Dining is one of the most significant strengths of the Delhi Airport in that there are numerous numbers of domestic and international foods both at the domestic and international departure terminal of the airport, and in Terminal 3 in particular.
Should you desire a good Indian meal, you can go to Punjab Grill in Terminal 3, which is likely to be the most frequented as far as serving North Indian food is concerned, in a more upscale setting. It is an excellent location to have Indian food prior to flying.
To get something light and fast, Haldiram is one of the places to go to get Indian snacks and vegetarian food, suitable both to local and international travelers. It is known, cheap and always decent.
Those who want to have international fast-food can find KFC, Subway, and Domino, which will come in handy during flights or during family-time needs.
Starbucks and Costa Coffee will be available in all areas of Terminal 3, and will be the place to have a good break or a quick caffeine hit before boarding.
Shops & Lifestyle Stores
Duty-free shopping in Delhi Airport is large and the best in India. The primary duty-free is in Terminal 3 international departures and arrivals, which is run by Delhi Duty Free, and is a huge retail sector following security.
There will be a large selection of foreign perfume, cosmetic, and skin care brands, such as Dior, Chanel, Estee Lauder, Lancome and MAC. They are normally sold in the form of travel sets and gift packs thus suitable in last minute shopping.
The liquor section is a significant attraction and it provides the world-renowned brands such as Johnnie Walker, Chivas Regal, Grey Goose and best whiskies, and Indian ones. Here, multi-bottle deals and travelling discounts are prevalent.
Delhi Airport is also known to have Indian retail experience. You will be able to find such brands as Forest Essentials (luxury Ayurveda), Kama Ayurveda, FabIndia and Hidesign, which have their skincare, clothes, leather items and gifts that can be seen as a reflection of Indian craftsmanship.
The tea, spice, handicraft and souvenir shops are also easily accessible, so one can always take home something that is distinctly Indian.
The terminal has convenience stores where people can get necessities such as snacks, electronics, chargers, and travel accessories.
Lounges & Relax Spots
The Delhi Airport has lounges that are some of the best. The Encalm Lounge, plaza premium lounge and airline lounges (such as air india and Vistara lounge) have food, beverages, Wi-Fi, showers and comfortable seats. Admission can be made in business class tickets, membership or paid entry.
Terminal 3 has also spa services, sleeping pods and quiet seating areas to relax, which makes it a more comfortable airport to have a long layover.
Suggested Layover Itineraries
In the case of a 3 hour layover in Terminal 3. Get a meal, do some duty-free shopping, and hang out in a lounge in case you have the access.
Even with a 5-6 hour layover, you can remain indoors and have a nice Indian meal, go to a lounge, and do some shopping, without hurrying.
In 8+ hours, one can step out to Delhi provided there are visa requirements. You can explore the surroundings or grab a quick city life, but never miss your flight with a minimum time of 3 hours.
Quick Facts
Airport Code: DEL
Location: New Delhi, India.
Terminals: 3 (T1, T2, T3)
24×7 Services: Yes
Wi-Fi: Free
Wheelchair Access: Available
Pro Tip: The initial thing to do at Delhi Airport is to finish your paper work- and then have a look around the sightseeing places but after passing the security check, then it is one of the most comfortable parts of the airport in India.
Airport Facilities Overview
Duty-Free Shopping One of the largest and best-planned duty-free shopping at the Indira Gandhi international Airport, Delhi, is located in the terminal 3 which is mainly located in the international departures and the arrivals section. When you clear security and immigration at Terminal 3, you enter a wide, open retail strip run by Delhi Duty Free, in which shopping is structured as a part of your walking route to the gates, as opposed to something that you must hunt down.
The duty free zone is divided into well defined parts and it is not hard to find one even when the area is in its peak time. One of the most noticeable is the beauty and fragrance section which contains the world-known luxury brands like Dior, Chanel, Lancôme, Estée Lauder, MAC, YSL, and Armani Beauty. They are generally presented in the form of travel-exclusive packages, package deals and gift packages, which are particularly targeted at international tourists seeking high-end yet convenient buying.
