Eternal India: Golden Triangle, Udaipur, Mumbai & Goa — Self-Launched
11 days · India
K K Holidays N Vacations charges £455
No-markup version: ~£378 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched take on the classic 11-day Delhi–Agra–Jaipur loop plus Udaipur, Mumbai and the Goa coast. You'll hit the same headline sights (Taj Mahal, Amber Fort, Lake Pichola, Elephanta Caves, Goan beaches) but travel by India's excellent train network plus a cheap domestic flight, stay in hostels and family guesthouses, and book guides only where they genuinely add value. Costs are backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP — expect big savings versus the guided group version.
Day-by-day
Arrive Delhi — Old Delhi & Rajpath at your own pace
Delhi
Land at Delhi airport and take the Airport Express metro into New Delhi (~£1.20) or a prepaid taxi (~£6). Dump your bags in Paharganj or Karol Bagh. Start slow with a walk around Raj Ghat (free), then take the metro to Chandni Chowk for the Red Fort (₹600/approx £6 for foreigners) and the Jama Masjid (free to enter, ~£2 to climb the minaret). Finish with an evening stroll past India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhawan on Rajpath. For a deeper Old Delhi morning, a GetYourGuide or Klook Old Delhi food-and-walking tour runs £10–20 — good value for a solo traveller.
🚌Airport Express metro (~£1.20) + metro day pass
🛏Hostel dorm or guesthouse in Paharganj/Karol Bagh (~£10–14)
- →Raj Ghat
- →Red Fort
- →Jama Masjid
- →Chandni Chowk street food walk
- →India Gate & Rajpath
Delhi's Mughal south — then train to Agra
Delhi → Agra
Morning at Humayun's Tomb (₹600/~£6) and the Qutab Minar complex (₹600/~£6), both easy to reach by metro + short auto rickshaw. Grab lunch, then take an afternoon Gatimaan Express or Shatabdi train from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra — around 1h50 and ~£8–12 in chair car. Book on IRCTC (or 12Go/ixigo if you'd rather skip the IRCTC sign-up faff). Check into a Taj Ganj guesthouse so you can walk to the monument at sunrise.
🚌Metro + auto rickshaws; train to Agra ~£8–12
🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj, Agra (~£12–16)
- →Humayun's Tomb
- →Qutab Minar
- →Gatimaan/Shatabdi train to Agra
Sunrise Taj Mahal & Agra Fort
Agra
Buy your Taj Mahal ticket online in advance (₹1,100/~£11 foreigner rate) and be at the East Gate for opening — sunrise light and thinner crowds are worth the early alarm. Allow 2–3 hours. Optional: a GetYourGuide Taj Mahal guide is £10–15 if you want the stories. After breakfast, walk or take a short auto to Agra Fort (₹650/~£6.50). Late afternoon is free for the Mehtab Bagh riverbank view of the Taj (~£3).
🚌Walking + auto rickshaws (~£3)
🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj, Agra (~£12–16)
- →Taj Mahal at sunrise
- →Agra Fort
- →Mehtab Bagh viewpoint
Fatehpur Sikri en route to Jaipur
Agra → Jaipur
Take a morning bus or shared taxi from Agra's Idgah bus stand to Fatehpur Sikri (~1hr, £2–4), leaving bags at the bus stand cloakroom or with your hotel. Spend 2–3 hours inside the Mughal ghost city (₹610/~£6 for the combined ticket including Buland Darwaza, Panch Mahal and Darbar-e-Aam). Then continue by bus to Jaipur (~3.5–4hrs, £4–6) from the Fatehpur Sikri junction, or pre-book a shared cab. Check into a guesthouse in the old city or near MI Road.
🚌Local bus/shared taxi Agra–Fatehpur Sikri–Jaipur (~£8 total)
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel, Jaipur (~£11–16)
- →Fatehpur Sikri
- →Buland Darwaza
- →Panch Mahal
- →Darbar-e-Aam
Jaipur — Amber Fort & the Pink City
Jaipur
Get to Amber Fort early by local bus (₹40) or auto (~£3). Pay the ₹500 foreigner entry (~£5) and skip the elephant ride (widely criticised for animal welfare) — walk up or take a jeep. Afternoon back in the city: City Palace (₹700/~£7), Jantar Mantar (₹200/~£2) and Hawa Mahal (free from the street, ~£2 to go inside). For dinner, a GetYourGuide/Klook Jaipur street-food crawl is £12–18 and great for solo travellers wanting company. Optional: Nahargarh Fort sunset for the city panorama (~£2).
🚌Local bus + autos (~£6)
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel, Jaipur (~£11–16)
- →Amber Fort
- →City Palace
- →Jantar Mantar
- →Hawa Mahal
- →Optional street food tour
- →Nahargarh Fort sunset
Overnight train to Udaipur
Jaipur → Udaipur
A slower day for laundry, a bazaar wander and a rooftop lunch. If your train is an evening one, use the morning for the Albert Hall Museum or a block-printing workshop. Take the overnight train to Udaipur (around 10–11 hours, sleeper class ~£4–6 or 3AC ~£10–14) — book early on IRCTC. Alternatively there's a daytime express if you'd rather not sleep on a train.
