Chandni Chowk is Old Delhi at its most intense — a sprawling Mughal-era bazaar stretching from the Red Fort to the Fatehpuri Mosque. Laid out in the 1650s by Jahanara Begum, Shah Jahan's daughter, it was once a grand canal-lined avenue for the city's wealthiest families. Today it's a heaving maze of narrow lanes, each specialising in something different: textiles in one alley, spices in the next, electronics around the corner, wedding cards down the way.
The real draw is the street food. Paranthe Wali Gali serves stuffed parathas that have been fried in ghee since the 1870s. Natraj Dahi Bhalle Wala has been dishing out chaat from the same spot for over a century. Come hungry.
Near the entrance on Nai Sarak, the Jain Bird Hospital inside the Digambara Jain Temple treats injured birds brought in by locals — a genuinely unusual sight. The recently pedestrianised main stretch has made walking slightly less harrowing, but the side lanes remain gloriously chaotic. Visit in the morning before the crowds peak.