Lodhi Garden vs Sunder Nursery: Which Should You Visit?
Compare Lodhi Garden and Sunder Nursery on entry fees, timings, scenery, food and metro access to choose the better stop for your Delhi day.
Pick Lodhi Garden for a free, central morning walk or sunset among 15th-century tombs. Pick Sunder Nursery for restored Mughal gardens, water channels and a cafe, combined with Humayun's Tomb next door. Both are green and unhurried — the choice comes down to where else you are going that day.
Short on time with one free evening near Khan Market or Jor Bagh? Go Lodhi. Doing Humayun's Tomb anyway? Add Sunder Nursery to the same half-day.
Head to head#
| Factor | Lodhi Garden | Sunder Nursery |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Free, open daily sunrise to sunset (roughly 6 AM–8 PM Oct–Mar) | Ticketed — ₹50 Indian adult, ₹25 child 5–12, ₹200 foreign visitor; under-5 free |
| Hours | Morning walkers from sunrise; gates close after sunset | 7 AM–10 PM daily, last entry around 9 PM |
| Monuments | Sayyid and Lodhi-era tombs (Muhammad Shah, Sikandar Lodi, Shisha Gumbad) scattered in a lived-in park | 20 monuments including 6 World Heritage tomb-gardens, restored paradise garden, lake and biodiversity zone |
| Vibe | Delhi's living room — joggers, dogs, picnics | Curated heritage park — quieter paths, nursery beds, cafe near the entrance |
| Time needed | 45 min–2 hrs | 90 min minimum; 2 hrs with the lake loop |
| Nearest metro | Jor Bagh (Yellow Line) + 7-min walk | JLN Stadium (Violet Line), then 10-min auto; pairs on foot with Humayun's Tomb |
| Best light | Sunset golden hour on the tombs | Late afternoon 4–6 PM on the water channels |
For routes from the metro, see how to reach Humayun's Tomb and Sunder Nursery by metro.
Which fits your trip#
- One free morning, staying central: Lodhi. Walk in free, loop Shisha Gumbad → Bara Gumbad → Sikandar's Tomb, exit toward Khan Market for lunch.
- Humayun's Tomb day: Sunder Nursery. The two share a boundary near Nizamuddin — 10 minutes on foot between gates — and joint tickets covering the Tomb complex exist at the gate. Details in places to visit near Humayun's Tomb in one afternoon.
- Photography: Sunder Nursery for reflections and symmetry; Lodhi for people, dogs and tomb silhouettes at sunset.
- With kids: Sunder Nursery — open lawns, lake, birds and space to run. Lodhi works too but has fewer structured play areas.
- Two-day trip, only one garden: Lodhi. Free, central and combinable with Khan Market and Safdarjung's Tomb in the 2-day itinerary. On three days, do both — Lodhi sunset on day one, Sunder with Humayun's on day three.
The Jor Bagh to Sunder Nursery hop that searchers ask about is a 15–20 minute auto or metro-plus-auto ride — not walkable. From CP, both gardens are 15–25 minutes by auto depending on traffic.
Going from one garden to the other (Sunder Nursery to Lodhi Garden or the reverse) takes 15–20 minutes by auto via Lodhi Road — there is no direct metro between them, so budget one ride each way if you insist on both in a day.
Both stay open on Mondays, when Red Fort and the big museums shut — see what's open on Monday if your garden day falls on one.
“Three days in Delhi, staying Hauz Khas, have time for one garden sunset. Lodhi or Sunder which better today from my hotel?”
Practical notes#
- Both stay open through Mondays, unlike several ticketed monuments — but confirm in what days Delhi monuments and museums stay closed if you are stacking a full day.
- Sunder Nursery parking inside charges per 4-hour block (higher on Sundays and holidays); metro avoids it entirely.
- Carry water and a cap either way. Lodhi has vendors near the gates; Sunder has the cafe inside.
- For sunrise and sunset planning across the city, see best sunrise and sunset spots in Delhi.
Sources#
- Sunder Nursery official — park timings
- Sunder Nursery official — tickets and prices
- Delhi Tourism — Lodhi Garden timings and entry
Last verified: 2026-09-18. Entry fees and last-entry times change seasonally — check the official Sunder Nursery page before a weekend visit.