Golden Triangle, Bengal Tiger & Rajasthan — Self-Launched

Land in Delhi and check into a Paharganj or Karol Bagh guesthouse (₹1,200–2,000/night). Pick up a local SIM at the airport (Airtel/Jio, ~£4). Take the Airport Express metro to New Delhi station (~£1.60). Afternoon: metro to Qutub Minar (Yellow Line to Saket then auto, entry ₹600/~£6 for foreigners), then back north to Jama Masjid (free, camera fee ~£3) and a walk through Chandni Chowk's spice and silver lanes. Evening: Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and its community kitchen (free, cover your head), then Connaught Place for dinner — India Gate and Parliament House are best seen lit up by auto-rickshaw loop (~£4). Book your Agra train on IRCTC tonight.

🚌Airport Express metro + Delhi Metro day (~£3 total)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh, Delhi (~£15)

• →Qutub Minar complex
• →Jama Masjid & Chandni Chowk walk
• →Gurudwara Bangla Sahib community kitchen
• →Connaught Place & India Gate evening auto loop

Morning: Akshardham Temple (free entry, ~£3 for exhibitions; phones not allowed inside — use the cloakroom) and the Red Fort (₹600/~£6). Then take the Gatimaan Express from Hazrat Nizamuddin at ~15:35, arriving Agra Cantt in 1h40 (~£9 in AC chair car); book on IRCTC or 12Go. Check into a Taj Ganj guesthouse with a rooftop view. Late afternoon: Mehtab Bagh across the Yamuna for the classic sunset Taj view (₹300/~£3). Optional extras the operator sells can be booked direct: the Mohabbat the Taj musical show (~£15) or a sunrise hot-air balloon flight over Agra (~£140, book via GetYourGuide).

🚌Gatimaan Express Delhi–Agra ~£9

🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj, Agra with rooftop Taj view (~£15)

• →Akshardham Temple
• →Agra Red Fort
• →Mehtab Bagh sunset Taj view

Be at the Taj Mahal East Gate for opening at sunrise (6am Oct–Mar, 5:30am otherwise). Buy your ticket online at asi.payumoney.com (₹1,300/~£13 incl. mausoleum) — the sunrise slot sells out, so book days ahead. A local licensed guide at the gate costs ~£10 for two hours if you want the history; otherwise a GetYourGuide skip-the-line entry + guide combo runs ~£20. Back for breakfast and a little marble-inlay shopping in Taj Ganj. Afternoon: train or bus Agra–Sawai Madhopur (~4h; the Kota-bound trains are fastest, ~£5). Overnight in Sawai Madhopur village near the park gate.

🚌Train Agra–Sawai Madhopur ~£5

🛏Budget lodge in Sawai Madhopur (~£12)

• →Taj Mahal sunrise entry
• →Taj Ganj marble-inlay workshops
• →Taj Mahal guided walk (optional ~£10)

Book your safari directly on the Rajasthan Forest Department portal (forest.rajasthan.gov.in) — jeep seats are ~₹1,800/person (~£18) plus the vehicle, and permits for Zones 1–5 release 90 days out and sell fast, especially Oct–Apr. Shared canter safaris are cheaper (~£12). Morning safari (6:30am, ~3.5h) gives the best tiger odds; afternoon slots also run. After lunch, train Sawai Madhopur–Jaipur (~2.5h, ~£4). Check into a guesthouse in the old city near Hawa Mahal. Evening: rooftop thali and a wander through Johari Bazaar.

🚌Shared jeep safari + Sawai Madhopur–Jaipur train ~£4

🛏Old-city guesthouse, Jaipur (~£16)

• →Ranthambore morning jeep safari (Zone 1–5)
• →Johari Bazaar evening walk

Get the ₹1,000 (~£10) composite ticket covering Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh and Albert Hall over two days. Early start: local bus or auto to Amber Fort (~£1.50) before the crowds, then walk up to Jaigarh Fort for the Jaivana cannon and valley views (₹500/~£5). Photo stop at Jal Mahal on the way back. Afternoon: City Palace Museum (₹700/~£7) and Jantar Mantar Observatory, then Hawa Mahal from the street. Evening cooking class in a local home (~£20, book on GetYourGuide or Airbnb Experiences) as an alternative to the operator's hosted dinner — and shop the bazaars for block prints and juttis.

