Self-Launched Colours of Rajasthan – Pushkar Festival

Arrive at Indira Gandhi International Airport and make your way to your guesthouse in the Paharganj or CR Park area — both well-connected budget hubs. Take the Delhi Metro from the airport (Aerocity interchange, ~£1.50) to your accommodation. Spend the evening exploring your neighbourhood, grabbing street food and getting your bearings. Download the Ola or Uber app for affordable city rides.

🚌Delhi Metro Aerocity Express from airport (~£1.50)

🛏Bloom Rooms, Madpackers Hostel, or similar guesthouse in CR Park/Paharganj (~£12–18/night)

• →Arrive and settle in
• →Explore Paharganj or Connaught Place on foot
• →Street food dinner near your guesthouse

Spend the morning exploring Old Delhi independently. Visit Jama Masjid (entry free, camera fee ~£1.50), the Red Fort exterior and Rajghat memorial (free). Head south to see India Gate on foot or by metro. In the evening, take the Sawai Madhopur Express (Train 12466) from Hazrat Nizamuddin station — a ~5-hour overnight journey arriving early morning. Book train tickets via the IRCTC website or app (book well in advance for Ranthambore season). Sleeper class ~£5–8, 3AC ~£12–15.

🚌Delhi Metro for city sightseeing (~£2); IRCTC train Hazrat Nizamuddin to Sawai Madhopur (~£8–15 sleeper/3AC)

🛏Ranthambore budget guesthouse or homestay on arrival (~£15–20/night)

• →Jama Masjid visit (free entry, small camera fee)
• →Red Fort exterior and Chandni Chowk walk
• →Rajghat – Gandhi Memorial (free)
• →India Gate and Rajpath
• →Overnight train to Sawai Madhopur (for Ranthambore)

Book two jeep safaris (morning and evening) directly through the Ranthambore National Park official booking portal (ranthambhore.com) or via GetYourGuide. Morning drives depart around 6:30am and evening drives around 2:30pm. Each shared jeep (gypsy) costs approximately £15–20 per person including the mandatory Forest Guard and park entry fee. Book as early as possible — permits sell out weeks ahead during peak November season. Ranthambore Fort inside the park is free to explore on foot between drives.

🚌Local auto-rickshaw between town and park gate (~£2)

🛏Ranthambore budget guesthouse (~£15–20/night)

• →Morning jeep safari (shared gypsy, ~£18/person incl. park entry)
• →Evening jeep safari (shared gypsy, ~£18/person incl. park entry)
• →Ranthambore Fort walk between drives (free)

Take a shared taxi or private hire car from Sawai Madhopur to Bundi (~4 hours, ~£6–10 shared, or ~£20–25 private split between travellers). Bundi is a hidden gem on the Rajasthan circuit — arrive, check in, and head straight up to Taragarh Fort (Bundi Fort) in the afternoon (entry ~£2). The fort towers over the town and houses extraordinary Rajput-era murals and frescos. Wander the blue-washed lanes of the old town and browse the stepwells (baoris) for free.

🚌Shared taxi or bus from Sawai Madhopur to Bundi (~£6–10)

🛏Ishwari Niwas or Bundi Haveli guesthouse (~£12–18/night)

• →Taragarh Fort and palace visit (~£2 entry)
• →Raniji ki Baori stepwell (free)
• →Walk the blue-painted lanes of old Bundi

Catch the morning bus or shared taxi from Bundi to Udaipur (~5 hours, ~235km). RSRTC state buses run this route for as little as £3–5; a shared taxi is ~£8–12. Arrive by midday, check in and spend the afternoon walking the lakeside ghats of Lake Pichola at your own pace. The old city is walkable — stroll through the narrow lanes of the old town and watch the sunset over the lake from Ambrai Ghat (free).

