Highlights of Northern India & Nepal: Self-Launched Adventure

Fly into Indira Gandhi International Airport. Take the Delhi Metro Airport Express (Line 6) directly to New Delhi station or your accommodation area for around £1.50 — skip the overpriced taxis. Check into your hostel or guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh. Head out to a nearby dhaba (street food restaurant) to get your first taste of Old Delhi street food. Rest up after the journey.

🚌Delhi Metro Airport Express Line 6, ~£1.50

🛏Zostel Delhi or similar hostel/guesthouse (Paharganj or Karol Bagh area, ~£10-15/night)

• →Arrive and settle in
• →Delhi Metro Airport Express from airport (~£1.50)
• →Explore Paharganj market area on foot
• →Dinner at a local dhaba

Spend the morning in Old Delhi. Start at Jama Masjid — India's largest mosque — and take a rickshaw (negotiate around £2-3) through the chaotic, atmospheric lanes of Chandni Chowk. In the afternoon, head to New Delhi via Metro to see Humayun's Tomb (entry ~£4), drive past India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhawan. Book a guided Old Delhi walking tour via GetYourGuide for around £10-15 if you'd like a deeper cultural insight.

🚌Delhi Metro for New Delhi sightseeing (~£1 per ride)

🛏Zostel Delhi or similar (~£10-15/night)

• →Visit Jama Masjid (free entry to courtyard)
• →Rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk (~£2-3)
• →Humayun's Tomb entry (~£4)
• →Walk past India Gate and Parliament House
• →Optional: Old Delhi food walk via GetYourGuide (~£12)

Take an early morning bus or shared taxi from Delhi to Jaipur — RSRTC Volvo AC buses depart from Bikaner House and cost around £5-8, taking 5-6 hours. Alternatively, book a train on IRCTC (Ajmer Shatabdi or Pink City Express, ~£6-10). Arrive in Jaipur by early afternoon, check in, and explore the lively bazaars around Johari Bazar in the evening.

🚌RSRTC Volvo AC bus or IRCTC train Delhi–Jaipur, ~£5-10

🛏Moustache Hostel Jaipur or Pearl Palace Heritage (~£12-18/night)

• →RSRTC Volvo bus Delhi to Jaipur (~£5-8) or train (~£6-10)
• →Check into guesthouse near the old city
• →Evening stroll through Johari Bazar

Start with an optional dawn walk through the walled city's chowkris (blocks) as the markets come alive. Visit Jantar Mantar observatory (entry ~£3) and the photogenic Hawa Mahal — Palace of the Winds (entry ~£2). Take a shared auto-rickshaw to Amber Fort (~£4 entry), an imposing hilltop palace above a lake. Haggle a tuk-tuk for the day for around £8-10. The evening is free — try the rooftop restaurants near MI Road.

🚌Shared auto-rickshaw and tuk-tuk hire ~£8-10 for the day

🛏Moustache Hostel Jaipur or Pearl Palace Heritage (~£12-18/night)

• →Optional dawn walking tour of the walled city
• →Jantar Mantar Observatory (~£3)
• →Hawa Mahal photo stop (~£2)
• →Amber Fort including elephant/jeep up the hill (~£4 + £2 jeep)
• →Evening rooftop dinner

Catch an early morning RSRTC or private bus from Jaipur to Agra (4-5 hours, ~£6-8) or book the Jaipur–Agra train. Arrive mid-afternoon. Visit Agra Fort (entry ~£5) in the afternoon — its sandstone walls enclose mosques, palaces and courtyards. Then head to the Taj Mahal for sunset entry (~£12 foreign visitor fee) — the marble glows beautifully in the fading light and crowds are thinner than midday. Book a local guide for context via GetYourGuide (~£8).

🚌RSRTC bus or train Jaipur–Agra, ~£6-8

🛏Zostel Agra or Hotel Kamal near Taj Mahal (~£10-15/night)

• →Bus or train Jaipur to Agra (~£6-8)
• →Agra Fort entry (~£5)
• →Taj Mahal sunset visit (~£12 entry)
• →Optional guided Taj Mahal tour via GetYourGuide (~£8)

Rise early and take the Vande Bharat Express from Agra Cantonment station to Varanasi (~£15-20 in chair car, departing ~6am, arriving ~1pm — book on IRCTC in advance). Arrive and head to your guesthouse in the Assi Ghat area. In the afternoon, take a shared auto or taxi to Sarnath (~£2 each way), where the Dhamekh Stupa marks the site of Buddha's first sermon. Entry to the archaeological park is ~£3. Return for a relaxed evening along the ghats.

