Northern India & Rajasthan to Goa by Rail — Self-Launched

Land at Indira Gandhi International and take a prepaid taxi or the Delhi Airport Metro Express to your guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh (metro ~£1, prepaid taxi ~£6-8). Settle in, get a local SIM (Airtel/Jio, ~£5 for a month of data), withdraw cash and eat a first thali. Book your onward Amritsar Shatabdi ticket tonight if you haven't already.

🚌Airport Metro Express ~£1 or prepaid taxi ~£7

🛏Guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh (~£15/night double, £8-10 dorm)

• →Airport metro transfer
• →Local SIM and cash run
• →Paharganj street food wander

Take the morning Shatabdi Express from New Delhi to Amritsar (~6 hrs, AC Chair Car ~£12-15, book on IRCTC). In the afternoon, share an auto or taxi to Attari (~45 min, ~£8 return shared) for the India–Pakistan Wagah border ceremony — arrive by 4pm for a decent spot, it's free. Back in town, do an evening circuit of the Golden Temple, which is floodlit and magical at night. Free langar dinner at the temple is open to all.

🚌Shatabdi Express Delhi–Amritsar ~£13; shared taxi to Attari ~£8 return

🛏Guesthouse near the Golden Temple (~£12-15/night)

• →Shatabdi Express train
• →Wagah/Attari border ceremony (free)
• →Golden Temple at night
• →Langar meal

Return to the Golden Temple in the morning for a free volunteer-led or self-guided walk of the complex, the Sikh museum and the community kitchen — the community service ethos here is the real highlight. In the afternoon take a local bus or shared taxi up to Dharamshala/McLeod Ganj (~5 hrs, bus ~£4-5 or shared taxi ~£10). Orientation walk around McLeod Ganj's lanes and Bhagsu Road in the evening.

🚌Local bus Amritsar–Dharamshala ~£5

🛏Guesthouse in McLeod Ganj (~£10-14/night)

• →Golden Temple complex and langar hall
• →Sikh museum
• →Bus up into the Kangra hills
• →McLeod Ganj orientation walk

Free day. Visit the Tsuglagkhang complex (the Dalai Lama's temple and residence) — free entry, closed mid-afternoon; the Tibet Museum next door is ~£2. Optionally take a guided walk through the Norbulingka Institute (~£3 entry, ~£8 taxi), or hike down to Bhagsunag waterfall and the Shiva café (~1 hr each way, free). Evening: Tibetan food and a rooftop momo dinner.

🚌Walking and local taxis ~£4

🛏Guesthouse in McLeod Ganj (~£10-14/night)

• →Tsuglagkhang / Dalai Lama temple (free)
• →Tibet Museum ~£2
• →Norbulingka Institute ~£3
• →Bhagsunag waterfall hike
• →Tibetan cooking dinner

Take a local bus down to Mandi (~4-5 hrs, ~£4), the 'Varanasi of the Hills', known for its 80+ carved stone temples. Drop bags at a guesthouse and take a shared jeep or bus to Rewalsar Lake (~1 hr, ~£1.50), sacred to Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists, with a monastery, gurudwara and lake-side temples. Wander the lake circuit and the hillside gompas, then return to Mandi for the evening aarti at the riverside ghats.

🚌Local buses ~£6 total

🛏Simple guesthouse in Mandi (~£10-12/night)

• →Mandi stone temples walk
• →Rewalsar Lake circuit
• →Rewalsar monastery and gurudwara
• →Evening riverside aarti

Bus to Shimla (~4-5 hrs, ~£4). Shimla was the British Raj summer capital and still wears its colonial architecture proudly. Check into a guesthouse on or near the Mall, then stretch your legs along the pedestrianised Ridge and Mall Road — the toy train station, Christ Church and the Gaiety Theatre are all within a short walk.

🚌Local bus Mandi–Shimla ~£4

🛏Guesthouse near Mall Road (~£15-18/night)

• →Bus through the hills
• →The Ridge and Mall Road stroll
• →Christ Church and Gaiety Theatre

A full day in Shimla. Walk up to the Viceregal Lodge (Rashtrapati Niwas) — entry ~£1, guided tours ~£2 — and admire the neo-Gothic and Tudorbethan heritage buildings along the heritage walk. Optionally hike to Jakhoo Temple (~1 hr up, free, watch for the monkeys) for the best view over the town. Confirm your toy train seats for tomorrow.