🚌RSRTC bus or shared taxi Bundi to Udaipur (~£4–12)

🛏Zostel Udaipur, Dream Heaven Guesthouse or similar lakeside budget hotel (~£14–20/night)

• →Scenic bus or taxi ride through the Aravalli Hills
• →Stroll Ambrai Ghat at sunset (free)
• →Explore the old city lanes on foot

Begin at the City Palace — the largest palace complex in Rajasthan (entry ~£7). Work your way down to Jagdish Temple, a magnificent 17th-century Vishnu temple just outside the palace gates (free entry). In the afternoon, take a boat trip on Lake Pichola to see the lake palaces up close (~£5 for a shared public ferry). If time allows, wander through the gardens of Gulab Bag or browse the markets. Hire a local auto-rickshaw for the day (~£4–6) to reach spots further afield.

🚌Auto-rickshaw around city (~£4–6)

🛏Zostel Udaipur or similar (~£14–20/night)

• →City Palace Museum (~£7 entry)
• →Jagdish Temple (free)
• →Lake Pichola boat trip (~£5 shared ferry)
• →Explore Gulab Bag gardens (small entry fee)

Hire a private taxi for the day for the scenic drive to Jodhpur via Ranakpur (~7 hours total). Split the taxi cost between fellow travellers met at your guesthouse — typically £25–35 for the whole car. Stop at the stunning 15th-century Ranakpur Jain Temple (entry ~£2 for non-Jains, camera fee ~£2) — one of the most extraordinary temples in India with 1,444 individually carved marble pillars. Continue to Jodhpur and check in near the clock tower for easy access to the old city markets.

🚌Shared/private taxi Udaipur–Ranakpur–Jodhpur (~£8–12pp depending on group size)

🛏Cosy Nest Guesthouse, Haveli Inn Pal or similar in old city (~£14–18/night)

• →Ranakpur Jain Temple visit (~£4 total fees)
• →Arrive Jodhpur, explore Clock Tower market (free)
• →View Mehrangarh Fort at dusk from the old city

Take an early bus or shared taxi from Jodhpur to Pushkar (~3–4 hours via Ajmer, ~£4–7 by bus). Alternatively, take the train to Ajmer (Mandore Express, ~£4–6) and a shared auto-rickshaw or bus onward to Pushkar (~30 mins, ~£1). Arrive and check into your festival camp or guesthouse. The Pushkar Mela (camel fair) transforms the town completely — check out the fairgrounds, camel trading areas and the famous Brahma Ghat on Pushkar Lake. Book festival camp accommodation months in advance — tent camps fill up fast in November.

🚌Bus Jodhpur to Ajmer (~£4–5), shared auto to Pushkar (~£1); or direct shared taxi (~£6–8)

🛏Atithi Camp, Pushkar Tent City or similar festival camp (~£20–30/night, all-in during festival — book early)

• →Arrive Pushkar, check into festival camp
• →Explore Pushkar Lake ghats and Brahma Temple (free, shoes off required)
• →Evening at the festival fairgrounds — camel trading, folk music, food stalls

Spend the entire day immersed in one of Asia's most colourful and extraordinary festivals. Watch the famous camel and horse races, livestock trading and competitions like the bridal competition and longest moustache contest. Attend religious ceremonies at Brahma Temple and along Pushkar Lake at dusk — one of the most atmospheric sights in India. Evening aarti (prayer ceremony) on the ghats is unmissable. Street food and festival snacks are plentiful and cheap — budget ~£5–8 for all meals from stalls.

🚌On foot / local auto (~£2)

🛏Atithi Camp or similar festival camp (~£20–30/night)

• →Camel and horse races at the festival grounds
• →Moustache and bridal competitions
• →Camel/horse trading fair
• →Sunset aarti ceremony at Pushkar Lake (free)
• →Folk music and dance performances throughout the day

Spend the morning visiting Pushkar's famous Brahma Temple — one of very few temples in the world dedicated to Lord Brahma (free entry, donations welcome). Stroll the lakeside ghats and the market lanes lined with silver jewellery and tie-dye textiles. After lunch, catch a shared taxi or bus to Jaipur (~3 hours, ~£4–6 by bus via Ajmer). Check in and take an evening stroll along Mirza Ismail Road or the bazaars of the Pink City.

