Kolkata to Goa by Rail — Self-Launched

Land at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Airport and take the prepaid taxi counter (approx ₹500-700 / £5-7) or the airport-to-Howrah bus into Sudder Street, where the cheap guesthouses cluster. Settle in, drink your first chai, and pick up an Indian SIM (Airtel/Jio, ~£4-6 with a month of data) — you'll need it for IRCTC train bookings. Book your onward sleeper/3AC ticket to New Jalpaiguri tonight or tomorrow morning on the IRCTC app (book 2-3 weeks ahead in high season).

🚌Airport prepaid taxi ~£6

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Sudder Street (~£10-14/night)

• →Sudder Street orientation walk
• →Buy Indian SIM card
• →Set up IRCTC account and book first train

Self-guided morning covering the Victoria Memorial (£2.50 entry, check opening hours — closed Mondays) and Mother Teresa's House on AJC Bose Road (free, donations welcome, closed Thursdays). Grab lunch at a Kolkata kathi roll stand or a local thali house. Spend the afternoon at the Indian Museum (£3) if time allows, then head to Howrah station for the overnight train to New Jalpaiguri (ideally 12377 Padatik Express, dep ~22:00). Sleeper class ~£5, 3AC ~£13.

🚌Overnight train Howrah–New Jalpaiguri, sleeper ~£5 / 3AC ~£13

🛏Sleeper or 3AC train

• →Victoria Memorial
• →Mother Teresa's House
• →Indian Museum (optional)

Arrive at NJP in the morning and walk across to the NJP bus stand — shared jeeps (₹200-300, ~£2-3, 3 hrs) run to Darjeeling constantly; a shared taxi is similar. Check into a hill-view guesthouse in the Chauk Bazaar area, then do your own orientation loop: Chowrasta Mall, the Mall Road viewpoints and a sunset chai at Observatory Hill. Buy your Tiger Hill shared jeep seat this evening for tomorrow's dawn run.

🚌Shared jeep NJP–Darjeeling ~£3

🛏Guesthouse with a view, Darjeeling (~£12-18/night)

• →Shared jeep through the Teesta valley
• →Chowrasta Mall and Mall Road walk
• →Observatory Hill sunset

Shared jeep to Tiger Hill for the 4am Kanchenjunga sunrise (₹200-300 return). Back in town, walk to a working tea estate — Happy Valley is the easiest on foot, or taxi to Makaibari for a proper estate tour (~£4-6 with tasting). Book the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway toy train diesel joy ride Darjeeling–Ghum loop the day before at the station (₹800-1,500 / £8-15) and add a visit to the DHR museum; riding behind the vintage steam engine is seasonal and pricier. Late afternoon, taxi or long walk to the Japanese Peace Pagoda, then Mahakal Temple at Observatory Hill.

🚌Shared jeep + local taxis ~£6

🛏Guesthouse, Darjeeling

• →Tiger Hill sunrise
• →Tea estate tour and tasting
• →Darjeeling Himalayan Railway joy ride
• →Peace Pagoda
• →Mahakal Temple

Share a jeep or book a seat in a shared taxi down to Siliguri/NJP (₹250) and connect to a Gangtok-bound shared jeep or Sikkim Nationalised Transport bus (₹250-350, ~4-5 hrs total). Note Sikkim requires an Inner Line Permit for many nationalities — the standard one is issued free at the Rangpo border or at the Sikkim Tourism office in Siliguri, so carry passport photos. Arrive, check into MG Marg area guesthouse, and walk the pedestrianised MG Marg at dusk.

🚌Shared jeeps Darjeeling–Siliguri–Gangtok ~£7

🛏Guesthouse near MG Marg, Gangtok (~£14-20/night)

• →Inner Line Permit application
• →MG Marg evening stroll

Free day. Options: hire a taxi for the half-day Rumtek/Institute of Tibetology loop (~£18-22 per car, shareable), walk to the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology and Do Drul Chorten, or take the cable car for Himalayan views (£3). Day trips to Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir need a permit arranged a day ahead via any MG Marg travel agent (~£15-20 per person shared). Slow evening back on MG Marg.

🚌Local taxi shares ~£5

🛏Guesthouse, Gangtok

• →Namgyal Institute of Tibetology
• →Do Drul Chorten stupa
• →Ropeway / cable car
• →Optional Tsomgo Lake day trip

Hire a taxi or shared jeep for the Gangtok–Rumtek–Kalimpong run (~₹2,500-3,000 per car shared, ~£10-12 each); Rumtek Monastery en route is the big stop, plus Teesta valley views. Kalimpong is a mellow, small bazaar town — walk to the Tharpa Choling monastery, the old colonial Dr Graham's Homes viewpoint and the flower nurseries it's famous for. Cheap, excellent momos for dinner.

