Rashtrapati Bhavan
Last updated on October 19, 2026Why visit Rashtrapati Bhavan
Rashtrapati Bhavan is both the architectural summit of New Delhi’s imperial plan and a working institution of the republic. Its selected visitor rooms show how an H-shaped residence, Indian architectural devices and a Sanchi-influenced dome were adapted for state ceremony, diplomacy, investiture and the choreography of public office after independence.
Visit if you:
- want to see ceremonial interiors normally hidden behind the distant façade
- are interested in the transition from Viceroy’s House to presidential residence
- want to compare Lutyens’s classical planning with chhatris, jalis and chajjas
Skip it if you:
- expect to roam independently—the main-building visit follows a controlled circuit
- cannot manage a route without lift or wheelchair assistance under the current instructions
Quick facts
- Type: Palace, Building, Historic Place
- Visitor access: Reservation required
- Built: 1912–1929
- Built by: Government of British India
- Built for: Residence of the Viceroy; now the President of India
- Designed by: Sir Edwin Lutyens
- Architectural style: Classical imperial composition with Indian architectural forms
- Size: Main building 5 acres; estate 330 acres
- Capacity: 340
- Floors: 4
- Corridors: Nearly 2.5 km
Visit responsibly
Arrive with the identification and small-bag restrictions stated for your circuit. Security staff can refuse prohibited items or late entry, and the residence may close for official work.
Photography rules vary by room and circuit. Follow the guide instead of assuming that permission in the garden or museum applies inside state rooms.
Keep ceremonial movement clear and remember that the building is an active seat of government. Public access depends on that working function.
Where it is
Get directions Open in Apple Maps
© OpenStreetMap contributors · © CARTO · 28.61436, 77.19959
Plan your visit
Main building
The President’s Secretariat currently lists Tuesday through Sunday opening from 09:30 to 16:30, with last entry at 16:00. Online booking, a visitor pass and valid identification are required; dates can be cancelled for official reasons.
What is free
There is no unbooked free interior zone in the presidential estate. The building and forecourt can be viewed from public Kartavya Path; crossing into the main building, museum or seasonal garden follows each circuit’s separate entry rules.
Use Gate 38 for the main-building circuit. The route has no lift or wheelchair assistance under the current official instructions.
Separate experiences
The museum, Amrit Udyan and Change of Guard are separate bookings with different gates, dates and accessibility. Museum Phase II has been closed since 6 October 2025; verify its status before booking.
Verified against Rashtrapati Bhavan Visitor Portal, October 2026.
When to visit
The main building is an indoor guided visit and can work in any season, subject to official closures. Tuesday through Sunday slots run through the day, but morning arrival gives more margin for security and gate finding.
Amrit Udyan is seasonal, not a permanent daily extension of the palace tour. Check its current opening announcement rather than planning around the old assumption that the gardens open every February.