Rajasthan Adventure — Self-Launched: Delhi to Delhi, 15 Days

Land at Indira Gandhi International Airport and take a prepaid airport taxi or the Airport Express Metro to your accommodation in Paharganj or Karol Bagh (approx. £5-8). Use the evening to get an Indian SIM/eSIM, withdraw cash and eat a first thali. If you want a solo-female-friendly arrival transfer, book a driver through a local women-run taxi service or your hostel directly. Get an early night — you have an early start.

🚌Airport Express Metro or prepaid taxi from IGI Airport (~£5-8)

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel private room, Paharganj/Karol Bagh (~£15)

• →Arrival transfer by metro/taxi
• →SIM card and cash setup
• →Orientation walk in Paharganj

Take a morning train or bus from Delhi toward Jhunjhunu/Sikar and connect by shared jeep or local bus to Mandawa (~5-6 hrs total, ~£6-9). Check into a haveli guesthouse — this is the region's speciality — then spend the afternoon on a self-guided walk of the old town's frescoed merchant havelis (many are free or £1-2 entry; a local guide can be arranged at your guesthouse for ~£8).

🚌Train Delhi–Jhunjhunu/Sikar (~£3-5) + shared jeep/bus to Mandawa (~£2-4)

🛏Heritage haveli guesthouse, Mandawa (~£18)

• →Self-guided haveli fresco walk
• →Old town wander
• →Optional local guide (~£8)

Long travel day: catch an early bus or shared taxi to Jaipur or Sikar and connect by train to Jodhpur (~7-8 hrs total, ~£8-12). Once settled, walk up to Mehrangarh Fort for the rampart views (entry ~£7, audio guide ~£3), then descend into the old city around the clock tower and Sadar Bazaar for spices, lassi and street food.

🚌Bus/shared jeep to Sikar or Jaipur + train to Jodhpur (~£8-12)

🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse in the old city, Jodhpur (~£16)

• →Mehrangarh Fort entry and ramparts
• →Sadar Bazaar and clock tower wander
• →Blue city rooftop sunset

Optional early stop at Jaswant Thada or the blue lanes of Navchokiya before the train to Udaipur (~5-6 hrs, ~£5-8). Arrive, check into a guesthouse near Lake Pichola, and do an orientation walk around the ghats and the lake at sunset. In the evening catch the Bagore-ki-Haveli folk show on Gangaur Ghat (tickets ~£3-4 — buy at the door or via Klook).

🚌Train Jodhpur–Udaipur (~£5-8)

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Udaipur (~£16)

• →Lake Pichola sunset walk
• →Bagore-ki-Haveli cultural show

Morning at the City Palace complex (entry ~£8 with the Crystal Gallery) and Jagdish Temple next door. Afternoon free: take an auto-rickshaw up to the Monsoon Palace for sunset (~£2 return + ~£1 entry), or book a cooking class or a sunrise cycle tour through GetYourGuide (~£15-25). Evening rooftop dinner over the lake.

🚌Auto-rickshaws around town (~£3)

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Udaipur (~£16)

• →City Palace and Jagdish Temple
• →Monsoon Palace sunset
• →Optional cooking class (~£18)

Take a local bus or shared taxi toward Jojawar via the Aravalli hills (~2.5 hrs, ~£4-6). Check into a village heritage hotel or homestay, then walk the lanes on your own — chat to families, watch the evening cattle return, and if there's a game of cricket going, ask to join. Some village hotels run vintage jeep safaris or rail safaris through the hills (~£15-20) which you can arrange on arrival.

🚌Local bus/shared taxi Udaipur–Jojawar (~£4-6)

🛏Village heritage hotel or homestay, Jojawar (~£18)

• →Village orientation walk
• →Optional vintage jeep safari
• →Cricket with locals

Bus to Ajmer over Snake Mountain (~2.5-3 hrs, ~£4), then a short local bus or shared auto to Pushkar (~40 mins, ~£1). Settle into a guesthouse by the lake, walk the ghats and the 14th-century Brahma Temple (shoes off, no photos), then take a sunset camel ride into the dunes — book through your guesthouse or a Klook/GetYourGuide vendor from ~£10-15.

🚌Bus to Ajmer + shared auto to Pushkar (~£5)

🛏Guesthouse near the lake, Pushkar (~£14)

• →Brahma Temple and ghats walk
• →Sunset camel ride (~£12)

Climb the steps (or take the ropeway, ~£2) to Savitri Temple before dawn for the sunrise over the lake and dunes. Spend the rest of the day free: café-hop the rooftops, browse the bazaar, take a dip or a blessing at the ghats if that appeals, and eat plenty of Pushkar's famous malpua and lassi (the town is strictly vegetarian and alcohol-free).

