[iamitp]

I have long been a fan of leisurely city night-drives ever since I learnt how to drive. After the Covid-19 pandemic, these drives have become my go-to relaxation and entertainment activity, especially on Saturday nights. In the absence of parties, movies, dining etc. a leisurely city night-drive with loved ones can be blissful. Especially when there are interesting sights on the route and sparse traffic. The tough-part is finding those perfect routes.

I have had the pleasure of experiencing these drives in a few cities and wanted to share my routes as well get your suggestions. Here are my perfect 'night-drive' routes with what to look out for:


PS: I should have taken more photos!

In Delhi/NCR

- Tuglakabad Fort to Mehrauli route: Although the road isn't the smoothest or clearest and does have quite a few traffic signals, the majestic sight of a tastefully lit up Tughlaqabad Fort and the glittering edifice of the Qutub Minar more than makes up for it. Start at the Tughlaqabad Fort, for the a stunning approach-view of Qutub Minar as you cross Saket. Do stop at the bend in the road going towards Mehrauli Bus Depot for a romantic spot. Start before 9:30 PM as Qutub Minar's lights are switched off by 10:20 PM.

Attachment 2172782

- Lodhi Road to Akshardham to Indraprastha: Butter smooth, almost signal-free road with moderate traffic. Enjoy the magnificent sights of a pearly Humayun's Tomb, Khan-i-Khan (Tomb of Abdur Rahim Khan) and Akshardham. Do try to go before 9 PM when Akshardham turns off most of its lights.

- Rajpath to Maulana Azad Road to Baba Kharag Singh Marg (on festivals): Another butter-smooth road with minimal traffic, you will enjoy the iconic sights of the tricolor-lit India Gate and the grand Rashtrapati Bhavan. Around festivals like Diwali, Gurupurab and Christmas, you'll also enjoy a brightly lit Connaught Place, Bangla Sahib Gurudwara and Sacred Heart Cathedral.
Note: Currently Rajpath is closed due to Central Vista Project



- Outer Ring Road: I like to turn into Netaji Subhash Marg for gawking at the massive facade of the brilliantly lit Red Fort before taking an exit via Shantivana Marg to ORR and continuing towards the Signature Bridge aka Delhi's mini Sea (river) Link.
Note: Netaji Subhash Marg is presently one-way due to ongoing heritage renovations of the area.

- Special mentions: Drive on Mathura Road just to see ASI's latest and best lighting effort in Delhi at Khan-i-Khana from up close. Drive on Chhatarpur Mandir Marg during Navratra to see all the temples lit up gloriously. Drive to Aerocity for the beautiful Balaji Hanuman temple - one of the rare South Indian stye temples in Delhi which is also lit up. For Sunday afternoon day-time, Golf Course Road Gurgaon to Mangar to Chhatarpur: Especially during monsoons to experience the lush beauty of the Aravallis without even leaving the NCR. Wouldn't recommend Damdama lake though as it is over commercialised and there isn't much to begin with.


Chennai

- Rajaji Salai to Beach Road: I usually start at the Police Commissioner's office on Marina Beach road and then drive past the beautiful colonial beachfront government buildings, Napier bridge and art-deco architecture around George Town. During weekend day-trips, I'll drive as far as the piers near Ennore and venture on foot into the sea.

- Foreshore Estate to Elliot's Beach: The closest a road gets to the sea in Chennai at Foreshore estate, marvel at the Santhome Church and enjoy the verdant greens of Adyar and Beasant Nagar. During day-time, you could also venture to the 'Broken bridge' on the Adyar river estuary.

- ECR Thiruvanmiyur to Mahabalipuram: So many sights on the way but the Bay of Bengal over Casuarinas and the Shore Temple at Mahabs alone make it worthwhile. My favorite beach on this route is at Neelankarai.

Special mention: Anna Nagar (where I once lived) to Chennai Central on Poonamallee High just for the views of Central and Ripon building.

In Kolkata

- Couldn't drive so took an Uber from Oberoi Grand (where we were staying) to Princep Ghat to Vidyasagar Setu to Howrah to Esplanade and back Uber driver was pretty surprised but a great sport. The bill was way too low for the distance so I generously tipped him (without being asked) to make it worth his while.



