Rajasthan & Mumbai Self-Launched: Mumbai to Bikaner in 14 Days

Land at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and take the airport metro/suburban rail or a prepaid taxi (₹700–1,200, ~£7–12) to a hostel or budget guesthouse in Colaba or near Juhu. Skip the operator's airport pickup — Ubers and the Metro Line 3 airport link are cheap and easy. Spend the evening walking the Fort district: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (a UNESCO site), Crawford Market and the Colaba Causeway for street food and cheap shopping. Cash and a local SIM (Airtel/Jio, ~₹400–600) are worth sorting on day one.

🚌Airport Metro/taxi into the city (~£7–12); walk and local trains thereafter

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Colaba/Fort (e.g. Backpacker Panda Colaba or similar) — ~£10–14

• →Colaba Causeway street food and shopping
• →Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus exterior and Fort district walk

DIY the operator's full-day Mumbai tour. Start early at the Gateway of India and take the ferry to Elephanta Caves (return ferry ~₹260 plus ₹40 entry; boats from 9am, closed Mondays) — the rock-cut Shiva caves are the highlight of the day. Back on shore, walk to the Prince of Wales Museum (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, ~₹650 foreigners), then the Jain Temple at Malabar Hill, the Hanging Gardens and Kamla Nehru Park above Marine Drive. Finish with sunset on Marine Drive and dinner at Juhu Chowpatty (beach snacks ~₹150–300). A GetYourGuide/Klook half-day walking tour costs ~£15–25 if you want a guide.

🚌Local trains, taxis and Elephanta ferry (~£5–8 total)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Colaba/Fort — ~£10–14

• →Elephanta Caves ferry and entry
• →Prince of Wales Museum
• →Malabar Hill Jain Temple and Hanging Gardens
• →Marine Drive sunset
• →Juhu Chowpatty snacks

Book a cheap domestic flight Mumbai–Jaipur (IndiGo/SpiceJet, often £30–55 if booked ahead) or, for the budget/overland route, the Mumbai–Jaipur train (a long overnight, ~£10–18 in sleeper/3AC). Arrive in the Pink City and check into a guesthouse in the old town near Hawa Mahal. Spend the afternoon wandering Johari and Bapu Bazaars, sipping chai at a rooftop cafe facing Hawa Mahal, and sorting your Amber Fort tickets online in advance.

🚌Mumbai–Jaipur flight (~£30–55) or overnight train (~£10–18); local auto-rickshaw ~£3

🛏Heritage guesthouse/haveli in old Jaipur — ~£14–22

• →Bapu/Johari Bazaar wander
• →Rooftop chai by Hawa Mahal

Do the classic Jaipur day on your own. Take a local bus or auto to Amber Fort early (entry ~₹550 with composite ticket; jeep up ~₹200 — skip the elephant ride on welfare grounds). A local guide at the gate costs ~₹500–800 for an hour. On the way back stop at Jal Mahal for photos and climb to Nahargarh Fort for sunset. Then cover the City Palace (~₹700), Jantar Mantar (~₹200) and Hawa Mahal (view from the street-side cafe is free) — a composite ticket saves money on several sites.

🚌Local bus/auto to Amber (~£3–5 return)

🛏Heritage guesthouse/haveli in old Jaipur — ~£14–22

• →Amber Fort and jeep ascent
• →Jal Mahal photo stop
• →Nahargarh Fort sunset
• →City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal

Take a local bus or shared taxi Jaipur–Ajmer (~₹150–250, 2.5 hrs), stop at Ajmer's Dargah Sharif (Sufi shrine — dress modestly, remove shoes) and the Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra mosque, then a short bus or auto on to Pushkar (30 mins). Check into a guesthouse by the lake. In the afternoon walk Pushkar Lake's ghats (watch for pushy 'priests' demanding donations), visit the Brahma Temple, and climb to Savitri Temple for sunset views (ropeway ~₹150 or a 20-minute stair climb).

🚌Jaipur–Ajmer bus (~£2), Ajmer–Pushkar bus/auto (~£1)

🛏Guesthouse near Pushkar Lake — ~£10–16

• →Ajmer Dargah Sharif
• →Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra
• →Pushkar Lake ghats
• →Brahma Temple
• →Savitri Temple sunset

A long but rewarding travel day. Take an early bus Pushkar–Ajmer, then a train or bus to Chittorgarh (Ajmer–Chittorgarh trains ~₹200–400, ~4 hrs). Hire an auto-rickshaw at Chittorgarh station to tour the vast hilltop fort (~₹500–700 for 2–3 hrs) — see Rana Kumbha Palace, Victory Tower (Vijay Stambh), Padmini's Palace, Meerabai Temple and the museum. Then continue by bus/train to Udaipur (2 hrs, ~£2–4). Check in and eat by Lake Pichola.

🚌Pushkar–Ajmer bus, Ajmer–Chittorgarh train, Chittorgarh–Udaipur bus (~£10–14 total)

🛏Budget haveli/guesthouse near Lake Pichola — ~£14–22

• →Chittorgarh Fort auto-rickshaw circuit
• →Vijay Stambh and Padmini's Palace
• →Evening by Lake Pichola

Self-launch Udaipur's highlights. Start at the City Palace complex (~₹400, plus Crystal Gallery), then Jagdish Temple and the Ambrai Ghat. Take a shared boat ride on Lake Pichola to Jag Mandir (~₹400–800 depending on route). Afternoon: Saheliyon ki Bari, the Vintage Classic Car Museum, Shilpgram craft village and the Udaipur ropeway for sunset. In the evening Bagore Ki Haveli hosts a nightly Rajasthani folk dance show (7pm, ~₹150) — book on the day or via Klook.

