Faridabad gets written off a lot. People from Delhi treat it as the city you drive through on the way to somewhere else and people who don’t know the NCR well have usually never thought about it at all. Which is honestly a bit unfair because tucked inside this industrial Haryana city is a weekend’s worth of genuinely good experiences, green spaces, heritage, craft culture, and the kind of unhurried pace that’s getting harder to find anywhere close to Delhi. Give it two days and it will surprise you.

Saturday Morning: Start at Surajkund

Surajkund is the place to begin and it is a place that definitely earns this distinction. The ancient reservoir, built in the 10th century by the Tomar king Surajpal, is set in a forested atmosphere that is utterly removed from the city that it is a part of. The amphitheatre-shaped embankment, the water, and the trees combine to create a beautiful morning walk and the place is so peaceful and serene that it is a pleasure to stroll through rather than a chore to be checked off a list. And should you be visiting in February, the Surajkund International Crafts Mela, which is held here every year, is one of the best craft melas in the country and is a place that can easily soak up a whole day in itself.

Saturday Afternoon: Raja Nahar Singh Palace

Located just outside the city in the nearby town of Ballabhgarh is the Raja Nahar Singh Palace, an 18th-century fort palace that most people within the city of Faridabad itself have not visited in the way that they should. It is a heritage site now and contains a museum within its walls that offers a trip through the history of the area and the kingdom of Ballabhgarh in a way that is not just informative but interesting as well. The architecture is quite beautiful, the internal court is quite photogenic, and the whole place has a certain dignity to it that makes for a very satisfying afternoon out.

Saturday Evening: Sector 12 and the Local Food Scene

The market area in Sector 12, Faridabad, really comes alive in the evenings and is the best place to go for street food and eating out. The chaat is excellent, the aloo tikki and gol gappa stalls have been around for years, and the overall vibe of a Haryana evening in a market is never too overwhelming. This is also the place to go if you’re looking for some decent mithai shops in case you want something sweet to carry along to the hotel.

Sunday: Badkhal Lake and the Aravalli Hills

Badkhal Lake has had a bit of a history with water levels and conservation, but the area around the lake, with the Aravalli hills in the background, is probably one of the prettier natural areas around Faridabad, and it’s definitely worth visiting, especially if you’re with children. The Aravalli stretch around this area is quite nice for a leisurely walk, and the views of the rocky scrubland with the occasional peacock sighting are quite pretty. It’s a peaceful, unpretentious space, and mornings with children can be really easily spent in this area.

A Note on Staying Here

Faridabad has a solid range of accommodation, from well-run business hotels to comfortable family-friendly properties near the main commercial areas. Staying centrally means Surajkund, Ballabhgarh, and the market areas are all within easy reach. Looking up hotels in Faridabad and booking before the weekend arrives is the sensible move; the better properties fill up faster than the city’s reputation would suggest.

Faridabad doesn’t need to be your dream destination. It just needs one honest weekend and it’ll change your opinion of it completely.