Self-Launched India West Coast Discovery: Delhi to Goa
12 days · India
G Adventures charges £2,000
No-markup version: ~£598 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, independent version of G Adventures' 12-day TailorMade route from Delhi to Goa — the Taj Mahal, a tiger safari in Ranthambore, Rajasthan's pink city and lake towns, then Mumbai's colonial streets and Goa's beaches. We've swapped the private vehicle and internal guided group for trains, overnight buses, low-cost flights and self-bookable activities. The original is sold as a TailorMade private trip with no published price, so our saving is measured against a realistic private-tailor-made benchmark (approx. £2,000pp); costs below are approximate backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Delhi
Delhi
Land at Indira Gandhi International and take the Delhi Airport Metro Express to New Delhi station (~£1.70) or a prepaid taxi from the official counter (~£4-6). Base yourself in Paharganj or Karol Bagh for cheap guesthouses and easy metro access. Ease in with a wander around Connaught Place and a first thali dinner, and pre-book your Taj Mahal e-ticket for tomorrow online (₹1,100 for foreigners, ~£10).
🚌Airport Metro Express ~£1.70, or prepaid taxi ~£5
🛏Budget guesthouse in Paharganj, Delhi (~£12-16/night)
- →Connaught Place orientation walk
- →Book Taj Mahal e-ticket online
- →Old Delhi street food dinner
Delhi to Agra — Taj Mahal & Agra Fort
Agra
Catch an early Gatimaan Express or Vande Bharat train from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra Cantt (approx. 1h40, ₹800-1,200 ~£8-12 — book on IRCTC or 12Go Asia). Drop bags and enter the Taj Mahal at a quieter slot (sunrise or late afternoon), then walk to Agra Fort (~£8 entry) for Mughal ramparts and river views. Skip the private guide and use a GetYourGuide small-group Taj tour if you want commentary (~£18-25).
🚌Gatimaan Express Delhi–Agra ~£10; auto-rickshaws ~£1-2 per hop
🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj, Agra (~£12-18/night)
- →Taj Mahal entry ~£10
- →Agra Fort entry ~£8
- →Optional GetYourGuide Taj Mahal guided tour ~£20
- →Taj Ganj rooftop sunset view
Agra free morning, transfer to Ranthambore
Ranthambore National Park
Morning for the baby Taj (Itimad-ud-Daulah, ~£3) or Mehtab Bagh across the river for a fee-free Taj view. Midday train or bus from Agra to Sawai Madhopur (approx. 3-4h; train ₹300-700 ~£3-7, or shared taxi ~£10-14 per person). Arrive in the evening, arrange your safari permit through your guesthouse or the Rajasthan Forest Department online portal — morning slots are best for tiger sightings.
🚌Train Agra–Sawai Madhopur ~£5; shared jeep transfer ~£10
🛏Guesthouse in Sawai Madhopur (~£12-20/night)
- →Itimad-ud-Daulah (Baby Taj) ~£3
- →Mehtab Bagh riverside walk
- →Arrange Ranthambore safari permit
Ranthambore safari, then on to Jaipur
Jaipur
Dawn shared-canopy safari in Ranthambore (6h gypsy, ₹1,800-2,500 per person ~£18-25, plus ₹1,500 park fee ~£15). After a late breakfast, take the afternoon train from Sawai Madhopur to Jaipur (approx. 2.5-3h, ₹300-600 ~£3-6). Jaipur's old city guesthouses in Bani Park or near Hawa Mahal are cheap and central.
🚌Train Sawai Madhopur–Jaipur ~£5
🛏Guesthouse in Bani Park or old Jaipur (~£14-20/night)
- →Ranthambore morning tiger safari ~£33 all-in
- →Ranthambore Fort viewpoint
- →Evening walk in Jaipur old bazaars
Full day in Jaipur
Jaipur
Buy the composite ticket or pay individually: Amber Fort (~£5.50, plus ₹200 jeep up), City Palace (~£8), Hawa Mahal (free from the street — the best photo is from Wind View Cafe opposite) and Jantar Mantar (~£2.50). Local buses to Amber are ~₹20, or an auto-rickshaw round trip ~£5. Optional hot-air balloon at dawn (~£120-160, book ahead via GetYourGuide) if you want the splurge the original lists as optional. Finish at Nahargarh Fort for sunset over the pink city.
🚌Local bus to Amber ~£0.30; auto-rickshaws ~£5-8 for the day
🛏Guesthouse in Jaipur (~£14-20/night)
- →Amber Fort entry ~£5.50
- →City Palace ~£8
- →Jantar Mantar ~£2.50
- →Hawa Mahal photo stop
- →Nahargarh Fort sunset (~£2.50)
Jaipur to Pushkar
Pushkar
Local bus or shared taxi from Jaipur's Sindhi Camp bus stand to Ajmer (~2.5h, ₹150-250 ~£2-3), then a short auto to Pushkar (~£1.50). Pushkar is tiny — explore on foot: the holy lake ghats, Brahma Temple (one of very few in the world), and the bazaars. Dress modestly for the ghats, and politely decline the flower/priest 'blessing' scams that end with a big donation demand. Sunset rooftop chai over the lake is the highlight.
