Ultimate India by Rail — Self-Launched Version

Land at Indira Gandhi International, take the Airport Express metro to New Delhi station (~£1.20) or a prepaid taxi (~£4-5), and check into a guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh. Spend the afternoon gently acclimatising: walk the lanes of Paharganj, grab a thali, sort out an Indian SIM (Airtel/Jio, passport + photo, ~£2) and set up your IRCTC rail account online (do this before you fly if possible — the OTP can be fiddly). Evening: a rooftop meal near Connaught Place.

🚌Airport Express metro ~£1.20 or prepaid taxi ~£4.50

🛏Guesthouse in Paharganj, Delhi (~£12-16 double/twin share)

• →Airport Express metro to city
• →Paharganj orientation wander
• →Buy Indian SIM card
• →Activate IRCTC rail booking account

Catch the morning Shatabdi Express from New Delhi to Agra Cantt (~06:00-08:10, ~£7 in AC Chair Car — book on IRCTC a few weeks ahead; breakfast is served on board). Drop bags at a Taj Ganj guesthouse and walk straight to the Taj Mahal — entry ~£12 (foreigner rate), best light from late afternoon. Then Agra Fort (~£6). Skip the private guide: a GetYourGuide or Agra-based ASI-licensed guide is ~£15-20 for a half day if you want context. Optional Baby Taj (Itimad-ud-Daulah, ~£3).

🚌Shatabdi Express Delhi–Agra ~£7; autos in Agra ~£2

🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj, Agra (~£12-18)

• →Shatabdi Express to Agra
• →Taj Mahal self-guided visit
• →Agra Fort
• →Optional: Itimad-ud-Daulah (Baby Taj)

Morning free to revisit the Taj at sunrise or wander Agra's Kinari Bazaar. Take an afternoon/evening train to Jaipur (the 12036/12240 services run in around 4 hours, ~£5-8 in AC Chair/3AC). Check into a haveli-style guesthouse in the Old City near Hawa Mahal.

🚌Agra–Jaipur train ~£7

🛏Haveli guesthouse, Old City Jaipur (~£14-20)

• →Sunrise Taj Mahal return visit (optional)
• →Kinari Bazaar
• →Train to Jaipur

Self-guided orientation walk: Hawa Mahal photo stop, then City Palace (~£6) and Jantar Mantar (~£2.50). In the afternoon take a local bus or Uber (~£3) to Amber Fort (~£6, or ~£1.20 for a composite ticket with Nahargarh). Wander the courtyards, mirror palace and Sheesh Mahal. Evening option: a Bollywood film at the Raj Mandir cinema (~£2-4) — a genuine highlight.

🚌Auto/Uber to Amber ~£3; walking in Old City

🛏Haveli guesthouse, Old City Jaipur

• →Hawa Mahal
• →City Palace
• →Jantar Mantar
• →Amber Fort
• →Raj Mandir cinema (optional)

Take the morning train to Udaipur (roughly 6-7 hours, ~£7-10 in 3AC; the afternoon Mewar Express also runs overnight). Arrive evening, check into a lakeside guesthouse in the Lal Ghat area and eat dinner overlooking Lake Pichola. Sunset drinks at a rooftop are a Udaipur ritual.

🚌Jaipur–Udaipur train ~£8

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Lal Ghat, Udaipur (~£12-18)

• →Train across Rajasthan
• →Lake Pichola sunset from rooftop

Morning walk to Jagdish Temple and the City Palace complex (~£7), one of India's largest royal palaces. Afternoon boat ride on Lake Pichola (~£6-8) or explore the narrow ghats. In the evening, catch a Rajasthani folk dance and puppet show at Bagore ki Haveli on Gangaur Ghat (~£2) — exactly the cultural show the group tour includes.

🚌All on foot

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Lal Ghat, Udaipur

• →Jagdish Temple
• →City Palace Udaipur
• →Lake Pichola boat ride
• →Bagore ki Haveli folk show

Train or bus east to Bundi (roughly 4-5 hours; trains via Kota, ~£3-5). Bundi is a small, laid-back town of blue-washed houses beneath a dramatic hillside fort and is far less visited than the big Rajasthan cities. Check into a small guesthouse, climb to the Sukh Mahal viewpoint for sunset and eat at one of the rooftop cafés.

