The best things to do in the Aravallis

Summer is the peak season for camping in the Aravallis' elevated forests. Most trails cluster around the Southern Ridge, where the semi-dry deciduous cover is at its densest. First-timers should book a guided tour rather than go it alone. Plenty are available online, and you’ll find it easy to sort by duration and difficulty.

Where to go:

• Leopard Trail, Gurugram (the name oversells it – you won't spot one)
• Tilpath Valley, Sainik Farms
• Sanjay Van, Mehrauli
• Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary
• Bhondsi Forests (better with company)
• Kamla Nehru Ridge (for a quick in-and-out)

If you'd rather pitch your own tent, stick close to an established campsite for connectivity and safety.

Delhi's bird population is large enough that the city has its own bird atlas. On any given day, Jahanpanah Forest, Lodhi Garden or Mehrauli's less-known Mughal garden will have you picking out the calls of pigeons, sparrows, kites, eagles, crows, mynas and parakeets.

For something more serious, bring binoculars to the Aravallis or the Yamuna floodplain. Look for black kites, purple sunbirds, rose-ringed parakeets, Indian peafowl, assorted barbets, Bonelli's eagles, Indian bush larks, Indian golden orioles – and, if you're lucky, a greater flamingo.

Best spots:

• Sanjay Van, Mehrauli
• Aravalli Biodiversity Park, Southern Ridge
• Kamla Nehru Ridge, North Delhi
• Sultanpur National Park, just outside the city

Mehrauli, a neighbourhood of many characters, is dense with monuments: some famous, most under-documented. 

Qila Rai Pithora and the Azim Khan Tomb both overlook the Aravalli forests, while the Northern Ridge holds a couple of sites with a reputation for being haunted, including the Mutiny Memorial and the Ashokan Pillar. Several also carry queer histories that rarely make it onto a plaque.

Go with people who know the area, or join one of the organised history walks that cover these sites. Either way, aim to wrap up before sunset.

Not everything here demands effort. Delhi has picnicked in its gardens for generations, and the Aravallis, dotted with lakes, are among the city's better spots for it. A few dry up in peak summer, so winter afternoons are the sweet spot.

Lakes worth the trip:

• Damdama Lake, Sohna
• Bhardwaj Lake, Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary
• Sirohi Lake or Badkal Lake, Faridabad
• Lake Niharika, Faridabad
• Neela Hauz, Sanjay Van

Long before it became a weekend hobby confined to parks, cycling was how a lot of Delhi got around and in the Aravallis, it still is; guards and locals ride sturdy bicycles through the forest daily. 

Sanjay Van, Aravalli Biodiversity Park and Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary all have dedicated trails. 

Go early in the morning if you can. I’d pick evenings in a heartbeat if they weren’t more crowded then. And if you’d rather not go alone, we’ve got you covered with the city’s best outdoors activity clubs.