Last verified: August 2026 · Sources checked: airport operator (DIAL), Delhi Traffic Police prepaid booths, DMRC, Uber DEL pickup / Help · Author: Somnath Das
Parent: Getting Around Delhi · Hub: Getting Around · Related: Autos, Uber & UPI.
What this guide does
Get you from Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) to your hotel in clear steps.
Pick one path. Ignore people who approach you in the hall with “special” taxis.
Money order of magnitude (not a live tariff): Airport Express is usually the cheapest solo exit. A prepaid taxi or Uber/Ola to central Delhi usually costs several times a Metro ticket once distance, AC, bags, and any night extras apply. Aerocity / near-airport hotels are shorter and cheaper by road than Connaught Place / Old Delhi; South Delhi is farther; Gurugram (Gurgaon) is often longer still and may add tolls. Always pay the booth receipt or the in-app quote—rates change.
Money & what to carry
| Need | Practical note |
|---|---|
| Prepaid taxi booth | Prefer small INR cash. Cards sometimes work; do not rely on them. The booth prints the fare for your destination (Delhi / NCR / interstate charts exist on the Delhi Traffic Police prepaid page). Receipt may include service and baggage lines. Night extras can apply late evening to early morning—whatever is due should appear on the printed slip. |
| Metro | Buy at the station (cash or card at machines/counters when accepted). Fare is on the board/app the day you ride—usually a small amount versus a taxi. |
| Uber / Ola | Price is in the app before you confirm (surge possible). International cards often work; keep cash as backup if the driver asks after a failed digital pay. |
| ATMs / exchange | Optional in Arrivals for a modest INR float. Change only what you need for the booth/Metro—this guide is not an FX rate sheet. |
Rough road-time zones (jet-lag planning, not GPS): Aerocity often ~15–30 min; central New Delhi / CP often ~45–90 min in daytime traffic; farther South Delhi or Gurugram can take longer. Night roads are often faster even when night taxi extras apply.
Before you land
- Check your terminal on the boarding pass or airline app (most long-haul internationals: Terminal 3).
- Save your hotel name and area offline (for example “Defence Colony,” not only “Delhi”).
- Decide how you will get data: eSIM / roaming before landing, or plan to leave without apps (prepaid taxi or Metro).
After customs — choose one path
You clear immigration, collect bags, and exit into the public arrivals hall.
| Situation | Best path | Rough time to central Delhi* |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy bags, family, late night, or no data | Prepaid taxi (Delhi Traffic Police booth) | Often 45–90 min in traffic (night can be quicker) |
| Daytime, lighter bags, OK with trains | Airport Express Metro, then last mile | Metro often ~20 min to New Delhi area + last mile |
| Data works; you can walk to the car park | App cab (Uber / Ola) at the T3 multi-level car park pickup | Similar to taxi—depends on traffic |
*Times are typical ranges, not guarantees.
Do not follow strangers into the parking lane before you reach an official booth or your app pin.
Path A — Prepaid taxi (simplest with luggage)
Official booths at IGI are under Delhi Traffic Police. The system is optional. You get a signed receipt with taxi number, destination, and fare.
- Follow overhead Taxi signs to a booth marked Prepaid Taxi / Delhi Traffic Police (glass counter—not a person with a laminated card in the crowd).
- Say your hotel and area.
- Pay the printed amount at the booth. Keep the receipt.
- Go to the assigned taxi bay. Match the vehicle number on the receipt.
- No bargaining after you leave the booth.
- Problems with the driver: Delhi Traffic Police lists SMS complaints to 56767.
Money tip: Prefer a little INR cash for the booth if card machines fail. Exact fares change—use the counter chart, not memory. Ask for AC vs non-AC if offered; say your area clearly (Aerocity vs CP vs South Delhi vs Gurugram changes the printed total).
Operator page: Delhi Traffic Police prepaid booths.
Path B — Airport Express Metro
The airport operator (DIAL — Delhi International Airport Limited) lists Metro among T3 transport options. The Airport Express (Orange Line) links the airport area with central stops including the New Delhi station area. Rail time is often about 20 minutes when trains run—approximate, not a promise.
- Follow signs for Metro / Airport Express from Terminal 3.
- Buy a ticket at the station (counter or machine). Digital QR options exist on official DMRC channels (including a WhatsApp ticket flow reported for the Airport Line)—only use official DMRC numbers or apps.
- Ride toward the stop that fits your hotel, often New Delhi for central areas.
- Last mile: from New Delhi / nearby Metro stops, take a short auto or app cab to the hotel door (or walk only if your hotel is truly next to the station). Do not drag heavy bags through long station transfers if you are exhausted—switch to Path A next time.
Night rule: If trains have stopped, use Path A. Check first/last times on DMRC or station boards—do not trust an old blog timetable.