🚌Shared taxi/jeep via Rumtek ~£11

🛏Guesthouse, Kalimpong (~£12-16/night)

• →Rumtek Monastery
• →Kalimpong bazaar walk
• →Tharpa Choling Monastery
• →Flower nurseries

Morning shared jeep up to Deolo Hill for the Kanchenjunga panorama (£4-5 return). Lunch in town, then shared jeep back to NJP (₹250 / £3, ~2.5 hrs). This evening's overnight train to Varanasi is a long one — the 15651/Guwahati–Jammu Tawi or similar gets you to Mughal Sarai in roughly 14-16 hours; sleeper ~£6, 3AC ~£15. Book this leg as far ahead as possible, it's the hardest seat on the route.

🚌Shared jeep to NJP ~£3; overnight train to Mughal Sarai ~£15

🛏Sleeper or 3AC train

• →Deolo Hill viewpoint
• →Overnight Indian Railways journey

Arrive Mughal Sarai, then share an auto or take the bus into Varanasi (~£2, 45 mins). Base yourself in Assi Ghat or near Dashashwamedh. Rest, then walk the ghats before sunset and stay for the Ganga Aarti fire ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat (free, arrive 30-45 mins early for a seat; a boat-view seat costs ~£3-5). Lassi at Blue Lassi, dinner at a thali house.

🚌Auto-rickshaw Mughal Sarai–Varanasi ~£2

🛏Guesthouse near Assi Ghat (~£10-15/night)

• →Ghat walk
• →Ganga Aarti ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat

Sunrise rowing boat on the Ganges — book directly with a boatman at Assi Ghat the night before, ₹500-800 per boat for 1.5 hours shared (£5-8 total, so £2-3 each). Watch the bathing and cremation rituals from the water. Afternoon: shared auto to Sarnath (£3 return) for the Dhamek Stupa, the museum (closed Fridays) and the deer park where Buddha gave his first sermon. Evening free for the lanes of the old city.

🚌Auto-rickshaw to Sarnath ~£3

🛏Guesthouse, Varanasi

• →Sunrise Ganges boat trip
• →Sarnath stupa and museum
• →Old city lane wandering

Morning Varanasi–Lucknow Intercity train (AC chair car ~£5-7, ~5 hrs) — book on IRCTC. Check in near Aminabad or Hazratganj. Afternoon at the Bara Imambara complex (₹50 entry domestic rate, ~£1; the Bhool Bhulaiya labyrinth is the highlight) and the adjoining Chota Imambara. Evening: Lucknow is a kebab city — eat galouti kebabs and Awadhi biryani at Tunday Kababi, the cheapest and best meal you'll have all trip.

🚌Intercity train to Lucknow ~£6

🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse, Lucknow (~£12-16/night)

• →Bara Imambara
• →Chota Imambara
• →Tunday Kababi kebab dinner

Morning explore Lucknow at leisure — The Residency (£2.50, the 1857 siege ruins) and the Husainabad Clock Tower. Catch the afternoon Swarna Shatabdi Express to New Delhi (AC chair car ~£10-14, ~6.5 hrs, meal included). Land in Paharganj or the Majnu ka Tilla area for cheap beds and a rooftop dinner.

🚌Swarna Shatabdi Express to Delhi ~£12

🛏Hostel, Paharganj / central Delhi (~£10-14/night)

• →The Residency ruins
• →Hussainabad Clock Tower
• →Paharganj evening walk

Self-launched Delhi day using the Metro (day pass ~£2). Old Delhi first: Red Fort (£6 foreigner ticket), Jama Masjid (£2.50, modest dress, shoes off), then a cycle-rickshaw loop of Chandni Chowk and paranthe wali gali for stuffed parathas. Afternoon south: Humayun's Tomb (£6) and Qutub Minar (£6) — or swap one for Lodhi Gardens (free). Book tomorrow's Agra train tonight (Delhi–Agra Cantt, ~2 hrs, AC chair ~£6).

🚌Delhi Metro day pass ~£2

🛏Hostel, Delhi

• →Red Fort
• →Jama Masjid
• →Chandni Chowk food walk
• →Humayun's Tomb
• →Qutub Minar

Early train to Agra, drop bags at a Taj Ganj guesthouse, then the Taj Mahal at opening or late afternoon (£13 foreigner ticket, closed Fridays). Book a licensed guide at the ticket office or pre-book via GetYourGuide (~£15-25) — or skip the guide and use an audio/app guide. Agra Fort (£7) with the same approach in the afternoon, plus Mehtab Bagh across the river for the sunset view (£4). Taj Ganj rooftop for dinner.

🚌Train Delhi–Agra ~£6; autos ~£3

🛏Guesthouse, Taj Ganj (~£10-15/night)

• →Taj Mahal
• →Agra Fort
• →Mehtab Bagh sunset viewpoint
• →Optional licensed guide

Morning train Agra Fort–Jaipur (~4.5 hrs, AC chair ~£6-8). Check into a guesthouse inside the old city walls near Hawa Mahal. Late afternoon: free orientation walk of the Pink City bazaars — Johari Bazaar for jewellery, Bapu Bazaar for textiles — and a rooftop dinner looking at Hawa Mahal floodlit.

