India: Golden Triangle, Rajasthan & Mumbai (Self-Launched)

Land at Indira Gandhi International and take the Airport Express Metro (about £2) or the Airport Express line to New Delhi station if you're staying in Paharganj; for Karol Bagh/Aerocity use a pre-paid taxi (roughly £5-7). Book a clean guesthouse or budget hotel in Paharganj (Madpackers, Zostel Delhi or similar, £12-20/night for a private room). Spend the afternoon easing in: walk to Connaught Place, sort out an Indian SIM (Airtel/Jio, ~£3 for a data pack) and pick up an IRCTC-registered account for train tickets. Overnight Delhi.

🚌Airport Express Metro (~£2) or pre-paid taxi (~£6)

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel, Paharganj (e.g. Zostel Delhi / Madpackers)

• →Connaught Place wander
• →SIM card setup
• →IRCTC registration for trains

Do the Delhi sightseeing-loop yourself. Start at Jama Masjid (free entry, ~£2 camera fee) then dive into Chandni Chowk and the Khari Baoli spice market on foot — a cycle-rickshaw through the lanes costs about £2-3 and is the cheapest version of the operator's included rickshaw ride. Head to the Red Fort (exterior view plus optional entry ~£6), then use the Delhi Metro (~50p per ride) to hop to Agrasen ki Baoli, Bangla Sahib Gurudwara (free, cover your head), Humayun's Tomb (~£6), India Gate, the Parliament/Rashtrapati Bhavan drive-past, Qutub Minar (~£6) and the Lotus Temple (free, closed Mondays). Book a guided Old Delhi food walk on GetYourGuide if you want a guide for one segment (~£12-18). Overnight Delhi.

🚌Delhi Metro day pass (~£2) + cycle-rickshaw (~£3)

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel, Paharganj

• →Jama Masjid
• →Chandni Chowk & spice market
• →Cycle-rickshaw ride
• →Red Fort exterior
• →Agrasen ki Baoli
• →Bangla Sahib Gurudwara
• →Humayun's Tomb
• →India Gate
• →Qutub Minar
• →Lotus Temple

Take the Gatimaan Express from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra Cantt (about 1h40, ~£8-12 second class AC) — book on IRCTC a few days ahead. Drop bags at a guesthouse in Taj Ganj (e.g. Joey's Hostel or a small haveli, £12-20/night). Afternoon: visit Itimad-ud-Daulah ('Baby Taj', ~£4) across the river, then walk or take an auto to Mehtab Bagh (~£2 entry) for sunset views of the Taj Mahal from the opposite bank — the exact same viewpoint the tour uses. Eat dinner on Taj Ganj's rooftop strip (£4-6). Overnight Agra.

🚌Gatimaan Express Delhi–Agra (~£10) + auto-rickshaws (~£3)

🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj, Agra

• →Itimad-ud-Daulah (Baby Taj)
• →Sunset at Mehtab Bagh

Pre-book a Taj Mahal sunrise ticket on asi.payumoney / the ASI site (~£12, closed Fridays) and be at the East Gate queue by 5:45am — tickets are cheaper and queues shorter if you buy online in advance. Return for breakfast, then visit Agra Fort (~£6). Mid-morning, take a shared or private taxi, or the local bus, to Fatehpur Sikri (~1h, £6-12 shared), and explore the fort and Jama Masjid (~£6). From Fatehpur Sikri, take a local bus to Bharatpur and connect by train to Jaipur (~£5-8 total) or book a shared car onward (~£12). Arrive Jaipur, check into a guesthouse in the old city near Hawa Mahal (e.g. Madpackers Jaipur / a small haveli, £15-22). Overnight Jaipur.

🚌Shared taxi/bus to Fatehpur Sikri (~£8) + bus/train to Jaipur (~£7)

🛏Old-city guesthouse or haveli, Jaipur

• →Sunrise at Taj Mahal
• →Agra Fort
• →Fatehpur Sikri fort and Jama Masjid

Full self-guided Pink City day. Take a local bus or auto to Amber Fort (~£4 entry, £1-2 each way) and climb up on foot or by shared jeep. Back in the city, visit Jal Mahal (view from the road, free), Hawa Mahal (~£2), City Palace (~£9) and Jantar Mantar (~£2) — buy a composite ticket if you're doing several. Late afternoon, take an auto to Galta Ji (Monkey Temple, free/donation) for the stepwells and langurs. Evening street food crawl in the old bazaars (pyaaz kachori, lassi, ~£5). Overnight Jaipur.

🚌Local buses and auto-rickshaws (~£5)

🛏Old-city guesthouse or haveli, Jaipur

• →Amber Fort
• →Jal Mahal
• →Hawa Mahal
• →City Palace
• →Jantar Mantar
• →Galta Ji Monkey Temple

Take the morning train from Jaipur to Bikaner (roughly 5-6h, ~£4-7 in sleeper/AC chair) — or an overnight bus if you prefer to travel after dark. Check into a guesthouse or heritage-style budget hotel near the old city (£15-22). Spend the afternoon in the walled old town: try Bikaneri bhujia and kachori at Chotu Motu Joshi, wander the Junagarh area's lanes and visit the 4th-century Bhandasar Jain Temple. Overnight Bikaner.

🚌Train Jaipur–Bikaner (~£6)

🛏Budget heritage hotel or guesthouse, Bikaner

• →Old city walk
• →Bhandasar Jain Temple
• →Street food in Bikaner

Morning: Junagarh Fort (~£5, allow 2h), Lalgarh Palace museum (~£2), then a shared auto or taxi out to Deshnoke for Karni Mata Temple (the rat temple, free) — roughly £4-6 return. If you have time, stop at Gajner Lake and the National Research Centre on Camel near Bikaner (~£3 entry) before heading out. Afternoon train or bus to Jaisalmer (about 5h, ~£5-7). Check into a guesthouse inside the fort or just outside it (£15-22). Overnight Jaisalmer.

