Planning a sightseeing blitz - Red Fort in the morning, Qutub Minar after lunch, Hauz Khas by evening? The Tourist Card turns the metro into an all-you-can-ride buffet.
The two passes
| Pass | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Day Tourist Card | ₹200 | Unlimited rides until end of service that day |
| 3-Day Tourist Card | ₹500 | Unlimited rides for three consecutive days |
Both prices include a ₹50 refundable security deposit - return the card at a customer care counter when you're done and get ₹50 back. So effectively you're paying ₹150/day or ₹450/3 days.
What's covered (and what isn't)
- ✅ Unlimited travel on all regular Delhi Metro lines - Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, Violet, Pink, Magenta, Grey
- ❌ Not valid on the Airport Express Line - you'll need a separate ticket for that
- ❌ Not valid on the Noida/Greater Noida Aqua Line or Gurgaon Rapid Metro (different operators)
Where to buy
Customer care counters at any Delhi Metro station. Walk up, pay cash or card, done - no documents or photos needed. You can't buy it in the app; it's a physical card only.
Is it actually worth it? Do the math
After the August 2025 fare revision, a single long ride maxes out at ₹64, and the Sunday/holiday cap is ₹54. So:
- ₹200 1-day card pays off at roughly 4+ rides, or 3 long cross-city rides (₹150 net after deposit refund ÷ ~₹50 average tourist-route fare = ~3 rides to break even)
- A typical sightseeing day - hotel → monument → lunch spot → monument → market → hotel - is easily 4–6 rides, so heavy sightseers win
- The 3-day card at ₹450 net needs about 3 rides a day to beat pay-per-ride
When the regular smart card is better: if you're in Delhi for several days but only riding once or twice daily, a ₹150 smart card with its 10% (up to 20% off-peak) discount works out cheaper, and you keep the balance for a future visit - it's valid 10 years. It also works on the Airport Express Line, which the Tourist Card doesn't.
When QR tickets are better: just one or two rides total? Skip cards entirely and buy QR tickets in the DMRC Momentum 2.0 app.
Pro tips
- Sightseeing on a Sunday or national holiday? Fares are already discounted network-wide that day, which weakens the Tourist Card math - count your planned rides first
- Keep the card safe; lose it and the deposit goes with it
- Return the card before you leave the city - the ₹50 refund is per card, at any customer care counter