The Paharganj Main Bazaar is the chaotic, kilometre-long backpacker strip running west from New Delhi Railway Station. It has been a budget travel hub since the overland hippie trail era of the 1960s and 70s, and still functions as a first port of call for many international visitors. The street is lined with budget guesthouses, street food stalls, print shops, jewellery vendors, and travel agents selling bus and train tickets.
The bazaar is best enjoyed as an experience rather than a destination — the compressed energy of India's budget traveller economy at full pitch, with auto-rickshaws, cycle-rickshaws, cows, tourists and locals all competing for the same narrow lanes. The dhabas along the side streets serve some of the cheapest dal-rice and thali in central Delhi. The area's main weakness is persistent touts and occasional petty crime; keep valuables close.