🚌Train/bus Udaipur–Bundi ~£4

🛏Family guesthouse, Bundi (~£10-15)

• →Travel to Bundi
• →Sukh Mahal viewpoint sunset

Morning exploring Bundi's star attractions yourself: the Taragarh Fort ruins, the Chitrashala frescoes inside Garh Palace (~£2), and the extraordinary Raniji ki Baori stepwell. Afternoon free. In the evening board the overnight train towards Mumbai (Mumbai Rajdhani / Kota–Mumbai services, ~£12-18 sleeper or 3AC — book early).

🚌Overnight train Bundi/Kota–Mumbai ~£15

🛏Overnight sleeper train (~£15)

• →Taragarh Fort
• →Chitrashala frescoes
• →Raniji ki Baori stepwell

Arrive Mumbai in the morning and check into a Colaba or Fort guesthouse/hostel. Do the Colaba walk yourself: Gateway of India, Taj Mahal Palace exterior, the Oval Maidan, and Marine Drive's Queen's Necklace at dusk. Free walking tours run daily from Regal Cinema (~tips). Optional: a Mumbai Slumdog-style Dharavi walk or Elephanta Island ferry (~£4).

🚌Local train/suburban rail from terminus ~£0.50; walking

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Colaba, Mumbai (~£14-22)

• →Gateway of India
• →Colaba Causeway walk
• →Marine Drive at sunset
• →Optional Dharavi walking tour

Morning flight Mumbai–Goa (IndiGo/SpiceJet, book 3-6 weeks ahead, ~£35-50 one way). Take a taxi or local bus to the north (Anjuna, Vagator) or south (Palolem) depending on your vibe. Spend the afternoon on the beach and eating Goan fish curry at a shack.

🚌Domestic flight ~£40; taxi to beach ~£10

🛏Beach guesthouse/hostel, Goa (~£12-20)

• →Domestic flight to Goa
• →Beach afternoon
• →Goan seafood dinner

Rent a scooter (~£6/day) or take the local bus to Old Goa to see the Basilica of Bom Jesus and Se Cathedral (free entry). Continue to Panjim for the Latin Quarter's colourful Portuguese houses and Fontainhas walk, then back to the beach for sunset.

🚌Scooter hire ~£6 or buses ~£1

🛏Beach guesthouse/hostel, Goa

• →Basilica of Bom Jesus
• →Se Cathedral
• →Fontainhas Latin Quarter walk
• →Beach sunset

A full free day: swim, try a yoga class on the sand (~£5), hire a kayak, or hop to Palolem/Agonda if you're staying north. Easy evening with live music at a beach shack.

🚌Local buses/scooter ~£3

🛏Beach guesthouse/hostel, Goa

• →Beach day
• →Optional yoga class
• →Beach shack evening

Take an overnight or daytime train to Hospet (Goa–Hospet, ~7-8 hours, ~£7-10 in sleeper/3AC), then a 20-minute bus or auto to Hampi bazaar (~£0.50). Base yourself on the Hampi Bazaar or Virupapur Gaddi (Hampi Island) side.

🚌Train to Hospet ~£8; bus to Hampi ~£0.50

🛏Guesthouse in Hampi (~£9-14)

• →Train to Karnataka
• →Hampi orientation

Hire a bicycle (~£3) or scooter (~£6) and explore the UNESCO Vijayanagara ruins at your own pace: Virupaksha Temple, the Vittala Temple with its stone chariot (~£5 entry), the Queen's Bath and the Hemakuta hill temples. Sunset from Matanga Hill. A self-guided audio tour or a GetYourGuide half-day local guide (~£15-20) is optional.

🚌Bicycle/scooter hire ~£3-6

🛏Guesthouse in Hampi

• →Virupaksha Temple
• →Vittala Temple stone chariot
• →Hemakuta Hill
• →Matanga Hill sunset

Second morning in Hampi — cross the river by coracle to Anegundi and the Hanuman Temple, or cycle the paddy lanes. Evening bus/train to Hospet, then an overnight train towards Mysore (via Bangalore or direct services, ~£10-15 in 3AC).

