India Highlights & Tiger Safari: The Self-Launched Version

Land at Indira Gandhi International and take the Airport Express metro (about £2) or a prepaid taxi (about £5) to your hotel in Karol Bagh or Paharganj. Get an Indian SIM/eSIM (Airtel or Jio, about £4 for data), change some cash and sort tickets on IRCTC's app or 12Go Asia for tomorrow week's trains. Ask your guesthouse to arrange an Ola/Uber later in the evening if you want to eat out. Early night — Delhi is a full day tomorrow.

🚌Airport Express metro ~£2 or prepaid taxi ~£5

🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse in Karol Bagh / Paharganj, twin room (~£18–22)

• →Airport transfer (metro/prepaid taxi)
• →Local SIM card
• →Train and bus ticket bookings (IRCTC / 12Go)

Book a full-day Delhi highlights tour through GetYourGuide or Klook (about £35–45 with car and driver) or piece it together with Ola cabs and the metro. Hits in the original: Jama Masjid, a cycle-rickshaw loop through Chandni Chowk's spice market (£2), a walk past the Red Fort, Raj Ghat, a drive past India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhavan, Humayun's Tomb (£5), Qutub Minar (£5) and the Lotus Temple (free, closed Mondays). Finish with a thali dinner in Connaught Place.

🚌Metro and Ola/Uber cabs ~£8

🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse in Karol Bagh / Paharganj (~£20)

• →Guided Old & New Delhi city tour
• →Jama Masjid & Chandni Chowk rickshaw ride
• →Humayun's Tomb, Qutub Minar, Lotus Temple, Raj Ghat

Fly IndiGo or SpiceJet Delhi–Varanasi (book weeks ahead, about £35–50 one-way) — it's a full day otherwise by train. Check into a guesthouse near Assi Ghat. Spend the afternoon at Sarnath: Dhamek Stupa, Chaukhandi Stupa and the Archaeological Museum (about £3 all in), then return for the evening Ganges Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat — free to watch from the steps or about £3 from a boat.

🚌Flight Delhi–Varanasi ~£45; auto-rickshaws ~£5

🛏Ghat-side guesthouse in Varanasi (~£18–22)

• →Sarnath stupas & archaeological museum
• →Evening Ganges Aarti ceremony

Up before dawn for a sunrise rowboat on the Ganges watching the ghats wake up (about £4–6, fixed by the boat association — agree the price first). Then a self-guided temple walk: Tulsi Manas, Durga (a short auto ride south), Shri Vishwanath and Sankat Mochan. Afternoon chai and lassi on the ghats, then board the overnight train Varanasi–Khajuraho (sleeper class about £5, 3AC about £12).

🚌Train Varanasi–Khajuraho sleeper ~£5; autos ~£6

🛏Overnight train (sleeper class ~£5)

• →Sunrise Ganges boat ride
• →Varanasi temple circuit
• →Overnight sleeper train

Arrive early morning and drop bags at a guesthouse. Hire a bicycle (about £3/day) or an auto-rickshaw for the day. Explore the Western Group of temples (£5 entry, the highlight), the Eastern and Jain groups, then head 20km out to Raneh Falls canyon (about £3, plus shared jeep £5). The evening sound-and-light show at the Western Group is about £5 — book at the ticket office on arrival.

🚌Bicycle hire and shared jeep ~£8

🛏Guesthouse in Khajuraho (~£18)

• →Khajuraho Western, Eastern and Jain temple groups
• →Raneh Falls
• →Sound and light show

Take a shared or private taxi from Khajuraho to Bandhavgarh's Tala gate (about 4.5 hours; shared taxi around £12, private car around £45 split between travellers). Pre-book your safaris now if you haven't — Bandhavgarh permits sell out in peak season (Oct–Jun) via the MP Forest Department site or your lodge. Settle into a jungle-camp guesthouse near the Tala gate and get an early night.

🚌Shared taxi Khajuraho–Bandhavgarh ~£12

🛏Budget jungle camp/guesthouse near Tala gate (~£20)

• →Road transfer to Bandhavgarh
• →Safari permit booking and lodge briefing

A classic tiger-park day: dawn jeep safari (6am) and afternoon safari (2.30pm) in the Tala or Magadhi zones. Each shared jeep safari with permit, guide and jeep share costs about £30–40 per person — book through your lodge or the forest department. Serious tiger odds here. Lunch at the lodge, birding on the buffer roads between drives.

