Taj Mahal, Rajasthan & Varanasi — Self-Launched Independent Version

Land at Delhi and get the Airport Express metro (₹60-110, ~25 min) or a pre-booked Ola/Uber to a guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh. Pre-book your Taj Mahal e-ticket on the ASI site and set up an IRCTC account for train tickets. Evening wander in Connaught Place and an early dinner.

🚌Airport Express metro from IGI Airport to New Delhi station ~£1

🛏Guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh (private room, £12-18)

• →Airport Express metro transfer
• →Settle into Paharganj guesthouse
• →Book Taj Mahal e-tickets online
• →Connaught Place evening walk

Do the city yourself with the metro plus a short cycle-rickshaw hop in Chandni Chowk. Order: Jama Masjid (£0 entry, shoes off, cover up), cycle-rickshaw loop through the spice market (£2-3), Raj Ghat (free), Humayun's Tomb (£5), Lotus Temple (free), Qutub Minar (£5), and pass India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhavan at dusk. A GetYourGuide 'Old Delhi food walk' (~£20) is a good optional add for street-food confidence.

🚌Delhi Metro day pass ~£1.50-2; auto-rickshaws ~£3

🛏Guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh

• →Jama Masjid & Chandni Chowk rickshaw ride
• →Raj Ghat
• →Humayun's Tomb
• →Lotus Temple
• →Qutub Minar
• →India Gate & Rashtrapati Bhavan
• →Optional Old Delhi street-food walk

Take the 08:10 Gatimaan Express from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra Cantt (~1h50, £8-12 in CC) — book on IRCTC a few weeks ahead. Check in near Taj Ganj, then spend the afternoon at Agra Fort (£5) and cross the river to Mehtab Bagh (£3) for sunset views of the Taj. Evening rooftop dinner with a Taj view.

🚌Train Delhi-Agra ~£10; auto-rickshaws ~£3

🛏Budget hotel in Taj Ganj (£12-16)

• →Gatimaan Express train to Agra
• →Agra Fort self-guided with audio guide
• →Sunset at Mehtab Bagh

Pre-book the sunrise slot (entry £12, closed Fridays) and be in the queue by 5:45am — the east gate is quietest. Walk back for breakfast, then visit Itmad-ud-Daulah ('Baby Taj', £3) and the small Jama Masjid. Optional: book a licensed local guide for 2-3 hours via GetYourGuide (~£18) if you want the history depth the group tour gives you.

🚌Walking and short auto-rickshaw hops ~£2

🛏Budget hotel in Taj Ganj

• →Sunrise at the Taj Mahal
• →Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb
• →Agra Jama Masjid
• →Optional licensed local guide

Hire a shared taxi or hop the local bus to Fatehpur Sikri (~1h, £1-3), explore the Mughal ghost city, Buland Darwaza, Panch Mahal and the Tomb of Salim Chisti (£5 entry, battery shuttle £1). Then bus or shared taxi on to Jaipur (~4h, £4-6). Stay in the old city near Hawa Mahal.

🚌Local bus/shared taxi Agra-Fatehpur Sikri-Jaipur ~£6-9 total

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Jaipur old city (£10-15)

• →Fatehpur Sikri complex
• →Buland Darwaza & Tomb of Salim Chisti
• →Panch Mahal
• →Bus to Jaipur

Catch local bus 5 or a shared auto to Amber Fort (£5 entry); skip the elephant ride (ethical concerns) and walk up or take a jeep. Come back via Jal Mahal photo stop and Hawa Mahal, then City Palace (£8) and Jantar Mantar (£3) in the afternoon. Optional short hike up Nahargarh for sunset over the city (£1 entry).

🚌Local bus/auto to Amber ~£1.50; city autos ~£4

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Jaipur old city

• →Amber Fort
• →Jal Mahal & Hawa Mahal
• →City Palace
• →Jantar Mantar
• →Optional Nahargarh Fort sunset

Train from Jaipur to Sawai Madhopur (~2.5-3h, £3-5). Book tiger safari permits in advance on the official Rajasthan Forest Department portal — they sell out fast in season; a shared canter safari is ~£25-30 per person, a private jeep ~£55-70 split between 4-6 people. Take the afternoon slot today.

🚌Train Jaipur-Sawai Madhopur ~£4; safari vehicle included

🛏Budget guesthouse near the park gate (£12-18)

• →Train to Sawai Madhopur
• →Afternoon Ranthambore canter safari

Two more safari slots — morning (6:30am) and afternoon — each ~3.5 hours with a forest-department naturalist included. Between safaris, walk up to Ranthambore Fort and the Trinetra Ganesh temple (free). Budget roughly £50-60 for two shared safaris plus permits.

