In Depth Rajasthan Culture — Self-Launched

Land at IGI Airport and take the Airport Express metro (~₹100/£1) or a prepaid taxi (~₹600/£6) to a hostel in Paharganj or Karol Bagh. In the afternoon, do the southern monuments yourself: take the Yellow Line metro to Qutab Minar (combined ticket with Humayun's Tomb ~₹600/£6), then Humayun's Tomb, and drive/walk past India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Lotus Temple at sunset. A local guide via GetYourGuide runs about £25 for a half day if you want context.

🚌Airport Express metro £1; Delhi Metro day pass ~£1.50; autos £3

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Paharganj/Karol Bagh (~£14)

• →Qutab Minar
• →Humayun's Tomb
• →India Gate & Rajpath
• →Lotus Temple (exterior)
• →Paharganj street food wander

Start early at Raj Ghat, then walk the lanes of Old Delhi: Jama Masjid (free, modest dress; ~₹300 to climb the minaret), a cycle-rickshaw loop through Chandni Chowk's spice market (~₹300/£3), and the exterior of the Red Fort. Optionally detour to the Rewari Rail Museum by suburban train if you're a train buff. Evening: catch a train or bus to Jaipur — the Ajmer Shatabdi or an AC chair car on a Marudhar Express service is roughly £5–8 and takes 5–6 hours.

🚌Cycle rickshaw £3; Delhi–Jaipur train £5–8

🛏Overnight train, or budget hotel in Jaipur (~£14)

• →Jama Masjid
• →Chandni Chowk spice market by cycle rickshaw
• →Raj Ghat
• →Red Fort (exterior)
• →Rewari Rail Museum (optional)

Take local bus 5 or a shared auto to Amber Fort (~₹50/£0.50, entry ₹500). Skip the elephant rides — walk up or take the jeep (~₹500) instead; the courtyard views are the point. Afterwards hit the City Palace (₹700) and Jantar Mantar (₹200) with a single combined ticket, then wind through Hawa Mahal and Jal Mahal for photos. Evening at Birla Temple (free). A local guide costs about £20 via GetYourGuide; audio guides are cheaper still.

🚌Local bus and shared autos £3

🛏Budget haveli/guesthouse in old Jaipur (~£16)

• →Amber Fort
• →City Palace
• →Jantar Mantar
• →Hawa Mahal
• →Jal Mahal
• →Birla Temple
• →Optional Nahargarh sunset walk (£3)

Take a Rajasthan State Road Transport bus or shared taxi from Jaipur's Sindhi Camp to Mandawa (~3.5 hrs, £3–5). Spend the afternoon wandering the fresco-covered havelis — many are free to view from the street, and the Gulab Rai Ladia and Chowkhani havelis charge small fees (~£1 each). A local guide from your guesthouse runs about £8 and is worth it for the murals' stories.

🚌State bus Jaipur–Mandawa £4

🛏Heritage guesthouse/haveli, Mandawa (~£16)

• →Gulab Rai Ladia Haveli
• →Chowkhani Haveli
• →Mandawa bazaar walk
• →Local guide (£8)

Bus or shared jeep to Bikaner (~3 hrs, £3). Explore Junagarh Fort (₹300, excellent audio guide included), Lalgarh Palace (₹100) and the intricately carved Bhandasar Jain Temple (free). If you're curious, take a local bus to Deshnok's Karni Mata Temple (~30 km, £1) to see the famous rats — a genuinely memorable detour. Buy Bikaneri bhujia from a street stall before you leave.

🚌Bus Mandawa–Bikaner £3; local bus to Deshnok £1

🛏Budget hotel, Bikaner (~£14)

• →Junagarh Fort
• →Lalgarh Palace
• →Bhandasar Jain Temple
• →Karni Mata Temple, Deshnok (optional)

Long but scenic bus ride to Jaisalmer (~5 hrs, £5). Book a desert safari directly with the operator on arrival or in advance via Klook — the standard half-day camel ride plus dune sunset and overnight camp with Rajasthani folk dance and dinner runs about £30–40. Basic tents are fine; bring a torch and warm layer for the desert night.

