Rajasthan Highlights by Bike: Self-Launched Edition

Fly into Indira Gandhi International Airport and make your own way into the city. Stay in a well-rated guesthouse in Paharganj or South Delhi — both are well connected and popular with backpackers. Spend the evening exploring Old Delhi's lanes or grab dinner near Connaught Place. Book your onward train to Ajmer tonight if you haven't already (book via IRCTC or Cleartrip).

🚌Airport Metro to New Delhi Station or Paharganj (~£0.50), or prepaid taxi (~£8)

🛏Zostel Delhi or similar hostel/guesthouse (dorm ~£8, private ~£18)

• →Explore Old Delhi or Connaught Place independently
• →Book Shatabdi Express train to Ajmer for Day 2 via IRCTC (approx. £8–12 in AC Chair Car)
• →Grab street food dinner in Paharganj or Karol Bagh

Catch an early morning train from New Delhi Railway Station to Ajmer (Shatabdi or Jan Shatabdi Express, ~5–6 hrs, departs around 6am). On arrival in Ajmer, take a shared auto-rickshaw or local bus to Pushkar (30 min, ~£0.50–1). Check into your guesthouse and hire a bicycle for the afternoon (many guesthouses rent basic bikes for £2–4/day). Take an orientation ride through the flower farms and countryside. In the evening, walk to Brahma Temple and explore Pushkar Bazaar at your own pace.

🚌Train + shared auto-rickshaw

🛏Inn Seventh Heaven or Greenhouse Pushkar (budget heritage guesthouse, ~£15–22/night private)

• →Shatabdi Express: New Delhi to Ajmer (~£8–12 AC Chair Car, book via IRCTC)
• →Shared auto-rickshaw Ajmer to Pushkar (~£0.50–1)
• →Hire a bicycle in Pushkar (£2–4/day)
• →Visit Brahma Temple (free entry, small donation welcome)
• →Evening stroll through Pushkar Bazaar

Set off from Pushkar on your hired or self-brought bike and ride ~70km through dry riverbeds, fields and village roads toward Roopangarh. The route is mostly flat on rural paved roads — navigate using Google Maps offline or Maps.me. Pass through a small ancient bazaar en route for a tea stop. Arrive in Roopangarh and check into a budget room near the historic fort. You can walk around the exterior of Roopangarh Fort (built 1648) without a formal guide.

🚌Self-cycling (~70km). Carry a puncture kit and spare tube.

🛏Roopangarh Fort heritage hotel (budget room ~£20–28/night) or local guesthouse (~£10–15)

• →Cycle ~70km Pushkar to Roopangarh on rural backroads
• →Explore ancient bazaar en route independently
• →Visit and photograph Roopangarh Fort exterior (free)

Ride ~70km through rural Rajasthan to Jobner on village roads. Stop for chai at a local dhaba (roadside café) — locals are usually very welcoming to cyclists. Detour to Sambhar Lake, India's largest inland saltwater lake — a vast, photogenic landscape with seasonal birds. After your ride, take a local bus or shared taxi to Jaipur (~1.5 hrs, ~£2–4). Check into a guesthouse in the old city area, ideally near the Pink City walls.

🚌Self-cycling then local bus/shared taxi to Jaipur

🛏Moustache Jaipur or Pearl Palace Heritage (budget boutique, ~£15–25/night private)

• →Cycle ~70km through rural Rajasthan to Jobner
• →Visit Sambhar Lake (free, self-guided)
• →Chai stop at a local dhaba
• →Local bus or shared taxi Jobner/Sambhar area to Jaipur (~£2–4)

Rise early and hire a local city bike or use your touring bike to ride through the Pink City as it wakes — visit flower and produce markets and Govind Dev Ji Temple (free entry, arrive by 6am for morning aarti). Return for breakfast at your guesthouse or a rooftop café. Take a local bus or auto-rickshaw to Amer Fort (~11km from centre, ~£0.50–1 by bus). Book your Amer Fort ticket online or at the gate (~£8–10 for foreigners). Spend the afternoon exploring Jaipur's famous bazaars — Johari Bazaar for jewellery, Bapu Bazaar for textiles, Tripolia Bazaar for brassware.

🚌City cycling + local bus/auto to Amer Fort (~£1 return)

🛏Moustache Jaipur or Pearl Palace Heritage (same as Day 4)

• →Early morning cycling tour of the Pink City (self-led, ~20km)
• →Govind Dev Ji Temple morning aarti (free)
• →Amer Fort entry (~£8–10, book via Rajasthan Tourism or at gate)
• →Self-guided bazaar exploration: Johari, Bapu & Tripolia Bazaars

Leave Jaipur and cycle ~60km through farming villages and open countryside to Ramgarh Dam — a scenic reservoir worth a short stop for photos. Continue to Jamwai Mata Mandir, a well-regarded local Hindu temple (free entry, remove shoes). Finish your ride near Dausa and either stay in the town itself or arrange a shared auto to a heritage property outside town. Dausa is a quiet, unhurried stop with a great authentic feel.

