Self-Launched Golden Triangle & Varanasi: Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Varanasi

Arrive at Delhi airport and get the Airport Express Metro (approx £2, ~25 min) or a pre-paid taxi (approx £6) to a hostel in Paharganj or Karol Bagh — both are walkable to food and nightlife and far cheaper than airport hotels. After dropping bags, use the Delhi Metro (day pass approx £1.50) to tick off the classic south/central Delhi run: Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb, India Gate and the Rajpath drive past Rashtrapati Bhavan. Skip the private guide and pick up a GetYourGuide small-group monument walk (approx £12-18) if you want context, or use the ASI audio guide app. Drink only sealed bottled water and carry small notes for rickshaws.

🚌Airport Express Metro approx £2; Delhi Metro day pass approx £1.50; auto-rickshaw hops £1-2

🛏Hostel dorm or private twin in Paharganj/Karol Bagh (approx £10-16 pp)

• →Qutub Minar & Qutub complex
• →Humayun's Tomb
• →India Gate & Rajpath walk
• →Paharganj street-food wander

Morning in Old Delhi: start early at the Red Fort (entry approx £6) then walk five minutes to Jama Masjid (entry approx £1, shoes off, cover up) and dive into Chandni Chowk bazaar on foot — the famous cycle-rickshaw loop is about £2 and worth it. Raj Ghat is a short auto-rickshaw away (free entry). A Chandni Chowk food walk on GetYourGuide runs about £15-20 and is a great solo-traveller way to meet people. Evening: take the Shatabdi Express from New Delhi station to Jaipur (departs ~18:05, approx £8-12 for AC chair car, ~5 hrs) or a cheap sleeper train. Book on IRCTC or 12Go a few weeks ahead.

🚌Cycle-rickshaw approx £2; New Delhi–Jaipur Shatabdi approx £10

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Jaipur old city / MI Road (approx £10-16 pp)

• →Red Fort
• →Jama Masjid & minaret climb
• →Chandni Chowk bazaar walk
• →Raj Ghat memorial
• →Optional evening Chandni Chowk food tour

Get to Amber Fort before 08:30 — local bus 5 or a shared auto from Hawa Mahal costs under £1 (private auto approx £4). Entry about £7 combined ticket options available. Note: elephant rides at Amber are controversial and no longer run reliably — take the walk up or a jeep. Back in town, hit City Palace (approx £9), Hawa Mahal (view from the street is free, or £1 inside) and the bazaars of the walled city: Johari Bazaar for jewellery, Bapu Bazaar for textiles. A half-day GetYourGuide guided Jaipur walk is about £15 if you want a local's take. Evening rooftop dinner (dal baati churma, approx £5).

🚌Local bus/shared auto to Amber Fort £1-2; local autos £1-2 each

🛏Same Jaipur hostel/guesthouse (approx £10-16 pp)

• →Amber Fort (early entry)
• →City Palace Museum
• →Hawa Mahal
• →Johari & Bapu Bazaar
• →Optional Jal Mahal photo stop

Take the early bus or train from Jaipur to Agra (RSRTC/private bus approx £4-6, ~5 hrs; or the train approx £6-10). Most comfortable budget plan: get a shared or private taxi to stop at Fatehpur Sikri en route (private car day-hire approx £30 split, or bus to Fatehpur Sikri then onward local bus). Fatehpur Sikri entry approx £6 and worth 2 hours. Arrive Agra late afternoon and visit Agra Fort (approx £7) before closing (around sunset). Stay in Taj Ganj — guesthouses with rooftop Taj views are £10-18 pp and put you five minutes from the east gate for tomorrow's sunrise.

🚌Jaipur–Agra bus/train approx £6; shared car to Fatehpur Sikri approx £10-15 pp

🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj with rooftop Taj view (approx £12-18 pp)

• →Fatehpur Sikri
• →Agra Fort
• →Taj Ganj rooftop sunset view

Buy your Taj Mahal e-ticket online the day before (approx £12, opens 30 min before sunrise, closed Fridays) and be in the east-gate queue while it's still dark — this is the only way to get that pre-dawn light and the near-empty platforms. Allow 2-3 hours. Then walk to Itmad-ud-Daula (Baby Taj, approx £4) and, if time allows, Mehtab Bagh across the river for the reverse view. Afterwards, catch the overnight train from Agra to Varanasi — the Marudhar Express or similar sleeper/3AC departs late evening and arrives late morning, costing roughly £10-15 in 3AC and £4-6 in sleeper class. Book on IRCTC and lock your bag to the berth chain.

🚌Agra–Varanasi overnight train 3AC approx £12

🛏Overnight 3AC sleeper train (approx £12)

• →Taj Mahal sunrise entry
• →Itmad-ud-Daula (Baby Taj)
• →Optional Mehtab Bagh river view

Arrive in Varanasi, check into a guesthouse near Assi Ghat or Dashashwamedh Ghat (approx £10-16 pp). Afternoon trip to Sarnath — an auto or shared auto is £1-3 and takes 30 min. Sarnath Deer Park is free; the Archaeological Museum (home of the Ashoka Lion Capital) is about £1, and the Ashoka Pillar is on site. Return for evening Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat (free, starts around 18:45 in summer / 18:15 in winter) — get there 45 min early and take a seat on the steps, or book a GetYourGuide boat-view aarti trip for around £8-12. No guide needed; the ritual is self-explanatory and there are printed programmes.

🚌Auto-rickshaw to Sarnath £1-3 each way

🛏Guesthouse near Assi or Dashashwamedh Ghat (approx £10-16 pp)

• →Sarnath Deer Park
• →Ashoka Pillar & Dhamek Stupa
• →Archaeological Museum
• →Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat

Do the classic sunrise boat trip on the Ganges: book directly at the ghats the evening before for about £5-8 per person (shared rowboat) or £10-12 via GetYourGuide for a guaranteed seat and pickup. Meet at 05:00-05:30 for the best light and see the bathing rituals, cremation ghats and Manikarnika from the water. Afterwards walk the ghats from Assi to Manikarnika (2-3 km, about 1.5 hrs), stopping at the temples and chai stalls. Depart Varanasi in the afternoon: fly Varanasi–Delhi on IndiGo/Air India (approx £40-60 booked early) if connecting to an international flight, or the overnight train back (3AC approx £12) if you want the slow option.

🚌Sunrise shared boat approx £6; Varanasi–Delhi domestic flight approx £45 or overnight train approx £12

🛏—

• →Sunrise boat ride on the Ganges
• →Ghat walk Assi to Manikarnika
• →Manikarnika & temple stops