Heritage Tour of India: Self-Launched Edition

Land at Mumbai (BOM), take the airport metro or a prepaid auto/taxi to a hostel in Colaba or Bandra (Colaba is best for sightseeing). Withdraw cash, buy an Indian eSIM or local SIM, and set up UPI if you can — it's how most small payments work now. Evening stroll along Marine Drive for sunset and street food at Chowpatty. Book tomorrow's Elephanta ferry and a walking-guide slot online tonight.

🚌Airport to Colaba by metro/taxi, ~£4-6

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Colaba (approx £12-18)

• →Marine Drive sunset walk
• →Chowpatty beach snacks
• →SIM card and cash setup

Start early at the Gateway of India and catch the 9am ferry to Elephanta Caves (ferry ~£2-3 return, cave entry ~£5 for foreigners). Back by early afternoon, then do a self-guided Colaba walk: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (Prince of Wales Museum), the Jain temple in Kalbadevi, and the Hanging Gardens on Malabar Hill. A half-day GetYourGuide/Klook Mumbai walking tour (~£15-20) is worth it if you want the context. Gandhi's Mani Bhavan is free/donation-based.

🚌Ferry ~£3, local trains and autos ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Colaba (approx £12-18)

• →Elephanta Caves ferry and cave tour
• →Gateway of India
• →Prince of Wales Museum
• →Jain temples and Hanging Gardens

Early morning train to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) — the Devagiri Express or similar takes about 7 hours in sleeper class (~£5-7). Alternatively a short flight (~£30-45). Drop bags at a guesthouse near the station, then take a local bus or shared auto (30km, ~£1-2) to Ellora Caves. The Kailasa temple alone is worth the trip. Entry ~£5. On the way back stop at Daulatabad Fort (entry ~£3).

🚌Sleeper train ~£6, local bus to Ellora ~£2

🛏Budget guesthouse near Aurangabad station (approx £12-16)

• →Ellora Caves and Kailasa Temple
• →Daulatabad Fort
• →Bibi Ka Maqbara at sunset

Take the 7am local bus or shared taxi to Ajanta (about 2.5 hours, ~£2-3 bus). The 30 rock-cut Buddhist caves are best done with a licensed local guide at the gate (~£10-12 for a group, cheaper if you split it) — the paintings make far more sense with context. Ajanta entry ~£5, closed Mondays. Return to Aurangabad in the late afternoon, eat at a local thali place (~£3).

🚌Local bus to Ajanta return ~£5

🛏Budget guesthouse near Aurangabad station (approx £12-16)

• →Ajanta Caves full-day visit
• →Local guide at Ajanta
• →Marathwada thali dinner

Morning flight Aurangabad–Varanasi (via Delhi or a direct IndiGo hop, ~£40-60 booked early). Check into a guesthouse in Assi Ghat or near the ghats. In the afternoon take an auto to Sarnath (10km, ~£2) to see the Dhamek Stupa, the Archaeological Museum (closed Fridays) and the Tibetan monastery — all cheap entry (~£1-2 each). Evening wandering the ghats is free and the best introduction to the city.

🚌Domestic flight ~£50, autos ~£4

🛏Ghat-side guesthouse, Varanasi (approx £12-18)

• →Sarnath stupa and museum
• →Tibetan Buddhist monastery
• →Ghat wandering at dusk

Be on a boat by 5:30am — book a shared rowboat directly at Assi or Dashashwamedh Ghat the evening before (~£4-6 per person, cheaper than any agent). Drift past the burning ghats and bathing steps as the sun comes up. Midday: walk the old city, visit Vishwanath Temple lane and Sankat Mochan, and hit Banaras Hindu University and Birla Mandir by auto. In the evening, get to Dashashwamedh Ghat early for front-row spots at the Ganga Aarti fire ceremony, which is free.

🚌Autos and boat ~£8

🛏Ghat-side guesthouse, Varanasi (approx £12-18)

• →Sunrise boat ride on the Ganges
• →Old city temple walk
• →BHU and Birla Mandir
• →Ganga Aarti ceremony

Short morning flight Varanasi–Khajuraho (~£35-50) — the alternative is an overnight train via Mahoba and a bus, which eats a day. Check into a guesthouse in the temple village and spend the afternoon in the Western Group of Temples (entry ~£5). The evening Sound and Light Show (~£4) is a decent intro to the Chandela dynasty story. Hire a local guide at the gate for ~£8 to decode the carvings.

🚌Domestic flight ~£45, cycle rickshaw ~£2

🛏Guesthouse in Khajuraho village (approx £12-16)

• →Khajuraho Western Group of Temples
• →Sound and Light Show

Cycle or walk to the Eastern and Jain temple groups in the morning (entry ~£2-3). Then take a bus or shared taxi to Jhansi (about 3 hours, ~£3-4), and a local auto or shared tempo from Jhansi to Orchha (18km, ~£2-3). Settle into a riverside guesthouse — Orchha is tiny and walkable, with the Betwa river and cenotaphs right there.

🚌Bus to Jhansi ~£4, shared auto to Orchha ~£3

🛏Riverside guesthouse, Orchha (approx £12-18)

• →Eastern and Jain temple groups
• →Betwa river sunset

Full day on foot: Orchha Fort complex with Jahangir Mahal and Rai Praveen Mahal (combined entry ~£5), the Ram Raja Temple (the only place where Rama is worshipped as a king), and the riverside chhatris (cenotaphs) along the Betwa. Rent a bike (~£2/day) to reach the cenotaphs. Very few guides are needed here — signage is decent and the scale is small.