🚌Self-cycling (~60km)

🛏Bhadrawati Palace budget room (~£18–25) or local guesthouse in Dausa (~£8–12)

• →Cycle ~60km Jaipur to Dausa via Ramgarh Dam
• →Stop at Ramgarh Dam viewpoint (free)
• →Visit Jamwai Mata Mandir (free)

Today is the most demanding day on the bike — ~80km through hamlets, farmland and small rural settlements. Start early to avoid the midday heat. Stop at Ram Janaki Temple en route for a peaceful break and photos. The landscape becomes more dramatic as you approach Talabgaon. Reward yourself tonight with a stay at or near Talabgaon Castle, a beautifully restored 200-year-old fort — budget rooms here are surprisingly affordable when booked direct.

🚌Self-cycling (~80km). Carry extra water and snacks.

🛏Talabgaon Castle (budget/standard room ~£20–30, book direct for best rates)

• →Cycle ~80km Dausa to Talabgaon through rural Rajasthan
• →Visit Ram Janaki Temple (free)
• →Explore Talabgaon Castle grounds

Cycle ~50km to Khirini village through quiet rural roads, passing farms and traditional village life. Take a shared taxi or local bus (~45 min, ~£1–2) to Sawai Madhopur, the gateway town to Ranthambore National Park. Check into your guesthouse and head out for an afternoon tiger safari. Book a shared canter (large open vehicle, ~£12–18 per person) or jeep safari (~£20–28 per person) directly via the Ranthambore National Park online booking portal (rajasthan.gov.in) or through your guesthouse. Safaris are accompanied by a mandatory forest guard — this is standard on all bookings.

🚌Self-cycling then shared taxi to Sawai Madhopur

🛏Hotel Tiger Den or Ranthambore Forest Resort (~£12–20/night)

• →Cycle ~50km to Khirini village
• →Shared taxi/bus to Sawai Madhopur (~£1–2)
• →Afternoon tiger safari — shared canter (~£12–18) or jeep (~£20–28), booked via rajasthan.gov.in or guesthouse

Ride ~95km — the longest day of the trip — along the outskirts of Ranthambore National Park and through the Chambal River region. Keep your eyes peeled for gharials and mugger crocodiles near the riverbanks. Pass through traditional villages with mud-brick houses and colourfully dressed locals. Arrive in Karauli and, if energy allows, explore the 14th-century City Palace and the lanes filled with lacquer bangle shops. Stay in a heritage guesthouse in town.

🚌Self-cycling (~95km). Longest day — start at dawn.

🛏Bhanwar Vilas Palace budget room (~£18–28) or local heritage guesthouse (~£10–15)

• →Cycle ~95km along Ranthambore outskirts and through Chambal River region
• →Wildlife spotting: gharials and mugger crocodiles near Chambal River (free)
• →Optional self-guided walk: Karauli City Palace area and bangle market

Your last day in the saddle — ride ~76km to the city of Bari through quiet rural roads, with views of Karauli Fort as you leave town. On arrival in Bari, take a direct bus or shared taxi to Agra (~2 hrs, ~£4–6 by bus). Check into your guesthouse near the Taj Mahal — staying in the Taj Ganj neighbourhood puts you within walking distance of the monument and has plenty of great rooftop cafés.

🚌Self-cycling then bus/shared taxi to Agra

🛏Zostel Agra or Hotel Kamal Taj Ganj (~£10–20/night, rooftop Taj views available)

• →Cycle ~76km Karauli to Bari (views of Karauli Fort en route)
• →Bus or shared taxi Bari to Agra (~£4–6)
• →Evening stroll in Taj Ganj neighbourhood
• →Book your Taj Mahal sunrise entry ticket online in advance (archaeologicalsurvey.in, ~£13–15 for foreigners)

Rise before dawn and walk or take a tuk-tuk to the Taj Mahal's east gate — arrive 30 minutes before opening for the best sunrise light and thinner crowds. Entry for foreigners is ~£13–15 (book online the night before via archaeologicalsurvey.in). Spend 2–3 hours exploring the exterior, gardens and inner mausoleum at your own pace. After, grab breakfast at a Taj Ganj rooftop café with monument views. Take an afternoon express train or bus back to Delhi (Gatimaan Express: Agra Cantonment to Hazrat Nizamuddin, ~1h40min, ~£6–10). Back in Delhi, treat yourself to a farewell dinner in Hauz Khas Village or Connaught Place.

🚌Tuk-tuk to Taj Mahal gate (~£1) + Gatimaan Express to Delhi (~£6–10)

🛏Zostel Delhi or similar (~£8–18/night)

• →Taj Mahal at sunrise (pre-book ticket ~£13–15 via archaeologicalsurvey.in)
• →Self-guided interior exploration of Taj Mahal and gardens
• →Breakfast at Taj Ganj rooftop café
• →Gatimaan Express train: Agra to Delhi (~£6–10, book via IRCTC)

Your Rajasthan adventure wraps up today. Depending on your flight time, squeeze in a final visit to Humayun's Tomb, the Qutub Minar or a last browse through Lodi Garden. Take the Airport Metro Line from New Delhi or Shivaji Stadium station directly to Terminal 2/3 (~£0.50). Safe travels!

🚌Airport Metro (~£0.50) or prepaid taxi (~£8)

🛏Check-out

• →Optional: Humayun's Tomb or Qutub Minar (entry ~£4–6)
• →Airport Metro to IGI Airport (~£0.50)