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Delhi is spread over an area of 1,500 sq. kilometers, is 216 meters above sea level and has a population of around 10 million. One of the greatest assets is that one can move around at one's chosen pace.

Climate: summers are very hot, though the humidity levels are not as much as in Calcutta and Bombay. Temperatures in the summer months can touch 45 degrees Celsius with May and June being the hottest months. Rains are spread over a month from early July and humidity levels at this time can cause uneasiness. The winter months October-end to February-end are cold and dry and the minimum temperatures can go as low as 3 degrees Celsius in late December and January. Heavy woolens are ideal during this time and can give a sense of satisfaction and enjoyment. Weather bulletins and forecasts are given regularly over the television and in the newspapers and are normally accurate as they are based on satellite information.

Languages Spoken: English, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu are most commonly spoken. In hotels and restaurants the staff speak English while the tourist guides are also well versed with the language. Indians being friendly can always help tourists who may not understand any other language than English.

Tipping: Tipping is common for porters in hotels as also the stewards and bearers and tourist guides, though it is not the practice with taxi and auto drivers and other means of transport within the city. The standard amount in hotels and restaurants is 10 % of the total bill.

Smoking: Smoking is banned in public places, public transport and government offices, inside cinema halls and theatres located in the state of Delhi. In several other places boards prominently display the ban on smoking. Most hotels and restaurants have separate smoking zones.

Photography: Photography is not permitted at the airport, military installations, and other places where such notices are put up.

Buying Liquor: Delhi observes dry days on most national and even some local holidays and shops are closed on the 1st and 7th of every month. Various brands of imported liquor are now available in the market also through outlets run by the Delhi Tourism and Delhi Industrial Corporation. All big hotels serve liquor and so do several restaurants. Dry days are not applicable to hotels and restaurants.

Food: Choicest variety of all kinds of Indian food is available and several restaurants within hotels as also outside sell select food of different states. Most of the hotels also serve continental food. In fact the variety in food unlimited and Delhi is among the best places in the country as far as picking and choosing food goes.

Doctors/Hospitals: Several government-run hospitals and nursing homes have day and night emergency services and chemist shops in some areas operate the night through. The chemist outlet at the Super Bazaar in Connaught Place is open throughout the night and in case of an emergency, it would be the ideal place to shop for medicines.

Insects, Diseases: Mosquitoes are common in summer and malaria and some waterborne diseases can affect those who are not careful with the water they drink. Though the system of keeping mosquito nets is not very prevalent, it is advisable to carry mosquito repellant creams and other such devices that can keep this insect at bay.

Water And Electricity: Water is problem in summer, though it is not the case in winter. Water trolleys selling refrigerated water are located at various points in the city especially next to bus stops and the water is normally clean. However it is advisable to purchase mineral water available in bottles which are not very expensive by world standards. Electricity is on the 220 volts supply and power shutdowns in the peak of summer and very common. However most restaurants and hotels have installed generators and they normally do not face any problems of the kind.

Banking Hours: Most banks are open from 10.00 hrs to 14.00 hrs from Monday to Friday and up to 12 noon on Saturdays. Some branches of banks are also open on Sundays and many others have the ATM facility. There are several foreign banks located mostly in and around Connaught Place. The foreign banks include American Express, Bank of America, Hong Kong Bank, Bank of Tokyo, Banqaue nationale de Paris, Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered, Citibank and Mercantile Bank, among others.

Credit Cards: American, Citibank, Master-Visa and Diners Club credit cards are generally accepted by large establishments including hotels, shops and airlines.

Tourist Offices:Government of India, Tourist Office, 88, Janpath, New Delhi-110 001. Tel:   3320005/-8, 3320342 Fax: 3320342

Government of India Tourist Office Counter, IG International Airport. Tel: 3291171, Domestic Terminal: 3295296.

Delhi Tourism Dev Corp., New Delhi Railway Counter, Tel 3732374 and Old Delhi Railway Counter, Tel: 2511083