🚌Bus Pushkar/Ajmer to Jaipur (~£4–6)

🛏Moustache Jaipur, Pearl Palace Heritage or similar (~£14–20/night)

• →Brahma Temple visit (free)
• →Pushkar market browsing
• →Afternoon bus or taxi to Jaipur
• →Evening walk in Jaipur's bazaars

Rise early for a self-guided dawn walk through the walled Pink City as it wakes — visit the morning flower and vegetable markets, watch chai wallahs set up their stalls, and see locals performing puja at neighbourhood shrines. Head to Jantar Mantar observatory (~£5 entry) — an extraordinary 18th-century collection of astronomical instruments. Walk to the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds, ~£2 entry) for photos. In the afternoon, take an auto-rickshaw or Uber to Amber Fort on the city's outskirts (~£4–6 entry) — optionally climb up on foot or by shared jeep. Book GetYourGuide walking tours of Jaipur from ~£10 if you'd like a guide.

🚌Auto-rickshaw / Uber around city (~£5–8 total)

🛏Moustache Jaipur or similar (~£14–20/night)

• →Self-guided dawn walk through the Pink City walled bazaars (free)
• →Jantar Mantar observatory (~£5 entry)
• →Hawa Mahal – Palace of the Winds (~£2 entry)
• →Amber Fort (~£6 entry, shared jeep up ~£2)

Take an early morning bus or train from Jaipur to Agra (~4–5 hours). The RSRTC Volvo bus is comfortable and costs ~£5–8; IRCTC train (Ajmer–Agra Fort Express) is ~£5–10 in sleeper/3AC. En route, arrange a day-hire taxi in advance (or negotiate with a driver in Jaipur) to stop at Fatehpur Sikri (~£1–2 extra on taxi routes, or take a local bus detour). Fatehpur Sikri entry is ~£5 for foreigners — well worth it for the stunning Mughal ghost city. Continue to Agra, check in near Taj Ganj for easy morning access to the Taj, and visit Agra Fort in the late afternoon (~£6 entry).

🚌RSRTC bus or train Jaipur to Agra (~£5–10); local taxi/auto for Fatehpur Sikri detour (~£8–12 shared)

🛏Hotel Kamal, Zostel Agra or similar near Taj Ganj (~£12–18/night)

• →Bus or train Jaipur to Agra (~£5–10)
• →Fatehpur Sikri UNESCO World Heritage Site (~£5 entry)
• →Agra Fort (Red Fort of Akbar) visit (~£6 entry)

Set your alarm for 5am — gates open at sunrise and this is by far the most magical time to visit. Walk or take a short auto-rickshaw (£1) to the East Gate or South Gate of the Taj Mahal. Entry is ~£13 for foreign visitors including the inner mausoleum fee — book online in advance at asi.payumoney.com to skip queues. Spend 2–3 hours exploring. After breakfast, visit Wildlife SOS Agra Elephant Conservation Centre (book a free visit slot via their website wildlifesos.org — donations welcomed). In the early afternoon, take the Gatimaan Express or Shatabdi Express train from Agra Cantonment back to Delhi (~2 hours, ~£8–15 in chair car). Check into your Delhi guesthouse for a final night.

🚌Auto to Taj Mahal gate (~£1); train Agra Cantonment to Delhi (~£8–15)

🛏Bloom Rooms CR Park, Moustache Delhi or similar (~£14–20/night)

• →Sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal (~£13 entry, book online in advance)
• →Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation Centre visit (free, donations welcome)
• →Gatimaan/Shatabdi Express train to Delhi (~£8–15)

Your adventure ends after breakfast. If your flight is late, Delhi has plenty to keep you busy — explore Humayun's Tomb (~£6), Qutb Minar (~£6) or the Lodi Garden (free). Take the Delhi Metro Airport Express from New Delhi station to the airport (~£2, ~20 minutes). Allow 3 hours before international departures.

🚌Delhi Metro Airport Express to IGI Airport (~£2)

🛏Check-out

• →Optional: Humayun's Tomb or Lodi Garden
• →Delhi Metro Airport Express to IGI Airport (~£2)