🚌Bus Bikaner–Jaisalmer £5

🛏Desert camp outside Jaisalmer (~£20, in safari price)

• →Camel ride in the Sam/Thar dunes
• →Rajasthani folk music and dance
• →Desert sunset

Return to town and get lost in the living Jaisalmer Fort (entry ₹250 plus optional palace museum ₹500). See Patwon-ki-Haveli and Salim Singh-ki-Haveli (₹200 each), the Thar Heritage Museum (₹100) and Gadisar Lake at golden hour. Catch the Silk Route art galleries near the fort. A licensed local guide is roughly £15–20 for a half day — or just download an audio guide and read up.

🚌Walkable; auto to Gadisar £1

🛏Rooftop guesthouse inside the fort (~£14)

• →Jaisalmer Fort & palace museum
• →Patwon-ki-Haveli
• →Salim Singh-ki-Haveli
• →Thar Heritage Museum
• →Gadisar Lake sunset

Take the morning bus or a slow passenger train to Jodhpur (~5 hrs, £4–6). Spend the afternoon at Mehrangarh Fort (₹1,000 with audio guide — worth it), then Jaswant Thada (₹50), the clock tower market, and the blue lanes of the old city. Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park is a lovely late-afternoon walk (₹100). Skip Umaid Bhawan's museum if you're tight on budget — the exterior is free.

🚌Bus/train Jaisalmer–Jodhpur £5; autos £2

🛏Budget guesthouse in the old city (~£14)

• →Mehrangarh Fort
• →Jaswant Thada
• →Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park
• →Clock Tower market
• →Blue city walk

Take a morning bus towards Udaipur and hop off at Ranakpur (~3 hrs, £3) to see the extraordinary 1,444-pillar Chaumukha Jain Temple (free entry, camera fee ~£2; modest dress, no leather). Then continue by shared jeep or bus to Mount Abu (~2 hrs, £2). The hill station is pleasantly cool after the plains — book a guesthouse near Nakki Lake.

🚌Bus Jodhpur–Ranakpur £3; shared jeep/bus to Mount Abu £2

🛏Guesthouse near Nakki Lake, Mount Abu (~£15)

• →Ranakpur Chaumukha Temple
• →Nakki Lake evening stroll

Hire a taxi for the day (~£20 split, or take local buses where possible) to cover the carved Dilwara Jain Temples (free, no cameras), Achalgarh Fort, Arbuda Devi Temple's steps, Shri Raghunathji Temple and Guru Shikhar — Rajasthan's highest point with plains views. Sunset at Sunset Point near Nakki Lake. Boats on Nakki Lake are ~£3 for 30 minutes.

🚌Shared taxi/local bus day £8

🛏Guesthouse near Nakki Lake, Mount Abu (~£15)

• →Dilwara Jain Temples
• →Achalgarh Fort
• →Arbuda Devi Temple
• →Guru Shikhar viewpoint
• →Sunset Point

Morning RSRTC bus down the ghats to Udaipur (~4 hrs, £4). Settle into a guesthouse in the old city with a lake view and spend the afternoon free — wander the ghats, book your Lake Pichola boat trip for tomorrow, and eat at a rooftop thali place. Optional detour to Eklingji and Nagda temples is possible by local bus (~1 hr, £2) if you have energy.

🚌Bus Mount Abu–Udaipur £4; optional local bus £2

🛏Budget guesthouse, old city Udaipur (~£14)

• →Old city ghat walk
• →Ambrai Ghat sunset
• →Optional Eklingji & Nagda temples

Full day on foot: City Palace (₹400, plus Crystal Gallery ₹700 if you're keen), Jagdish Temple (free), Saheliyon-ki-Bari (₹50) and a wander around Shilpgram folk-art village (₹50). Take the ropeway up to Karni Mata viewpoint (£2). Late afternoon: a shared boat on Lake Pichola (~£8) at sunset. In the evening, Bagore ki Haveli's folk dance show is ~£2.50 and one of the best-value performances in Rajasthan.

🚌All walkable; auto £2

🛏Budget guesthouse, old city Udaipur (~£14)

• →City Palace
• →Jagdish Temple
• →Saheliyon-ki-Bari
• →Shilpgram
• →Udaipur ropeway
• →Lake Pichola boat ride
• →Bagore ki Haveli dance show

Take a morning bus or train to Chittorgarh (~2.5 hrs, £3), drop bags, then explore the vast hilltop fort (entry ₹200). A shared auto or cycle-rickshaw loops the 700-hectare site for ~£8 — the distances are too far on foot. See Rana Kumbha Palace, Vijay Stambh (Victory Tower), Padmini's Palace, Meerabai Temple and the museum. Climb Vijay Stambh for views if your legs allow.

