Self-Launched Golden Triangle: Delhi, Jaipur & Agra Independently

Land at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport and get to your base in Paharganj or Karol Bagh — the two best-value backpacker hubs with easy metro access. Take the Airport Express metro line to New Delhi station (~£2) rather than a taxi; if you arrive late, a pre-booked Uber/Ola from the arrivals hall costs roughly £4-6. Check into a hostel or guesthouse, sort out a local SIM or eSIM (Airtel/Jio SIM at the airport or a nearby store, ~£4-6 for a month of data), and pick up an Indian cash top-up at an ATM. Spend the evening gently: a wander around the Main Bazaar in Paharganj, an early dinner of butter chicken or chole bhature, and an early night. Buy your Jaipur train ticket tonight on IRCTC (or via a booking app like 12Go Asia) — the Delhi–Jaipur route sells out on popular morning departures.

🚌Airport Express metro ~£2, or Uber/Ola ~£4-6

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Paharganj/Karol Bagh (~£10-14)

• →Arrive and transfer to Paharganj
• →Buy local SIM/eSIM
• →Evening wander of Main Bazaar
• →Book onward Jaipur train ticket

A full day tackling Delhi independently, all doable by metro and short auto-rickshaw hops. Start at Jama Masjid, Delhi's grandest mosque (~£0.10 entry, plus ~£1.50 shoe/photo fees) — climb the minaret for rooftop views over Old Delhi. Then walk or take a cycle rickshaw (~£1-2, agree the price first) through the chaos of Chandni Chowk bazaar, stopping for parathas in the famous Paranthe Wali Gali and jalebi from a street stall. Continue to Rajghat (Gandhi's memorial, free) and then hop a metro/auto to Humayun's Tomb (~£6 entry), the Mughal garden tomb that inspired the Taj Mahal. Finish with a drive-past of Rashtrapati Bhawan and India Gate on the Rajpath, best at golden hour — take an Ola/Uber between them (~£2-3 each hop). If you prefer commentary, a GetYourGuide Old Delhi street-food walk runs around £20-25 and doubles as your lunch.

🚌Delhi Metro day of rides ~£2-3, auto-rickshaws/Uber ~£5-6 total

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Paharganj/Karol Bagh (~£10-14)

• →Jama Masjid & minaret climb
• →Cycle rickshaw through Chandni Chowk bazaar
• →Paranthe Wali Gali street food
• →Rajghat memorial
• →Humayun's Tomb
• →Drive past Rashtrapati Bhawan & India Gate

Take a morning train from New Delhi to Jaipur — the Shatabdi or Double Decker Express covers the ~300km in about 4.5-5 hours for roughly £6-10 in chair car, with a meal on the Shatabdi. Book a window seat, watch Rajasthan roll past, and arrive around midday. Check into a guesthouse in the old city near Bani Park or inside the pink walls — rooftop havelis here are excellent value. Spend the afternoon easing in: walk the pink-ochre streets of the walled city, browse Johari and Bapu bazaars for textiles and bangles, and stop for a lassi at Lassiwala. In the evening, head to Nahargarh Fort for sunset over the city (auto up ~£3 return) or, if you're feeling lively, catch a Bollywood film at the spectacular Raj Mandir cinema (~£2).

🚌Delhi–Jaipur train ~£6-10

🛏Old-city guesthouse/haveli private room (~£10-15)

• →Morning train to Jaipur
• →Explore the walled Pink City
• →Johari & Bapu bazaars
• →Lassiwala lassi
• →Nahargarh Fort sunset or Raj Mandir cinema

Start early at Amber Fort, ~11km out of town — a bus or shared auto from Hawa Mahal costs about £0.50, or an Ola ~£3. Entry is ~£6 (combo ticket with Nahargarh/Albert Hall available). Skip the elephant rides (widely criticised for animal welfare) and walk or take a jeep up. The Sheesh Mahal mirror palace and the ramparts are the highlights. Back in town, visit the City Palace (~£8) and then Jantar Mantar, the 18th-century astronomical observatory (~£2.50), with Hawa Mahal's facade free to view from the street (small fee to go inside). Mid-afternoon, explore the local bazaars properly and consider a GetYourGuide block-printing or cooking workshop (~£15-25) if you want a hands-on afternoon.

🚌Local bus/shared auto to Amber ~£1-2, Ola hops ~£4

🛏Old-city guesthouse/haveli private room (~£10-15)

• →Amber Fort & Sheesh Mahal
• →City Palace
• →Jantar Mantar
• →Hawa Mahal
• →Walled-city bazaar exploration

Travel Jaipur to Agra with a stop at Fatehpur Sikri, the abandoned Mughal capital. Either take a Jaipur–Agra bus or the train to Bharatpur/Fatehpur Sikri station, then a short auto to the site (entry ~£6). Alternatively, book a shared or private day-transfer car via 12Go Asia for ~£25-35 — this is the one leg where a car genuinely saves hassle. Fatehpur Sikri's Buland Darwaza and intricately carved palaces take two hours. Continue to Agra and check into a guesthouse in Taj Ganj, where half the rooftops look straight at the Taj (~£10-15). In the evening, do a cooking class with a local family in Taj Ganj — bookable via GetYourGuide or locally at guesthouses for ~£12-18, and it follows the original tour's dinner format.

🚌Shared/private transfer car via 12Go ~£25-35, or train + auto ~£8-10

🛏Taj Ganj guesthouse private room (~£10-15)

• →Fatehpur Sikri guided or audio-guided visit
• →Arrive Agra
• →Cooking class with an Agra family

Do the Taj Mahal at sunrise — gates open at the first light, and the crowds are thinnest then. Book your e-ticket online in advance (ttisagra.gov.in, ~£11; the same ticket covers Agra Fort). It's a five-minute walk from Taj Ganj. Give it two hours, then head to Agra Fort (~£6, included on the Taj combo ticket) to see the Diwan-i-Aam, Diwan-i-Khas and Sheesh Mahal. Afterwards, take a late-morning or early-afternoon Gatimaan Express or Shatabdi back to New Delhi in around two hours (~£6-10), and from New Delhi station take the Airport Express or an Uber to the airport (~£2-5). If you have a late flight, use the time for a final meal in Delhi.

🚌Agra–New Delhi train ~£6-10, airport transfer ~£2-5

🛏N/A — onward travel

• →Taj Mahal at sunrise
• →Agra Fort (Diwan-i-Aam, Diwan-i-Khas, Sheesh Mahal)
• →Return train to New Delhi