In Jaipur

- Pleasantly surprised with how 'night drive' friendly Jaipur was, earlier this year. We started from Hawa Mahal and drove to the Nahargarh Fort for a stunning view and then to gorgeously lit Albert Hall Museum and then to Jawahar Circle; really enjoyed driving on Jaipur's fantastic and W-I-D-E Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg.





In Hyderabad

- At night, a round-trip around Hussain Sagar is perfect. During the day, I really enjoyed venturing to Taj Falaknuma for their tea-ritual and enjoying sunset over the Deccan's rocky skyline on IRR and ORR.

[AZT]

In Mumbai you can add Marine Drive and the Rajiv Gandhi Sea link. Worli sea face used to be good but now the view is blocked by coastal road construction.

[Nav-i-gator]

For one of the best illuminated roads and probably the most "foreign look", you start from Shankar chowk/cyber city to golf course road. The entire stretch is brilliantly lit, butter smooth, multi-lane roads with proper signange, glittering office buildings on both sides, high-rise apartments and condos, multiple, well-lit underpasses and roundabouts, pubs, bars, malls and rapid Metro along the road as well. Not very safe very late at night though

[speedfreak77]

Whenever I am in Delhi I seldom sit in the Q5 and go for a long drive. Some amazing roads in Delhi to drive in the night AIIMS hospital to Dilshad Garden by taking the Signature Bridge route. Also the road from Delhi cantonment to Essex Farms is an amazing road to drive on and you can further go till Mehrauli. The most amazing road however is the Cyber city in gurgaon and the Airport Road which takes you straight to Gurgaon.

[abhishek46]

Bangalore:
The NICE Road stretch from Electronic City To Tumkur Road, is a great stretch to relax and enjoy and good, smooth drive.
The only downside, is the rather high toll charge, and the occasional congestion due to accidents etc.

[jigar1791@gmail]

Both the highways in Mumbai - Western Express and Eastern Express (WHE and WWH, respectively), make up for a joyful stress-buster night drive options.

WEH + BWSL (sea-link) is a good option to drive from northern suburbs (Borivli) to downtown Mumbai - Nariman Point/Marine Drive.

EEH + Eastern Freeway serve as the best possible route from north-central suburbs (Mulund, Ghatkopar) to downtown Mumbai.

From Mumbai within a radius of about 150 kms, you'll have the Expressway to Lonavla, NH48 upto Vapi/Valsad (excellent 3 lane carriageways) to drive down the night, grab a quick local delicacy (yes, 24 hour restaurants all along the highway and in towns) and return back to Mumbai in early morning twilight hours.

To spook yourself/play with danger, you can try the Aarey colony past 11 PM. I'd love to hear your tales once you drive down that road

Regards,
Jigar Shah

[speedfreak77]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

Bangalore:
The NICE Road stretch from Electronic City To Tumkur Road, is a great stretch to relax and enjoy and good, smooth drive.
The only downside, is the rather high toll charge, and the occasional congestion due to accidents etc.

Indeed.
Roads like the Palace road, Silk board to electronic city and Cubbon park to Vidhan Saudha are also some good roads to drive on in Bangalore. Post 11PM though because of the bad traffic.

[DogNDamsel12]

Delhi/NCR
Delhi Faridabad Highway: you get in from the Sunset Boulevard side off MG Road and drive all the way through to DLF. This road is fun to drive at any time during the day or night. Have heard of security issues on this road. But never experienced any of it.

The new Road from T1 to T3 - flanked by hotels, marked by underpasses is another fun stretch, though has quite a few speed breakers

NH8 - right from Gurgaon Sector 10ish to Dhaula Kuan-ish

The entire Chanakyapuri/Shantipath stretch - serene. Double whammy, on a full moon night!

Lodhi Road to Akshardham or Ashram, via Barahpulla.

Delhi roads for me are love, especially on a cold winter's night or a hot summer afternoon when people are least likely to step out!