Terminal context: DIAL Terminal 3.
Path C — App cab (Uber / Ola) and the T3 car park
Use this when you have working data and can walk a few minutes with your bags to the pickup zone.
Where you go — T3 multi-level car park (MLCP)
At Terminal 3, Uber and Ola do not pick you up at the first curb outside Arrivals. You walk to the multi-level car park (MLCP)—the large parking building opposite the arrivals side—and meet your car in the marked app-cab / Uber zone inside that structure.
Walk (with bags): usually about 5–10 minutes on a lit pedestrian path / crossing—not a long hike, but allow extra time with a trolley and jet lag.
Uber’s published T3 walking outline (layouts change—confirm live signs and the app):
- Exit Arrivals; aim toward Exit Gate 2 (from Gates 3–6 turn toward Gate 2; from Gate 1 turn the other way toward Gate 2).
- From Gate 2, walk toward Pillar 4, cross the marked lanes to the pedestrian path.
- Enter Multi Level Car Parking (MLCP).
- Inside the car park, follow Uber / app-cab pickup signs (Uber’s older guide: walk in and turn toward the Uber Pickup Zone). Use Directions to pickup in the app after you request—the pin is authoritative.
What the car park is: a multi-storey public parking building next to T3 (often called MLCP). App cabs stage in a dedicated pickup area inside it—not in the first hotel-shuttle lane at the terminal doors. Private cars, hotel pickups, and other traffic also use the complex—stay in the signed app zone and watch for vehicles.
You are going to the car. The car is not coming to the arrivals doors.
When to book (important)
Do not treat the car park like a free-for-all taxi rank.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Clear customs and collect all bags. |
| 2 | Walk toward the car park / app-cab signs (you can open the app for directions while walking). |
| 3 | Request the ride when you are close enough to reach the pin in a few minutes—booking too early while still inside immigration often causes cancellations or a driver circling and leaving. |
| 4 | Meet your matched car: same plate, car type, and driver photo. |
| 5 | Share a trip OTP only with that driver at the car—never with someone who approaches you in the hall. |
You cannot board any random cab in the parking lanes and call it Uber. Unmatched cars there may be private pickups, other apps, or touts.
Uber’s airport pages: T3 walk to MLCP pickup (Uber India) · DEL pickup · Requesting Uber at the airport.
If foreign-number OTP or payment fails—switch to Path A. Do not argue in the garage.
Other apps travelers ask about
| App / brand | At T3 for hotel transfer? | Notes for internationals |
|---|---|---|
| Uber / Ola | Primary app-cab path | Use the car-park pickup zone; match the plate. |
| Rapido | Possible in Delhi (bike / auto / cab options in the app) | Bike taxis are a poor fit after a long-haul flight with suitcases (helmet, little luggage space, weather). If you try Rapido at all, use a cab/auto category and still follow the app pin—do not assume curbside bike pickup at Arrivals. Prefer Uber/Ola or Path A with luggage. |
| Quick Ride | Markets Delhi-NCR airport taxi and carpool in its own channels | Not the same as the marked Uber/Ola T3 car-park flow. Carpool is a shared commute product—unreliable as your first hour off an international flight. Treat as optional backup only if the app clearly shows an available taxi to your hotel; otherwise use Path A/B/C above. |
| Carzonrent (and similar airport rental desks) | Desk / meet services have been listed for T3 arrivals in airport transport materials | Usually chauffeur / rental packages, not “tap and go like Uber.” Confirm the live desk in Arrivals and whether pickup is hall meet-and-greet or car park. Book ahead if you want this. |
| Avis / Hertz-style counters | International brands may appear via brokers or city desks; presence at the exact T3 counter changes | Even when bookable, this is not the default jet-lag exit. See self-drive note below. |
Self-drive cars (Hertz-abroad expectation)
If you are used to landing, walking to Hertz/Avis, and driving yourself to the hotel: that is not the normal Delhi arrival sequence.
- Self-drive does exist in Delhi (airport rental desks and city apps), but it is far less common as the first move after an international flight than in Europe or North America.
- Expect paperwork: home licence + often an International Driving Permit (IDP), passport, and a credit-card deposit.
- Delhi traffic, parking, and one-way systems are hard when jet-lagged. For airport → hotel, use prepaid taxi, Metro, or Uber/Ola instead. Save self-drive (if at all) for later days with a clear plan—not the Arrivals hall.
Quick checklist
- Terminal confirmed
- Hotel name + area offline
- Path chosen (A / B / C)
- If Path C: 5–10 min walk to T3 MLCP, then match your app car
- Modest INR cash if using prepaid booth (do not rely on card)
- Receipt or Metro ticket in hand
- No hall touts
- Not counting on self-drive / Hertz for the first hour