🚌Walking; local taxi ~£3

🛏Guesthouse near Mall Road (~£15-18/night)

• →Viceregal Lodge ~£2
• →Heritage architecture walk
• →Jakhoo Temple hike (free)

Ride the UNESCO World Heritage Kalka–Shimla toy train (Shimla to Kalka, ~5 hrs, ~£2-3, book on IRCTC well ahead — it's small and sells out). At Kalka switch to the Shatabdi Express to New Delhi (~4 hrs, ~£10-13). Buy snacks on board and dinner at New Delhi station or back in Paharganj.

🚌Toy train ~£3 + Shatabdi Express ~£12

🛏Guesthouse in Paharganj (~£15/night)

• →UNESCO Kalka–Shimla toy train
• →Shatabdi Express to Delhi

Free day. Do Old Delhi on foot: Jama Masjid (~£2 camera fee), the lanes of Chandni Chowk, and a Karim's kebab lunch. Alternatively book a guided Old Delhi street-food walk via GetYourGuide (~£18-25) or a Delhi walking tour by a former at-risk youth social enterprise (~£12-15, book direct — this mirrors the group tour's community walking tour). Afternoon: Humayun's Tomb (~£6) or Lodhi Gardens (free).

🚌Metro day pass ~£2; autos ~£4

🛏Guesthouse in Paharganj (~£15/night)

• →Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk
• →Old Delhi street-food walk ~£20 (GetYourGuide)
• →Humayun's Tomb ~£6
• →Lodhi Gardens (free)

Morning Shatabdi Express to Agra (~2 hrs, ~£8-10, breakfast on board). Drop bags and visit the Taj Mahal — book tickets online (ASI, ~£11 foreigner entry, closed Fridays) and go late afternoon for softer light and fewer crowds, or pre-book a licensed guide (~£15-20). Then Agra Fort (~£6, or combined ticket with Baby Taj ~£9). Optional: Mehtab Bagh across the river at sunset for the classic Taj view (~£3).

🚌Shatabdi Express ~£9; local autos ~£5

🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj (~£13-16/night)

• →Taj Mahal ~£11
• →Agra Fort ~£6
• →Mehtab Bagh sunset view ~£3
• →Optional licensed guide ~£18 (GetYourGuide)

Morning free for the Baby Taj (Itimad-ud-Daulah, ~£3) or a Fatehpur Sikri day trip by bus/taxi (~3 hrs round trip). In the late afternoon/evening take the train to Jaipur (~4-5 hrs, AC Chair ~£7-9; the Shatabdi or a slower express both work). Check into a guesthouse in the Old City near Hawa Mahal.

🚌Train Agra–Jaipur ~£8

🛏Guesthouse in the Old City (~£14-18/night)

• →Baby Taj ~£3
• →Train to the Pink City

Start with Hawa Mahal from the street (free) or the café opposite. Take a local bus or auto to Amber Fort (~£2 return auto, fort entry ~£6, or £8 combined ticket with Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal). Wander the courtyards and Sheesh Mahal. Afternoon: City Palace (~£8), Jantar Mantar (~£2.50), and the bazaars of Johari and Bapu. Evening: a Bollywood film at the Art Deco Raj Mandir (~£2-4) or a Rajasthani cultural dance show bookable via GetYourGuide (~£12-20).

🚌Local bus/auto ~£5

🛏Guesthouse in the Old City (~£14-18/night)

• →Amber Fort ~£6
• →Hawa Mahal
• →City Palace ~£8
• →Jantar Mantar ~£2.50
• →Raj Mandir cinema ~£3
• →Rajasthani folk show ~£15 (GetYourGuide)

Train or bus to Udaipur (~6-7 hrs; train AC Chair ~£8-10, or a comfortable Volvo bus ~£8). Arrive and take an evening orientation walk around Lake Pichola, watching the sunset from the Ambrai ghat or a rooftop café. Udaipur is the most relaxed city on this route — slow down.