🚌Bus/train £3; shared auto around the fort £8

🛏Budget hotel near the fort, Chittorgarh (~£14)

• →Chittorgarh Fort
• →Vijay Stambh
• →Padmini's Palace
• →Rana Kumbha Palace
• →Meerabai Temple
• →Fort museum

Bus towards Kota/Bundi (~3.5 hrs, £3), optionally stopping at Bijolia Fort en route. Bundi is small, cheap and beautiful: climb to Taragarh Fort (free-ish, small tip) and Bundi Palace's Chitrashala frescoes (₹100), see Raniji ki Baori stepwell, Sukh Mahal, Nawal Sagar Lake and the eighty-four-pillared cenotaph. An auto-rickshaw tour of the whole circuit is ~£6.

🚌Bus £3; auto-rickshaw circuit £6

🛏Guesthouse in Bundi's old town (~£13)

• →Chitrashala frescoes, Bundi Palace
• →Taragarh Fort
• →Raniji ki Baori stepwell
• →Sukh Mahal
• →Nawal Sagar Lake
• →Optional Bijolia Fort

Train or bus via Ajmer to Pushkar (~4–5 hrs, £4). Spend the afternoon circling Pushkar Lake's ghats, visiting the Brahma Temple (free, shoes off) and wandering the bazaar. Climb to Savitri Temple for sunset (~30–40 min of steps, free; ropeway £1). Be aware that some ghats invite 'donations' — politely decline or give modestly.

🚌Train/bus £4; auto from Ajmer £2

🛏Guesthouse/ashram in Pushkar (~£12)

• →Pushkar Lake ghats
• →Brahma Temple
• →Savitri Temple sunset climb
• →Pushkar bazaar

Travel day: bus or train via Jaipur/Sawai Madhopur (~5–6 hrs, £6–8). On arrival, head to Sawai Madhopur town and arrange your safaris for the next two days — book directly with the forest department's online system (rajasthanforest.in) or through your guesthouse. Shared jeep safaris are ~£20 per person per slot including park fee; book early, slots sell out in season (Oct–Jun).

🚌Train/bus £7; local autos £2

🛏Budget guesthouse, Sawai Madhopur (~£16)

• →Afternoon free to organise safaris
• →Local market wander

Morning and afternoon shared-jeep safaris into Ranthambore National Park (~£20 each). Zones are assigned by lottery, so expect a mix of dry deciduous forest, lakes and the famous Ranthambore Fort at Zone 3. Bring layers — dawn safaris are cold in winter — plus binoculars and water. Between safaris, nap or visit the fort's outer walls.

🚌Jeep transfers included in safari cost

🛏Budget guesthouse, Sawai Madhopur (~£16)

• →Morning wildlife safari
• →Afternoon wildlife safari
• →Ranthambore Fort (optional)

Another morning and afternoon safari (~£20 each). Two more slots dramatically improve your tiger odds — most visitors who see one tiger do so across 3–4 drives. Ask your lodge to group you with other solo travellers to share jeep costs. Evening: early dinner and an early night before the return journey.

🚌Jeep transfers included

🛏Budget guesthouse, Sawai Madhopur (~£16)

• →Morning wildlife safari
• →Afternoon wildlife safari

Take a morning train from Sawai Madhopur to Delhi (~5 hrs, £6–10 with AC chair car) or a long-distance bus. Check into a Paharganj or Karol Bagh guesthouse, then spend the evening shopping for textiles and spices in Janpath, Dilli Haat or Connaught Place. Pre-book your airport transfer for tomorrow.

🚌Train £8; metro/auto £3

🛏Budget guesthouse, Delhi (~£14)

• →Janpath and Connaught Place shopping
• →Dilli Haat crafts market
• →Farewell dinner

Depending on your flight time, fit in a last walk through Lodhi Gardens (free) or breakfast at a Karol Bagh café. Take the Airport Express metro (~£1) or a prepaid taxi (~£6) to IGI. Total for the 20 days lands around £1,150–1,250 per person, versus roughly £1,500 for the guided group tour — and you keep the flexibility to linger where you love it.

🚌Airport Express £1 or taxi £6

🛏—

• →Lodhi Gardens (optional)
• →Airport transfer