Self-Launched India: Jaipur, the Taj Mahal, Varanasi & Delhi

Fly or train into Jaipur (Jaipur International Airport, or a train from Delhi if you're arriving there first). Pre-book an airport cab through your guesthouse or use the official prepaid taxi counter (~₹600–800 / £6–8) — avoid unsolicited touts inside arrivals. Check into a guesthouse in the Old City (Bani Park or near Hawa Mahal are good bases). In the late afternoon, walk the bazaars around Johari and Bapu Bazaar, get your bearings over a lassi at Lassiwala, and eat a thali dinner at a local vegetarian restaurant (Handi, Spice Court or Niro's). If you want context on Day 2, book a licensed guide via GetYourGuide for Amber Fort (~£15–20) or rely on the excellent audio guide at the fort (~£3).

🚌Prepaid airport taxi or Uber/Ola from Jaipur airport, then walking and e-rickshaw

🛏Old City guesthouse / budget boutique hotel (private room, ensuite)

• →Old City bazaar wander
• →Lassiwala lassi stop
• →Thali dinner

Book the Pink City Rickshaw Company women-driven tour directly through their website (rides from ~₹1,000–1,500 / £10–15 for a 2-hour city loop) — the same social enterprise G Adventures uses, and you can book it as an individual. Return for lunch, then take an Ola/Uber or local bus to Amber Fort (~30–40 min, ~£3–5 each way). Entry is ₹200 for foreigners (~£2); a jeep up the hill costs ~₹500 (~£5), or walk up in 15 minutes. Spend 2 hours exploring Sheesh Mahal and the water-cooling systems. In the evening, City Palace daytime entry is ~₹700 (~£7) — the after-hours private tour isn't bookable independently, so instead do the palace in the late afternoon and book a rooftop dinner overlooking the old city (Peacock Rooftop or Bar Palladio for a splurge).

🚌E-rickshaw, Ola/Uber, short jeep ride

🛏Old City guesthouse / budget boutique hotel

• →Pink City Rickshaw Company women-led tour
• →Amber Fort + Sheesh Mahal
• →City Palace (day entry)
• →Rooftop dinner

The most efficient independent option is a pre-booked private car transfer Jaipur→Agra with a stop at Abhaneri (Chand Baori stepwell) — book via GetYourGuide or a local Jaipur operator for ~£45–60 per car (split between travellers). Agra-bound trains (e.g. the 12036 Shatabdi) are faster (~4.5 hrs, ~£7–10 in 2AC) but don't stop at Abhaneri; if you take the train, you can instead visit Fatehpur Sikri by bus from Agra on Day 4 instead. Chand Baori entry is ₹25 (~£0.30) — 3,500 steps, one of India's deepest stepwells. Lunch en route at a dhaba or the Laxmi Vilas Palace hotel restaurant if you want the route's heritage feel (~£10). Arrive Agra by late afternoon, check into a guesthouse in Taj Ganj or Fatehabad Road, and watch sunset over the Yamuna from Mehtab Bagh (~£3 entry).

🚌Pre-booked private car Jaipur→Abhaneri→Agra (shared), or Shatabdi train + local transport

🛏Agra guesthouse / budget hotel, Taj Ganj area

• →Chand Baori stepwell, Abhaneri
• →Mehtab Bagh sunset over the Taj
• →Evening in Taj Ganj

Book your Taj Mahal ticket online in advance on the ASI site (₹1,300 / ~£13 for foreigners, including the mausoleum). Go at opening (sunrise ~6am in winter, 5:30am summer) to beat the crowds and catch the pink light. Security is strict — no tripods, restricted bags. Follow with breakfast back at the guesthouse, then walk or take a cycle rickshaw to Agra Fort (entry ~₹650 / £6.50, audio guide ~£2). Book a licensed guide at the gate (~£12–15 for 1.5 hrs) if you want the court-intrigue storytelling. Lunch at Sheroes Hangout, the café run by acid attack survivors (a G Adventures-supported project you can visit independently) — a meal is ~£4–6 and supports the cause. Free afternoon for a rest or a marble-inlay workshop visit.

