Rajasthan & the Taj Mahal: 18-Day Self-Launched Rajasthan Loop

Land at Delhi Airport and take the Airport Express metro (approx. £2) or a prepaid airport taxi (approx. £4–6) to your guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh. Spend the afternoon gently acclimatising: walk to Connaught Place, pick up an Indian SIM/eSIM (Airtel or Jio, approx. £5 for a month), and sort out your IRCTC train account or third-party booking app. Book a walking or Metro-based intro to the city for tomorrow through GetYourGuide or a local operator.

🚌Airport Express metro from IGI Airport to New Delhi station, approx. £2

🛏Budget guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh (approx. £12–15/night)

• →Airport Express metro into the city
• →SIM card setup in Paharganj
• →Evening wander around Connaught Place

Do the Delhi highlights DIY-style. Start early at Jama Masjid (free entry, small camera fee) and take a cycle rickshaw through the spice lanes of Chandni Chowk (approx. £3 for a 30-minute ride — agree the price first). Walk from the Red Fort exterior to Raj Ghat, then use the metro to Humayun's Tomb (approx. £5 entry) and Qutub Minar (approx. £5). Finish at the Lotus Temple (free). A GetYourGuide 'Old Delhi street food walk' costs around £18 if you want a guide for the food chaos; otherwise eat at Karim's near Jama Masjid.

🚌Delhi Metro day of rides approx. £2; auto-rickshaws for short hops

🛏Budget guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh (approx. £12–15/night)

• →Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk spice market
• →Cycle rickshaw ride in Old Delhi
• →Humayun's Tomb
• →Qutub Minar
• →Lotus Temple
• →India Gate and Raj Ghat

Take an early Gatimaan Express or Vande Bharat train from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra Cantt (approx. 1h50m, around £6–9 in chair car). Drop bags at a budget hotel in the Taj Ganj area and visit Agra Fort (approx. £5) with an audio guide or a locally hired guide at the gate (approx. £8–10). In the late afternoon head to Mehtab Bagh across the river for the classic sunset view of the Taj (approx. £3 entry).

🚌Vande Bharat or Gatimaan Express Delhi–Agra, approx. £8; autos in Agra approx. £3

🛏Budget hotel in Taj Ganj, Agra (approx. £12–16/night)

• →Train to Agra
• →Agra Fort
• →Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb (Baby Taj)
• →Mehtab Bagh sunset view of the Taj

Book your Taj Mahal ticket online in advance (approx. £12 for foreigners, slightly less at sunrise) and be at the East Gate before opening — sunrise is magic and crowds are thinnest. After breakfast, take a local bus or shared taxi to Fatehpur Sikri (approx. £2 bus, 1h), see the Buland Darwaza, Panch Mahal and Salim Chisti's Tomb (entry approx. £5). Continue by bus or train towards Jaipur (Fatehpur Sikri to Jaipur bus approx. £2.50, 3–4h) and check into a guesthouse in the old city near Hawa Mahal.

🚌Auto to Taj (£2), bus Agra–Fatehpur Sikri (£2), bus Fatehpur Sikri–Jaipur (£3)

🛏Guesthouse near Hawa Mahal, Jaipur (approx. £14–18/night)

• →Sunrise at the Taj Mahal
• →Fatehpur Sikri and Buland Darwaza
• →Evening arrival in Jaipur old city

Take a local bus or shared auto to Amber Fort (bus approx. £0.50, or a Grab/Ola cab approx. £4). Entry is about £6, and you can walk up or take a jeep (approx. £6 shared) — skip the elephant rides on ethical grounds. Return to the city for the City Palace (approx. £9) and Jantar Mantar (approx. £4), then photo-stop at Jal Mahal and Hawa Mahal (free from the street). Optional afternoon: Nahargarh Fort for sunset views (entry approx. £2). A GetYourGuide 'Jaipur heritage walking tour' is around £15 if you want stories brought to life.

🚌Local bus/shared auto to Amber approx. £1; city autos approx. £4

🛏Guesthouse near Hawa Mahal, Jaipur (approx. £14–18/night)

• →Amber Fort (jeep up, walk down)
• →City Palace and Jantar Mantar
• →Hawa Mahal and Jal Mahal
• →Optional Nahargarh Fort sunset

This is where the group tour's private car is hardest to replace, but it's doable: take a bus or train from Jaipur to Jhunjhunu/Sikar (approx. £2–4, 4–5h), then a shared jeep or auto the final 30km to Mandawa (approx. £2). Check into a simple haveli guesthouse — many of the painted merchant houses now run rooms (approx. £12–18). Spend the late afternoon wandering the frescoed havelis (free or small tips to caretakers) and the Mandawa Fort, which most travellers have entirely to themselves.