🚌Overnight train to Mysore ~£12

🛏Overnight train (~£12)

• →Anegundi coracle crossing
• →Paddy field cycling
• →Overnight train

Arrive morning, check in and head to Mysore Palace (~£6, audio guide ~£1.50) — Sunday nights the palace is lit with 97,000 bulbs. Climb the 1,000 steps of Chamundi Hill for city views and the Nandi bull statue. Evening: Devaraja Market for flowers spice and silk.

🚌Autos ~£3; bus to Chamundi Hill ~£0.50

🛏Guesthouse in Mysore (~£12-18)

• →Mysore Palace
• →Chamundi Hill climb
• →Devaraja Market

Local bus or shared taxi to Madikeri in the Coorg coffee hills (~3-4 hours, ~£3-5). Afternoon at Madikeri Fort and Raja's Seat for the sunset viewpoint over the valley.

🚌Bus to Madikeri ~£4

🛏Homestay in Coorg (~£14-20)

• →Bus through coffee country
• →Madikeri Fort
• →Raja's Seat sunset

Walk or auto to a working coffee and spice plantation for a self-booked tour and tasting (~£4-6). In the afternoon visit Namdroling Monastery in Bylakuppe (the Golden Temple), one of the largest Tibetan settlements in India — dolmus/shared bus from Kushalnagar or a taxi ~£10-12 return.

🚌Shared bus/taxi to Bylakuppe ~£12 return

🛏Homestay in Coorg

• →Coffee plantation tour & tasting
• →Namdroling Monastery (Golden Temple)

Travel to Kochi by bus or train (about 6 hours; bus via Mysore/Kozhikode trains are scenic, ~£5-9). Check into a Fort Kochi guesthouse and wander the colonial streets in the evening.

🚌Bus/train to Kochi ~£7

🛏Guesthouse in Fort Kochi (~£12-20)

• →Travel to Kochi
• →Fort Kochi evening wander

See the Chinese fishing nets at sunset, the Jewish Synagogue in Mattancherry (~£0.30), the Dutch Palace (~£1) and St Francis Church. Evening option: a Kathakali performance (~£5-8) or a backwaters sunset ferry on the local government boat (~£3).

🚌Ferries and walking ~£2

🛏Guesthouse in Fort Kochi

• →Chinese fishing nets
• →Jewish Synagogue & Paradesi quarter
• →Dutch Palace
• →Kathakali performance (optional)

Bus or train south to Alleppey/Alappuzha (~1.5-2 hours, ~£1.50). Instead of a pricey houseboat, book a village homestay in the Kuttanad backwaters (~£15-22 with meals), then take a shared local ferry or canoe along the canals — the same scenery the group tour sees by private boat, for pennies.

🚌Train/bus to Alleppey ~£2; local ferry ~£1

🛏Backwaters homestay (~£18 incl. meals)

• →Local backwaters ferry
• →Canoe ride through canals
• →Homestay dinner with a Kerala family

Morning canal walk and breakfast at the homestay, then bus/train to Madurai (via Kottayam or Quilon, 4-6 hours, ~£4-8). Evening: the Meenakshi Temple at dusk, when the gopurams light up and pilgrims flood in — free entry to most of the complex, ~£1 for the museum.

🚌Bus/train to Madurai ~£6

🛏Guesthouse near Meenakshi Temple, Madurai (~£10-16)

• →Morning backwaters walk
• →Meenakshi Temple at dusk

Return to Meenakshi Temple in the morning for the full circuit and the Golden Lotus tank. Then Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace (~£0.50) and the Gandhi Museum (free). Optional cycle-rickshaw tour of the old town (~£3).

🚌Autos/rickshaw ~£3

🛏Guesthouse near Meenakshi Temple, Madurai

• →Meenakshi Temple
• →Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace
• →Gandhi Museum
• →Cycle-rickshaw tour (optional)

Take the train or bus north along the coast to Pondicherry (6-8 hours, ~£5-8). The French Quarter's mustard-yellow villas, promenade and cafés are a pleasant change of pace. Evening stroll on Rock Beach.