🚌Bus Jaipur–Ajmer ~£2.50; auto to Pushkar ~£1.50
🛏Guesthouse near the lake, Pushkar (~£10-16/night)
- →Pushkar Lake ghats walk
- →Brahma Temple visit (~£1 donation)
- →Savitri Temple hilltop sunset walk
- →Rajasthani thali dinner
Pushkar to Udaipur, Lake Pichola at dusk
Udaipur
Bus or train via Ajmer to Udaipur (approx. 5-6h; bus ₹450-700 ~£4-7, or an overnight option if you prefer to save a night). Udaipur is Rajasthan's most relaxed city — check into a haveli guesthouse near Lal Ghat. In the evening take a shared or private boat on Lake Pichola (~£5-8 for a public boat, ~£15 for a private one booked at Rameshwar Ghat). Sunset over the City Palace from the water is the postcard view.
🚌Bus/train Ajmer–Udaipur ~£6
🛏Haveli guesthouse near Lal Ghat, Udaipur (~£14-22/night)
- →Lake Pichola boat ride ~£7
- →Lal Ghat lakeside walk
- →Bagore ki Haveli dance show (~£5, 7pm)
Udaipur City Palace & old town
Udaipur
Morning at the City Palace complex (~£7 entry, plus Crystal Gallery ~£2.50), then Jagdish Temple (free, shoes off — it's an active temple built in 1651). Afternoon at Saheliyon-ki-Bari gardens (~£1.50) or a cheap cooking class (~£15-20 via Klook/GetYourGuide). Wander the ghats for dinner — Udaipur has some of the best rooftop restaurants in Rajasthan.
🚌Walkable old town; autos ~£1-2
🛏Haveli guesthouse in Udaipur (~£14-22/night)
- →City Palace entry ~£7
- →Crystal Gallery ~£2.50
- →Jagdish Temple
- →Saheliyon-ki-Bari ~£1.50
- →Optional cooking class ~£18
Fly to Mumbai
Mumbai
Fly Udaipur to Mumbai on IndiGo or Akasa (1h30, book 3-6 weeks ahead for ₹3,000-5,500 ~£30-55; add ~£8-12 for checked baggage). From the airport take the Mumbai Metro or an Uber/Ola to Colaba or Bandra. Spend the evening on Marine Drive's Queen's Necklace promenade and eat at a Colaba institution — vada pav and pav bhaji for under £3.
🚌Flight Udaipur–Mumbai ~£45 incl. bag; airport transfer ~£5
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Colaba/Fort (~£18-28/night)
- →Marine Drive sunset walk
- →Colaba Causeway browse
- →Street food crawl ~£4
Mumbai full day
Mumbai
Self-guided walking day: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus) for the Gothic architecture, the Gateway of India, Dhobi Ghat laundry fields (best viewed from Mahalaxmi bridge — free), and Chowpatty Beach. Add a GetYourGuide Mumbai walking tour (~£15-25) or do the Dharavi community tour with a social enterprise (~£15) if you want context. Local trains are absurdly cheap — a first-class single is often under £0.50.
🚌Local trains ~£0.50/trip; Ubers ~£3-5 for longer hops
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Colaba/Fort (~£18-28/night)
- →CSMT (Victoria Terminus) exterior
- →Gateway of India
- →Dhobi Ghat viewpoint
- →Chowpatty Beach
- →Optional Mumbai walking tour ~£20
Fly to Goa — beach time
Goa
Morning flight Mumbai to Goa (Dabolim or Mopa; 1h15, ₹2,500-4,500 ~£25-45 booked early). Take a shared taxi or local bus to your beach of choice — Palolem in the south for calm and cheap huts, Anjuna/Vagator in the north for backpacker energy. Afternoon free: swim, hire a scooter (~£5/day), and eat fresh fish curry at a beach shack for under £5.
🚌Flight Mumbai–Goa ~£35; shared taxi airport to beach ~£6
🛏Beach hut or guesthouse, Palolem or Anjuna (~£12-20/night)
- →Beach time
- →Scooter hire ~£5/day
- →Beach shack seafood dinner
Goa — depart
Goa
Last morning swim and a slow breakfast. Check out by midday and head to the airport (shared taxi ~£8-10). If your flight is late, add a quick stop at Old Goa's Basilica of Bom Jesus (free) or the Anjuna flea market (Wednesdays).
🚌Shared taxi to Goa airport ~£9
🛏—
- →Morning beach walk
- →Optional Old Goa churches (free)
- →Optional Anjuna flea market (Wed)
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£598 | £2,000 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,402 per person (70%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£598
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 Self-Launched India West Coast Discovery: Delhi to Goa cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £598 per person for 12 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 £2,000 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £598 — a saving of roughly £1,402 (70%) per person.
How long is the India trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 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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