North India Highlights: Delhi, Agra & Rajasthan (Self-Launched)
8 days · India
G Adventures charges £950
No-markup version: ~£645 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An 8-day self-launched version of the classic Golden Triangle plus rural Rajasthan loop: Old and New Delhi, the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri and the Chand Baori stepwell, Jaipur's Pink City and Amber Fort, finishing with a night in a heritage haveli in the desert-edge village of Alsisar. You'll use trains, buses and autos instead of a private van, stay in hostels and budget guesthouses, and book the same monuments and walking tours directly — doing it yourself for roughly half the tour price.
Day-by-day
Arrive Delhi — Paharganj base
Delhi
Land at Indira Gandhi International (T3) and make your own way into the city. The Airport Express metro to New Delhi station takes about 20 minutes and costs roughly £1.50 — far cheaper than a taxi (£6-8) and you skip the tout scams outside arrivals. Check into a budget guesthouse or hostel in Paharganj or Karol Bagh, stretch your legs along Main Bazaar, and pick up an Indian SIM (Airtel/Jio, ~£3-4 with data) and an e-Arrival Card confirmation. Optional: spend the evening at a rooftop cafe watching the chaos below. Get an early night — Day 2 starts early.
🚌Airport Express metro ~£1.50 + walking
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel dorm/private in Paharganj (e.g. Smyle Inn or similar, £10-16/night)
- →Airport Express metro into central Delhi
- →Main Bazaar wander
- →Buy local SIM card
Delhi: New Delhi & Old Delhi on foot
Delhi
Do the two Delhis yourself. Morning: metro to Rajiv Chowk and walk Connaught Place, then head to Paharganj's edges for the colonial-era New Delhi streets. Book a 'Delhi street-youth walking tour' equivalent through Reality Tours & Travel or Salaam Baalak Trust (a city walk led by former street children, ~£12-15, book direct or via GetYourGuide) — the same concept the operator uses, just booked independently. Afternoon: use the Delhi Metro to Chandni Chowk and dive into Old Delhi's lanes — Jama Masjid (free, £1 camera fee), the spice market at Khari Baoli, and Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib (free, cover your head; langar meal available). Taste parathas in Paranthe Wali Gali. Take a cycle-rickshaw back to the metro (~£1).
🚌Delhi Metro day (~£1) + cycle-rickshaw ~£1
🛏Same Paharganj guesthouse
- →Old Delhi walking tour with Salaam Baalak Trust / Reality Tours (~£13)
- →Jama Masjid
- →Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib
- →Khari Baoli spice market
Delhi to Agra — Taj Mahal & Agra Fort
Agra
Take an early Gatimaan Express or Vande Bharat train from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra Cantt (about 1h40, book on IRCTC ~£6-10 in AC chair car; book 2-4 weeks ahead — trains sell out). Drop bags at a Taj Ganj guesthouse and head straight to the Taj Mahal. Entry is £11 (foreigner ticket, buy online at asi.payumoney.com to skip the queue); go late afternoon for softer light and smaller crowds, or pre-book a sunrise slot via GetYourGuide for the next morning. Then walk 15 minutes to Agra Fort (£6 entry) and, if time allows, Itimad-ud-Daulah — the 'Baby Taj' (£3). Evening: rooftop dinner overlooking the Taj in Taj Ganj.
🚌Train Delhi–Agra ~£8 + auto-rickshaws ~£2
🛏Budget guesthouse in Taj Ganj, Agra (£12-18/night)
- →Gatimaan/Vande Bharat train to Agra
- →Taj Mahal entry (~£11)
- →Agra Fort (~£6)
- →Itimad-ud-Daulah 'Baby Taj' (~£3)
Agra to Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri & Chand Baori
Jaipur
Hire a shared taxi or join a small-group day transfer to Jaipur that stops at the sights on the way (bookable via GetYourGuide/Klook, ~£20-28 per person) — this is the cheapest realistic way to do the detours since public buses don't stop usefully at either. First stop: Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar's abandoned red-sandstone capital (£6 entry, plus £3 for the official guide at the gate — worth it). Then Abhaneri village for the Chand Baori stepwell (~£3), a 3,500-step geometric marvel. If you'd rather travel independently, take a local bus Agra–Bharatpur, then a shared jeep to Abhaneri and on to Jaipur (slower, ~£5 total). Arrive Jaipur by evening; base yourself in the old city near Hawa Mahal.
