Rajasthan & Varanasi — Ancient Temples & the Taj Mahal (Self-Launched)

Land at IGI Airport and take the Airport Express metro to New Delhi station (~£1.20) or a prepaid taxi (~£5-6) to a guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh (£12-18 twin/dorm). No plans needed today — after check-in, wander the electric Karol Bagh market, grab your first plate of chole bhature or a thali (~£2-3), and sort your essentials: a local SIM (Airtel/Jio, ~£3-4 for a month of data) and an IRCTC account linked to your passport so you can book trains yourself.

🚌Airport Express metro ~£1.20

🛏Guesthouse or hostel dorm, Paharganj/Karol Bagh (~£14)

• →Karol Bagh market wander
• →Local SIM + IRCTC registration

Do the classic Old Delhi circuit on foot and by metro: Jama Masjid (free entry, ~£0.30 camera fee, modest dress required), a rickshaw loop through Chandni Chowk's spice lanes (~£1), and the langar kitchen at Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib where volunteers serve free meals. For the community-tourism angle the tour includes, book a Delhi street-child-led walk via Salaam Baalak Trust (their City Walk is ~£8-10, book direct by email/website) — it's the same project G Adventures supports. Evening: board the Delhi–Bikaner overnight train (e.g. 12457/12458 or 12307 series, sleeper class ~£8-12, 3AC ~£18-22). Book on IRCTC a month or two ahead.

🚌Metro + cycle-rickshaw ~£2; Delhi–Bikaner overnight train ~£15 in 3AC

🛏Overnight sleeper train

• →Jama Masjid
• →Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib langar
• →Salaam Baalak Trust city walk (~£9, book direct)

Arrive Bikaner early, freshen up at a guesthouse and leave your big bag. Take a shared jeep or auto (~£4-6) 30km to Raisar village. Local outfits (ask your guesthouse, or book a 'Raisar desert camp' package locally, ~£25-35 all-in with dinner, breakfast and camel cart) run the same sunset routine the tour does: village walk, lunch at camp, a 1.5-hour camel-cart ride onto the dunes, red sunset, then a simple Indian dinner and a tent under the stars. Bring water, a torch and a warm layer for the desert night.

🚌Shared jeep/auto Bikaner–Raisar ~£5 return

🛏Desert tent at Raisar camp (included in camp package)

• →Raisar village walk
• →Camel cart desert ride
• →Sunset on the dunes
• →Desert camp overnight

Wake for sunrise over the dunes, breakfast at camp, then head back to Bikaner. Do an orientation stroll around the Old City and Kote Gate bazaar. Afternoon options: Junagarh Fort (entry ~£6, excellent audio guide) or, for the brave, the Karni Mata Rat Temple at Deshnok (free, ~£3 return by bus, ~30km south). Dinner at a local thali house (~£2.50).

🚌Shared jeep back ~£3; local bus to Deshnok ~£1

🛏Guesthouse, Bikaner (~£13)

• →Junagarh Fort (£6)
• →Karni Mata Rat Temple, Deshnok
• →Old City bazaar walk

Take the morning Bikaner–Jaisalmer train (~5-6 hrs, sleeper ~£3, 3AC ~£7) or a Rajasthan State Roadways bus (~£4). Check into a haveli guesthouse inside or just outside the fort walls (£12-16). Afternoon: wander the lanes of the walled city, then watch the sun set behind Jaisalmer Fort from a rooftop cafe or Gadisar Lake — the golden sandstone glows at dusk.

🚌Bikaner–Jaisalmer train ~£5 (3AC)

🛏Haveli guesthouse, Jaisalmer (~£14)

• →Walled city wander
• →Fort-and-lake sunset

Full free day. See the seven interconnected Jain Temples inside the fort (entry ~£2), the Fort Palace Museum (~£3), paddle a rowboat at Gadisar Lake (~£1.50), and catch sunset from Vyas Chhatri, the old Brahmin cremation ground turned viewpoint (free). Optional: an evening Desert Culture Centre folk-music show (~£3) or a half-day camel ride outside town if you want more dunes.

🚌Walking + auto-rickshaws ~£2

🛏Haveli guesthouse, Jaisalmer (~£14)

• →Jain Temples
• →Gadisar Lake boat
• →Vyas Chhatri sunset
• →Folk music show (optional)

Bus or train east to Jodhpur (~5 hrs; train sleeper ~£3, bus ~£4). Check into a guesthouse in the old blue-washed lanes below the fort (£13-18). Orientation walk through Navchokiya's indigo houses, then climb to Mehrangarh Fort — entry ~£6 including the superb audio guide, with the blue city spilling out below. Evening at Sadar Bazaar for mirchi vada and lassi (~£2).

