Sleeping in New Delhi Airport

New Delhi Airport sleeper — (Photo courtesy of Petr / 01Nov2013)

Whether you are an experienced airport sleeper or new to the game, this sleep guide will give you the essential information to better prepare you for sleeping in New Delhi Airport.

Our guide is updated with the help of airport sleepers who tell us about their experiences at New Delhi Airport. If you have a tip to share, write a review to help us keep this sleep guide up-to-date!

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Sleeping in New Delhi Airport

Locations & Seating

With flights coming and going all day long and into the night, there seem to be plenty of travellers milling about looking for sleep spots. Terminal 3 is the newest terminal and is the most comfortable for sleeping. T3’s pre-Security area has a lot of spots to stretch out, both on armrest-free seating and on the carpeted floors, especially near the shopping area. Overall, there’s a decent amount of seating throughout the airport, and you may get lucky with armrest-free seats, couches, or reclining chairs. Do be aware that you may have to wait in a pre-Security Visitors Lounge (which can be very limited seating-wise) as Security only lets passengers through within 3 hours of their departure time.

Rest Zones

At the time of this update, there are no designated rest zones within the airport.

Temperature

At the time of this update, we have not received reports from travellers related to terminal temperature. Still, you can likely expect the airport to cool down at night, as air conditioning continues to run and fewer people are inside. Arrive prepared with a blanket or even a sleeping bag. A hoodie provides extra warmth if the terminal gets even colder.

Lighting

The lights tend to stay on in main areas, but may get dim down in out-of-the-way corners. Come prepared with eyeshades or something else to cover your eyes, such as a shirt or towel.

Noise

Daytime sleepers can expect to hear frequent announcements, commotion from busy concourses, and music playing loudly. At night, it does seem to quiet down a bit, depending on your sleep spot, but earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones will certainly help you get some decent rest.

Showers

Freshen up (and loosen those stiff muscles) with a shower before your flight. Locations: Terminal 3, Arrivals area, next to the WHSmith (rates unknown). Several pay-to-use lounges also offer shower facilities. See our New Delhi Airport Guide for details.

Food & Drink

We’re unable to confirm whether any 24-hour food concessions are available, so do stock up on food and water before eateries and convenience stores close for the night.

Hotels

Prefer some privacy and comfort? If you would like a good solid sleep between flights without the stress of going through security, a transit hotel is available. The Holiday Inn Express New Delhi International Airport has two areas, accessible from both the International and Domestic areas inside Terminal 3. Both day rooms and hourly options are available, but you do need to be a transit passenger to access this space.

For something a little more budget-friendly, check out the in-transit sleeping pods at Sam’s Snooze at My Space. These pods are rentable by the hour with a minimum 3 hour rental, starting at $36 for a single and $65 for a double/3 hours. Several other hotels are located a short 5-minute drive from Terminals 1 and 3. Additionally, several outposts of the Plaza Premium Lounge offers private napping rooms inside their pay-to-use lounges. Check out the hotel section in our Airport Guide for locations or visit Tripadvisor to find hotels deals at New Delhi Airport.

Lounges

If you are looking for a private place to nap for a few hours in between flights, check out the a few of the Plaza Premium Lounge locations. In addition to offering a comfortable place to hang out, some locations have private sleep rooms that can be rented. Rooms can be booked at the lounge door. For more information, check out our New Delhi Airport Guide.

Security & Safety

Sleeping travellers report little issue from airport staff, though if you’re trying to nap on the floor, security guards may ask you to stick to the carpet and not the tiled areas.

At the time of this update, we have no reports from travellers commenting on safety issues at New Delhi Airport. As a precaution, here are a few tips to ensure you have a safe airport sleeping experience:

Know Where Security is Located. Whether you are sleeping in the airport alone or with friends, it is good to know where security is. Know where their office is located and look for video cameras where you decide to stay the night. Ask security where it is safe to spend the night. They’ve probably seen many airport sleepers before you, and they will direct you to a safe spot.
Don’t Seclude Yourself. If you are travelling alone, we recommend that you sleep near other travellers or close to security.
Hide Your Valuables. Don’t leave all your mobile devices out in plain view. We have received reports from people who woke up with only earphones and a laptop bag strap, but without the iPods or laptops that were attached. The same goes for important documents and money. Keep these secure on your body so no one can get them without waking you up.
Secure Your Bags. If you are a deep sleeper, you may want to padlock your bag to something. If your bags have zippers turn the bag upside down (zippers to the floor) or sleep with your bag up against the wall so that it would be hard for someone to access it.
Choose to Stay Alert. If you don’t feel safe, drink coffee, stay alert, and stay awake. You can always sleep on the plane!

Pro-tip: If you are sleeping in the public zone, don’t be surprised if you receive an early morning wake-up call. Security is known to make the rounds waking people up as travellers begin to arrive for morning flights.