🚌Train to Jaipur ~£7

🛏Guesthouse in the old city, Jaipur (~£12-16/night)

• →Johari and Bapu Bazaar walk
• →Hawa Mahal from a rooftop cafe

Local bus #5 or a shared auto to Amber Fort (£3-4 return); entry £6, or skip the elephant rides. Walk the fort courtyards and the Sheesh Mahal, then hike or auto up to Jaigarh Fort for the view. Afternoon back in town: City Palace (£8) and Jantar Mantar (£2.50), plus the Raj Mandir cinema for a Bollywood film (£2.50-4).

🚌Local bus/shared auto to Amber ~£4

🛏Guesthouse, Jaipur

• →Amber Fort
• →Jaigarh Fort
• →City Palace
• →Jantar Mantar
• →Raj Mandir cinema

Morning train or the fast AC bus to Udaipur (~6-7 hrs, ~£7-10). Udaipur is the most relaxed city on the route — check into a guesthouse with a lake view in the Lal Ghat area (£12-18). Evening boat ride on Lake Pichola at sunset (₹400-600 / £4-6) and dinner on a rooftop watching the Lake Palace light up.

🚌Train or AC bus to Udaipur ~£8

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Udaipur (~£14-18/night)

• →Lake Pichola sunset boat
• →Lal Ghat rooftop dinner

City Palace complex (£7.50 with the Crystal Gallery), Jagdish Temple next door (free, shoes off), and Bagore ki Haveli for the 7pm Dharohar folk dance show (£3, book earlier in the day — it sells out). Optional: Monsoon Palace sunset trip (£5 entry + £8 shared taxi) or a half-day cooking class booked directly with a Lal Ghat family (~£15-20).

🚌Walking + shared auto ~£3

🛏Guesthouse, Udaipur

• →City Palace
• →Jagdish Temple
• →Dharohar folk dance at Bagore ki Haveli
• →Optional Monsoon Palace or cooking class

Bus or shared taxi Udaipur–Bundi (~4-5 hrs, ~£5-7) — quieter and cheaper than another train connection. Bundi is a small, atmospheric town of blue-washed houses at the foot of a huge fort. Afternoon: climb to Taragarh Fort (free-ish, ₹50, a scramble) or just wander the old town and the stepwells. Rooftop dinner over the palace.

🚌Bus Udaipur–Bundi ~£6

🛏Guesthouse, Bundi (~£10-14/night)

• →Bundi old town walk
• →Taragarh Fort viewpoint
• →Stepwells

Morning at Bundi Palace and the Raniji ki Baori stepwell (£2-3 total) — the Chitrashala murals are worth the walk. Afternoon shared auto to Kota Junction (45 mins, £3-4) and board the overnight train to Mumbai (Kota–Mumbai Central, sleeper ~£8, 3AC ~£18, ~13-15 hrs). Book well ahead; this is a popular overnight leg.

🚌Shared auto to Kota ~£3; overnight train to Mumbai ~£18

🛏Sleeper or 3AC train

• →Bundi Palace and Chitrashala
• →Raniji ki Baori stepwell

Arrive Mumbai Central, take a suburban train or taxi to Colaba (hostel beds £12-20). Self-guided Colaba walk: Gateway of India, the Taj Mahal Palace exterior, the Afghan Church, and the Kala Ghoda art district with the Jehangir Art Gallery and BMC building. Evening at Marine Drive for the Queen's Necklace lights, with vada pav and bhel puri from street stalls (under £2).

🚌Suburban train + taxi ~£4

🛏Hostel, Colaba (~£15/night)

• →Gateway of India
• →Colaba walking tour (self-guided or free walking tour)
• →Kala Ghoda galleries
• →Marine Drive sunset

Morning at Dharavi on a community-run Reality Tours walk (£8-10, proceeds go to local NGOs) or Elephanta Caves by ferry (£6 ferry + £6 entry, closed Mondays). Afternoon: fly Mumbai–Goa on IndiGo/SpiceJet booked direct (~£35-55, 1 hr 15) or take the Konkan Railway overnight/day train to Madgaon (~£6-12, 10-12 hrs). Either way, land in South or North Goa and check into a beach hut or hostel (Palolem for calm, Anjuna/Vagator for backpacker nightlife).

🚌Flight ~£45 or Konkan Railway train ~£10

🛏Beach hut or hostel, Goa (~£10-18/night)

• →Optional Dharavi community walk
• →Optional Elephanta Caves
• →Beach arrival

Slow beach morning — swim, rent a scooter (~£5-7/day) and explore. Afternoon ride to Old Goa for the Basilica of Bom Jesus and Se Cathedral (free entry, modest dress), then to Panjim for the Latin Quarter's Portuguese houses and the Mandovi riverfront. Sunset on Palolem or Anjuna beach, fresh fish thali dinner (~£4-5).

🚌Scooter rental ~£6

🛏Beach hut or hostel, Goa

• →Beach time
• →Basilica of Bom Jesus and Se Cathedral, Old Goa
• →Panjim Latin Quarter walk

Final beach breakfast and a last swim. Dabolim or Mopa airport is 45-90 minutes by taxi or bus (£8-15); if you're heading onward overland, buses run up the Konkan coast or to Hampi. Trip ends — 24 days, roughly 15 train journeys, and a fraction of the group tour price.

🚌Airport taxi ~£12

🛏None (departure day)

• →Last beach morning