🚌Walking and autos (~£4)

🛏Budget haveli/guesthouse near Lake Pichola — ~£14–22

• →City Palace and Jagdish Temple
• →Lake Pichola boat to Jag Mandir
• →Saheliyon ki Bari, Car Museum, Shilpgram
• →Ropeway sunset
• →Bagore Ki Haveli folk show

Take a local bus or shared jeep Udaipur–Mount Abu (~4 hrs, ₹250–400). The only hill station in Rajasthan, so it's noticeably cooler. In the afternoon visit the Dilwara Jain Temples (extraordinary marble carving; free but camera fee, open midday-limited hours — check timings), Achalgarh Fort and Arbuda Devi Temple, then Guru Shikhar (Rajasthan's highest point) for views and Nakki Lake for sunset and a stroll.

🚌Udaipur–Mount Abu bus (~£3–5); local jeeps and autos (~£4)

🛏Budget guesthouse near Nakki Lake — ~£12–18

• →Dilwara Jain Temples
• →Achalgarh Fort and Arbuda Devi Temple
• →Guru Shikhar viewpoint
• →Nakki Lake sunset

Leave early and break the journey at Ranakpur to see the spectacular 15th-century Jain temple complex (entry ~₹200, camera extra; open to tourists from noon). Buses run Mount Abu–Ranakpur and Ranakpur–Jodhpur, or you can hire a shared taxi for the day. Arrive in Jodhpur and check into a guesthouse in the blue old city with a view of Mehrangarh. Evening wander around the Clock Tower and Sadar Market for mirchi vada and lassi.

🚌Bus/shared taxi Mount Abu–Ranakpur–Jodhpur (~£8–12)

🛏Guesthouse in the old city with fort views — ~£12–18

• →Ranakpur Jain Temples
• →Clock Tower and Sadar Market food crawl

Spend the morning at Mehrangarh Fort (entry ~₹600 with audio guide — excellent and worth it; add the zip line at Flying Fox if you fancy it, ~£12). Walk down to Jaswant Thada's marble cenotaphs, then Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park, Umaid Bhawan Palace museum (~₹100) and Mandore Gardens with its temple ruins. Finish with sunset from a rooftop cafe over the blue rooftops.

🚌Autos and walking (~£4)

🛏Guesthouse in the old city with fort views — ~£12–18

• →Mehrangarh Fort and audio guide
• →Jaswant Thada
• →Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park
• →Umaid Bhawan Palace museum
• →Mandore Gardens
• →Rooftop sunset

Take the morning bus or shared jeep Jodhpur–Jaisalmer (~5 hrs, ₹400–600) or the daily train (~₹200–400). On arrival, head straight out to the dunes for a camel safari and overnight desert camp — book directly with a camp or via GetYourGuide (a decent non-luxury desert camp with camel ride, dinner and folk music/dance runs ~£25–40 per person). Ride out for sunset on the camel, eat dinner around a fire with Rajasthani folk performers, and sleep in a tent under the stars.

🚌Jodhpur–Jaisalmer bus/train (~£4–7); camp transfer included

🛏Standard desert camp, Sam/Khuri dunes — ~£25–40 including dinner

• →Camel safari at sunset
• →Desert camp dinner
• →Rajasthani folk dance and music

Return to town and check into a guesthouse inside or just below Jaisalmer Fort. Explore the living fort (entry ~₹250 for the palace museum; a local guide ~₹500 is well worth it), then the exquisite Patwon Ki Haveli (~₹100) and Salim Singh Ki Haveli, the Thar Heritage Museum, Gadisar Lake at dusk and the Silk Route art galleries. Sunset from a rooftop over the fort walls is the classic Jaisalmer moment.

🚌Walking and autos (~£2)

🛏Guesthouse inside/near Jaisalmer Fort — ~£12–18

• →Jaisalmer Fort and palace museum
• →Patwon Ki Haveli and Salim Singh Ki Haveli
• →Thar Heritage Museum
• →Gadisar Lake
• →Rooftop sunset

Take the morning bus or train Jaisalmer–Bikaner (~5–6 hrs, ₹400–600). In the afternoon see Junagarh Fort (entry ~₹400 with audio guide), Lalgarh Palace and the beautifully painted Bhandasar Jain Temple. If time allows, take an auto out to the Karni Mata Temple at Deshnoke (30 km, ~₹500–700 return) — the famous rat temple, an unforgettable detour. Dinner of Bikaneri bhujia and kachori in the old town.

🚌Jaisalmer–Bikaner bus/train (~£5–7); auto to Deshnoke (~£6–8)

🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Bikaner — ~£12–18

• →Junagarh Fort
• →Lalgarh Palace
• →Bhandasar Jain Temple
• →Karni Mata Temple at Deshnoke

Take the morning train or bus Bikaner–Jaipur (~6–7 hrs, ₹500–900, or a quick flight if you're short on time) and continue to Jaipur airport for your onward flight home. If you have a late flight, squeeze in a final visit to the Albert Hall Museum or a last Rajasthani thali. Note you'll need to budget your Jaipur flight separately, as the operator's tour also ends in Jaipur without including international flights.

🚌Bikaner–Jaipur train/bus (~£6–10); airport transfer (~£4)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Optional Albert Hall Museum or last thali in Jaipur