Icons of India — Taj, Tigers & Rajasthan (Self-Launched)
10 days · India
Globus charges £2,760
No-markup version: ~£855 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of the classic Delhi–Agra–Ranthambore–Jaipur Golden Triangle plus tiger safari, built entirely on trains, buses and shared cabs with budget guesthouses and self-bookable tours. You'll see the same headline sights — Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb, the Taj at sunrise, Fatehpur Sikri, two Ranthambore game drives, Amber Fort and a home-hosted Jaipur dinner — for a fraction of the guided tour price. Costs are rough backpacker/mid-budget estimates in GBP and exclude international flights to/from India.
Day-by-day
Arrive Delhi — settle in Paharganj
Delhi
Land at Indira Gandhi International, buy an Indian SIM/eSIM at the airport, and take the Airport Metro Express or a prepaid taxi to a guesthouse near New Delhi station. Take it easy: walk Connaught Place, sort out rupee cash from an ATM, and eat an early thali. Grab a metro card (or use UPI if you have an Indian-friendly payment app) — the Delhi Metro will be your main transport for the next two days.
🚌Prepaid taxi or Delhi Airport Metro Express from IGI Airport (~£1–2) to New Delhi station area
🛏Guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh (£12–18/night)
- →Airport transfer and neighbourhood orientation
- →Evening stroll around Connaught Place
- →Cheap thali dinner in Paharganj
Old and New Delhi highlights
Delhi
Do the Globus Day 2 sights yourself in a logical loop. Start early at Jama Masjid (free entry, ~£2 camera fee), then walk or take a cycle rickshaw through Chandni Chowk bazaar (~£1–2, negotiate first). Head to Red Fort (combined ticket ~£6 for foreigners), then metro to India Gate and drive-past the Presidential Palace/Rashtrapati Bhavan, finishing at Humayun's Tomb (~£6). In the evening, rather than the operator's included cooking demo, book a small-group Delhi cooking class or food walk via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£20–28).
🚌Delhi Metro day pass (~£2) plus rickshaw fares (~£2)
🛏Same Paharganj/Karol Bagh guesthouse
- →Jama Masjid
- →Cycle rickshaw through Chandni Chowk
- →Red Fort
- →India Gate & Presidential Palace exterior
- →Humayun's Tomb
- →Evening cooking class or street-food walk (GetYourGuide/Klook)
Qutub Minar, Bangla Sahib & train to Agra
Delhi → Agra
Morning: metro to Qutub Minar (~£6), then to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib to see the langar kitchen (free, cover your head, deposit shoes). In the afternoon take an Uber/Ola or the metro to Hazrat Nizamuddin and board an evening train to Agra — the Gatimaan Express or a Shatabdi covers it in about 1h50m (~£8–12 in chair car). Overnight in Agra's Taj Ganj area so you're walking distance from the east gate.
🚌Metro/Uber in Delhi (~£5) + Gatimaan/Shatabdi Express Delhi–Agra (~£10)
🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj, Agra (£10–16/night)
- →Qutub Minar
- →Gurudwara Bangla Sahib
- →Volunteer at the langar kitchen (optional)
- →Evening train to Agra
Sunrise Taj Mahal & Agra Fort
Agra
Buy your Taj Mahal ticket online in advance (ASI website, ~£12 for foreigners incl. mausoleum) and be at the east gate for opening — sunrise light and far fewer people. Allow 2–3 hours, then walk or take an e-rickshaw (~£1.50) to Agra Fort (~£6). Skip the operator's guide and use an audio guide or a licensed guide at the gate (~£8 shared). Afternoon: cross the river for the Mehtab Bagh view of the Taj at sunset (~£3).
🚌E-rickshaws and walking (~£3)
🛏Same Taj Ganj guesthouse
- →Sunrise entry to Taj Mahal with mausoleum
- →Agra Fort
- →Mehtab Bagh sunset viewpoint
- →Optional marble inlay workshop visit
Fatehpur Sikri & on to Ranthambore
Agra → Fatehpur Sikri → Sawai Madhopur
Hire a shared taxi or take a local bus to Fatehpur Sikri (~45 km, £3–5 shared, £20 private for the half-day). Explore the Mughal ghost city and Buland Darwaza (~£6 entry). Continue by road to Bharatpur or Mathura, then a train to Sawai Madhopur (the station for Ranthambore) — the evening Golden Temple Mail or a connecting passenger train takes 4–5 hours (~£3–5). Check into a guesthouse near the park gate.