🚌Bike hire ~£2

🛏Riverside guesthouse, Orchha (approx £12-18)

• →Orchha Fort and Jahangir Mahal
• →Ram Raja Temple
• →Riverside cenotaphs

Morning shared auto to Jhansi, then a train to Gwalior (about 1.5-2 hours, ~£2-3 in sleeper/general or ~£5 in 3AC). Drop bags and head up to Gwalior Fort — Man Mandir Palace, the Sas-Bahu temples and the Teli-ka-Mandir are inside the same ticket (~£5). Descend to the Tomb of Gaus Mohammad and Tansen's mausoleum, then Jai Vilas Palace if time allows (~£5).

🚌Train ~£5, autos ~£3

🛏Budget hotel near the station, Gwalior (approx £14-20)

• →Gwalior Fort and Man Mandir
• →Sas-Bahu and Teli-ka-Mandir temples
• →Tansen and Gaus Mohammad tombs
• →Jai Vilas Palace

Morning train Gwalior–Agra (about 1.5 hours on a Gatimaan or intercity service, ~£3-5). Check into a guesthouse in Taj Ganj so you can walk to the Taj at dawn. Afternoon at Agra Fort (~£6), then Itmad-ud-Daulah (Baby Taj, ~£3) and Mehtab Bagh across the river for a sunset view of the Taj from behind (~£3). Note: the Taj is closed Fridays — plan around it.

🚌Train ~£5, autos ~£4

🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj, Agra (approx £12-18)

• →Agra Fort
• →Itmad-ud-Daulah tomb
• →Mehtab Bagh sunset Taj view

Be at the east gate by 5:45am for sunrise at the Taj Mahal (entry ~£12, plus shoe covers). It's the single best money you'll spend on the trip. Then hire a shared taxi or take a bus to Fatehpur Sikri (about 1 hour, ~£3), see the Buland Darwaza and Panch Mahal (entry ~£6), and continue by bus or shared cab to Jaipur (about 3.5 hours, ~£5-7). Evening in the old city.

🚌Shared taxi/bus Fatehpur Sikri to Jaipur ~£10, entry fees ~£20

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Jaipur old city (approx £10-16)

• →Taj Mahal at sunrise
• →Fatehpur Sikri
• →Overnight transfer to Jaipur

Hit Amber Fort early (entry ~£6) — take a local bus or auto (~£2), and skip the elephant ride in favour of walking up. Then Jaigarh or Nahargarh if you have energy. Afternoon in the Pink City: City Palace (~£8), Jantar Mantar (~£3), Hawa Mahal from the street (free) and Jal Mahal on the way back. A GetYourGuide half-day Jaipur tour (~£20-25) is a good option if you want a guide for the fort.

🚌Autos and local bus ~£5

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Jaipur old city (approx £10-16)

• →Amber Fort
• →City Palace and Jantar Mantar
• →Hawa Mahal and Jal Mahal

Train or bus Jaipur–Sawai Madhopur (about 2.5-3 hours by train, ~£3-5). Book your safari in advance online via the Rajasthan Forest Department portal (or a lodge can do it) — a shared canter safari is ~£20-30 per person including park fees, a Gypsy is more. Afternoon game drive from about 2:30pm. Tiger sightings are never guaranteed but the park is stunning.

🚌Train ~£5, safari vehicle included in safari cost

🛏Budget lodge near Sawai Madhopur (approx £14-20)

• →Ranthambore afternoon game drive

Two more safaris if your budget allows (morning 6:30am, afternoon 2:30pm) — each shared canter slot runs ~£20-30. Budget travellers often pick just one extra and spend the rest of the day at the fort ruins inside the park, which are free to walk with a ticket. Book your onward train to Delhi this evening for tomorrow.

🚌Safari ~£25

🛏Budget lodge near Sawai Madhopur (approx £14-20)

• →Morning game drive
• →Ranthambore Fort walk

Morning train Sawai Madhopur–Delhi (about 4.5-5 hours on a Jan Shatabdi or similar, ~£5-8 in 3AC). Check into a hostel in Paharganj or a guesthouse in Karol Bagh. Afternoon is free — walk Connaught Place, get a masala chai, and sort out your Delhi metro card (~£1 deposit). Evening at a rooftop in Paharganj.

🚌Train ~£7, metro ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Paharganj (approx £10-15)

• →Delhi metro orientation
• →Connaught Place wander

Do New Delhi first thing: Humayun's Tomb (~£6), Qutub Minar (~£6), India Gate and Raj Ghat (free). Then a rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk spice market (~£2-3) and the Red Fort (~£6). A GetYourGuide Delhi street-food walk in Old Delhi (~£18-25) is the best-value guided thing in the city. Lunch at a Karim's or a local thali spot (~£4).

🚌Metro and autos ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Paharganj (approx £10-15)

• →Humayun's Tomb and Qutub Minar
• →Red Fort and Chandni Chowk rickshaw ride
• →Old Delhi street food walk

Last morning for anything you missed — Lodhi Gardens, the Lotus Temple (free), or a final paratha breakfast in Old Delhi. Delhi metro to the airport (~£1) for your flight out. If you're heading onward to Nepal or further south, the airport is easy for connecting flights.

🚌Airport metro ~£1

🛏None — departure day

• →Lotus Temple or Lodhi Gardens
• →Airport transfer