Delhi Airport Taxi vs Uber: Cost, Pickup Location & Which Is Easier
Prepaid taxi vs Uber/Ola at Delhi Airport: fixed police tariff vs app fares, exact pickup points at T1/T2/T3, and which wins day vs night.
Prepaid taxi wins on price certainty, Uber/Ola usually win on daytime price and comfort. A prepaid cab to Connaught Place costs a little over ₹300 plus baggage and night charges on the fixed police tariff; Uber Go runs ₹600–950 off-peak but surges past ₹1,000 after midnight. Metro at ₹60 beats both when it is running — see the full airport transfer comparison.
Cost: Fixed Tariff vs App Fare#
Prepaid (Delhi Traffic Police tariff): non-AC ₹40 first km + ₹17 per km after; AC ₹20 per km; +25% at night (11 PM–5 AM); ₹15 per bag; ₹15 service charge; tolls extra. The counter calculates it and prints a slip — traffic jams don't change it. The current sheet lives at traffic.delhipolice.gov.in.
Uber/Ola: quoted in-app. Off-peak T3→CP typically ₹600–950; 11 PM–2 AM surge pushes ₹1,050–1,400, and the quote bundles ~₹150 airport parking/entry plus small fees. No haggling, but no ceiling either.
Rule of thumb: off-peak day arrival with light bags → app cab is often cheaper and nicer. Midnight arrival, peak-hour jam, or no working SIM → prepaid slip wins on certainty.
Pickup Locations by Terminal#
| Terminal | Prepaid counter | App-cab pickup |
|---|---|---|
| T3 | Inside arrivals hall, before the exit — pay, take the printed slip, hand it to the driver outside | Multi-level car park / across-the-road pickup zone — follow the in-app directions to the help desk, not anyone shouting "Uber" inside |
| T1 | Outside arrivals zone | Outside arrivals zone — DIAL lists app cabs, prepaid and rentals 24/7 |
| T2 | Outside arrivals zone | Outside arrivals zone, same setup as T1 |
Two scripts to reject: "your cab is upstairs at departures" (app pickups are at arrivals, never departures) and any driver asking you to cancel the app trip for a "direct better price" — cancel that driver and rebook. Full scripts in the airport taxi scams guide.
Which Is Easier, by Situation#
- First trip, daytime, family + suitcases: prepaid — one counter, one slip, no app or OTP needed, driver assigned on the spot.
- Solo, daytime, working SIM: Uber/Ola — live tracking, shareable trip, usually cheaper off-peak.
- After 11:30 PM: prepaid for certainty or app cab from the signed bay with plate + OTP verified. Never follow anyone to departures. See the late-night arrival guide.
- 5–8 PM peak: both sit in the same jam — if the metro runs your route, the ₹60 Airport Express beats a ₹900 cab that takes twice as long.
- No Indian SIM / no UPI: prepaid — it takes cash and needs no phone beyond showing your hotel address.
“Landing Delhi T3 at 1 AM with two suitcases, hotel in CP. Prepaid taxi or Uber — what fare and where exactly do I go?”
FAQ#
How much is a taxi from Delhi Airport to Connaught Place? Prepaid: a little over ₹300 non-AC plus bags/service/night charges on the police tariff. Uber Go: roughly ₹600–950 off-peak, more at night.
Where is Uber pickup at Delhi Airport T3? The marked pickup zone across the road / multi-level car park — follow the app's directions to the help desk after exiting arrivals.
Is prepaid taxi safe at Delhi Airport? Yes when bought at the counter inside the terminal — fixed slip, recorded driver. See are prepaid taxis safe.
Does Uber surge at Delhi Airport at night? Yes — 11 PM–2 AM commonly runs 1.6–2x. Prepaid's fixed slip is immune.
Sources#
- Delhi Traffic Police — prepaid taxi fare chart, IGI T2/T3 (PDF)
- DIAL — cab and taxi services at T1/T2/T3
- Uber — Delhi Airport pickup directions
Last verified: 2026-09-18. Tariffs revise periodically — glance at the police chart linked above before you fly.