A first-timer’s guide to navigating one of Old Delhi’s most overwhelming neighborhoods—with humor, honesty, and a few bruises.
Pahar Ganj
Pahar Ganj is a bustling, chaotic neighborhood located just west of New Delhi Railway Station. Known for its budget hotels, backpacker hostels, street food, and markets, it’s often the first stop for travelers arriving in Delhi. Part of the larger Old Delhi area, Pahar Ganj offers a raw, unfiltered glimpse of urban India: noisy, crowded, colorful, and often overwhelming. Its narrow lanes are crammed with shops, touts, tuk-tuks, stray dogs, cows, and honking traffic—with little distinction between road, sidewalk, or market stall. While it has its own gritty charm, Pahar Ganj can be a sensory overload for first-time visitors.
There Are No Sidewalks
That was the first thing I noticed when I stepped into Pahar Ganj, a neighborhood of Old Delhi, fresh off a 12-hour flight from New York and still running on the adrenaline of arrival. No sidewalks. No clear lines between “road” and “not road.” Just… space. And everything happening in that space all at once.
Trash. Cows. TukTuks. People. Dogs. Honks. Glances. Smells. Motorcycles. More honks.
It was less like entering a city and more like being dropped into a living organism—noisy, chaotic, and completely unconcerned with whether I knew what I was doing.
Are you ready for some culture shock? I sure hope so! INDIA IS WILD! It can be a bit overwhelming, and to help keep you from losing your mind in one of the most popular backpacker destinations in Old Delhi, check out these tips below on how not to lose your mind while traveling in Pahar Ganj, Old Delhi!
Lesson One: Become Like Liquid
To move through Pahar Ganj, you have to become liquid. There’s no such thing as walking in a straight line. You weave. You learn to pivot mid-step because a parked motorcycle is blocking the one sliver of space that could have been called a sidewalk. You learn to instinctively flatten yourself to let a honking TukTuk brush by your hip without losing your balance—or your temper.
And traffic does swerve around you. It’s kind of terrifying, but it works. Somehow.
Lesson Two: Eyes Are Everywhere
As a white foreigner, I couldn’t take five steps without feeling like I was being watched. And not just glanced at—watched. The men, in particular, were skilled at a kind of eye contact that was hard to read. Sometimes it felt curious. Sometimes piercing. Usually deeply uncomfortable.
I don’t think most people meant any harm. But in a place already overflowing with stimuli, that constant pressure—the feeling of being observed and sized up—was draining in its own right. It’s one thing to be stared at in passing. It’s another to have someone’s eyes follow you through a crowd, unblinking.
When I first arrived, I would make eye contact with a furrowed brow to try to return the discomfort. Sometimes, this would make the person look away. Sometimes, not.
After a while, I just gave up, and ignored it. Being a man, I can only imagine that this will be much more of a problem for women traveling alone.
Lesson Three: Everyone’s Selling Something
In Pahar Ganj, friendliness often comes with a price tag. Some of the scammers are subtle—dressed in polos and jeans, claiming to be on their way to work (coincidentally, always near where you’re going). Some are more direct. But all are relentless
Eventually, I learned the key:
Don’t engage. Don’t stop walking. Don’t say anything. Not even “no thank you.” Especially not “no thank you.”
Because in Pahar Ganj, “no thank you” is just a warm-up round. It means you’re still playing the game.
Lesson Four: You Will Smell Everything
There are moments in Pahar Ganj when the scent of masala or frying dough drifts out of a food cart and you think, this is heaven. A moment later, it’s drowned by sewage, sweat, and something decaying in the sun.
The sensory contrast is wild. Some smells hit you like a hug. Others hit like a slap. And all of them seem to hang in the air together, competing for your attention.
Lesson Five: It’s Okay to Not Love It
Travel blogs love to romanticize chaos. “Delhi is so raw, so real, so vibrant,” they say.
And sure—it is.
But it’s also exhausting. Especially in Pahar Ganj, where there’s no escape from the noise, the pressure, the crowds, and the constant thrum of human intensity.
I’m glad I went. I’m glad I experienced it. But I probably wouldn’t stay there again. Next time, I’d choose somewhere like Hauz Khas—still lively, but calmer. A place where walking feels less like a combat sport and more like… walking.
Lesson Six: Avoid Northern Pajar Ganj
One evening, I walked north to explore Pahar Ganj beyond the main shopping area.
In short, I found myself relaxing drinking chai at a shop in a residential area with very narrow streets, and few shops. After I began chatting with the manager of the shop next door, a crowd gathered in the store, several of them glaring and shouting in hindi. Moments later, with his shop at capacity, the store owner basically told me to leave the area because he thought I wouldnt be safe. I was then escorted by the manager of the shop next door to the main street, and told to walk south.
Shop owner: You go…here, people be bad to you.
Me: Yep. Ok.
I must say, I enjoy these sort of occurrences for their spiciness, but I can’t recommend going to northern Pahar Ganj. If you do, be sure not to bring any valuables and to leave most of your cash at the hostel.
Final Thoughts
Pahar Ganj is not an easy place. It throws you into the deep end from the moment you arrive, and it doesn’t apologize for doing so. But for all its intensity, it taught me a few things—about awareness, presence, and how to move through the world with just enough looseness to not break.
Places I enjoyed:
Krishna Rooftop Cafe: Honestly, I loved this place. It is one of several restaurants overlooking Tooti Chowk, a popular market square. I entered one morning looking for a place to study hindi and journal. I didn’t really want breakfast yet. Still early, they were serving food on their 3rd floor, but not yet on the fourth, the rooftop level. I set up a table for myself and enjoyed over an hour of peace before the waiter finally found me. He saw me while seating another group of foreigners, smiled, and we both laughed. Then, I had some coffee and he let me be for another 2 hours.
Exotic Rooftop Restaurant – Also, a great place for a view and beer or some food. Particularly an awesome spot for sunset, as you can people watch the Main Bazaar below, if you get the right table.
Hey Wierdo! Thanks for reading my article. Hope that it serves you wellin your travels!
Happy Travels,
Stay Stoked,
OOLIN | Jaisalmer, India
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