India with Nepal: Self-Launched Delhi to Kathmandu Adventure

Land at Indira Gandhi International Airport and take the Airport Express metro (Blue line, ~£2) or a pre-booked prepaid taxi (~£6-8) to your hostel in Paharganj or Karol Bagh. Settle in, get an Indian SIM (Airtel/Jio, £3-5) and cash from an ATM. Easy evening walk around Connaught Place for your first thali. Use the quiet first day to adjust to the time zone and noise.

🚌Airport Express metro ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Paharganj (~£10/night)

• →Airport transfer
• →Connaught Place evening stroll
• →SIM card setup

Morning in Old Delhi: wander the alleys of Chandni Chowk by cycle rickshaw (£1-2) or on foot, see Jama Masjid (free entry, £2 for the minaret) and Rajghat (free). Skip the Red Fort interior if time is tight — it's £5 and the outside is the best photo. Visit India Gate and Laxmi Narayan Temple en route. Evening, take the Shatabdi or Delhi-Jaipur Superfast train from New Delhi station (~£6-10, 4.5-5.5 hrs) or an AC sleeper overnight train. Arrive Jaipur, grab an auto (~£1.5) to your guesthouse in the Old City.

🚌Train New Delhi–Jaipur ~£8-10 (book on IRCTC or 12Go)

🛏Guesthouse in Jaipur Old City (~£14/night)

• →Chandni Chowk rickshaw ride
• →Jama Masjid
• →Rajghat
• →India Gate
• →Laxmi Narayan Temple

Get up early for Amber Fort: local bus No.5 (~£0.40) or an auto (£2) gets you there; entry £5 (combo ticket with Jantar Mantar + Hawa Mahal £10). Climb the ramparts on foot or take a jeep (£2). Afternoon: Hawa Mahal (view from outside free; interior £2), City Palace (£8), Jantar Mantar (£2). Skip the Central Museum unless you love museums. Evening: rooftop dinner in the Old City (~£5) and browse the bazaars for textiles, block prints and gems — learn to bargain.

🚌Local bus/auto ~£3

🛏Guesthouse in Jaipur Old City (~£14/night)

• →Amber Fort
• →Hawa Mahal
• →City Palace
• →Jantar Mantar
• →Bazaar shopping

Morning train Jaipur–Agra Cantt (~£4-6, 4-5 hrs) or a direct Volvo bus (~£6). Drop bags at a guesthouse in Taj Ganj so the monument is on your doorstep. Late afternoon: Agra Fort (£6). If you're up for it, pre-book a sunrise Taj Mahal ticket (£12 online — entry gates open at dawn) for tomorrow. Evening, watch the sunset from Mehtab Bagh across the river (£2) for the classic postcard view.

🚌Train Jaipur–Agra ~£5

🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj, Agra (~£12/night)

• →Agra Fort
• →Mehtab Bagh sunset view

Sunrise entry to the Taj Mahal (£12) — arrive by 6am for the soft light and far fewer people. Back to the guesthouse for breakfast, then take the early-afternoon train to Jhansi (~£4-5, 3-4 hrs) and a shared auto (~£1.50, 20 mins) to Orchha. Check into a riverside guesthouse, then wander the Orchha Palace Complex (£2) and the chhatris (cenotaphs) along the Betwa river. Evening: the Ram Raja Temple aarti if timing works.

🚌Train Agra–Jhansi ~£5 + auto ~£1.50

🛏Riverside guesthouse in Orchha (~£10/night)

• →Taj Mahal sunrise visit
• →Orchha Palace Complex
• →Betwa river chhatris
• →Ram Raja Temple aarti

Lazy morning in Orchha — rent a bicycle and cycle to Chaturbhuj Temple and the river ghats. Midday bus or shared jeep to Khajuraho (~£3-4, 3-4 hrs). Check into a guesthouse near the western group of temples. Late afternoon exploring the western complex — Lakshmi & Varaha, Kandariya Mahadev, Devi Jagdamba (entry £5, skip-the-line online). Finish with the evening light-and-sound show (~£3) at the temple complex.

🚌Bus/shared jeep Orchha–Khajuraho ~£4

🛏Guesthouse near temples, Khajuraho (~£11/night)

• →Bicycle hire in Orchha
• →Khajuraho Western Temple Group
• →Light & sound show

Morning visit to the eastern and southern temple groups (free), then a short flight if you're flush (£40-55) or a train via Mahoba/Satna (~£6-8, 9-11 hrs) — most backpackers fly. Arrive Varanasi, check into a guesthouse near Assi Ghat, and walk to the ghats for the evening Ganga Aarti ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat (free, arrive 45 mins early for a seat).

🚌Flight ~£45 or train ~£7

🛏Guesthouse near Assi Ghat, Varanasi (~£11/night)

• →Khajuraho eastern temples
• →Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat

Pre-dawn shared row boat from Assi Ghat to Manikarnika (~£4-6 per person, split with other travellers) to catch the sunrise over the burning ghats. Afterwards, take an auto to Sarnath (~£2) for Buddha's first sermon site, Dhamek Stupa, the museum (£2, closed Fridays) and the international monasteries. Afternoon: a self-guided heritage walk through the old town ghats, then a lassi at Blue Lassi. Optional evening yoga class (~£4).