[iamitp]

Originally Posted by AZT

In Mumbai you can add Marine Drive and the Rajiv Gandhi Sea link. Worli sea face used to be good but now the view is blocked by coastal road construction.

Oh yeah, I've always wanted to do that drive. Back when I lived in Mumbai I didn't have a car

Originally Posted by Nav-i-gator

For one of the best illuminated roads and probably the most "foreign look", you start from Shankar chowk/cyber city to golf course road.

True, only gripe is that the drive ends too soon thanks to zero signals and smooth roads.

Originally Posted by speedfreak77

Some amazing roads in Delhi to drive in the night AIIMS hospital to Dilshad Garden by taking the Signature Bridge route. Also the road from Delhi cantonment to Essex Farms is an amazing road to drive on and you can further go till Mehrauli. The most amazing road however is the Cyber city in gurgaon and the Airport Road which takes you straight to Gurgaon.

Agreed. Barring the post-NRC barricades which have stayed on and eager speed camera installation, Delhi NCR remains a drivers' favorite IMO

Originally Posted by abhishek46

Bangalore:
The NICE Road stretch from Electronic City To Tumkur Road, is a great stretch to relax and enjoy and good, smooth drive.

Another route I want to take as I missed out on a car during my Bangalore days.

Originally Posted by jigar1791@gmail

Both the highways in Mumbai - Western Express and Eastern Express (WHE and WWH, respectively), make up for a joyful stress-buster night drive options.

WEH + BWSL (sea-link) is a good option to drive from northern suburbs (Borivli) to downtown Mumbai - Nariman Point/Marine Drive.

EEH + Eastern Freeway serve as the best possible route from north-central suburbs (Mulund, Ghatkopar) to downtown Mumbai.

From Mumbai within a radius of about 150 kms, you'll have the Expressway to Lonavla, NH48 upto Vapi/Valsad (excellent 3 lane carriageways) to drive down the night, grab a quick local delicacy (yes, 24 hour restaurants all along the highway and in towns) and return back to Mumbai in early morning twilight hours.

To spook yourself/play with danger, you can try the Aarey colony past 11 PM. I'd love to hear your tales once you drive down that road

Regards,
Jigar Shah

Thanks for all the reccos, I'm keeping it in my to-do list for sure.

Back in 2012 when I lived in Goregaon East and took company bus/train to Ballard Estate the Eastern Express Freeway was such a revelation! Still remember the view of the docks when I first took an Uber over it.

Mumbai definitely has more picturesque spots than other metros with natural beauty of hilly tracts and the Arabian Sea. Plus Mumbai is the only metro with a real nightlife, not just bars and pubs but public spaces like Marine lines, streetfood etc. Not to mention all of Town is so gorgeously lit-up at night.

Originally Posted by speedfreak77

Indeed.
Roads like the Palace road, Silk board to electronic city and Cubbon park to Vidhan Saudha are also some good roads to drive on in Bangalore. Post 11PM though because of the bad traffic.

Oh yeah, Vidhan Saudha would look gorgeous at night! Do they keep it lit up all night?

Originally Posted by DogNDamsel12

Delhi/NCR
Delhi Faridabad Highway: you get in from the Sunset Boulevard side off MG Road and drive all the way through to DLF. This road is fun to drive at any time during the day or night. Have heard of security issues on this road. But never experienced any of it.

The new Road from T1 to T3 - flanked by hotels, marked by underpasses is another fun stretch, though has quite a few speed breakers

NH8 - right from Gurgaon Sector 10ish to Dhaula Kuan-ish

The entire Chanakyapuri/Shantipath stretch - serene. Double whammy, on a full moon night!

Lodhi Road to Akshardham or Ashram, via Barahpulla.

Delhi roads for me are love, especially on a cold winter's night or a hot summer afternoon when people are least likely to step out!

Absolutely! Even the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road is excellent barring the patchy lighting at night and odd stone-carrying trucks emerging from the quarries. Though I stay away from it at night.

My favorite time is Sunday afternoon after Chhole Bhature at a new place and on Saturday night after dinner. I avoided monsoon driving till last year thanks to my 2008 Honda City with its low GC, but this year with the new Creta I shall venture into the rains

[speedfreak77]

Originally Posted by iamitp

Oh yeah, Vidhan Saudha would look gorgeous at night! Do they keep it lit up all night?