🚌Local buses and autos (~£4)

🛏Old-city guesthouse, Jaipur (~£16)

• →Amber Fort
• →Jaigarh Fort
• →Jal Mahal photo stop
• →City Palace Museum & Jantar Mantar
• →Hawa Mahal
• →Home cooking class (optional ~£20)

Morning train Jaipur–Jodhpur (~5–6h, ~£6 in sleeper/AC chair) or a faster Volvo bus night before if you prefer. Check into a haveli guesthouse in the old blue-washed lanes below the fort (~£15). Afternoon: Mehrangarh Fort with the excellent audio guide (₹600 + ₹200 audio/~£8) — allow three hours — then Jaswant Thada's marble cenotaphs (₹50/~£0.60). Skip Umaid Bhawan's museum if budget is tight; the exterior and the vintage car collection are the draw (₹100/~£1). Evening: rooftop dinner with fort views and a wander through Sardar Market's clock tower bazaar for mirchi vada and handicrafts.

🚌Jaipur–Jodhpur train ~£6 + autos ~£3

🛏Haveli guesthouse in old Jodhpur (~£15)

• →Mehrangarh Fort with audio guide
• →Jaswant Thada
• →Umaid Bhawan Palace exterior
• →Sardar Market & clock tower bazaar

Morning bus or train to Jaisalmer (~5h; the Ranthambore Express and private Volvo buses both run, ~£6). Check into a guesthouse inside or just below Jaisalmer Fort (~£14). Afternoon: walk the living fort's lanes (free entry to the streets; the Laxminath Temple and havelis' courtyards are small fees), then Patwon Ki Haveli (₹200/~£2) and Nathmal Ki Haveli's carved stonework. Book a camel safari for tomorrow morning directly through your guesthouse — a shared camel + jeep package to Sam or Khuri dunes including dinner and folk music runs ₹1,200–1,800 (~£14–18).

🚌Jodhpur–Jaisalmer bus/train ~£6

🛏Guesthouse at Jaisalmer Fort (~£14)

• →Jaisalmer Fort lanes
• →Patwon Ki Haveli
• →Nathmal Ki Haveli
• →Camel safari booking

Early camel ride out to Sam or Khuri dunes (~1h each way) with a jeep transfer — sunset and sunrise versions are both about £15; Khuri is quieter and less touristy than Sam. Back by midday for a shower, then the bus to Bikaner (~5h, ~£5). Check into a guesthouse in the old city (~£13). Evening: Bikaneri bhujia and kachori at a local sweet shop, then a walk around the walled town.

🚌Shared jeep + camel safari ~£15; Bikaner bus ~£5

🛏Old-city guesthouse, Bikaner (~£13)

• →Sam/Khuri dunes camel safari with folk music
• →Bikaner old town food walk

Morning: Junagarh Fort with the compulsory-included audio guide (₹300/~£3) and Lalgarh Palace (₹100/~£1). Then a shared auto or bus 30km south to Deshnoke's Karni Mata Temple — the famous rat temple (free, shoes off, ~£4 return transport). Afternoon: return to Bikaner and catch the overnight train to Delhi (Bikaner–Delhi Sarai Rohilla, ~9–10h; book 3AC ~£12 on IRCTC). Alternatively fly Bikaner–Delhi if a cheap fare appears (~£40–60), which mirrors the operator's own reviewers' tip about avoiding the long drive back.

🚌Overnight train Bikaner–Delhi 3AC ~£12; shared transport to Deshnoke ~£4

🛏Overnight train to Delhi, 3AC (~£12) — or Bikaner guesthouse if flying (~£13)

• →Junagarh Fort
• →Lalgarh Palace
• →Karni Mata Temple, Deshnoke

Arrive Delhi early morning. Drop bags at a Paharganj guesthouse or the station cloakroom. Morning: Lotus Temple (free, closed Mondays) and Humayun's Tomb (₹600/~£6) if you haven't yet seen it, plus last-minute shopping at Dilli Haat for crafts at fixed prices. Optional half-day Old Delhi street-food walk via GetYourGuide (~£20) if you have a late flight. Airport Express metro back to IGI for departure. Add one buffer night if you're booking a long-haul flight the same day — Indian trains are usually reliable but not always punctual.

🚌Delhi Metro + Airport Express (~£3)

🛏None (departure day) — or a day-room/buffer night (~£15) if flying late

• →Lotus Temple
• →Humayun's Tomb
• →Dilli Haat shopping
• →Old Delhi food walk (optional ~£20)