🚌Jaisalmer–Jodhpur bus/train ~£4

🛏Guesthouse, Old City Jodhpur (~£15)

• →Blue City walk
• →Mehrangarh Fort (£6)
• →Sadar Bazaar

Morning bus or train to Udaipur (~5-6 hrs, ~£4-6). Stay in the Old City near Lal Ghat (£13-17). Afternoon orientation walk along Lake Pichola, then choose: Jagdish Temple (free), the City Palace and Museum (~£5), or a sunset boat ride on Pichola (~£6 — book at the jetty). Evening: the Bagore Ki Haveli dance performance at 7pm (~£3) is genuinely worth it — buy tickets at the gate.

🚌Jodhpur–Udaipur bus/train ~£5

🛏Guesthouse near Lal Ghat, Udaipur (~£15)

• →Lake Pichola walk
• →City Palace (£5)
• →Bagore Ki Haveli dance show (£3)

Free day. Hike or take an auto up to Sajjangarh (Monsoon Palace, entry ~£5 + ~£3 auto share) for the panoramic view over the Aravalli hills and the city's lakes — go late afternoon for sunset. Alternatively take a half-day cooking class (~£10-12, book via your guesthouse or Klook), cycle the countryside, or simply cafe-hop along the ghats. Rooftop dinner with lake views ~£4.

🚌Auto-rickshaws ~£4

🛏Guesthouse near Lal Ghat, Udaipur (~£15)

• →Monsoon Palace / Sajjangarh
• →Cooking class (optional £11)
• →Rooftop lake sunset

Bus over the Aravalli 'Snake Mountain' to Pushkar (~5 hrs, ~£4). This is a strict vegetarian, alcohol-free holy town around the only Brahma Temple in the world. Check into a guesthouse near the ghats (£10-14). Visit the 14th-century Brahma Temple (free, shoes off), walk the ghats of Pushkar Lake at dusk, and browse the bazaars — Pushkar is one of the best places in Rajasthan for textiles, silver and handicrafts. Optional sunrise hike to Savitri Temple (free, 700 steps).

🚌Bus Udaipur–Pushkar ~£4

🛏Guesthouse, Pushkar (~£12)

• →Brahma Temple
• →Pushkar Lake ghats
• →Bazaar shopping

Local bus or shared jeep to Tordi Sagar (~2.5-3 hrs, ~£3). Stay at a village guesthouse such as Tordi Garh or a homestay (~£15-20 with meals — book direct by phone/email). Afternoon: walk the village meeting potters, cobblers and the local market; ask your host to arrange a cricket knockabout with the village kids. Optional extras: jeep safari or camel cart to the dunes for sunset (~£7), a hill hike, or a henna tattoo from local women (~£2).

🚌Local bus/shared jeep ~£3

🛏Village guesthouse/homestay, Tordi Sagar (~£17 incl. meals)

• →Village craft walk
• →Cricket with locals
• →Sunset jeep safari (optional £7)

Enjoy a traditional village lunch at Tordi Garh before leaving, then bus or shared taxi to Jaipur (~2.5 hrs, ~£3-5). Check into a guesthouse in the old walled city (£13-18). Orientation walk past Hawa Mahal (free from the street, ~£2 to enter), then an evening in the Pink City — rooftop dinner and, if you fancy it, a Bollywood film at the art-deco Raj Mandir cinema (~£2-4).

🚌Bus/shared taxi ~£4

🛏Guesthouse, old city Jaipur (~£15)

• →Village lunch at Tordi Garh
• →Hawa Mahal orientation walk
• →Raj Mandir cinema (optional)

Take a local bus or auto to Amber Fort (~£1-2, 11km). Entry ~£6 with an audio guide, or pre-book a guided tour on GetYourGuide/Klook (~£10-15) — the Sheesh Mahal and the Hindu-Muslim fusion architecture are the highlights. Optional: cycle tour of the Pink City (~£8-12), or the Jaipur balloon ride (expensive, ~£130 — skip unless you're splurging). Afternoon: Jantar Mantar and City Palace (~£5 each) or the bazaars of Johari and Bapu.