🚌Bus Jaipur–Sikar/Jhunjhunu approx. £3; shared jeep to Mandawa approx. £2

🛏Heritage haveli guesthouse in Mandawa (approx. £15–18/night)

• →Bus/train to Shekhawati region
• →Self-guided walk of Mandawa's painted havelis
• →Mandawa Fort exterior and rooftop sunset

Travel on to Bikaner by bus via Jhunjhunu or Fatehpur (approx. £3–5, 5–6h; there's also a slow train option). Once there, visit Junagarh Fort (approx. £4) with an audio guide, Lalgarh Palace, and the ornate Bhandasar Jain Temple (free). Late afternoon, take an auto to the National Research Centre on Camel (approx. £1 entry) for a short camel ride (approx. £3–5). Bikaner's bhujia and kachori street snacks are a highlight — budget £2 for dinner.

🚌Bus Mandawa–Bikaner approx. £4; auto-rickshaws approx. £2

🛏Budget guesthouse in Bikaner old town (approx. £12–15/night)

• →Bus to Bikaner
• →Junagarh Fort and Lalgarh Palace
• →Bhandasar Jain Temple
• →Camel Breeding Farm and short camel ride

Take the morning bus or train to Jaisalmer (bus approx. £4–6, 6h; train is slower but cheaper). Book a desert camp or dune camp directly with a Jaisalmer operator (many small outfits charge £25–35 per person including camel ride, dinner, folk music and a night in a Swiss tent or under the stars). Leave your big bag at a Jaisalmer guesthouse and head out for sunset camel ride into the dunes.

🚌Bus Bikaner–Jaisalmer approx. £5; jeep transfer to dunes included in camp price

🛏Desert camp near Sam or Khuri dunes (approx. £25–30 including dinner)

• →Bus to Jaisalmer
• →Sunset camel ride in the Thar Desert
• →Desert camp dinner with Rajasthani folk dance and music

Return to town and check into a guesthouse inside or just below Jaisalmer Fort — staying in the fort itself is atmospheric though water pressure is patchy. Explore the fort (free to enter; palace museum approx. £5), the Jain temples inside, and the exquisite Patwon-ki-Haveli (approx. £2) and Salim Singh-ki-Haveli. The Thar Heritage Museum is about £2. Finish with sunset at Gadisar Lake, then dinner on a rooftop with a fort view (thali approx. £3–4).

🚌Walking; short autos approx. £2

🛏Guesthouse inside/near Jaisalmer Fort (approx. £12–16/night)

• →Jaisalmer Fort and Jain temples
• →Patwon-ki-Haveli and Salim Singh-ki-Haveli
• →Thar Heritage Museum
• →Gadisar Lake sunset

Take the morning bus or train to Jodhpur (bus approx. £4–6, 5h; the train is around £2 in sleeper). Drop bags in the blue old city and head up to Mehrangarh Fort — entry plus the excellent audio guide is roughly £8 and worth every penny. Then Jaswant Thada (approx. £2), the Clock Tower market for spices and lassi (approx. £2), and if you have energy, the Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park (approx. £2). Optional: a Blue City walking tour via GetYourGuide for around £15.

🚌Bus Jaisalmer–Jodhpur approx. £5; autos approx. £3

🛏Guesthouse in Jodhpur old city (approx. £12–16/night)

• →Bus/train to Jodhpur
• →Mehrangarh Fort with audio guide
• →Jaswant Thada
• →Clock Tower market and blue city lanes

The group tour detours to Ranakpur — you can too, but it's fiddly: share a taxi from Jodhpur to Ranakpur (approx. £20–25 for the car, splittable if you find others), see the astonishing marble Jain temple (free entry, temple trust asks for a small donation), then continue to Mount Abu by bus or shared jeep (approx. £4–5, 2.5h). A simpler alternative is the direct Jodhpur–Abu Road train (approx. £2–3, 5h) plus a 30-minute local bus up the mountain (£1). Mount Abu is the only hill station in Rajasthan — cooler and greener.

🚌Shared taxi to Ranakpur approx. £12 if split; bus to Mount Abu approx. £5

🛏Budget guesthouse near Nakki Lake, Mount Abu (approx. £14–18/night)

• →Ranakpur Jain Temples (optional detour)
• →Travel to Mount Abu hill station
• →Evening stroll around Nakki Lake

Start at the Dilwara Jain Temples (free, but photography is not allowed and opening hours are limited — go early). Then take a local bus or shared jeep towards Achalgarh Fort and the Arbuda Devi and Raghunathji temples (small entries/tips). If you're up for it, hike or take a shared jeep to Guru Shikhar, Rajasthan's highest peak (approx. £2–3, panoramic views). End with sunset at the Sunset Point and a boat ride on Nakki Lake (approx. £2).