🚌Boat ~£5 + auto ~£3

🛏Guesthouse near Assi Ghat (~£11/night)

• →Sunrise Ganges boat ride
• →Sarnath ruins and museum
• →Old town ghat walk

Train Varanasi to Gorakhpur (~£3-4, 4-5 hrs), then a shared jeep or overnight bus to Sunauli/Bhairahawa on the border (~£4-6, 4 hrs). Cross the border on foot (visa on arrival if you haven't done it online), then a Nepali shared bus or jeep to Lumbini (~£1.50, 45 mins). Check into a guesthouse in the monastery/eastern zone. Late afternoon: Maya Devi Temple (£2) and the sacred pool. Rent a bicycle to explore the international monastery zone.

🚌Train ~£4 + shared bus ~£6

🛏Guesthouse in Lumbini monastery zone (~£9/night)

• →Border crossing Sunauli
• →Maya Devi Temple
• →Monastery zone by bicycle

Morning tour of the Lumbini World Heritage site (Ashokan pillar, sacred garden), then local bus Sauraha/Bharatpur (~£4-5, 5-6 hrs). Stay in a jungle lodge or guesthouse in Sauraha village. Book your activities direct with a Sauraha-based operator tonight (jeep safari £15-20, canoe + walking safari £12, Elephant Breeding Centre £2). Evening: Tharu stick dance cultural show at the community hall (~£2).

🚌Local bus Lumbini–Sauraha ~£5

🛏Guesthouse in Sauraha, Chitwan (~£10/night)

• →Lumbini sacred garden morning tour
• →Tharu cultural dance show

Full day in Chitwan: dawn canoe down the Rapti River spotting gharial and birdlife (£4), walking safari through the jungle with a licensed guide (£12), or a half-day jeep safari deep into the park for deer, rhino and possibly tiger (£18). Afternoon: Tharu village walk and Elephant Breeding Centre (£2). Park permit £8. Meals included at most lodges are good value — take the full-board option (~£8 extra).

🚌On foot / local jeep

🛏Guesthouse in Sauraha, Chitwan (~£10/night)

• →Canoe trip on Rapti River
• →Walking safari with guide
• →Jeep safari
• →Tharu village walk

Tourist bus from Sauraha to Pokhara (~£6-8, 5-6 hrs) or, for the adventurous, the local bus (£3, slower). Arrive lakeside Pokhara and check into a guesthouse on Lakeside Khahare. Afternoon: rent a boat on Phewa Lake (~£2/hour, split per person) and row towards the Tal Barahi Temple. Evening: lakeside cafés and momo dinner (~£5).

🚌Tourist bus Chitwan–Pokhara ~£7

🛏Guesthouse on Pokhara Lakeside (~£10/night)

• →Phewa Lake boat hire
• →Tal Barahi Temple
• →Lakeside cafés

Pre-dawn shared jeep or taxi to Sarangkot (~£5 return or £8 taxi) for sunrise over the Annapurna range and Machhapuchhre. Back for breakfast, then join a half-day Nepali cooking class with a local family or community restaurant (~£12-15) — momo-making included, and lunch is the class. Afternoon: hire a bike or scooter (~£5) to ride to the World Peace Pagoda and Devi's Falls. Optional paragliding from Sarangkot (~£55) if you want the big view.

🚌Sunrise jeep ~£5 + scooter hire ~£5

🛏Guesthouse on Pokhara Lakeside (~£10/night)

• →Sarangkot sunrise
• →Nepali cooking class
• →World Peace Pagoda
• →Devi's Falls

Morning tourist bus to Kathmandu (~£8-10, 7 hrs) or a 25-minute flight (~£60). Check into a guesthouse in Thamel. Stretch your legs on a self-guided orientation walk: Thamel lanes, Durbar Square (£7) and the Kumari Ghar. If daylight allows, taxi to Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple, £2) for sunset views over the valley.

🚌Tourist bus Pokhara–Kathmandu ~£9 (or flight ~£60)

🛏Guesthouse in Thamel, Kathmandu (~£10/night)

• →Kathmandu Durbar Square
• →Thamel orientation walk
• →Swayambhunath sunset

Early morning trip to Bhaktapur Durbar Square (£9 entry) by local bus (~£0.60) — the best-preserved old town in the valley, with Nyatapola Temple and pottery square. Continue to Patan Durbar Square (£5) and the Patan Museum on the way back (~£2). Head back to Thamel in the afternoon, grab a last momo and dal bhat, and take a pre-booked taxi or local bus to Tribhuvan International Airport for your onward flight (~£5-8). Add a Mt Everest scenic flight (£190-200) on a spare morning if you want the bucket-list add-on.

🚌Local bus Patan/Bhaktapur ~£1 + airport taxi ~£6

🛏None (onward travel)

• →Bhaktapur Durbar Square
• →Nyatapola Temple
• →Patan Durbar Square
• →Patan Museum