Sleeping in Delhi Airport
Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) is open around the clock, and the practical way to sleep in it is the Holiday Inn Express on Level 5 of Terminal 3, sold in blocks from 1 to 24 hours, with an international wing that needs no Indian visa. This guide covers the transit hotel, the sleep pods, the seating landside and airside, the entry rules at the terminal doors, and the hotels a few minutes away for a proper night, as of September 2026.
The transit hotel inside Terminal 3
The Holiday Inn Express New Delhi International Airport T3 has 93 rooms in two airside wings: a domestic wing for passengers with a domestic boarding pass and an international wing in the transit area, both for passengers departing from Terminal 3 within 24 hours. Rooms are sold in blocks of 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 and 24 hours, with a free Express Start breakfast from 6:30 am to 10:30 am, a lounge, a spa and a gym; once checked in, guests cannot leave the airport, and the help desk is near the domestic transfer area in arrivals and next to check-in counter A at Gate 1. Passengers connecting between two international flights use the international wing without clearing immigration, which makes it the only option for a layover without an Indian visa. The day rooms guide lists the hourly blocks and prices.
Sleep pods
Terminal 3 has had Snooze at My Space sleeping pods, sold by the hour at roughly ₹500 to ₹1,500 depending on the pod and the hour, in the domestic and international departure areas; some locations have been closed at times, so ask at the information desk whether a pod is open near your gate before counting on one. The pods are a capsule with a bed, a light and a charging point, without a shower, and suit a rest of two to six hours rather than a night.
Seating and quiet areas
The airside departure halls of Terminal 3 are the quietest place to rest without a room: the seating near the far gates on the international pier empties after midnight, the halls are air-conditioned and the CISF patrols keep them safe, but the seats have armrests and the lighting stays on. The landside arrivals hall is open 24 hours but busy through the night with the arriving long-haul flights, and lying down on the floor is discouraged. Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 are quieter overnight because the domestic flights stop between about 1:00 am and 5:00 am, but with fewer facilities. The lounges, covered in the lounges guide, stay open through the night at Terminal 3 and are a better bet for a few hours’ sleep in an armchair.
Entry rules at the terminal doors
Entry to every terminal is checked by the CISF at the doors, and passengers are normally admitted only with a ticket or boarding pass for a flight within the next few hours (the airport quotes about 4 hours before departure for domestic flights, longer for international). Arriving the evening before a morning flight to sleep inside is therefore not reliable: passengers who try are often turned away until the check-in window opens. Landing late and staying inside until a morning departure works at Terminal 3 through the transit hotel or the airside halls, but not through the landside doors.
Hotels a few minutes away
For a real night’s sleep the Aerocity hotels are one stop on the Airport Express Line or a 5 to 10 minute cab ride from Terminal 3: the ibis New Delhi Aerocity has 445 rooms at the lowest rates and breakfast from 4:00 am, the Lemon Tree Hotel, Delhi Airport is the other budget option, and the Holiday Inn New Delhi Aerocity runs a free shuttle for direct bookings. The metro stops at about 11:30 pm and starts at 4:45 am, so a late arrival takes a prepaid cab; the hotel transfers guide lists each hotel’s arrangement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sleep inside Delhi Airport overnight?
Yes. Terminal 3 stays open 24 hours, and the Holiday Inn Express on Level 5 rents rooms in blocks from 1 to 24 hours in a domestic wing and an international wing, the latter reachable without an Indian visa. Sleep pods are sold by the hour in the terminal, and the seating areas airside are quieter than the landside halls.
Can I stay in Delhi Airport without a visa during a layover?
Passengers connecting between two international flights at Terminal 3 within 24 hours can stay airside and use the international wing of the Holiday Inn Express without clearing immigration. Leaving the terminal for an Aerocity hotel needs a visa or an e-visa.
Can I enter Delhi Airport terminal early to sleep before a morning flight?
Entry to the terminals is checked by the CISF at the door and normally allowed only with a ticket for a flight within the next few hours, so arriving the evening before is not reliable. The Aerocity hotels one metro stop away, or the transit hotel once you are through the door, are the alternatives.
Information last verified: September 26, 2026