If you haven't been to Sunder Nursery yet then you are definitely missing out on Delhiites' favourite picnic spot (also happens to be the poshest). It’s a massive garden, spread across 90 acres of lush greens and has 15 Mughal monuments, 280 tree species, 80 bird species, 36 butterfly species and qualifies to be the quintessential hangout spot for soaking the sun on your winter brunches.
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) gave this old Mughal garden a facelift and reopened it as a heritage park (the process of which had been going on for about 10 years).
You enter the garden to sprawling greens, symmetrical walkways, and an ancient Mughal monument right in the middle of your line of sight— an Instagram-favoured frame. On the other side of the monument, geometric flowerbeds and fountains made of marble make the view.
Sunder Nursery occupies has about 20 heritage structures like the Lotus Pond, Sunderwala Mahal, Mughal Pavilion, Lakkkarwala Burj amongst others, of which six are UNESCO World Heritage monuments. You must know, parts of the complex stand within the buffer zone of Humayun’s Tomb (another World Heritage Site) so your leisure walk here will be one filled with historic architecture marvels.
You have to walk quite a bit just to get an idea about the scale of this garden, but it is well worth it. Sunflowers, sweet williams, marigolds and so many more colourful flowers (we forgot to learn the names of early in school) populate the whole park.
Apart from going on a history walk, spotting different species of flowers and birds, and capturing pictures in the beautiful space, you can head to the Farmer's Market and buy some goodies if you like or even enroll yourselves for their weekly heritage and nature walks if you wish to get a guided tour of the massive space.
They did have a FabCafe by the Lake which is temporarily closed but you can head to Nizamuddin Basti for some food. Another better option is to carry your own refreshments for a leisurely picnic. Do make a not that smoking and consuming alcohol are prohibited in the park.
Timings: 6 AM - 10 PM
Entry Fees: The entry fee is INR 35 for Indian Nationals. Alternatively, you can get an annual pass of INR 3,000 which sounds like a good deal given how often we like to hang around here.
How To Reach By Car: Sunder Nursery is easily accessible by car from the Mathura Road, and is opposite to the Humayun’s Tomb Complex; near to the Nizamuddin Police Station.
How To Reach By Metro: By metro, Sunder Nursery can be easily accessible from Jawahar Lal Nehru, Jungpura and Khan Market Stations on the Violet Line, or the Supreme Court Station on the Blue Line.