Holi in Mathura & the Golden Triangle — Self-Launched

Land at Indira Gandhi International and take the Airport Express metro or the orange line into New Delhi (~£1), or a prepaid taxi (~£4-5). Stay in a Paharganj or Karol Bagh guesthouse — budget but walkable and central. Swap some cash at the airport (small amount only — rates are better in town), pick up an Indian eSIM or Airtel SIM (~£3-5 for data), and take it easy: get over jetlag, wander the Main Bazaar and eat a first thali.

🚌Airport Express metro or prepaid taxi from IGI Airport

🛏Guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh (private room, ~£14)

• →Airport transfer into central Delhi
• →Airtel/Jio SIM or eSIM setup
• →Evening walk around Paharganj Main Bazaar

Dive into the full monument circuit on your own schedule. Start at Jama Masjid (entry ~£0.50, camera fee extra), then walk or take a cycle rickshaw (~£1-2, haggle) through Chandni Chowk for parathas and jalebi. Metro to Raj Ghat (free), then to Humayun's Tomb (~£6), and finish at Qutub Minar (~£6). You can pass the Red Fort, India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhawan on foot or by metro. Pre-book a GetYourGuide Old Delhi food walk (~£25-30) if you want the street-food context a guide would give.

🚌Delhi Metro day pass (~£1.50) plus cycle rickshaw in Chandni Chowk

🛏Guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh (private room, ~£14)

• →Jama Masjid
• →Chandni Chowk street food and bazaar
• →Cycle rickshaw ride through Old Delhi
• →Raj Ghat
• →Humayun's Tomb
• →Qutub Minar
• →Red Fort, India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhawan (from outside)

Take an early train from New Delhi or Hazrat Nizamuddin to Mathura Junction — the express takes about 2 hours and costs ~£2-4 in chair car or sleeper. Drop bags at a guesthouse near the old town (book well ahead for Holi week). Afternoon: Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple (free, no phones inside), Dwarkadhish Temple, the ISKCON temple, and sunset at Vishram Ghat and Keshi Ghat on the Yamuna — the evening aarti is the highlight. Note that at Holi time the town is in full festive swing, so expect crowds, colours and drumming.

🚌Delhi to Mathura by express train (~£2-4, 2 hrs); auto-rickshaws locally

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Mathura old town (~£15)

• →Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple
• →Dwarkadhish Temple
• →ISKCON Mathura
• →Vishram Ghat and Keshi Ghat sunset aarti

The big one. Start early at Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan for Rangbhari Ekadashi, when the deities are showered with colours and the crowd goes wild — dress in white if you want the full experience, and be ready to be dyed completely. Shared autos run Mathura-Vrindavan for ~£0.50-1. Later, move between the Holi gatherings around Holi Gate and the ghats in Mathura. If you'd rather have backup, a GetYourGuide or local-guide Holi-day experience costs ~£30-50 for small-group guidance and safety in the crush. Keep a dry bag for your phone and expect to be back at your guesthouse by afternoon.

🚌Shared auto-rickshaw between Mathura and Vrindavan (~£1)

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Mathura old town (~£15)

• →Rangbhari Ekadashi at Banke Bihari Temple, Vrindavan
• →Holi colour throwing and bhajans in Mathura
• →Festive sweets and thandai
• →Optional small-group Holi guide (~£30-50)

Look out for Holi crowds still spilling into the morning, then take the train or bus to Agra (roughly 1.5-2 hours, ~£2-3). If you want the Taj at sunrise, you actually need to travel the evening before — that's the practical tweak to this itinerary. Book the Taj ticket online in advance (~£12 for foreigners, closed Fridays) and arrive at the East Gate for opening. Afterwards, walk to Agra Fort (~£6). Finish with chaat and petha in Sadar Bazaar or explore Agra's markets on foot.

🚌Mathura to Agra by train or bus (~£2-3); auto-rickshaw to Taj East Gate

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Taj Ganj (~£12)

• →Taj Mahal at sunrise (advance online ticket)
• →Agra Fort
• →Sadar Bazaar food stalls and market wandering

Leave bags at the hotel and take a local bus to Fatehpur Sikri (~£1-2, 1 hr) or hire a shared taxi. Explore the Mughal ghost city — Jama Masjid, the Tomb of Salim Chishti, Panch Mahal and the palaces (~£6 entry). Then bus back and take an evening train or AC bus onward to Jaipur (about 4 hours, ~£3-6). Stay in a guesthouse in the old city near Hawa Mahal so you can walk to sights. Book your onward train on IRCTC in advance — Rajasthan routes fill up.

🚌Local bus to Fatehpur Sikri; bus or train onward to Jaipur (~£3-6)

🛏Guesthouse in Jaipur old city (~£13)

• →Fatehpur Sikri: Jama Masjid, Tomb of Salim Chishti
• →Panch Mahal and the palace complex

Use the cheap local bus or shared auto to Amber Fort (~£1-2), arrive at opening time to duck the crowds, and take the shared jeep up the hill (~£1) instead of the private-jeep option. Then head back into town: Hawa Mahal, City Palace and Jantar Mantar (~£5 combined if you pick and choose), with a coffee stop at the Wind View Cafe opposite Hawa Mahal. Evening in Johari and Bapu Bazaars for block prints, silver and textiles — always bargain.

🚌Local bus and shared jeep to Amber Fort; walking and auto-rickshaws in town

🛏Guesthouse in Jaipur old city (~£13)

• →Amber Fort with shared jeep up the hill
• →Hawa Mahal
• →City Palace
• →Jantar Mantar
• →Johari and Bapu Bazaar shopping

Take a morning AC chair-car train or bus back to Delhi (~£5-8, 5-6 hours). Check back into a Delhi guesthouse and use the afternoon for anything you missed — Lodhi Gardens, the National Museum, or Khan Market for a last meal. Pack up and sort your airport transfer for the morning.

🚌AC chair-car train or bus Jaipur to Delhi (~£5-8)

🛏Guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh (~£14)

• →Lodhi Gardens
• →National Museum
• →Khan Market dinner

Airport Express metro or prepaid taxi to IGI for your flight home. If your flight is late, a quick Delhi Metro hop to Connaught Place for breakfast works well.

🚌Airport Express metro (~£1) or prepaid taxi (~£4-5)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Airport transfer