🚌Shared taxi to Deshnoke (~£5) + train/bus to Jaisalmer (~£6)

🛏Guesthouse inside or near Jaisalmer Fort

• →Junagarh Fort
• →Lalgarh Palace
• →Karni Mata Temple
• →Gajner Lake
• →Camel breeding centre

Explore Jaisalmer Fort on foot in the morning (free to enter, small fees for the palace museum ~£3, Patwon ki Haveli ~£2 and Nathmal ki Haveli free outside view). In the afternoon, book a half-day camel safari + Sam Sand Dunes sunset online (GetYourGuide/Klook or your guesthouse, ~£18-25 including jeep transfer, camel ride and folk dance performance at a desert camp). Note that the commercial tour's 'desert camp experience' is often an overnight — this version does it as an evening camp with dinner and a jeep back to town, or you can upgrade to an overnight camp (~£30-40) and skip the Jodhpur morning. Overnight Jaisalmer.

🚌Jeep transfer to Sam Sand Dunes (included in safari)

🛏Guesthouse near Jaisalmer Fort

• →Jaisalmer Fort
• →Patwon ki Haveli
• →Nathmal ki Haveli
• →Camel ride at Sam Sand Dunes
• →Sunset dunes
• →Rajasthani folk dance and camp dinner

Morning bus or train to Jodhpur (~5h, ~£5-8 — the Rani Express and several buses run daily). Check into a guesthouse in the old blue-washed lanes below Mehrangarh (e.g. a haveli in Navchokiya, £15-22). Afternoon free: wander the indigo streets, try makhaniya lassi at Shri Mishrilal and mirchi vada at the clock tower market, then catch sunset from the rooftop of a cafe or from Kaylana Lake. Overnight Jodhpur.

🚌Bus or train Jaisalmer–Jodhpur (~£7)

🛏Haveli guesthouse in the old blue city, Jodhpur

• →Blue city lanes walk
• →Clock Tower Market food stop
• →Sunset rooftop

Early start: Mehrangarh Fort (~£7, includes audio guide — excellent value and a good substitute for a private guide), Jaswant Thada (~£2), Umaid Bhawan Palace museum (~£3) and Mandore Gardens (free). Late morning take a bus or shared taxi toward Ranakpur (~2h) and tour the spectacular Ranakpur Jain Temple (free/donation, closed to tourists 12:00-17:00 in some seasons — check ahead). Continue on a local bus or shared car through the Aravalli hills to Udaipur (~2.5h, ~£10-15 total for the day's transport). Check into a lakeside guesthouse near Lake Pichola (£15-22). Overnight Udaipur.

🚌Local bus/shared taxi Jodhpur–Ranakpur–Udaipur (~£13)

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Udaipur

• →Mehrangarh Fort
• →Jaswant Thada
• →Umaid Bhawan Palace
• →Mandore Gardens
• →Ranakpur Jain Temple

Self-guided Udaipur day. City Palace complex (~£5), Jagdish Temple (free) and Saheliyon ki Bari (~£2). Book a shared boat ride on Lake Pichola (about £8-10 for the standard jetty boat — cheaper than the private option, includes views of Taj Lake Palace and Jag Mandir). Walk to Fateh Sagar Lake for sunset, then catch the evening cultural dance show at Bagore ki Haveli (~£2-3, 7pm). Dinner at a rooftop overlooking the lake (£5-7). Overnight Udaipur.

🚌Walking and auto-rickshaws (~£3)

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Udaipur

• →Udaipur City Palace
• →Jagdish Temple
• →Lake Pichola boat ride
• →Taj Lake Palace view
• →Fateh Sagar Lake
• →Bagore ki Haveli dance show

Take a morning flight from Maharana Pratap Airport to Mumbai (IndiGo/SpiceJet, booked 3-4 weeks ahead ~£40-55 one way, plus ~£3 airport transfer). From Mumbai Airport, take the Metro Line 3 or a suburban train into Colaba/Fort (~£1-2) instead of a taxi. Check into a budget hotel or hostel in Colaba or Fort (£18-28 private room). Afternoon: walk Colaba Causeway, the Gateway of India and Marine Drive at sunset — all free and essentially the tour's Day 13 done at your own pace. Overnight Mumbai.

🚌Flight Udaipur–Mumbai (~£48) + airport transfers (~£4)

🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Colaba/Fort, Mumbai

• →Colaba Causeway
• →Gateway of India
• →Marine Drive sunset walk

Use the suburban train and local buses (~£2 day ticket) to tick off Siddhivinayak Temple (free, go early), Haji Ali Dargah (free, walk the causeway at low tide) and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (UNESCO-listed, free to view, £1 platform ticket). Consider a 2-3h GetYourGuide walking tour of the Fort district and Dharavi or Dhobi Ghat (~£15-20) if you want local context — the cheapest route is a self-guided audio walk. Evening: Bandra's Carter Road or a Bollywood film at a local cinema (£2-4). Overnight Mumbai.

🚌Mumbai suburban trains and buses (~£3)

🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Colaba/Fort, Mumbai

• →Siddhivinayak Temple
• →Haji Ali Dargah
• →CSMT station
• →Fort district walk
• →Optional Dharavi/Dhobi Ghat tour

Final morning for last-minute shopping at Crawford Market or a final masala dosa breakfast (£2). Take the Airport Express/Metro to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in plenty of time for your flight. If you're flying out late, store bags at the hotel and spend the afternoon in the Kala Ghoda art district before heading to the airport.

🚌Airport transfer by metro/ Airport Express (~£2)

🛏—

• →Crawford Market
• →Kala Ghoda art district