🚌Train/bus Jaipur–Udaipur ~£9

🛏Guesthouse near Lake Pichola (~£14-18/night)

• →Lake Pichola sunset walk
• →Rooftop dinner overlooking the lake

Visit the City Palace complex (~£8) and the intricately carved Jagdish Temple (free, shoes off). Wander the old town lanes and the ghats, then take a shared boat ride on Lake Pichola (~£5-8) past the Lake Palace. Optional: Monsoon Palace at sunset (~£5 entry plus ~£5 taxi) or a sunrise cycle tour booked via GetYourGuide (~£20).

🚌Walking; taxi ~£5

🛏Guesthouse near Lake Pichola (~£14-18/night)

• →City Palace ~£8
• →Jagdish Temple (free)
• →Lake Pichola boat ~£6
• →Optional Monsoon Palace ~£10

Morning: join a half-day Rajasthani cooking class in a local home (~£15-20 via GetYourGuide or book direct at a guesthouse). Mid-afternoon, take a train or bus to Bundi (~5 hrs, ~£6-8) — a small, laid-back town of blue-washed houses, stepwells and a dramatic palace. Evening wander through the old town.

🚌Train/bus Udaipur–Bundi ~£7

🛏Guesthouse in Bundi old town (~£10-13/night)

• →Rajasthani cooking class ~£18
• →Old town evening walk

Explore Bundi's Taragarh Fort and Garh Palace (combined ~£3, beware the bats but the Chitrashala murals are extraordinary), then walk to the Raniji ki Baori stepwell (~£1) and Sukh Mahal. In the evening board an overnight sleeper train to Mumbai (Bundi or Kota to Mumbai, ~16-18 hrs, sleeper class ~£7-10, AC3 ~£15-18 — book early).

🚌Overnight train ~£15 (AC3)

🛏Overnight train, sleeper or AC3 class

• →Taragarh Fort and Garh Palace ~£3
• →Raniji ki Baori stepwell ~£1
• →Overnight sleeper train

Arrive into Mumbai and check into a guesthouse in Colaba or Fort. Do a self-guided Colaba walk: the Gateway of India, Taj Mahal Palace exterior, the Kala Ghoda art district and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (a UNESCO-listed Victorian Gothic railway station — just buy a platform ticket for ~10p). Evening: Marine Drive's 'Queen's Necklace' at sunset, then vada pav and a Thali dinner.

🚌Local trains and taxis ~£5

🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Colaba (~£20-28/night — Mumbai is pricier)

• →Gateway of India
• →Colaba and Kala Ghoda walk
• →CSMT station (UNESCO)
• →Marine Drive sunset

Take the Konkan Railway or a morning flight to Goa. The Konkan Railway (Mumbai to Madgaon/Karmali, ~11-12 hrs overnight, sleeper ~£8, AC3 ~£15) is one of India's great scenic journeys — alternatively a 1 hr flight on IndiGo (~£30-45 booked ahead). Head to Palolem in South Goa for calm beaches or Anjuna/Vagator in the north for backpacker energy. Accommodation on the sand is cheap and easy.

🚌Flight ~£35 or Konkan Railway ~£15

🛏Beach hut or guesthouse (~£12-20/night)

• →Konkan Railway scenic route
• →Beach arrival and sunset swim

Full day of nothing much: swim, rent a scooter (~£6/day) to explore, and eat fresh fish curry and Goan prawn balchão. Optional: a half-day spice plantation tour (~£15 via GetYourGuide), dolphin-spotting boat from Palolem (~£8), or a day trip to Old Goa's Portuguese churches — Basilica of Bom Jesus and Se Cathedral (free entry, ~£3 taxi each way).

🚌Scooter hire ~£6

🛏Beach hut or guesthouse (~£12-20/night)

• →Beach day
• →Scooter hire ~£6
• →Optional spice plantation ~£15
• →Old Goa churches (free)

Last swim and breakfast on the sand, then a taxi or local bus to Dabolim/Mopa airport (~£10-15 taxi, ~£1 bus) for your onward or home flight. If you've got time, a slow morning in Palolem's cafés is the right way to end the trip.

🚌Taxi to airport ~£12

🛏—

• →Final beach morning
• →Airport transfer