Delhi’s wild side: Where to chase fireflies, spot frogs and forage for fungi this monsoon

What if your next Delhi monsoon outing involved chasing fireflies instead of traffic? Here are a few unique experiences you can try this monsoon

When the monsoon hits Delhi, the capital’s green pockets transform into lush, thriving urban jungles waiting to be explored. Forest paths turn into vibrant fungi trails, while familiar parks come alive with glowing fireflies, croaking frogs, and seasonal wildlife unique to the rains. Here’s how to chase fireflies, forage for mushrooms, and experience Delhi’s unique wild monsoon magic before the season slips away.

Where to chase fireflies, spot frogs and forage for fungi this monsoon

Mushroom foraging walks

Led by foraging expert Malavika Bhatia in collaboration with Gurugram-based gourmet mushroom farm Shroomery, weekend fungi-foraging walks through rain-drenched urban jungles like Sanjay Van and Jahapanah Forest are an experience most may have not tried. “For most of the year, mushrooms exist as vast underground or wood-inhabiting networks. Then the rains arrive and, almost overnight, they begins appearing everywhere,” says Malavika. The walk is both parts discovery and learning, because many of these like the Termitomyces species only appear during the rains. “Most of us move through life without noticing much of what is happening around us,” Malavika explains. “Once you start looking for fungi, you begin noticing all kinds of things: the condition of a tree, the moisture in the soil, the insects moving through leaf litter, the ways different organisms depend on one another. Mushrooms become a doorway into seeing ecological relationships that were always there but had gone unnoticed.”

Know before you go

Where to book: Upcoming walks are announced via Instagram on @shroomery.in and @mycodyke.

Timings: Held throughout the monsoon season until September. Sessions take place on Saturday mornings (9:30 AM – 11:30 AM) or Sunday evenings (4:30 PM – 6:30 PM).

Tickets: ₹1,199 for adults | ₹599 for children under 12

Firefly night walks

Hidden within historic Hauz Khas lies a secret green oasis, where the rains unlock an entirely different side of the capital’s most illuminating secret: fireflies! Organised by the New Delhi Nature Society (NDNS), the walks happen between the monsoon months of July to September, with a long wait list. “I’ve been conducting these walks for 15 years,” says NDNS President Verhaen Khanna. “The number of fireflies is reducing over the years due to light pollution, so it’s important for people to come and see what we’re going to lose. This is the only season we get to see fireflies since it’s the last stage of their life cycle before they lay eggs in the wet soil. We want people, especially kids, to have positive experiences so that they develop a desire to conserve nature and protect green spaces that are steadily deteriorating across the country.”

Know before you go

Where to Book: Register directly on the website at ndns.in/events.

Schedule: Held every weekend throughout the season on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings.

Price: ₹350 per person.

Nocturnal herping

As monsoon rains awaken the region’s green pockets with new inhabitants, the people behind Earth Walks by Asian Adventures are inviting residents to view Delhi-NCR’s urban jungles with entirely new eyes. An unmissable experience is the nocturnal trail at Nehar Sahibi Farm, a regenerative farm and nature hotspot located on the Najafgarh-Kapashera Road. Led by ecologist Dr Robin Suyesh, the experience encourages participants to spot frogs, bats, geckos, snakes, and other active wildlife after sunset. Founder Mohit Aggarwal says, “The purpose was to bring people out of their houses to appreciate nature right here in our concrete jungles. Since we started two years ago, we’ve not missed a single Sunday. The monsoon walks are special because these species are very evasive throughout the year - you really only have a certain window when you can see animals like the Common Wolf Snake, nocturnal Aravalli Gecko and Insectivorous Bats that are active in humid weather. We want to give kids and people from semi-urban areas who don’t usually get the chance an opportunity to interact with nature and start real conversations about ecological change.”

Know Before You Go

Where to Book: Check out their Instagram for updated @earthwalks__

Schedule: Every Sunday

Price: Free for all

Monsoon walk through history

Monsoon Masarrat is a themed walk through Hauz Khas by heritage walking society Delhi By Foot celebrating the masarrat (joy) that the rains bring. Blending history and petrichor, the walk explores Delhi’s relationship with its water bodies and the monsoon through a rainy walk through Haus Khas, which is more than just its forts. Founder Ramit Mishra says, “Hauz Khas is fascinating geographically, especially when you look at how Delhi was built. Water bodies played a crucial role in shaping the city, and the lake at Deer Park is one of them. Our goal with this walk is to explore that rich history through the semantics of water --- how catchment areas work and why softer parts of the city, like these urban jungles, matter when it comes to the water table. Monsoon is the best time to experience it because the water table is high. Last year, it rained throughout the walk, and everyone had a great time.”

Know Before You Go

Where to book: @delhibyfoot

Schedule: 6th September 2026

Price: 800 per person