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Delhi in My Nose: A Solo Woman’s First Steps Into India

What it’s really like arriving alone in Delhi as a woman over 60.

Thursday, July 31, 2025

I never intended to “do India.” There was no bucket list, no Eat Pray Love fantasy (though I do love that film). My sights were set on Bhutan, elusive, mist-wrapped, bureaucratic, harder to reach than most places these days. Flights are scarce. The landing in Paro is famously dramatic. Tourism is tightly controlled. That’s what drew me in.
But if you’re travelling that far, skipping India is like flying to Paris and avoiding bread. You cannot treat India like a stopover. It is not an add-on. It is a continent compressed into one country, noisy, layered, ancient, unapologetically alive. So I carved out time. I went solo. Not to prove anything.
Just because I prefer to move at my own pace. First Impressions: Delhi Hits Hard. Delhi does not ease you in gently. It’s full contact from the moment you land. I arrived early morning. From the hotel taxi, I watched the city wake: honking traffic, open roadside fires, stray dogs weaving between cars, cows standing calmly in the chaos. It felt less like entering a city and more like stepping into a living organism.
Once settled, I hired a taxi for a full-day tour. My plan was structured:

Red Fort
Jama Masjid
Humayun's Tomb
India Gate
Lotus Temple

All magnificent.
But what stayed with me wasn’t the monuments. It was everything in between. Tuk-tuks slicing through traffic. Roasted peanuts sold between lanes of cars. The scent of incense colliding with diesel fumes. People asking for money.
The density of humanity. Delhi doesn’t whisper. It announces itself.

A Moment at the Red Fort

At the Red Fort, I joined the foreigners’ queue. A guard stopped me. “Wrong line,” I explained. I wasn’t Indian. He looked at me, laughed warmly, and said, “Put on a saree, you could pass!” We both laughed. It was light, human, unexpected. India has a way of pulling you in before you realise you’ve crossed some invisible line.

Finding Stillness at Humayun’s Tomb
If I had to choose a favourite that day, it would be Humayun's Tomb. Grand but peaceful. Red sandstone and white marble rising in Persian-Mughal symmetry. It’s considered the first great garden tomb of India, a precursor to the Taj Mahal. Schoolchildren raced through the grounds in uniformed chaos. Yet somehow the space absorbed the noise. In the symmetry and stillness, I found a pocket of calm.
A reminder that even in Delhi, you can breathe.

Getting Lost Near Connaught Place
Later, I took the Metro to Connaught Place. A local struck up a conversation. Friendly, curious, and insisted that I skip the obvious and visit a nearby market. I followed his vague directions: “Just down that road.” Fifteen minutes later, I saw people disappearing into a narrow alley. I followed. And the city folded in on itself.
Lanes barely wide enough for a car somehow held cows, motorbikes, tuk-tuks, and swarms of pedestrians. Fabric spilled from stalls. Bangles glittered. Plastic toys dangled overhead. Fruit carts were stacked with mangoes and guavas. No signs. No logic. No clear exit. Just colour and movement. Was I worried? Not really. The Metro line ran above somewhere. Worst case, I would follow it to the next station. I bought mangoes and a fried lentil snack cooked on the spot. It probably wasn’t health-inspector-approved. It was delicious. I did manage to get back to my hotel.

Image: Humayun's Tomb Profound Mughal artistry, a tranquil and stunning escape.

Image: Tasting Indian Street food on a food tour highly recommended

Street Food and Spice Clouds

That evening, I joined a street food and spice market tour. This is where Delhi truly entered my bloodstream. We ducked under sagging electric wires, paused for chai at stalls that looked older than I am, and navigated alleyways dense with life.
Then came the spice market.
Mountains of turmeric. Cardamom pods spilling from sacks. Dried red chillies piled high.
Cumin and coriander are thick in the air. One deep inhale, and I was coughing, eyes watering, laughing helplessly. Everyone was. It felt like stepping into the nose of India itself.
Messy. Overwhelming. Sensory overload. And unforgettable.

Akshardham: Beauty Without a Lens
On impulse, I visited Akshardham Temple. I had seen a photograph in my hotel and thought it looked almost unreal. It is one of the largest Hindu temple complexes in the world, with ornate carvings, sprawling gardens, and statues layered in detail. There’s even a boat ride tracing 10,000 years of Indian civilisation.
But what struck me most was the strict ban on cameras and phones.
You leave everything at the entrance. No exceptions. At first, it felt inconvenient. Then it felt powerful. This wasn’t just about security. It was about presence. No filters. No angles. No performance. Just you and the space.

Is Delhi Safe for a Solo Woman?

Delhi is intense, but intensity is not the same as danger.

As a solo woman travelling alone:

I used official taxis and the Metro
I dressed modestly
I stayed aware
I trusted my instincts

I never felt unsafe. Overstimulated? Absolutely.
Overwhelmed? Occasionally.
But never unsafe.

Preparation and awareness matter more than fear.

India Doesn’t Care If You’re Comfortable. That’s the Point
India is not curated for your comfort. And that is precisely why you go. Especially as a woman in your 40s, 50s, 60s or beyond, the goal isn’t ease. It’s immersion. We’ve earned the right to get lost. To take up space. To choose a challenge that leads somewhere real. Delhi didn’t wrap me in softness. It knocked me sideways. And I’m grateful for that.

Image: Sensory overload at Delhi's Khari Baoli spice market!

This Is Only the Beginning

From here, the journey continued to Darjeeling, Sikkim, Bhutan, and the Golden Triangle, each place layered differently, each demanding something new.

If you're considering India yourself, I’ve written a more practical guide covering safety, pacing, and comfort in detail:

👉 Read: India for Solo Travellers Over 60: My Comfortable, Cultural Journey Through North India
That post breaks down the full itinerary and how to experience India without feeling overwhelmed.

If you’re a solo woman with a passport and a restless heart, India may be calling you too.
Not for polish.
Not for perfection.
But for something honest.
And sometimes, that’s exactly what we need.