashion houses have boutiques here such as Ranna Gill, Tarun Tahiliani, Rina Dhaka, Satya Paul, and Manish Arora. The place is heaven for mall hoppers. You can catch a breather and refuel at various luxury dining options, casual cafes and terrace restaurants that grace the premises. DLF Promenade and Ambience are the other two swanky and stylish malls in the vicinity.
11) Select Citywalk
This sought-after shopping destination in Saket is one stop solution for all your retail needs. The mall stocks everything:
- Brand showrooms
- Cosmetics
- Apparel
- A tattoo parlor
- A salon
- Bookstores
- A multi-cuisine food-court
- Coffee shops
- Fine dining restaurants
- A multiplex
- Services departments
- And offices
It is a good option to shop especially when it is impossible to go out in the sweltering Delhi summers.
Ready to shop ’til you drop? Tell us about it in the comment section!
