How to Visit Humayuns Tomb [Unesco World Heritage Site in Delhi]

We’re in Delhi. We’re taking the advice of friends and changing our schedule because of the weather.  We now have just a day to spend here in Delhi (but we will be back in a few weeks time to explore Delhi more) and so we’re visiting the Unesco World Heritage Site of Emperor Humayun’s Tomb.  It’s a short walk from Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station.

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How to visit the Humayun’s Tomb Complex

We’re taking our lead from UNESCO today and visiting Humayun’s Tomb. If you’re not taking a tour of Delhi and the ancient monuments, then its easy to get there from the train station.

Hazrat Nizamuddin to Humayun’s Tomb

It’s within walking distance of Hazrat Nizamuddin.  It’s one of the top monuments of Delhi and you can read about the others here. We’re led by the map and GPS on the phone and it only takes 20 minutes to walk there.

It’s the usual mix of pavement, road and vendor juggling to get there. Then there’s several games of cricket to dodge in the small park that we skirt through.  Finally we find the smallest of ticket offices that is obvious only by the line of people waiting there.

Tickets and Prices for Humayun’s Tomb

It’s 250 INR for foreign visitors and 10 INR for domestic tourists (600 INR and 40 INR in 2024) . Someone has gone to town on a fancy ticketing system, because we’re given a computer printed ticket with a QR code on it. Within the eye line of the dude who sold us a ticket is another dude with a fancy scanning machine.  He scans the QR code, presumably to check up on the work of the dude that he can see selling tickets.

Isa Khan’s Tomb

Before we get to the main tomb, we visit Isa Khan’s tomb, which predates Humayuns by 20 years.   This tomb is for an Afghan noble of Sher Shah Suri’s court.  It later became the tomb for Isa Khan’s entire family.

Mughal Emperor Humayun’s Tomb

Humayun’s tomb is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun. It was built by Humayun’s first wife Bega Begum between 1569 and 1570.  It was designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, a Persian architect.  It was the first garden-tomb in India.  The tomb was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

Other Graves in the Complex

The larger complex also includes the graves of Bega Begum and Hamida Begum.  There are also graves for Dara Shikoh, great-great-grandson of Humayun and lots of subsequent Mughals

A Change in Mughal Architecture

It’s building was a complete change in Mughal architecture.  The tomb of Humayun’s father was much more modest, although his was the first “tomb in a paradise garden” . It did create a precedent which reached its pinnacle with the Taj Mahal in Agra.

The tomb is quite simpy stunning.  A glorious combination of white marble and red sandstone.  This is Islamic geometry at it’s best.

And the late afternoon sun makes for a glorious color on the facade, which seems to be suspended above the garden.

After the tomb, we head back to the train station and wait for our train to Amritsar. It’s been a marvelous, if short visit.

UNESCO Sites to Visit in India

If you like visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites, then you’ll love our guides to India’s best World Heritage sites

• Champaner Pavagadh, in Gujarat
• The Taj Mahal in Agra
• The Ajanta Caves
• Ellora Caves
• Khajuraho’s Temples
• Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi
• Sanchi
• The Hill Forts of Rajasthan
• The Darjeeling Hill Railway
• Qutub Minar in Delhi
• The Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya
• Mahabalipuram

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