🚌Walking, cycle rickshaw, Ola/Uber

🛏Agra guesthouse / budget hotel

• →Sunrise Taj Mahal
• →Agra Fort with local guide
• →Lunch at Sheroes Hangout café

Book the Vande Bharat Express (or the overnight train if you prefer to save a hotel night) from Agra to Varanasi online via IRCTC — book 60 days ahead, as Chair Car is ~₹1,800 (~£18) and Executive Chair Car ~₹3,400 (~£34). It's a 6–7 hour ride through the plains; bring snacks and water. Check into a guesthouse in Assi Ghat or near Dashashwamedh, then in the late afternoon walk to the ghats. For the Ganga Aarti, skip the private classical-music boat and instead take a shared wooden boat (~₹150–300 / £2–3 per person) to watch the fire ceremony from the water — one of the best seats in town. Dinner at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the river (options include Aum Café and Dolphin Restaurant) or a simple thali in the lanes (~£5).

🚌Vande Bharat Express train Agra→Varanasi; walking and shared boat

🛏Varanasi guesthouse near the ghats

• →Vande Bharat train journey
• →Sunset at the ghats
• →Ganga Aarti from a shared boat

Hire a rowboat for sunrise (~₹500–800 / £5–8 shared) to see pilgrims bathing and praying along the ghats as the mist lifts — this is the classic Varanasi moment. Follow it with a walking tour through the old lanes: either a free/pay-what-you-want walking tour booked via GetYourGuide or GuruWalk, or a local guide from your guesthouse (~£10). Late breakfast, then an Ola/auto to Sarnath (~30 min, ₹200–300) where the Buddha gave his first sermon — entry to the Dhamek Stupa and ruins is ₹300 (~£3) plus ₹5 for the museum. Return mid-afternoon and use the free time for a chai crawl or an evening sitting on Assi Ghat.

🚌Rowboat, walking, auto-rickshaw to Sarnath

🛏Varanasi guesthouse near the ghats

• →Sunrise boat on the Ganges
• →Old Varanasi walking tour
• →Sarnath stupa, ruins and museum

Book a morning IndiGo or Air India flight Varanasi→Delhi (~£40–65 if booked 3–6 weeks ahead). Take the Airport Express or an Ola from Delhi airport to a guesthouse in Paharganj, Karol Bagh or Hauz Khas (Airport Express ~₹60 / £0.60). In the afternoon, take the Yellow Line metro to Qutab Minar and self-explore Mehrauli Archaeological Park — Balban's Tomb, Jamali-Kamali and Rajon ki Baoli stepwell are free to enter. If you want the INTACH scholar experience, look for a Delhi Heritage Walks listing on GetYourGuide or book a local heritage guide direct (~£15–25). Finish with high tea at a heritage café — the Imperial Hotel's 1911 restaurant does a proper colonial high tea (~£25) or the cheaper option is a café in Hauz Khas Village.

🚌Domestic flight, Airport Express metro, Delhi Metro

🛏Delhi guesthouse / budget hotel

• →IndiGo flight to Delhi
• →Mehrauli Archaeological Park self-guided walk
• →Heritage high tea

Book a Salaam Baalak Trust City Walk directly through their site (walks run Tue–Sun, ~₹500–800 / £5–8 donation) — led by former street youth, the same organisation G Adventures uses. It's the best way to see Paharganj and New Delhi Station's backstreets with context. Afterwards, take a cycle rickshaw through Chandni Chowk (~₹200–300 / £2–3), try paranthe wali gali (stuffed parathas ~£1), and walk to the Red Fort (entry ₹650 / £6.50) and Jama Masjid. For dinner, book a table at a restored Haveli-style restaurant such as Karim's or Chor Bizarre (~£12–18) instead of the mansion tasting menu. Finish with a rooftop drink or kulfi from a street stall.

🚌Delhi Metro, cycle rickshaw, walking

🛏Delhi guesthouse / budget hotel

• →Salaam Baalak Trust Old Delhi walk
• →Chandni Chowk rickshaw ride and food crawl
• →Red Fort and Jama Masjid
• →Farewell dinner in Old Delhi

Final breakfast at your guesthouse, then head to Indira Gandhi International Airport — the Airport Express runs every 10 minutes from New Delhi station to T3 in ~20 minutes (~₹60 / £0.60), or an Ola/Uber costs ~₹500–700. Allow 3 hours before an international departure. If you have a late flight, the National Museum (~£6) or Humayun's Tomb (~£7) make good final stops.

🚌Airport Express metro or Ola/Uber to Delhi airport

🛏N/A (departure day)

• →Optional Humayun's Tomb or National Museum visit