🚌Train Jaipur–Udaipur ~£4–14 depending on class
🛏Overnight train (sleeper or 3AC)
- →Johari/Gem & Bapu Bazaar wander
- →Albert Hall Museum (optional)
- →Overnight sleeper train to Udaipur
Udaipur — lakes, palaces andminiature painting
Udaipur
Arrive early and check in near Lake Pichola. Visit the Udaipur City Palace (₹400/~£4), then Sahelion-ki-Bari (₹50) and the Museum of Folk Art — or swap the latter for the Bagore-ki-Haveli folk dance show in the evening (~£2–3). Time a boat ride on Lake Pichola at golden hour (₹700–1,000/~£7–10) to see the Lake Palace from the water. Many guesthouses and the Shilpgram craft village run 1-hour traditional painting workshops for £5–10 if you want the painting-school experience.
🚌Walking + autos (~£4)
🛏Lake-view guesthouse, Udaipur (~£12–18)
- →City Palace Udaipur
- →Sahelion-ki-Bari
- →Lake Pichola boat ride
- →Museum of Folk Art
- →Miniature painting workshop
Fly Udaipur → Mumbai, evening at the Gateway of India
Udaipur → Mumbai
Book a low-cost IndiGo/SpiceJet Udaipur–Mumbai flight (book 3–6 weeks ahead for £35–55 one way; it's the sensible option — the train is 16+ hours). Land at Mumbai, take the metro or a prepaid taxi to Colaba/Fort and stay in a hostel dorm or budget hotel. Walk the Colaba Causeway, see the Gateway of India lit up at night, and eat at a local thali joint or Bademiya for kebabs.
🚌Domestic flight ~£35–55; airport metro/taxi ~£3
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Colaba/Fort (~£12–20)
- →Domestic flight to Mumbai
- →Gateway of India
- →Colaba Causeway
Elephanta Caves & the Victorian Gothic city
Mumbai
Ferry from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island (round trip ~£2–3 plus ₹600/~£6 entry) — go on the first boat around 9am to beat the heat and crowds. Back in the afternoon, do a self-guided walk of the Fort district: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the High Court, Mumbai University's Rajabai Clock Tower and the nearby Kala Ghoda galleries — all free to view from outside. Optional Klook/GetYourGuide Mumbai heritage walk is £8–15.
🚌Ferry + suburban trains/taxis (~£5)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Colaba/Fort (~£12–20)
- →Elephanta Caves ferry & caves
- →CSMT & Rajabai Clock Tower
- →Bombay High Court
- →Mumbai University
- →Fort district heritage walk
Konkan coast — train to Goa
Mumbai → Goa
Take the Konkan Railway down the coast — the Mandovi Express leaves CSMT in the morning and reaches Thivim or Madgaon in 10–11 hours; sleeper ~£6–9, 3AC ~£13–18. It's one of India's most scenic rail routes (viaducts, ghats, rice paddies). Alternatively, a 1-hour flight Mumbai–Goa is £30–50 if time is tight. Base yourself at Anjuna or Vagator for a backpacker vibe, or Palolem in the south for quiet. Evening swim and a beach shack dinner.
🚌Konkan Railway train ~£6–18
🛏Beach hut or hostel, Anjuna/Vagator (~£10–18)
- →Konkan Railway scenic train
- →Anjuna/Vagator beach evening
Goa beach day & departure
Goa
Morning at Calangute or Baga (or a quieter northern cove) — swim, hire a scooter for the day (~£5–7) to hop between beaches. Book watersports on the spot (parasailing ~£12–18, jet ski ~£10–15) or a scuba intro dive at Grande Island via Klook (from ~£35). If you're flying out of Goa, allow 1–1.5 hours from the northern beaches to Dabolim/Mopa airport; a taxi is £10–15, or the local bus is £1–2 with a change.
🚌Scooter hire ~£6; airport taxi ~£10–15
🛏Beach hut or hostel, Anjuna/Vagator (~£10–18)
- →Calangute/Baga/Anjuna beach
- →Scooter hire & beach hopping
- →Optional parasailing or scuba diving
Self-launched vs. K K Holidays N Vacations
| This itinerary (self-launched) | K K Holidays N Vacations | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£378 | £455 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £77 per person (17%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more K K Holidays N Vacations-style trips? Check them out here.~£378
estimated per person
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Eternal India: Golden Triangle, Udaipur, Mumbai & Goa — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £378 per person for 11 days in India. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with K K Holidays N Vacations?+
Yes — K K Holidays N Vacations charges around £455 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £378 — a saving of roughly £77 (17%) per person.
How long is the India trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 day-by-day stops through India.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, adventure, beaches trip through India, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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