The liquor business is also a significant attraction at the Delhi Airport and one of the largest in the area. You’ll discover an extensive selection of global spirits, such as Johnnie Walker, Chivas Regal, Glenfiddich, Jack Daniels, Absolut, Grey Goose and Bacardi, and premium whiskies and travel exclusives. Multi-bottle promotions and offers are common in this section, and it is one of the most convenient types of duty-free shopping.
The ability to merge international duty-free with high Indian retail identity has been one of the best features of Delhi Airport. In addition to international brands, there are also high-end Indian brands like Forest Essentials and Kama Ayurveda, which sell luxury Ayurvedic skincare and wellness products. They are not mere souvenirs, but high quality globally recognized brands that will provide travelers with something that is uniquely Indian to take home.
The airport also boasts of a well-established area of Indian teas, spices, and gourmet products where stores stock packaged Darjeeling and Assam teas,masalas, sweets, and gift boxes. International travelers especially love them as they are lightweight, authentic and easy to carry.
You can also shop fashion and lifestyle stores such as FabIndia and Hidesign, where you can find clothing and handcrafted products and leather goods. They are usually situated within or slightly outside the primary duty-free retail traffic in Terminal 3 and contribute to the shopping experience beyond the typical airport shopping.
The chocolates and confectionary products are also many in offering gift-giving items, such as Lindt, Toblerone, Ferrero Rocher, and other high-end packaged sweets. They are placed in convenient carry-away formats in areas close to billing areas enabling them to be last-minute buys.
The airport of Delhi also scores well in satisfying realistic travel requirements. Inside the terminal, there are convenience-style retail stores where you can grab a bite, water, chargers, headphones, travel pillows, personal care products and last minute accessories. They are distributed both on land and airside and are generally the most helpful landings along the way.
The other advantage is that the shopping is duty-free not only on departure but also on arrival. It comes in handy especially to those who travel and want to go shopping once landed and not to carry around during their flight.
The ideal plan at the Delhi Airport is to do all the formalities and then go shopping in the international departure area of Terminal 3, which has the broadest selection and the experience is less hectic. Although the airport provides high-end retail experience, it is important to keep in mind that not all products are necessarily cheaper at the airport, as such niches as beauty, liquor, chocolates, and Indian specialty products are likely to be the most beneficial.
All in all, duty-free shopping at Delhi Airport is not only convenient but also a balanced experience with some of the world’s luxurious brands, local Indian merchandise, and convenient travel shopping, all in a well-organised and easy-to-navigate design.
Restaurants / Dining Overview One of the most comprehensive airport food experiences in India is the experience of dining at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, particularly in Terminal 3. The food areas are located both in the domestic and international departure levels and sections of the main terminal (before security) but the most diversity is along the international departures section, post-security, where you can get a complete range of Indian food, international chains, cafes and fine dining.
Should you feel like eating good Indian food prior to your flight, Punjab Grill (Terminal 3, International Departures) is among the surest sit-down restaurants. It offers North Indian food such as butter chicken, kebabs, dal makhani and biryanis in a more upscale environment. This is an excellent choice when you have time and when you want to get a final proper Indian meal before getting out of the country instead of having a hurry-up snack.
To taste something less expensive, yet very Indian, a popular place among travelers is Haldiram (Terminal 3, Domestic and International areas). It has a big selection of Indian vegetarian snacks and meals - chaat and dosas, thalis and sweets. It is fast, cheap and predictable and is therefore one of the safest options in case you want to eat local food without having to experiment too much.
In need of international comfort in fast-food, the airport has good coverage of fast-food restaurants such as KFC, Subway, Domino’s, and McDonalds (primarily in the domestic and departure terminals of Terminal 3). They can come in particularly handy with families, late-night travelers, or anyone who would like to have familiar flavors prior to a long flight.
Delhi Airport is very good at this when it comes to coffee and other light meals. There is Starbucks and Costa Coffee in both domestic and international areas in Terminal 3. They are perfect when a meeting is to be held in a short time, it is necessary to work on a laptop, or it is only necessary to have a short rest before boarding. Cafes with sandwiches, wraps, pastries, and light snacks will accompany them and are ideal when you do not feel like eating a meal.
