Rajasthan & the Taj Mahal: Self-Launched Golden Triangle Loop

Land at IGI Airport and take the Airport Express metro (£1.20) or a prepaid taxi (£4-6) to your guesthouse in Paharganj, Karol Bagh or the quieter Greater Kailash. Spend the afternoon acclimatising: no sightseeing needed, just sort a local SIM (Airtel/Jio, ~£4 with passport and photo), an e-rickshaw ride, and dinner of butter chicken or chole bhature at a local dhaba. Book tomorrow's guides or a GetYourGuide Delhi highlights tour tonight if you want company on day one.

🚌Airport Express metro or prepaid taxi from IGI

🛏Mid-range guesthouse or 2-3* hotel, Paharganj/Karol Bagh (~£16-20)

• →Airport transfer
• →SIM card and local logistics
• →Evening wander in Paharganj bazaars

Do the classic sightseeing loop yourself with the metro plus autos. Start early at Qutub Minar (£5 for foreigners), then Humayun's Tomb (£5). Metro to Central Secretariat for India Gate and a pass by Rashtrapati Bhavan, then Raj Ghat. Cross to Old Delhi for Jama Masjid (free, small camera fee) and a cycle-rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk's spice market (~£1.50) — haggle before you get in. Red Fort can be viewed from outside or visited (£5) if you have energy. Many travellers instead book a GetYourGuide Old Delhi food and heritage walk (~£20) for the bazaar maze. Eat street food carefully: jalebi, parathas at Paranthe Wali Gali, kebab at Karim's.

🚌Delhi Metro day (approx £1) plus autos (£3-4 total)

🛏Mid-range guesthouse or 2-3* hotel, Paharganj/Karol Bagh (~£16-20)

• →Qutub Minar
• →Humayun's Tomb
• →India Gate & Raj Ghat
• →Jama Masjid
• →Chandni Chowk cycle-rickshaw ride

Catch the 6am Gatimaan Express or a Vande Bharat service from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra Cantt (1h50, ~£8-12 second class AC; book on IRCTC). Drop bags at your guesthouse in Taj Ganj with a rooftop Taj view (~£15-18). Afternoon: Agra Fort (£6), then cross the Yamuna for Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb ('Baby Taj', ~£3) and a stop at Sikandra (Akbar's Tomb, £5) if timing works. Sunset from Mehtab Bagh across the river is free-ish (£3 garden entry) and previews tomorrow's sunrise. Evening: Mughlai dinner in Taj Ganj.

🚌Gatimaan/Vande Bharat train Hazrat Nizamuddin–Agra Cantt ~£10; autos in Agra ~£4

🛏Taj Ganj guesthouse with rooftop Taj view (~£15-18)

• →Agra Fort
• →Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb
• →Sikandra
• →Mehtab Bagh sunset

Pre-book the Taj Mahal ticket online (~£12, includes the mausoleum; buy the night before or on the ASI portal). Be at the East or West gate by 5:45am for opening — sunrise light with far fewer people. Breakfast back at the guesthouse, then hire a shared taxi or take the bus to Fatehpur Sikri (approx 1h; shared taxi ~£6-8 per person, or a local bus ~£2). Spend 2 hours at the red sandstone complex, Buland Darwaza and Tomb of Salim Chisti (entry ~£6). Continue by bus or shared taxi to Jaipur (~3h, £4-6) or take the train from Fatehpur Sikri station. Check into a haveli guesthouse in the old city near Hawa Mahal (~£18-22).

🚌Shared taxi/bus Agra–Fatehpur Sikri ~£7; bus or train onward to Jaipur ~£5

🛏Old-city haveli guesthouse, Jaipur (~£18-22)

• →Sunrise Taj Mahal
• →Fatehpur Sikri
• →Buland Darwaza
• →Tomb of Salim Chisti

Take a local bus or auto to Amber Fort early (£5 entry; skip the elephant ride — rides are controversial and slow, a jeep up costs ~£4). Walk the ramparts and Sheesh Mahal, then optional Jaigarh Fort with the world's biggest cannon (~£3). Return via Jal Mahal photo stop. Afternoon: City Palace (£8), Jantar Mantar (£3), Hawa Mahal (£3, or free from the cafe opposite), and Birla Temple. Sunset at Nahargarh Fort (£3) for the best view over the Pink City — shared auto up ~£3. Dinner at a Rajasthani thali spot in the old city.

