Is a 3 hr layover in Delhi long enough?
DEL · Indira Gandhi International · Delhi, India
Probably Enough
Very safe buffer, allowing for shuttle delays, long immigration lines, or gate changes.
Quick Stats
3
60m
25m
Air India
Minimum Connection Times
60min
✓90min
✓90min
✓75min
✓AD PLACEMENT — CONTEXTUAL
Tips for 3 hr Connections
If your itinerary routes between T1 and T3, budget at least 90 minutes as the shuttle plus re-screening eats time fast.
Check your boarding pass carefully — same-airline connections can still switch terminals without warning, especially IndiGo domestic-to-international.
Use the T3 transfer desks immediately after landing if you're on a tight international-to-domestic connection to confirm gate and screening requirements.
Immigration queues for arriving international passengers can be long in early morning hours (midnight to 4am) due to bunched long-haul arrivals.
Keep your connecting boarding pass or transit visa documentation handy, as Delhi requires it for airside movement between zones.
Busyness — Connection Risk
12a6a12p6p12a
Low risk
Moderate
High risk
Tight connections are safer outside peak hours. Morning rush (6–9a), midday (11a–2p), and evening (4–8p) are highest risk.
Getting Between Concourses
Passengers connecting between Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 must take a free inter-terminal shuttle bus that takes 20-30 minutes depending on traffic and boarding time, followed by a fresh security check on arrival. Within Terminal 3 itself, international-to-domestic or domestic-to-international transfers involve walking through immigration/customs-adjacent corridors but no shuttle is needed, cutting transfer time significantly.
Is 3 hours enough for a layover at DEL?
Very safe buffer, allowing for shuttle delays, long immigration lines, or gate changes.
Other Layover Durations at DEL
AD PLACEMENT — BEFORE FOOTER