🚌Safari vehicles included in permit/booking

🛏Budget guesthouse near the park gate

• →Morning jeep/canter safari
• →Ranthambore Fort & Trinetra Ganesh Temple
• →Afternoon safari

Bus or shared jeep to Kota then local bus to Bundi (~3-4h total, £4-6). Do the town on foot: Taragarh Fort (free, steep but worth it), Bundi Palace (£2, see the Chitrashala murals), Raniji ki Baori stepwell, Nawal Sagar Lake and the 84-pillared cenotaph. A local guide at the palace costs ~£8 for an hour and really adds to it.

🚌Bus/shared jeep Ranthambore-Kota-Bundi ~£5

🛏Haveli-style guesthouse in Bundi (£10-15)

• →Travel to Bundi
• →Taragarh Fort
• →Bundi Palace & Chitrashala murals
• →Raniji ki Baori stepwell
• →Nawal Sagar Lake
• →84-pillared cenotaph

Early shared taxi or bus to Chittorgarh (~3h, £3-5), then store your bag and explore the vast hilltop fort (£5 with audio/local guide): Rana Kumbha Palace, Victory Tower, Padmini's Palace, Meerabai Temple, Tower of Fame and the museum. Evening bus or train onward to Udaipur (~3h, £3-5).

🚌Shared taxi/bus Chittorgarh ~£4; bus Udaipur ~£4

🛏Guesthouse in Udaipur old city (£12-18)

• →Chittorgarh Fort full circuit
• →Rana Kumbha Palace
• →Victory Tower & Tower of Fame
• →Padmini's Palace & museum
• →Onward transport to Udaipur

City Palace complex (£8), Jagdish Temple, Bagore Ki Haveli (£2 — go at 7pm for the Dharohar folk dance show, £4), Saheliyon ki Bari (£2) and Shilpgram craft village. Do the Lake Pichola sunset boat ride (book direct at Rameshwar Ghat, ~£6-12) and walk the Ambrai Ghat for dinner over the water.

🚌Walking and autos ~£3

🛏Guesthouse in Udaipur old city

• →Udaipur City Palace
• →Jagdish Temple
• →Bagore Ki Haveli & Dharohar dance show
• →Saheliyon ki Bari
• →Lake Pichola sunset boat ride
• →Ambrai Ghat dinner

Morning flight Udaipur–Delhi–Varanasi (book 4-8 weeks ahead for £55-90; the original tour excludes this flight too). Afternoon auto to Sarnath (~10km, £2) for Dhamek Stupa, the Chaukhandi Stupa and the Archaeological Museum (£1). Check in near Assi Ghat and eat a thali by the river.

🚌Flight ~£70; airport-auto ~£3

🛏Guesthouse near Assi Ghat (£12-18)

• →Flight to Varanasi
• →Sarnath Dhamek Stupa & Chaukhandi Stupa
• →Archaeological Museum
• →Assi Ghat evening

Book a shared sunrise rowboat directly at Assi or Dashashwamedh Ghat (£4-8 per person, subject to recent restrictions on boat access at some ghats — check locally). Then walk the old lanes to Tulsi Manas Temple, Durga Temple and Sankat Mochan, and (if you can handle the security queues) Kashi Vishwanath. Be at Dashashwamedh Ghat by 6pm for the Ganga Aarti — free, or £2-4 for a boat-seat view.

🚌Walking and autos ~£3

🛏Guesthouse near Assi Ghat

• →Sunrise boat on the Ganges
• →Tulsi Manas Temple
• →Durga Temple
• →Sankat Mochan Temple
• →Kashi Vishwanath Corridor
• →Evening Ganga Aarti

Morning flight Varanasi–Mumbai (~£55-80). Check in around Colaba or Juhu, then do a self-guided south Mumbai loop: Gateway of India, Colaba Causeway, Marine Drive and Chowpatty (Gandhi's Mani Bhavan is nearby and free/£1). Optional GetYourGuide walking tour ~£15 if you want the context — otherwise just follow the seafront.

🚌Flight ~£68; local trains/taxis ~£4

🛏Budget hotel in Colaba or Juhu (£20-28)

• →Flight to Mumbai
• →Gateway of India
• →Colaba Causeway & Marine Drive
• →Mani Bhavan Gandhi Museum
• →Chowpatty sunset

Morning ferry from Gateway of India to Elephanta Caves (~1h each way, ferry + entry ~£5). Back by early afternoon, then Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (Prince of Wales Museum, £2) or Juhu Chowpatty if staying north. Airport train/metro or taxi out.

🚌Ferry ~£4; city to airport ~£2-6

🛏—

• →Elephanta Caves ferry and rock-cut caves
• →CSMVS museum
• →Optional Juhu Chowpatty
• →Airport transfer