🚌Local buses and shared autos around Jaipur ~£4

🛏Old-city haveli guesthouse, Jaipur (~£18-22)

• →Amber Fort
• →Jaigarh Fort (optional)
• →City Palace
• →Jantar Mantar
• →Hawa Mahal
• →Nahargarh sunset

Morning bus or shared taxi from Jaipur to Mandawa in the Shekhawati region (~3.5-4h; state bus ~£3, or a private taxi ~£25 split). This is the detour most tour groups skip, and it's cheap and quiet. Check into a converted haveli guesthouse (~£16-20). Afternoon: walk the town yourself — the painted merchant havelis (Gulab Rai Ladia, Goenka, Chowkhani) are mostly free or £1-2 to the caretaker, and Castle Mandawa's frescoed courtyard is worth a look. No guide needed but a local student guide (~£6) unlocks the stories.

🚌Bus or shared taxi Jaipur–Mandawa ~£3-6

🛏Heritage haveli guesthouse, Mandawa (~£16-20)

• →Shekhawati painted havelis walk
• →Castle Mandawa courtyard
• →Local guide (optional)

Bus or shared taxi to Bikaner (~3h, ~£3). Drop bags at a guesthouse near the old town (~£15-18). Afternoon: Junagarh Fort is the highlight (£6, excellent audio guide ~£2) — the armoury and sheesh mahals are superb. Then Lalgarh Palace (partial entry ~£2) and Bhandasar Jain Temple (free/petty fee, stunning frescoes). If you're keen, take a shared auto or local bus 30km out to Karni Mata Temple at Deshnoke (the rat temple, free) — go late afternoon and be back by dusk.

🚌Bus/shared taxi Mandawa–Bikaner ~£3; autos and local bus to Deshnoke ~£3

🛏Guesthouse near old town, Bikaner (~£15-18)

• →Junagarh Fort
• →Lalgarh Palace
• →Bhandasar Jain Temple
• →Karni Mata Temple (optional)

Morning bus or train to Jaisalmer (~5h; bus ~£4, train similar). Buy your desert camp package on arrival or pre-book via GetYourGuide/Klook (~£30-45 including jeep transfer, camel ride, dinner and cultural performance — much the same as the tour's overnight but at a fraction of cost). Afternoon jeep out to Sam or Khuri dunes, 1-1.5h camel ride at sunset, Rajasthani folk music and dance around a fire, dinner and a tent or hut under the stars. Khuri is quieter and cheaper than Sam.

🚌Bus Jaisalmer–Bikaner ~£4; shared jeep to dunes included in camp package

🛏Desert camp with tented hut, Sam/Khuri dunes (~£20-30, usually bundled with the safari)

• →Camel ride at sunset
• →Thar Desert jeep safari
• →Rajasthani folk dance and music
• →Desert camp overnight

Jeep back to town after breakfast and check into a guesthouse inside or just below the fort walls (~£15-18). Explore on foot: Jaisalmer Fort (living fort, free to enter; palace museum ~£3), Patwon ki Haveli (£3), Salam Singh ki Haveli, Nathmal ki Haveli, Jain temples inside the fort (£2), Gadisar Lake at sunset, and the small Thar Heritage or Silk Route galleries if you like. Sunset from a fort rooftop cafe watching the golden stone glow is the real attraction. Optional: hire a local guide ~£8 for the fort's history.

🚌On foot; shared jeep back from camp included

🛏Guesthouse in/near Jaisalmer Fort (~£15-18)

• →Jaisalmer Fort
• →Patwon ki Haveli
• →Salam Singh ki Haveli
• →Jain temples
• →Gadisar Lake sunset

Early bus or train to Jodhpur (~5h, ~£4). Stay in the old blue-city lanes below the fort (~£16-20). Afternoon: Mehrangarh Fort is India's best-presented fort (£7 with excellent audio guide) — allow 2-3 hours. Then Jaswant Thada (white marble cenotaph, £2), Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park (£2), and the Clock Tower/Sardar Market bazaar for spices and mirchi vada. Mandore Gardens and Balsamand Lake are a short auto ride out (£2) if you want the extra stops. Umaid Bhawan Palace is worth a glimpse from outside — the museum portion is £2-3.

