Iconic India: Delhi to Kochi (Self-Launched Edition)
14 days · India
G Adventures charges £3,200
No-markup version: ~£539 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched take on the National Geographic Journeys "Iconic India" route — the Golden Triangle's Mughal showstoppers, rural Rajasthan hospitality, then a flight south to Kerala's spice hills and backwaters. You'll swap the private coach for trains, sleeper buses and auto-rickshaws, stay in guesthouses and homestays instead of hotels, and book the Taj, forts, spice tours, Periyar boat and a public ferry through the backwaters yourself. Roughly two-thirds less than the guided version, and you get to linger where you like. Costs are approximate and assume backpacker/budget-hotel rates outside peak season (Oct–Mar is best).
Day-by-day
Arrive Delhi — ease in at Paharganj
Delhi
Land at Indira Gandhi International and take the Airport Express Metro (approx £2) to New Delhi station, a 5-minute walk from the Paharganj guesthouse strip. Check in, buy a local SIM (Airtel/Jio, ~£4 with data), then take a gentle orientation wander through Paharganj's bazaars and grab your first thali (veg thali ~£2.50). Book tomorrow's walking tour and your Agra train ticket online (IRCTC) this evening.
🚌Airport Express Metro ~£2; walk
🛏Paharganj guesthouse, private room with fan/AC (~£14/night)
- →Airport Express Metro to Paharganj
- →Buy local SIM card
- →Paharganj bazaar orientation wander
- →Book IRCTC train tickets and Delhi walking tour
Old Delhi on foot, then train to Agra
Delhi → Agra
Join a small-group Old Delhi food and heritage walk (GetYourGuide/Klook, ~£18-25) covering Chandni Chowk's lanes, Jama Masjid (entry ~£1.50, modest dress), Sis Ganj Sahib and the spice market — the ethical, locally-run equivalent of the operator's City Walk project. In the afternoon take the Gatimaan Express or a Shatabdi from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra Cantt (~1h50, ~£8-12). Check into a Taj Ganj guesthouse with rooftop views of the mausoleum.
🚌Shatabdi/Gatimaan Express Delhi–Agra ~£8-12; cycle-rickshaw in Old Delhi ~£2
🛏Taj Ganj guesthouse, rooftop-view room (~£16/night)
- →Old Delhi heritage & street-food walking tour
- →Jama Masjid
- →Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib
- →Spice market (Khari Baoli)
Taj Mahal at sunrise, Agra Fort
Agra
Buy your Taj Mahal ticket online (~£11 foreigner entry + ~£2.50 mausoleum) for the sunrise slot — it's quieter and cooler. Two to three hours is plenty, then visit Itimad-ud-Daulah ('Baby Taj', ~£3) and Agra Fort (~£6). Skip the paid guide and use a free audio guide or a Klook small-group tour if you want narration. Evening: Mehtab Bagh for the riverside sunset view (~£2).
🚌Auto-rickshaws around town ~£5 total
🛏Taj Ganj guesthouse (~£16/night)
- →Taj Mahal sunrise entry
- →Itimad-ud-Daulah (Baby Taj)
- →Agra Fort
- →Sunset at Mehtab Bagh
Fatehpur Sikri & Chand Baori en route to Jaipur
Agra → Jaipur
Take a shared taxi or local bus to Fatehpur Sikri (~2h, ~£3 by bus; ~£10 in a shared cab), the abandoned Mughal capital — entry ~£6. Continue to Abhaneri to see the Chand Baori stepwell (free/£1). The cheapest way on to Jaipur is a local bus via Bharatpur, but for time a shared taxi (~£20 for the vehicle, split between 3-4) works well. In Jaipur, stay in a guesthouse in the old city near Hawa Mahal. For block-printing, book an independent artisan workshop via GetYourGuide (~£15) instead of the operator's Anoothi project — or visit the Anokhi Museum (~£2.50).
🚌Bus/shared taxi Agra–Fatehpur Sikri–Abhaneri–Jaipur, ~£10-15 per person
🛏Old-city guesthouse, Pink City (~£15/night)
- →Fatehpur Sikri
- →Chand Baori stepwell at Abhaneri
- →Block-printing artisan workshop
Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal & a Bollywood night
Jaipur
Get an early local bus or auto to Amber Fort (~£1 each way, entry ~£6) and explore the courtyards before the coach crowds. On the way back stop at Jal Mahal, then walk to Hawa Mahal (~£2.50) and the City Palace if you're keen. Afternoon: a half-hour chai with a Jaipur history graduate via a local guided walk (~£12) if you want the 'historian' angle. Tonight catch a Bollywood film at Raj Mandir (~£3) — a proper local night out.
🚌Local bus/auto to Amber ~£2 return
🛏Old-city guesthouse (~£15/night)
- →Amber Fort
- →Jal Mahal photo stop
- →Hawa Mahal
- →Raj Mandir cinema
Village homestay in Pachewar
Pachewar
Take a local bus or shared jeep southwest to Pachewar (~2h, ~£3). Stay in a family-run heritage-style homestay — several small haveli-style properties in the area take independent guests (~£18-22 with dinner). Spend the afternoon walking the village: potters, silversmiths, cobblers, old temples and mud houses. Ask your host to arrange a cooking demonstration (usually included or ~£5) and eat with the family.
🚌Local bus/shared jeep Jaipur–Pachewar ~£3
🛏Family-run village homestay, dinner included (~£20/night)
- →Village walking tour with local residents
- →Pottery and craft workshops
- →Home cooking demonstration and family dinner
Back to Delhi
Pachewar → Delhi
Bus back to Jaipur, then the double-decker or Shatabdi train to Delhi (~£8-12, 4h30-5h). Or take a cheap flight if you've booked ahead (IndiGo, often ~£30). Stay near New Delhi station for an easy start tomorrow. Evening: a last Delhi meal — try Karim's in Jama Masjid for Mughlai, or a rooftop dinner in Paharganj.