🚌Shared taxi/bus Agra–Fatehpur Sikri (~£5) + train to Sawai Madhopur (~£5)
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel near Ranthambore (Sawai Madhopur) (£12–18/night)
- →Fatehpur Sikri & Buland Darwaza
- →Scenic train ride to Sawai Madhopur
- →Evening at the Ranthambore gate village
Two tiger safaris in Ranthambore
Ranthambore National Park
This is the day the operator charges the most for. Book both a morning (6:30–10:00) and afternoon (14:30–18:00) safari yourself on the official Rajasthan Forest Department online portal (rajasthanwildlife.in) — they open 90 days out and sell out fast. A shared 6-seater jeep/20-seater canter seat costs roughly £25–35 per drive plus ~£8 park fee, so budget ~£60–75 for the day. Zone allocation is random; tigers are never guaranteed but two drives doubles your odds. Afternoon: stroll around the Ranthambore Fort plateau.
🚌Park vehicles included in safari booking; local transfers ~£2
🛏Same Ranthambore guesthouse
- →Morning canter/jeep safari
- →Afternoon canter/jeep safari
- →Ranthambore Fort walk (optional)
Train to Jaipur — Jantar Mantar & City Palace
Ranthambore → Jaipur
Morning train from Sawai Madhopur to Jaipur (~2.5–3.5 hrs, £3–6). Check into a guesthouse in the old city near Hawa Mahal, then visit the City Palace Museum (~£8) and Jantar Mantar (~£4) in the afternoon. Finish with a rooftop dinner watching the Hawa Mahal light up.
🚌Train Sawai Madhopur–Jaipur (~£5) + auto-rickshaws (~£3)
🛏Old-city guesthouse/hostel, Jaipur (£12–18/night)
- →City Palace Museum
- →Jantar Mantar observatory
- →Hawa Mahal from a rooftop café
Amber Fort, Jaipur old city & home dinner
Jaipur
Take local bus #5 or an auto to Amber Fort and arrive for opening (~£6 entry; optional elephant/jeep ascent £2–5). Walk down to the Jal Mahal viewpoint and Anokhi Museum if time allows. In the afternoon, book a sari/turban-tying demo and a home-cooked Rajasthani dinner with a local family through Airbnb Experiences, GetYourGuide or a Jaipur heritage homestay (~£20–30) — this replaces the operator's noble-family dinner. For the social project element, contact a Jaipur NGO directly (e.g. Ladli Foundation) and ask about a donation or a volunteer visit.
🚌Local bus #5 to Amber (~£0.50) + autos (~£3)
🛏Same Jaipur guesthouse
- →Amber Fort
- →Jal Mahal viewpoint
- →Sari/turban-tying demo
- →Home-hosted Rajasthani dinner
- →Optional NGO visit or donation (Ladli Foundation)
Jaipur to Delhi
Jaipur → Delhi
Morning at leisure — Johari Bazaar for jewellery, or the Albert Hall Museum (~£3). Take an afternoon train from Jaipur to Delhi (2.5–5 hrs depending on service, £5–12) or a budget flight if you find a cheap fare. Overnight near the airport or New Delhi station depending on your onward plans.
🚌Jaipur–Delhi train (~£8) + metro/auto (~£3)
🛏Airport-area or Paharganj guesthouse (£14–20/night)
- →Johari Bazaar shopping
- →Albert Hall Museum (optional)
- →Train back to Delhi
Departure from Delhi
Delhi
Depending on flight time, do a final early-morning walk in Lodhi Gardens or a last Chandni Chowk breakfast. Take the Airport Metro Express or a prepaid taxi to IGI Airport (~£2). If you have a late flight, ask your guesthouse about day storage and a shower.
🚌Airport Metro Express (~£2)
🛏—
- →Lodhi Gardens walk (optional)
- →Airport transfer and departure
Self-launched vs. Globus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Globus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£855 | £2,760 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,905 per person (69%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Globus-style trips? Check them out here.~£855
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 Icons of India — Taj, Tigers & Rajasthan (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £855 per person for 10 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 Globus?+
Yes — Globus charges around £2,760 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £855 — a saving of roughly £1,905 (69%) per person.
How long is the India trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 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, wildlife 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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