Mid-range dining places such as Street Food by Punjab Grill and such outlets also introduce a bit more of an artificial Indian street-food experience to the airport. These are fabulous when you feel like having something tasty and faster than a full service restaurant.
The food menu in the international departures department is more travel-oriented. You will come across a combination of bars, snack counters, and small eat-outs that sell fast food, sandwiches, Asian food and drinks. Although the variety remains good, it is a little thinner than it is on the domestic side therefore a clever idea is to have a decent meal prior to wandering into the boarding gate sections.
In the case of travelers who eat in lounges, the situation is more enhanced. Buffet-style lounges, such as Encalm Lounge and Plaza Premium Lounge, have an Indian and international menu, snacks, desserts, tea, coffee, and drinks, which in many cases negates the necessity of dining at terminal restaurants at all. This is among the most comfortable ways of dining in the airport provided you have access to it.
Among the strong points of the Delhi Airport is the fact that there is food almost 24hrs, particularly in Terminal 3, which is in line with the late-night and early-morning flight schedules of the airport. But there are those outlets that might be opened on flight waves, and hence the choices might be minimized a bit during very late hours.
There is extremely easy access to vegetarian food throughout the airport and even non-vegetarian restaurants usually have a variety of vegetarian dishes. This has rendered it as one of the more accommodative airports in as far as dietary preferences are concerned.
The best way to eat here is to clear security and then see what you want to eat, as the best concentration of restaurants is airside. When you have time, take a good meal such as Punjab Grill or Haldirams and when you are in a hurry visit the cafes or fast food joints near your gate.
In general, the experience of eating at Delhi Airport is not only practical but one of the few airports in the country where you can either take a quick bite, or eat popular international brands, or have a nice Indian meal, depending on time and mood.
Lounges One of the best lounge networks in India is located at Terminal 3 of Delhi Airport and choices are offered in both domestic and international departure gates. The Encalm Lounge and Plaza Premium Lounge are the most frequently used as well as airline specific lounges such as the Air India Maharaja Lounge and the Vistara Lounge to the qualifying passengers. These lounges are intended to accommodate large numbers of people and therefore even at peak times, you will most likely find a calmer atmosphere in these lounges than in the main terminal.
The food is buffet-style and includes Indian and international food, snacks, desserts, tea, coffee and beverages, comfortable seating, charging points, Wi-Fi and work friendly spaces. Other lounges also have shower facilities, less noisy resting places and reading areas which are particularly handy during long layovers or during over-night waits. They are accessible to a large audience of travelers, as they are accessible with a business or first-class ticket, airline status, Priority Pass, LoungeKey, or paid access. Delhi Airport is one of the most suitable places to spend some time before the flight or to evade traffic jams at the gates.
Ground Transportation Delhi Airport is quite accessible to the city and other areas and there are various modes of transport which are available based on different budgets and convenience. The best and quickest option would be the Delhi Metro Airport Express Line which operates directly between Terminal 3 and the New Delhi Railway Station within approximately 20 minutes, thus the one that you would need in case you do not want to be caught in traffic.
In the case of door-to-door transportation, there are Uber and Ola rides offered on apps and prepaid airport cabs, which are right outside the terminal. These are the most convenient means, particularly when you carry baggage or when you come late in the night. Prepaid taxi counters also operate in the airport and are a safer and more organised option to those who are visiting the airport for the first time.
Airport shuttle buses and city buses also serve to connect Delhi Airport to major areas of the city which are of lower cost but a little slower based on the traffic. In case you would like to be flexible, car rental services can be hired at special desks located in the terminal.
A handy hint - road traffic in Delhi can be erratic at peak times so when time is of the essence the Airport express Metro is usually a sure bet.
Traveler Essentials The terminal has amenities like ATM, currency exchange, SIM card kiosks, pharmacies, baggage services, and medical assistance that are easily accessible.
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