🚌Safari jeeps included in activity cost

🛏Budget jungle camp/guesthouse near Tala gate (~£20)

• →Morning jeep safari
• →Afternoon jeep safari

Another morning and afternoon safari (another £65–75 total). Afterwards, private taxi or shared jeep to Katni or Umaria station (about 2 hours, £10 split), then the overnight train to Agra — 3AC around £10–13 if booked early. Book the train on IRCTC (the Foreign Tourist quota is useful here) or via 12Go.

🚌Taxi to Katni/Umaria ~£10; train to Agra 3AC ~£12

🛏Overnight train, 3AC (~£12)

• →Morning and afternoon jeep safaris
• →Overnight train to Agra

Arrive in Agra, drop bags near Taj Ganj. Spend the day exploring Agra Fort (£6, plus about £6 for an optional audio guide or licensed local guide hired at the gate — agree a price upfront), including Moti Masjid, the Octagonal Tower, Jahangir Palace and the Diwan-i-Aam and Diwan-i-Khas. Cross the river in the afternoon for Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb, the 'Baby Taj' (£3). Sunset from Mehtab Bagh (£3) if you want a preview of the Taj.

🚌Auto-rickshaws ~£5

🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj (~£18)

• →Agra Fort
• →Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb
• →Mehtab Bagh at sunset

Taj Mahal at opening (sunrise, £12 entry) — avoid Fridays when it's closed. Then hire a private car for the day (about £55 split two ways) to Fatehpur Sikri via the Buland Darwaza (£7 entry incl. battery cart), Panch Mahal, Tomb of Salim Chisti and Diwan-e-Khas, continuing on to Sawai Madhopur/Ranthambore by evening. Hotel pickup can often be arranged at the guesthouse.

🚌Private car Agra–Fatehpur Sikri–Ranthambore ~£28 pp split

🛏Budget hotel near Ranthambore (~£20)

• →Sunrise Taj Mahal
• →Fatehpur Sikri guided by audio guide
• →Road transfer to Ranthambore

Morning and afternoon safaris into Ranthambore (zones 1–10, jeep or canter). Book directly through the Rajasthan Forest Department portal or a local operator — around £35–45 per person per shared safari including permit and guide. Between drives, walk the fort walls if you have time in the buffer zones.

🚌Safari jeeps, included in activity cost

🛏Budget hotel near Ranthambore (~£20)

• →Morning jeep safari
• →Afternoon safari

One more morning safari (£35–45) then a bus to Jaipur. There are frequent RSRTC/private buses from Sawai Madhopur to Jaipur (about 3.5–4 hours, £4–6), or the train from Sawai Madhopur junction (about £3). Settle into a guesthouse in the old city near Hawa Mahal and eat a Rajasthani thali.

🚌Bus or train to Jaipur ~£5; autos ~£6

🛏Guesthouse in Jaipur old city (~£18)

• →Morning safari
• →Bus or train to Jaipur

Start early at Amber Fort (£6 entry; take a local bus or auto to Amer, then walk up rather than the elephant ride — it's cheaper and kinder). Back in town, visit the City Palace (£8) and Jantar Mantar (£3), plus stops at Jal Mahal, Hawa Mahal (£3) and the Birla Temple. If time allows, sunset at Nahargarh Fort (£3) or Jaigarh. A local guide for the day is about £20 and genuinely worthwhile.

🚌Local bus and autos ~£8

🛏Guesthouse in Jaipur old city (~£18)

• →Amber Fort
• →City Palace and Jantar Mantar
• →Hawa Mahal, Jal Mahal, Birla Temple
• →Optional Nahargarh / Jaigarh Fort

Take the Shatabdi Express or a comfortable AC bus (about £6–9) back towards Delhi, breaking the journey at Rewari (about £3 by local train) to see the small Rewari Rail Museum and its steam heritage. Continue by bus or train to New Delhi; stay in Karol Bagh or near the airport for an easy departure tomorrow. Farewell dinner of butter chicken or chaat in Paharganj.

🚌Shatabdi/bus Jaipur–Rewari–Delhi ~£10

🛏Budget hotel in Karol Bagh (~£20)

• →Train ride Rewari and rail museum
• →Return to New Delhi

Breakfast at the hotel, last-minute souvenir shopping or a wander around Lodhi Garden, then the Airport Express metro or prepaid taxi to IGI for your flight home. If your flight's late, book a day room for a few hours (£10) to freshen up.

🚌Airport Express metro or taxi ~£3

🛏None (departure day)

• →Souvenir shopping
• →Airport transfer