🚌Walking and short auto hops (~£2)

🛏Guesthouse near the lake, Pushkar (~£14)

• →Savitri Temple sunrise hike or ropeway
• →Rooftop cafés and bazaar browsing

Bus or shared taxi to Jaipur (~3 hrs, ~£5). Check into a guesthouse inside the old walled city, then do an orientation walk through the bazaars — Johari Bazaar for jewellery, Bapu Bazaar for textiles — and end at Hawa Mahal for the late-afternoon light. Evening option: a Bollywood film at the Art Deco Raj Mandir Cinema (~£2-4).

🚌Bus/shared taxi Pushkar–Jaipur (~£5)

🛏Guesthouse in the Pink City, Jaipur (~£16)

• →Bazaar orientation walk
• →Hawa Mahal exterior
• →Optional Raj Mandir Bollywood film

Take a local bus or auto to Amber Fort (~£2) and go early to beat the crowds — entry ~£7 with the audio guide. Walk down through the old Jaipur city walls afterwards, then visit the Anokhi Museum of hand block printing if you want the craft side (~£2). Optional afternoon: Jantar Mantar (~£2) or a hot-air balloon flight at dawn (book ahead, ~£170+).

🚌Local bus and auto-rickshaw (~£3)

🛏Guesthouse in the Pink City, Jaipur (~£16)

• →Amber Fort entry and audio guide
• →Anokhi Museum of hand block printing
• →Optional Jantar Mantar

Train or bus to Sawai Madhopur (~3 hrs, ~£4-6). Book your safari in advance online through the official Rajasthan Forest Department portal (or through your guesthouse for a small markup) — morning safaris sell out in peak season. Spend the afternoon walking up to Ranthambore Fort for sunset views over the park, and arrange a shared jeep or canter seat for tomorrow's 6am game drive.

🚌Train/bus Jaipur–Sawai Madhopur (~£5)

🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse near the park gate, Sawai Madhopur (~£16)

• →Ranthambore Fort sunset walk
• →Safari booking and permit pickup

Early-morning shared canter safari in Ranthambore National Park (~£32-40 per person for a canter seat with forest permit and guide; a shared jeep is more expensive at ~£60-70 per person). Tigers are never guaranteed, but leopards, sloth bears, crocodiles and marsh crocodiles at the lakes are common. Afternoon free to rest, or book a second safari if seats remain.

🚌Park canter/jeep included in safari

🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse near the park gate, Sawai Madhopur (~£16)

• →Morning shared canter safari
• →Optional afternoon safari (~£32-40)

Train toward Bharatpur or Alwar, then hire a local taxi or take a bus to Abhaneri to see Chand Baori, the 8th-century stepwell of 3,500 narrow steps (~£2 entry, ~£12-15 for a half-day car). Continue on to Agra by train or bus (~3-4 hrs, ~£4-6). Buy your Taj Mahal ticket online in advance (₹1,100/approx £11) to skip the queue tomorrow.

🚌Train to Bharatpur/Alwar + local taxi via Abhaneri + onward train/bus (~£18-22)

🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj, Agra (~£15)

• →Chand Baori stepwell
• →Taj Mahal ticket pre-purchase

Enter the Taj Mahal at opening (sunrise light is best, and it's quieter on Fridays when it's closed — plan around that). Then walk or auto to the red sandstone Agra Fort (~£7) and spend a couple of hours inside the Mughal palaces. Optionally cross the river to Mehtab Bagh for the classic sunset view back at the Taj (~£2).

🚌Walking and auto-rickshaws (~£3)

🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj, Agra (~£15)

• →Taj Mahal sunrise entry
• →Agra Fort entry
• →Optional Mehtab Bagh sunset view

Take a morning Gatimaan Express or Shatabdi train back to Delhi (~1h 40m, ~£6-9 in chair car) or an air-conditioned bus (~3.5 hrs, ~£5). If time allows before your flight, drop bags at a locker and squeeze in Humayun's Tomb or the Lodhi Gardens. Head to IGI Airport by Airport Express Metro (~£2) or prepaid taxi (~£7).

🚌Gatimaan/Shatabdi Express Agra–Delhi (~£6-9) + Airport Express (~£2)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Optional Humayun's Tomb or Lodhi Gardens
• →Departure transfer