🚌Bus Pachewar–Jaipur ~£2; train Jaipur–Delhi ~£8-12
🛏Paharganj guesthouse (~£14/night)
- →Train journey back to Delhi
- →Mughlai dinner in Old Delhi
Fly south to Kochi
Delhi → Kochi
Book a morning IndiGo/Air India flight Delhi–Kochi well in advance (usually £45-70, 15kg checked bag). Land and take a prepaid taxi or the metro-plus-bus combo to Fort Kochi (~£5). Settle into a heritage guesthouse. In the evening, walk to the Chinese fishing nets along the Arabian Sea for sunset — free, and the best show in town.
🚌Internal flight ~£55; airport transfer ~£5
🛏Fort Kochi heritage guesthouse (~£16/night)
- →Flight to Kochi
- →Fort Kochi heritage walk
- →Chinese fishing nets at sunset
Kochi's colonial lanes, then up to Thekkady
Kochi → Thekkady
Morning orientation walk through Fort Kochi and Mattancherry: Mattancherry Palace (~£1), the Jewish Quarter and Synagogue (~£1), St Francis Church. Then take the public bus (or a shared taxi) to Thekkady/Kumily (~4h, ~£4 by bus, ~£25 by shared taxi). If you arrive in daylight, a spice-garden tour in Thekkady runs ~£6-8 — the growers' co-ops are just as informative as the operator's plantation stop.
🚌Public bus Kochi–Thekkady ~£4 (or shared taxi ~£12 pp)
🛏Thekkady guesthouse/homestay (~£14/night)
- →Mattancherry Palace
- →Jewish Quarter and Paradesi Synagogue
- →Public bus to Thekkady
- →Spice garden tour
Periyar Lake, Kerala cooking and kalaripayattu
Thekkady
Book the Periyar boat safari direct at the reserve counter the day before (~£12 for foreigners; arrive early for the 7:30am slot) — elephants, gaur, monkeys and hornbills all common. Afterwards: a Kerala home cooking class (~£15-20, book via GetYourGuide or your guesthouse). Evening: watch kalaripayattu at the Mudra Cultural Centre or Kadathanadan Kalari Centre (~£5).
🚌Walk and auto-rickshaw ~£2
🛏Thekkady guesthouse (~£14/night)
- →Periyar Lake boat safari
- →Kerala home cooking class
- →Kalaripayattu martial arts performance
Kumarakom backwaters and village life
Thekkady → Kumarakom
Take the winding public bus from Thekkady down to Kottayam (~4h, ~£3) and a short auto on to Kumarakom (~£2). Budget guesthouses and homestays sit on the lake edge (~£15-20). Afternoon: hire a local canoe or join a village backwater walk (~£10) to see coconut farming and toddy tapping — many homestay hosts will arrange the toddy-tapper visit directly for a small fee.
🚌Public bus Thekkady–Kottayam ~£3; auto to Kumarakom ~£2
🛏Kumarakom lakeside homestay (~£18/night)
- →Public bus through the Cardamom Hills
- →Village backwater canoe trip
- →Toddy tapping demonstration and coconut farm visit
Vembanad Lake and the Alleppey backwaters
Kumarakom → Alleppey
Start early with a bird-sanctuary walk on Vembanad Lake (free/low entry; ATREE and the Vembanad wetland conservation team run community programmes you can contact directly for a birding-and-conservation morning, ~£10 donation). Then take the public ferry across Vembanad to Alleppey (~£1, 1-1.5h) — the cheapest and most authentic way to see the lake. Book a backwater canoe or shared shikara (2-3h, ~£15) rather than a private houseboat if you're budgeting; a budget houseboat night runs ~£40-55 if you want the splurge.
🚌Public ferry ~£1; canoe ~£15
🛏Alleppey guesthouse or budget houseboat (~£18 guesthouse / ~£45 houseboat)
- →Vembanad Lake bird sanctuary walk
- →Public ferry across Vembanad to Alleppey
- →Backwater canoe / shikara ride
Alleppey to Kochi — Kathakali and a women's-co-op lunch
Alleppey → Kochi
Morning: a Kerala lunch cooked by a local women's co-operative — several Alleppey-area homestays and the Theruvarom-style co-ops open to walk-ins for ~£6-8; ask your host. Then the local train or bus back to Kochi (~1.5h, ~£1). Evening: Kathakali performance at the Kerala Kathakali Centre in Fort Kochi (~£8, arrive 30 min early for the makeup demo) — book online or pay at the door.
🚌Local train Alleppey–Kochi ~£1; auto ~£2
🛏Fort Kochi heritage guesthouse (~£16/night)
- →Women's co-operative Kerala lunch
- →Local train Alleppey–Kochi
- →Kathakali performance with makeup demo
Last coffee in Fort Kochi and depart
Kochi
Slow morning: a Keralan breakfast, a final wander past the fishing nets, maybe pick up spices from the Mattancherry market. Take the airport bus or a prepaid taxi to Cochin International (~£5-8) for your onward flight. If you're extending, the Munnar tea hills and Varkala's cliffs are both easy add-ons by bus.
🚌Airport bus/taxi ~£6
🛏—
- →Fort Kochi morning walk
- →Spice shopping
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£539 | £3,200 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,661 per person (83%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£539
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Iconic India: Delhi to Kochi (Self-Launched Edition) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £539 per person for 14 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £3,200 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £539 — a saving of roughly £2,661 (83%) per person.
How long is the India trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 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, foodie, budget 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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