🚌Local bus + autos ~£3

🛏Guesthouse, old city Jaipur (~£15)

• →Amber Fort (guided ~£12)
• →Jantar Mantar / City Palace
• →Pink City cycle tour (optional)

Morning train Jaipur–Agra (~4-5 hrs, sleeper/chair ~£4-6). Drop bags at a guesthouse in Taj Ganj (£12-16) and go straight for the Taj: entry ~£12 (main mausoleum), closed Fridays. A licensed guide at the gate or a GetYourGuide/Klook skip-the-line tour costs ~£8-15 — well worth it for the Mughal history. Evening: view the Taj from Mehtab Bagh across the Yamuna at sunset (~£3).

🚌Jaipur–Agra train ~£5

🛏Guesthouse, Taj Ganj, Agra (~£14)

• →Taj Mahal (£12 entry + guided tour £10)
• →Mehtab Bagh sunset view

Morning: Agra Fort (~£8, or the Baby Taj/Itimad-ud-Daulah ~£4 if you want something quieter). Lunch, then board the overnight train to Varanasi (e.g. Marudhar Express or similar, ~14-16 hrs, sleeper ~£5, 3AC ~£12-15 — book early on IRCTC as these fill up). Alternatively, a cheap morning flight next day (~£35-50) if you'd rather not lose a day.

🚌Agra–Varanasi overnight train ~£12

🛏Overnight sleeper train (or guesthouse in Agra if flying)

• →Agra Fort (£8)
• →Chai and platform food on the train

Arrive Varanasi, check into a guesthouse in the old lanes near Dashashwamedh Ghat (£10-15). Spend the afternoon acclimatising on the ghats. At dusk, take a shared rowboat from Dashashwamedh Ghat (~£5-8 per person; boatmen negotiate on the spot, or pre-book via GetYourGuide ~£8-10) to watch the Ganga Aarti fire ceremony from the water, and float your own diya candle-and-flower offering (~£0.50).

🚌Auto from station ~£2

🛏Guesthouse, old city Varanasi (~£12)

• →Sunset Ganges boat trip (~£7)
• →Ganga Aarti ceremony
• →Flower-and-candle offering

5am sunrise boat ride (~£5-7) — the bathing, laundry and cremation rituals at dawn are the whole reason you came. Then take a tuk-tuk (~£3-4, 10km) to Sarnath, where Buddha preached his first sermon. Entry to the Dhamek Stupa and museum ~£1-2 (museum closed Fridays); a local guide at the site costs ~£5-8, or pre-book a half-day Sarnath tour on Klook/GetYourGuide (~£15). Evening: a Heritage & Spiritual Walk through Old Benaras (~£8-10) or simply noodles by the river.

🚌Tuk-tuk to Sarnath and back ~£6

🛏Guesthouse, old city Varanasi (~£12)

• →Sunrise Ganges boat (~£6)
• →Sarnath stupa and museum
• →Heritage walk of Old Benaras (optional)

Slow morning on the ghats — find a chai wallah, watch the boats, buy silk in the lanes. Afternoon: visit the Ramnagar Fort across the river (~£2 plus a small boat) or the Vishwanath Temple. Evening: board the Varanasi–New Delhi overnight train (~12-14 hrs, sleeper ~£5, 3AC ~£12-15). Book early via IRCTC; there are also daily flights (~£35-50) if you're short on time.

🚌Varanasi–Delhi overnight train ~£12

🛏Overnight sleeper train

• →Ghat morning
• →Ramnagar Fort or Vishwanath Temple

Arrive Delhi, check back into a Paharganj guesthouse (~£14). Free day: the Red Fort (~£6), Humayun's Tomb (~£6), Lodhi Gardens (free) or the National Museum (~£2). Splurge on a half-day Delhi culinary tour (~£20-25 via Klook/GetYourGuide, or diy it: Paranthe Wali Gali in Chandni Chowk and Karim's near Jama Masjid for ~£8). Finish with a rooftop beer or lassi and a last plate of butter chicken.

🚌Metro ~£2

🛏Guesthouse, Paharganj (~£14)

• →Humayun's Tomb or Red Fort
• →Delhi food walk (£20 optional)
• →Karol Bagh night out

Breakfast, a last wander, and head to IGI Airport by Airport Express metro (~£1.20) or prepaid taxi (~£6) for your flight home. If you have a late flight, stash your bag at the guesthouse and head to Dilli Haat for last-minute crafts and street food.

🚌Airport Express metro ~£1.20

🛏—

• →Dilli Haat (optional)