🚌Shared tourist car Agra–Fatehpur Sikri–Abhaneri–Jaipur ~£24
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Jaipur old city (£10-16/night)
- →Fatehpur Sikri entry + guide (~£9)
- →Chand Baori stepwell (~£3)
- →Block-printing workshop at a local women's collective in Sanganer (book via GetYourGuide, ~£10)
Jaipur: Amber Fort, Pink City & block printing
Jaipur
Rent a scooter (~£6/day) or use autos to get to Amber Fort early (opens 8am; £6 entry, or £8 combined with Nahargarh). Skip the elephant rides — walk or take a jeep up. Explore the mirror palace and courtyards, then stop at Jal Mahal on the way back. Afternoon: the Pink City on foot — Hawa Mahal from the street (or £1.30 to climb), City Palace (£8), and Jantar Mantar (£3). For the traditional block-printing experience, book a workshop direct with Sanganer/Anoothi-style women's collectives or via GetYourGuide (~£10-14) — you'll print your own scarf. Evening: watch a Bollywood film at Raj Mandir cinema (£2-4) — a genuine Jaipur institution.
🚌Scooter rental or autos ~£4
🛏Same Jaipur hostel/guesthouse
- →Amber Fort (~£6)
- →Hawa Mahal (~£1.30)
- →City Palace (~£8)
- →Jantar Mantar (~£3)
- →Block-printing workshop (~£12)
- →Raj Mandir cinema (~£3)
Jaipur to Alsisar — heritage haveli night
Alsisar
Morning: join a walking tour with a local historian (book a Jaipur heritage walk via GetYourGuide, ~£12), or DIY the markets around Johari Bazaar and Bapu Bazaar. Then take a bus from Jaipur's Sindhi Camp to Jhunjhunu (~3.5-4h, £3-4) and a shared jeep/auto the last 30km to Alsisar (~£2). Check into a heritage haveli — Alsisar Mahal is the famous one, but several smaller family-run havelis offer doubles from £22-30, including dinner. Spend the evening wandering the painted frescoes of the village's merchant mansions and eating home-cooked Rajasthani thali at the haveli.
🚌Bus Jaipur–Jhunjhunu ~£3.50 + shared jeep to Alsisar ~£2
🛏Heritage haveli in Alsisar, Rajasthan (£24-32 including dinner)
- →Jaipur heritage walking tour (~£12)
- →Village haveli walk
- →Thali dinner at the haveli
Alsisar to Delhi
Delhi
Slow morning in the village, then retrace the route: jeep to Jhunjhunu, then a bus or train back to Delhi (bus ~3.5h, £4; or Jhunjhunu–Delhi train, ~£3-6). Arrive Delhi by late afternoon, check back into a Paharganj guesthouse and use the evening for anything you missed — Humayun's Tomb (£6, gorgeous at golden hour), Lodhi Garden, or a last thali in Karol Bagh. Grab dinner with any travellers you've met along the way if you want a farewell meal.
🚌Shared jeep ~£2 + bus/train to Delhi ~£5 + metro ~£1
🛏Paharganj guesthouse or hostel (£12-16/night)
- →Humayun's Tomb (~£6)
- →Lodhi Garden walk
- →Karol Bagh street food
Depart Delhi
Delhi
Check out and take the Airport Express metro back to IGI (~£1.50). If your flight is late, leave bags at the guesthouse and squeeze in a final chai and a last wander through Connaught Place. Allow 3 hours before an international flight — Delhi traffic and airport security are unpredictable.
🚌Airport Express metro ~£1.50
🛏—
- →Final chai in Connaught Place
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£645 | £950 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £305 per person (32%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£645
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 North India Highlights: Delhi, Agra & Rajasthan (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £645 per person for 8 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 £950 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £645 — a saving of roughly £305 (32%) per person.
How long is the India trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 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, budget, backpacker 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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