How many days should you spend in Delhi?
Give Delhi enough time to orient, but do not let it define India before the trip has started. It can be fascinating, exhausting and abrasive in the same day, so use it deliberately rather than sleepwalking through it between flights and monuments.
Answer
Delhi is not a soft landing, but it is not just a problem to escape. It holds old cities, new power, food, tombs, bazaars, metro rides and the first big lesson in how India compresses centuries into one afternoon. Most travellers do better with two or three focused days than with one chaotic arrival and a rushed exit. Keep the first day simple, choose a sensible base and do not schedule Delhi like a museum checklist. The city is more rewarding when you have energy left to notice it.