🚌Vande Bharat Express Agra–Varanasi ~£15-20; local auto-rickshaw ~£2

🛏Hotel Alka or Ganges View Guesthouse near Assi Ghat (~£12-18/night)

• →Vande Bharat Express Agra to Varanasi (~£15-20, book via IRCTC)
• →Transfer to guesthouse near Assi Ghat
• →Sarnath Dhamekh Stupa and archaeological park (~£3)
• →Evening wander along the ghats

Wake before sunrise and head to the main ghats. Negotiate a rowing boat directly with the local boatmen for around £3-5 per person for a dawn Ganges boat ride — watch pilgrims bathing, sadhus meditating, and the city waking up in extraordinary fashion. Spend the free afternoon exploring the narrow silk-weaving lanes, sampling chai and local snacks. Return to Dashashwamedh Ghat at dusk for the spectacular Ganga Aarti ceremony — arrive early to get a good spot on the steps; it's free to watch.

🚌On foot and by cycle rickshaw (~£1-2)

🛏Hotel Alka or Ganges View Guesthouse (~£12-18/night)

• →Pre-dawn boat ride on the Ganges (~£3-5, negotiate directly with boatmen)
• →Walking tour of the ghats and old city lanes
• →Browse silk emporiums and local craft shops
• →Ganga Aarti evening ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat (free)

This is a long travel day. Take an early morning shared jeep or bus from Varanasi to the Saunaulī border crossing (~£8-10, around 4-5 hours). Cross the border on foot through customs and immigration — Indian e-visa holders should note Nepal requires a separate visa (available on arrival at border, ~£25 for 15 days). Take a local bus or shared tempo on the Nepal side to Lumbini (~1 hour, ~£1-2). Explore the sacred Maya Devi Temple and the UNESCO-listed pilgrimage zone in the late afternoon.

🚌Shared jeep Varanasi–Saunaulī ~£8-10; local bus to Lumbini ~£1-2

🛏Buddha Maya Garden Hotel or Lumbini Buddha Garden Resort (~£12-18/night)

• →Shared jeep or bus Varanasi to Saunaulī border (~£8-10)
• →Nepal visa on arrival at border (~£25)
• →Border crossing on foot through immigration
• →Bus to Lumbini (~£1-2)
• →Maya Devi Temple and pilgrimage gardens (free–£2)

Start with an optional rickshaw ride around the Lumbini World Peace Flame and the international monastery zone — a peaceful, fascinating circuit of Buddhist temples from countries around the world (~£2). Then board a local bus or tourist shuttle east to Chitwan (~7-8 hours, ~£5-8). Arrive at your jungle lodge and settle in. Most jungle lodges in Sauraha include full board — look for packages that bundle accommodation with safari activities for better value.

🚌Local bus or tourist shuttle Lumbini–Sauraha ~£5-8

🛏Jungle Wildlife Camp or similar budget jungle lodge in Sauraha (full board ~£30-40/night including meals)

• →Optional rickshaw tour of Lumbini monastery zone (~£2)
• →Bus or tourist shuttle Lumbini to Sauraha/Chitwan (~£5-8)
• →Arrive jungle lodge, evening nature walk

Full day of wildlife activities in Chitwan National Park. Most lodges in Sauraha offer bundled packages: a morning jeep safari into the park (searching for one-horned rhinos, tigers, deer, crocodiles and over 500 bird species) and a dugout canoe ride along the Rapti River (~£20-30 total for both activities when booked directly with lodge or via park). Book directly with your lodge or at the Sauraha park office. An optional evening Tharu cultural dance performance is available for ~£3-5.

