Self-Launched India Golden Triangle & Classic Rajasthan

Land at Indira Gandhi International Airport and take the Airport Express metro or a prepaid taxi/Ola to your base in Paharganj or Karol Bagh (metro ~£1, taxi ~£4-6). Sort a local SIM (Airtel/Jio, ~£4-6), pick up cash at an ATM, and grab a cheap dinner of chole bhature or a thali. Rest early — jet lag plus Delhi noise is a lot on day one.

🚌Airport Express metro (~£1) or prepaid taxi/Ola (~£4-6)

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Paharganj / Karol Bagh (dorm £5-9, private £14-22)

• →Airport Express metro into the city
• →Buy local SIM and withdraw rupees
• →Evening walk around Paharganj or Connaught Place

Self-guided Golden Triangle day. Start at Jama Masjid (entry ~£0.30, camera fee extra; modest dress, shoe covers). Wander Chandni Chowk — the oldest and busiest bazaar — by foot or cycle-rickshaw (~£2). Walk past the Red Fort (skip the expensive inner ticket if time is tight), drive-by Rajghat and India Gate, then metro down to Qutab Minar in the south (entry ~£6). Use the Delhi Metro all day; a day pass is cheap and fast way to hop between sights.

🚌Delhi Metro day pass (~£1.50) + cycle-rickshaw in Chandni Chowk (~£2)

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Paharganj / Karol Bagh (dorm £5-9, private £14-22)

• →Jama Masjid & Chandni Chowk wander
• →Red Fort exterior & Rajghat
• →India Gate & Rashtrapati Bhawan drive-by
• →Qutab Minar complex

Take the morning Gatimaan Express (~1h40m, ~£10-14) from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra Cantt — far quicker than the road. Drop bags, then explore Agra Fort (entry ~£6). The headline is the Taj Mahal at sunset (entry ~£12.50 for foreigners, closed Fridays). Buy tickets online in advance and keep your passport. Consider a homestay-style guesthouse in Tajganj for the classic rooftop view.

🚌Gatimaan Express train, Hazrat Nizamuddin–Agra Cantt (~£10-14)

🛏Guesthouse / budget hotel, Tajganj area (private £12-20)

• →Gatimaan Express train to Agra
• →Agra Fort
• →Taj Mahal at sunset
• →Optional: home cooking class with a local family (~£10-14)

Hire a shared taxi or day-cab for Fatehpur Sikri (the abandoned Mughal capital, entry ~£6) en route, then continue by bus or train toward Sawai Madhopur (Ranthambore). Alternatively take an early train from Agra to Sawai Madhopur and see Fatehpur Sikri on a separate half-day cab. Confirm your safari slots have been prebooked — park permits sell out in peak season.

🚌Shared cab or bus for Fatehpur Sikri leg (~£15-25) + train/bus to Sawai Madhopur (~£4-8)

🛏Budget guesthouse or lodge, Sawai Madhopur (private £15-25)

• →Fatehpur Sikri guided visit (local guide ~£5 or self-guided audio)
• →Travel onward to Ranthambore / Sawai Madhopur

Two safari drives today — a dawn ride and an afternoon/evening ride in an open Maruti Gypsy (shared jeep). Park entry plus vehicle fees run roughly £25-40 per person per safari depending on zone and shared occupancy; book in advance via the Rajasthan Forest Department or a local lodge. Morning is best for tiger sightings. Bring binoculars, water and a warm layer for the dawn drive.

🚌Shared safari jeep (cost included in safari fee) + local autos

🛏Budget guesthouse or lodge, Sawai Madhopur (private £15-25)

• →Dawn wildlife safari in Ranthambore National Park
• →Afternoon/evening wildlife safari
• →Visit Ranthambore Fort on foot between drives (free)

Travel by train (Sawai Madhopur–Jaipur, ~£4-8, a few hours) or bus to the Pink City. Check into a hostel in the old city near Hawa Mahal or MI Road. In the evening join a home cooking class (approx £10-15 through GetYourGuide or a local family) — northern Indian dishes like dal, chapatis and masala chai. Then wander Jaipur's bazaars for block prints, jewellery and blue pottery.

🚌Train Sawai Madhopur–Jaipur (~£4-8)

🛏Hostel or budget haveli guesthouse, old city (dorm £6-10, private £18-28)

• →Train to Jaipur
• →Home cooking class with local family (~£10-15)
• →Explore Johari Bazaar & Bapu Bazaar

Classic Jaipur day at your own speed. Amer Fort (entry ~£6; skip the elephant ride for ethical reasons and take a jeep or walk up instead). Stop at Panna Meena ka Kund stepwell nearby. Then City Palace (~£6), Jantar Mantar observatory (~£2.50) and the Hawa Mahal facade (~£2.50, best photographed from a rooftop café). A composite ticket covering several monuments saves money.

