India Gate and Kartavya Path
India Gate is a 42 m high memorial designed by Edwin Lutyens. Its foundation stone was laid in 1921 and it was inaugurated in 1931. Today it is the focal point of a long ceremonial axis in New Delhi, lined with lawns, water channels and the buildings of the government quarter. Visiting India Gate costs nothing, and Delhi Tourism lists no regular closing day.
The tourism office describes the opening as "morning to night". That is a good rule of thumb, but it does not mean the area is open around the clock, so plan your visit for daylight or the early evening and expect security staff to ask visitors to move on later.
The broad avenue that leads to the monument is now called Kartavya Path. It replaced the name Rajpath and was inaugurated on 8 September 2022 together with the statue of Netaji at India Gate. Older maps and guidebooks still use the old name, and locals may too. If you want to see what else lies nearby, the things to do in Delhi page groups the main sights by area.
Our pick: evening city tour
Our take: This evening tour by car stops at India Gate together with Rashtrapati Bhavan and other sights, which suits you if you want the area with a guide.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Delhi city tours with India Gate
Private evening city tour with a guide by car, plus other Delhi sightseeing tours with hotel pickup.
Rashtrapati Bhavan: visiting the presidential palace
A walk along Kartavya Path is free, but going inside Rashtrapati Bhavan is a separate matter. The main building can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday between 09:30 and 16:30, with the last entry at 16:00. The official visitor site offers a booking, and the visitor entrance is Gate 38. Book through that official page only and bring the identification the booking asks for.
The nearest metro station for the government quarter is Central Secretariat, which is about 1 km from Gate 38. Do not treat the palace visit as part of a casual stroll from India Gate: you need a confirmed booking first.
The private evening city tour with a guide by car lists Rashtrapati Bhavan and India Gate among its stops, together with Safdarjung's Tomb, Qutub Minar and Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. Read this as a drive-by and photo stop at the palace. The tour does not include a visit inside the presidential palace. Meals and entrance fees apply only if you choose that option when booking.
Change of guard on Saturdays
The ceremonial change of guard at Rashtrapati Bhavan takes place on Saturdays, except on official days off. Visitors register online, and the registration fee has been 50 INR since 22 February 2025. The fee is not refundable and not transferable to another person.
The official site gives two different starting times for the ceremony. A notice dated for 10 October 2026 mentions a window from 07:30 until 08:30, while another passage on the same page still mentions 07:00. Check the start time on the registration page just before you go, and arrive early so you are not queuing when the guards begin.
Planning your visit
Practical points for the monument and the avenue.
Getting there by metro
The official metro itinerary names Central Secretariat as an access option for the government quarter. It is not necessarily the closest station for every point on the axis, so expect a walk. Fares and stations are on the Delhi metro page.
Evening visits
No reliable daily lighting schedule is published for India Gate or Kartavya Path. Go for the atmosphere at dusk, but do not plan around a fixed light show. The celebration held in September 2022 was a one-off opening event, not a regular programme.
Republic Day closures
On 26 January 2026 Kartavya Path stayed closed to traffic until the end of the parade, and crossings between Vijay Chowk and India Gate were closed until 14:00. That is a dated example of what happens around national events: check traffic advisories if your trip falls near one.
Parking and the Amar Jawan Jyoti
Parking charges are not uniform, so ask your driver or hotel before you arrive. The flame that once stood beneath the arch has changed over the years, so do not rely on older descriptions of what stands there now.
For a wider picture of how this avenue came to be, read the history of Delhi. If you want to combine the monument with other places in the capital, the Delhi tours page lists private and shared options, and the Red Fort and Humayun's Tomb pages cover two sights that visitors often pair with a morning at India Gate.
Allow roughly an hour if you just want to walk to the monument, take photos and look along the avenue, longer if you add the Saturday ceremony. Wear comfortable shoes: the lawns and paths are wide, and distances on the axis look shorter than they are. Take water with you, and keep in mind that in summer the open avenue offers little shade at midday.
India Gate: frequently asked questions
Is there an entry fee for India Gate?
No. Delhi Tourism lists free entry and no regular closing day. The listed opening is morning to night, so visit in daylight or the early evening.
Is India Gate open 24 hours?
Do not count on it. The published wording is "morning to night", which is not the same as round the clock. Plan for daylight hours and leave when staff ask you to.
What is Kartavya Path?
It is the new name of Rajpath, the avenue leading to India Gate. The change was inaugurated on 8 September 2022.
Can I visit Rashtrapati Bhavan on the same day?
Only with a booking on the official visitor site. The main building opens Tuesday to Sunday from 09:30 until 16:30, last entry 16:00, and visitors use Gate 38.
When is the change of guard?
On Saturdays, except official days off, with online registration for 50 INR. The start time is stated differently on the official page, so check it shortly before your visit.
Which metro station is nearest?
Central Secretariat is the station named in the official itinerary for the government quarter. Expect a walk to the monument itself.