🚌Jeep safari transport included in activity cost

🛏Jungle Wildlife Camp or similar (full board included)

• →Jeep safari in Chitwan National Park (~£15-20)
• →Dugout canoe excursion on Rapti River (~£5-10)
• →Optional Tharu village ox-cart ride (~£3-5)
• →Optional Tharu cultural dance evening (~£3-5)
• →Birdwatching walk with lodge naturalist guide

Take a tourist shuttle bus or local bus from Sauraha to Pokhara (~5-6 hours, ~£7-10). The route follows the dramatic Narayani River gorge and climbs into Himalayan foothills — the landscape transforms from jungle to terraced mountains. As you near Pokhara, Machhapuchhare (Fishtail Peak) dominates the horizon. Check in near Phewa Lake and spend the evening wandering the lively Lakeside strip — loads of restaurants, cafes and travel agencies.

🚌Tourist shuttle bus Chitwan–Pokhara ~£7-10

🛏Hotel Snowland or Butterfly Lodge near Phewa Lake (~£12-18/night)

• →Tourist shuttle or local bus Chitwan to Pokhara (~£7-10)
• →Check in near Phewa Lakeside
• →Evening stroll along Phewa Lake promenade
• →Dinner at a lakeside restaurant

Wake at 4:30am and take a taxi or shared jeep to Sarangkot viewpoint (~£3-5 each way). Watch the sun rise over the full Annapurna range — Machhapuchhare, Annapurna I, II, III and IV — an utterly breathtaking panorama. Walk down from the hilltop fort ruins along the trail to Pame (~2.5 hours of easy descent, no guide needed but trail maps available at the viewpoint). Grab breakfast from a teahouse at the bottom, then take a taxi back to Lakeside. Afternoon free to relax by the lake or arrange optional paragliding (~£60-80, world-class site) or a boat rental on Phewa Lake (~£3/hour).

🚌Taxi to Sarangkot ~£3-5; walk back down

🛏Hotel Snowland or Butterfly Lodge (~£12-18/night)

• →Taxi to Sarangkot viewpoint pre-dawn (~£3-5)
• →Sunrise over the Annapurna Himalayan range
• →Dawn walk from Sarangkot fort ruins to Pame (~2.5hrs)
• →Breakfast at teahouse in Pame
• →Optional paragliding from Sarangkot (~£60-80 via local operators)
• →Optional Phewa Lake boat rental (~£3/hour)

Catch a tourist bus or local bus from Pokhara to Kathmandu (~6-7 hours, ~£6-9). The road follows the Marsyangdi and Trisuli rivers through dramatic gorge scenery. Arrive in Kathmandu in the late afternoon and check into the Thamel neighbourhood — Nepal's backpacker hub with loads of restaurants, rooftop bars and local shops. Book your India departure e-visa if needed and explore Thamel in the evening.

🚌Tourist bus Pokhara–Kathmandu ~£6-9

🛏Kathmandu Peace Guest House or Alobar1000 Hostel in Thamel (~£10-16/night)

• →Tourist bus Pokhara to Kathmandu (~£6-9)
• →Check in to Thamel guesthouse
• →Evening exploration of Thamel
• →Dinner at a Newari restaurant

Spend the day visiting Kathmandu's two most important religious sites. Start at Pashupatinath Temple (~£6 entry for non-Hindus) — one of the most sacred Hindu shrines in the world, set on the banks of the Bagmati River, with ghats and sadhus creating an atmosphere unlike anywhere else. Walk or take a taxi to the enormous Boudhanath Stupa (~£2 entry) — one of the largest stupas in the world and a centre of Tibetan Buddhism; the streets around it are lined with thangka shops, monasteries and great cafes. Free afternoon to shop or explore Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple, ~£2, walkable from Thamel).

🚌Taxi between sites ~£3-5 or shared tempo ~£0.50

🛏Kathmandu Peace Guest House or Alobar1000 Hostel (~£10-16/night)

• →Pashupatinath Temple complex (~£6)
• →Boudhanath Stupa (~£2)
• →Optional: Swayambhunath Monkey Temple (~£2)
• →Browse thangka galleries and craft shops around Boudhanath
• →Farewell dinner in Thamel

Your adventure ends in Kathmandu. Check out, grab a last stack of momos (Nepali dumplings) and take a taxi to Tribhuvan International Airport (~£5-8). For onward travel, the airport is about 6km from Thamel. Allow extra time during peak periods — the airport can be busy. If you have time before your flight, squeeze in a final walk through Thamel's morning market.

🚌Taxi to airport ~£5-8

• →Check out and final Thamel wander
• →Last momo breakfast at a local teahouse
• →Taxi to Tribhuvan International Airport (~£5-8)