🚌Auto-rickshaws and shared cabs (~£8-12 for the day)

🛏Hostel or budget haveli guesthouse, old city (dorm £6-10, private £18-28)

• →Amer Fort & Panna Meena stepwell
• →City Palace
• →Jantar Mantar
• →Hawa Mahal

Take a morning train (Jaipur–Jodhpur, ~5-6 hours, ~£5-9) or overnight option to the Blue City. Settle into a guesthouse in the old town below Mehrangarh. Spend the afternoon wandering the indigo-washed lanes, the Sardar Market clock tower area, and grab a rooftop dinner with a fort view.

🚌Train Jaipur–Jodhpur (~£5-9)

🛏Budget guesthouse in the old town (private £12-20)

• →Train Jaipur–Jodhpur
• →Wander the blue old town & Sardar Market
• →Rooftop dinner with fort views

Morning at Mehrangarh Fort (~£6, brilliant audio guide) and the marble Jaswant Thada (~£2). Then head south — the efficient route is a shared cab or a car hired for the leg to Udaipur, stopping at the stunning Ranakpur Jain Temple (entry ~£3, spectacular marble carving) en route. The drive Jodhpur–Udaipur with the Ranakpur stop takes a full day; a private car split between travellers is the practical option here as public buses don't serve Ranakpur well.

🚌Shared/private car Jodhpur–Ranakpur–Udaipur (~£35-50 per car, split between passengers)

🛏Budget guesthouse near Lake Pichola, Udaipur (private £12-20)

• →Mehrangarh Fort & Jaswant Thada
• →Ranakpur Jain Temple
• →Transfer to Udaipur

Explore the City Palace complex and Crystal Gallery (~£6 combined), Jagdish Temple, Sahelion ki Bari gardens and the Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal puppet/folk museum. In the evening take a boat ride on Lake Pichola toward the Lake Palace (~£5-8). Catch the Dharohar folk dance show at Bagore ki Haveli (small fee) and watch sunset over Fateh Sagar Lake. Udaipur is compact — walk or use cheap autos.

🚌Autos and walking (~£5)

🛏Budget guesthouse near Lake Pichola, Udaipur (private £12-20)

• →City Palace & Crystal Gallery
• →Jagdish Temple & Sahelion ki Bari
• →Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal
• →Evening Lake Pichola boat ride
• →Dharohar dance show at Bagore ki Haveli

Break the long haul north with a stop at Chittorgarh Fort (entry ~£6), the largest fort in India — Rana Kumbha Palace, Kumbha Shyam Temple, the Victory Tower and Meerabai Temple are all inside. A hired car for the day (split between travellers, ~£45-60) is the smoothest way to link Udaipur, Chittorgarh and Pushkar; otherwise take a bus/train to Ajmer and a short taxi to Pushkar. Arrive in Pushkar for sunset over the ghats and lake.

🚌Hired car Udaipur–Chittorgarh–Pushkar (~£45-60 per car, split) or bus via Ajmer

🛏Budget guesthouse or rooftop resort, Pushkar (private £10-18)

• →Chittorgarh Fort & Rana Kumbha Palace
• →Kumbha Shyam Temple & Victory Tower
• →Meerabai Temple
• →Pushkar ghats at sunset

Morning exploring Pushkar — Brahma Temple, the holy lake and ghats, and the market. Then take the train or bus back to Delhi (Pushkar/Ajmer to Delhi, ~6-8 hours, ~£6-12; overnight trains are an option). Arrive in Delhi and check back into a Paharganj hostel for a final night.

🚌Train/bus Ajmer–Delhi (~£6-12)

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Paharganj / Karol Bagh (dorm £5-9, private £14-22)

• →Brahma Temple & Pushkar Lake ghats
• →Pushkar market
• →Travel back to Delhi

Last bargain hunt or a peaceful morning at Lodhi Gardens, then head to Indira Gandhi International Airport. The Airport Express metro from New Delhi station (~£1) is the cheapest reliable route; allow buffer time for airport security. Depart with the Golden Triangle and Rajasthan ticked off.

🚌Airport Express metro to IGI Airport (~£1)

🛏—

• →Last-minute souvenir shopping
• →Airport transfer via Airport Express