🚌Bus/train Jaisalmer–Jodhpur ~£4; autos around town ~£4

🛏Old-city guesthouse near Clock Tower, Jodhpur (~£16-20)

• →Mehrangarh Fort
• →Jaswant Thada
• →Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park
• →Sardar Market
• →Mandore Gardens

This is the one day a shared taxi is genuinely worth it: a seat in a shared jeep/taxi via Ranakpur costs ~£10-14 and takes 5-6h versus a longer bus. Stop at the 12th-century Ranakpur Jain Temple (entry ~£2, camera fee extra; 1,444 carved marble pillars) — one of the most beautiful buildings in India. Alternatively take the 6am bus to Udaipur (~6h, £5) and add Ranakpur as a separate day trip. Arrive Udaipur and check into a lakeside guesthouse near Gangaur Ghat (~£18-22). Evening rooftop dinner overlooking Lake Pichola.

🚌Shared taxi/jeep Jodhpur–Ranakpur–Udaipur ~£12, or bus ~£5

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Udaipur (~£18-22)

• →Ranakpur Jain Temple
• →Optional Eklingji and Nagda temples stop

Morning at City Palace complex (£8) including the Crystal Gallery if you like, then Jagdish Temple (free) and Bagore ki Haveli (£2). Walk to Ambrai Ghat for the classic photo of the palace across the water, then Saheliyon ki Bari (£1) and Fateh Sagar Lake. Late afternoon: boat ride on Lake Pichola (~£5-8 for the shared boat, or a sunset boat with a stop at Jagmandir). Catch the Udaipur ropeway up Karni Mata hill (~£2) for sunset over the lakes. Evening: Dharohar folk dance show at Bagore ki Haveli (~£3) — the same kind of cultural performance the tour includes.

🚌Autos and on foot ~£3

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Udaipur (~£18-22)

• →City Palace
• →Jagdish Temple
• →Bagore ki Haveli and Dharohar dance show
• →Lake Pichola boat ride
• →Karni Mata ropeway sunset

Take an early local bus from Udaipur to Chittorgarh (~2h, £2) and hire an auto to the fort entrance. Chittorgarh is the largest fort in India — entry ~£3 — and you can walk or use a shared fort jeep to cover Rana Kumbha's Palace, Vijay Stambh (Victory Tower), Kirti Stambh (Tower of Fame), Padmini Palace, Meerabai Temple and the Kumbha Shyam Temple. Allow 4-5 hours. Late afternoon bus back to Udaipur (£2). Alternatively join a GetYourGuide small-group Chittorgarh day tour (~£30) if you'd rather have the transport arranged.

🚌Local bus Udaipur–Chittorgarh return ~£4; shared jeep on the fort ~£2

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Udaipur (~£18-22)

• →Chittorgarh Fort
• →Vijay Stambh
• →Padmini Palace
• →Meerabai Temple
• →Kirti Stambh

Bus from Udaipur to Dungarpur (~2.5h, £2-3). Juna Mahal is the star: a 13th-century hilltop palace covered floor to ceiling in frescoes — entry a few pounds and often nearly empty. Then Udai Bilas Palace on the lake (day visitors can usually arrange entry or lunch; check ahead) and wander the old town's havelis and temples. It's a low-key, non-touristy day that few travellers do. Bus back to Udaipur in the evening. Pack tonight — tomorrow is a travel day.

🚌Local bus Udaipur–Dungarpur return ~£5; autos ~£2

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Udaipur (~£18-22)

• →Juna Mahal frescoes
• →Udai Bilas Palace
• →Dungarpur old town walk

If you have a flight home from Delhi, book an early morning Udaipur–Delhi domestic flight (~£40-60 on IndiGo/Air India, cheaper booked in advance) — it's the most reliable option given the 700km distance. Budget alternative: overnight train to Delhi (~13h, sleeper ~£6, 3AC ~£15) leaving late afternoon, arriving next morning. If you're flying out of Udaipur instead, just enjoy a final lakeside breakfast. Either way, this is a buffer day — don't book an international connection off the same day's train.

🚌Udaipur–Delhi domestic flight ~£50, or overnight train ~£6-15

🛏None on plan, or one final night in Delhi (~£18) if you need a buffer

• →Travel day
• →Lakeside breakfast
• →Last-minute shopping at Hathi Pol bazaar