🚌Local buses and shared jeeps approx. £4

🛏Budget guesthouse near Nakki Lake, Mount Abu (approx. £14–18/night)

• →Dilwara Jain Temples
• →Achalgarh Fort and Arbuda Devi Temple
• →Guru Shikhar viewpoint
• →Nakki Lake boat ride and Sunset Point

Take the local bus down to Abu Road (approx. £1) and catch a train or bus to Udaipur (train approx. £2–4, 4–5h; bus approx. £4). Settle into a lakeside guesthouse in the old city near Lal Ghat and spend the afternoon simply absorbing Udaipur: the ghats, Ambrai Ghat at sunset, the Jagdish Temple (free), and a rooftop dinner overlooking Lake Pichola (approx. £5). Optional: the Eklingji and Nagda temples are 25km out of town and only worth it if you hire a scooter (approx. £8/day).

🚌Bus to Abu Road approx. £1; train Abu Road–Udaipur approx. £3

🛏Lakeside guesthouse in Udaipur old city (approx. £14–18/night)

• →Train/bus to Udaipur
• →Old city ghats and Jagdish Temple
• →Sunset at Ambrai Ghat

Get to the City Palace complex early (entry approx. £8; combined ticket with the Crystal Gallery costs a bit more). Then Saheliyon-ki-Bari (approx. £2) and Fateh Sagar Lake. Late afternoon, take a shared boat on Lake Pichola (approx. £4 for the short Islands cruise; the longer Jag Mandir trip is about £8). In the evening, buy a ticket for the Dharohar Dance Show at Bagore-ki-Haveli (approx. £2.50, shows at 7pm) — the same folk performance the group tour includes, for pocket change.

🚌Walking and autos approx. £3

🛏Lakeside guesthouse in Udaipur old city (approx. £14–18/night)

• →City Palace and Crystal Gallery
• →Saheliyon-ki-Bari and Fateh Sagar Lake
• →Lake Pichola boat ride
• →Dharohar folk dance show at Bagore-ki-Haveli

Travel to Chittorgarh by bus or train (bus approx. £3, 3h; train approx. £2). Chittorgarh Fort is India's largest fort and best explored with a local guide or an auto-rickshaw driver who doubles as one (approx. £8–10 for a half-day loop, and it saves a lot of walking). See Rana Kumbha Palace, the Victory Tower (Vijay Stambh), Padmini Palace, Meerabai Temple and the museum. Entry is about £4 (or free if you walk in).

🚌Bus Udaipur–Chittorgarh approx. £3; auto tour of fort approx. £9

🛏Budget hotel in Chittorgarh town (approx. £12–15/night)

• →Bus/train to Chittorgarh
• →Chittorgarh Fort by auto-rickshaw loop
• →Rana Kumbha Palace, Vijay Stambh and Padmini Palace

Take a bus or train to Ajmer (approx. £3, 3–4h), then visit the Ajmer Dargah Sharif (free; shoes off, cover your head) and the Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpra mosque. A shared auto or local bus covers the 14km to Pushkar (approx. £1). Check into a guesthouse near the lake and explore on foot: Brahma Temple (the only major one in the world), the ghats of Pushkar Lake, and the bazaar. Pushkar is vegetarian and alcohol-free — embrace it with a proper Rajasthani thali (approx. £3).

🚌Bus Chittorgarh–Ajmer approx. £3; shared auto Ajmer–Pushkar approx. £1

🛏Guesthouse near Pushkar Lake (approx. £10–14/night)

• →Ajmer Dargah Sharif
• →Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpra
• →Brahma Temple and Pushkar Lake ghats
• →Pushkar bazaar and rooftop dinner

Hike up to Savitri Temple before dawn for sunrise over the lake and dunes (free, about 30 minutes up; a ropeway costs approx. £1.50 if you'd rather ride). Visit the remaining small temples — Varah, Rangji, Apteshwar — then take an afternoon bus or train to Delhi (Pushkar/Ajmer to Delhi train approx. £4 sleeper/£8 chair car, 6–7h; overnight sleeper trains are also an option). Check into a budget hotel near New Delhi station for your last night.

🚌Train Ajmer–Delhi approx. £8 in chair car

🛏Budget hotel near New Delhi station (approx. £12–15/night)

• →Sunrise hike to Savitri Temple
• →Varah, Rangji and Apteshwar temples
• →Return journey to Delhi

Depending on your flight time, squeeze in a last breakfast of parathas in Paharganj or a final wander through Lodhi Gardens (free). Take the Airport Express metro to IGI Airport (approx. £2) — allow plenty of time for Indian airport security. If your flight is late, the Delhi Metro makes luggage storage and a final Delhi street-food crawl easy.

🚌Airport Express metro approx. £2

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Final Delhi breakfast
• →Optional Lodhi Gardens walk
• →Airport Express to IGI Airport