Yes they do, Its a beautiful sight at night. A must visit if you haven’t seen it in the night!

[manjubp]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

Bangalore:
The NICE Road stretch from Electronic City To Tumkur Road, is a great stretch to relax and enjoy and good, smooth drive.
The only downside, is the rather high toll charge, and the occasional congestion due to accidents etc.

Pre-covid time, this track was like a race track with all sorts of drivers and vehicles. Too scary to drive during the night with absolutely no streetlights, reflectors, lane marking, 2/4wheels without taillights, and high beams from oncoming traffic. This is dedicated for daredevils, specifically during a rain.

Certainly not comparable with reference from HYD, MUM or Delhi.

[GTO]

Mumbai:

- Start at Nariman Point. If you're coming from the suburbs, then use the Freeway as that is a fun drive in itself to reach Nariman Point.

- Park car at Nariman Point. Admire its looks & design from various angles. Sit on the edge and enjoy the ocean view.

- Cruise on Marine Drive, then go up to Malabar Hill -> Hanging Gardens -> Peddar Road.

- Thereon to Worli SeaFace -> Bandra Worli Sealink -> Western Express Highway -> International Airport Road.

- If you still want to roam some more, from here, either go to Juhu or Bandra and cruise around the little lanes (very very charming), Carter Road & Band Stand. If you prefer the highway, then keep driving toward Dahisar on the Western Express itself.

We do this all the time . Although I now prefer cruising around empty Bombay early in the morning than late at night. Both have their own unique charm, but I prefer the mornings more - related thread (Driving Pleasure - Early Morning vs Late Night).

[BlackPearl]

I don't know about now, but many years back in Kolkata we used to drive from AJC Bose Flyover to Victoria Memorial through Maidan up to Eden Gardens and then turn towards Strand road and drive to Race Course before going back to AJC Bose flyover. It was a lovely circuit and I miss those days.

[ABHI_1512]

One of the most scenic route is the one from Ramakrishna beach meandering through Rushikonda beach and towards Bheemli in Vizag. This route is equally enjoyable through the day but in the night with lesser people on the road, this road becomes a driver’s delight with the sea view to boot.

Another lovely route is the Marine drive road from Puri to Konark. It’s another scenic route passing by the sea and lined with trees on both sides. The road surface is brilliant and the drive is heavenly though some rumble strips will rob the joy. Adding a picture of the same route for some added pleasure

I don't know about now, but many years back in Kolkata we used to drive from AJC Bose Flyover to Victoria Memorial through Maidan up to Eden Gardens and then turn towards Strand road and drive to Race Course before going back to AJC Bose flyover. It was a lovely circuit and I miss those days.

As Blackpearl said above, the route mentioned by him is every driver’s delight here in Calcutta. Just that the turn after crossing the Eden Garden is towards Princep street and not Strand Road as he mentioned (of course staying out of India has its pitfalls ) Also, this leisure route travel invariably ends with a hearty meal at the Park street with its array of restaurants !!

[Aniket Verma]

My favorite Night Drives in different cities:

Delhi-NCR

- Circuit of Meerut Expressway (NH-24) - Ring Road (Millennium Park) - Bharon Marg - India Gate - CP - ITO - Back to NH-24 via Akshardham

- Dhaulakuan - Gurgaon (NH8)

- Noida Expressway - Yamuna Expressway

- Noida Elevated Road (Straight Heaven)

Mumbai

- Late night Circuit of EEW - Eastern Freeway - Fountain - Marine Drive - Worli Sea Link - WEH - JLR (Powai) - EEW

- Post midnight drive on Ghodbundar Road ( Once Truck Traffic is reduced)

Bangalore

- Late night dash to KGIA & back : HAL Road - MG Road - Bellary Road - KGIA - Manyata Tech Park - HAL Road

Hyderabad

- Hussain Sagar Circuit : Necklace Road - Tank Bund
- ORR
- PVNR Elevated Expressway