🚌Train/bus to Pondicherry ~£7

🛏Guesthouse in White Town, Pondicherry (~£14-20)

• →Travel to Pondicherry
• →French Quarter walk
• →Rock Beach promenade

Morning at Auroville and the Matrimandir viewpoint (free, register online), then Sri Aurobindo Ashram and the Botanical Gardens. Afternoon free for cafés and the beach. Cycle hire ~£3/day.

🚌Cycle hire ~£3; auto to Auroville ~£3

🛏Guesthouse in White Town, Pondicherry

• →Auroville & Matrimandir viewpoint
• →Sri Aurobindo Ashram
• →Botanical Gardens

Bus/train north to Mamallapuram via Chennai (4-5 hours, ~£3-5). Check in, then spend sunset at the Shore Temple with the Bay of Bengal behind it (~£5 combined ticket).

🚌Bus/train to Mamallapuram ~£4

🛏Beach guesthouse, Mamallapuram (~£10-16)

• →Travel to Mamallapuram
• →Shore Temple at sunset

Hire a bicycle (~£2.50) and ride the heritage circuit: the Five Rathas, Arjuna's Penance bas-relief, Krishna's Butterball and the lighthouse. Beach time in the afternoon, or a surf lesson (~£12).

🚌Bicycle hire ~£2.50

🛏Beach guesthouse, Mamallapuram

• →Five Rathas
• →Arjuna's Penance
• →Krishna's Butterball
• →Beach / optional surf lesson

Early taxi to Chennai airport and fly to Bhubaneswar (IndiGo ~£40-55), then a bus or train to Puri (1.5-2 hours, ~£2). Alternative: an overnight train Chennai–Puri (long, ~£12). Evening on Puri's beach and the beachside food stalls.

🚌Domestic flight ~£48; bus Bhubaneswar–Puri ~£2

🛏Guesthouse in Puri (~£10-16)

• →Flight east to Odisha
• →Puri beach evening

Visit the Jagannath Temple (non-Hindus can't enter the inner sanctum but can view from the rooftop of the Raghunandan Library, ~£1). Then take a local bus or auto to Raghurajpur artists' village (~£3), famous for pattachitra scroll painting — buy direct from the artists.

🚌Auto/bus to Raghurajpur ~£3

🛏Guesthouse in Puri

• →Jagannath Temple
• →Raghurajpur pattachitra village

Morning train Puri–Howrah (about 8 hours, ~£6-9 in 3AC, or overnight). Arrive Kolkata and check into a Sudderth Street / New Market guesthouse. Evening walk through New Market and a Bengali dinner.

🚌Train Puri–Kolkata ~£8

🛏Guesthouse near New Market, Kolkata (~£12-18)

• →Train along the Bay of Bengal
• →New Market wander

Morning at the Victoria Memorial (~£5) and the Indian Museum (~£6). Afternoon: Mother Teresa's House (free, respectful dress and quiet) and a walk through the Kalighat area. Evening option: a Ganges ferry ride (~£0.20) or the Hooghly sunset from Prinsep Ghat.

🚌Metro and autos ~£2

🛏Guesthouse near New Market, Kolkata

• →Victoria Memorial
• →Indian Museum
• →Mother Teresa's House
• →Hooghly ferry ride

Overnight or early train to New Jalpaiguri (NJP), ~9-10 hours, ~£7-10 in 3AC. From NJP, take a shared jeep (~£2.50) or the famous toy train up to Darjeeling (the NJP–Darjeeling heritage diesel service, ~£2-4, book on IRCTC — the steam version is limited/seasonal). Check into a guesthouse and settle into the cool hill air.

🚌Train to NJP ~£8; shared jeep or toy train to Darjeeling ~£3

🛏Guesthouse in Darjeeling (~£12-18)

• →Overnight/early train to NJP
• →Darjeeling Himalayan Railway toy train ride

Share a jeep to Tiger Hill for a 4am sunrise over Kanchenjunga (~£3). On the way back stop at Batasia Loop and the Peace Pagoda (free). Afternoon at Happy Valley Tea Estate (~£2) or a longer walk to a working tea garden for a tasting.

🚌Shared jeep ~£3; walking

🛏Guesthouse in Darjeeling

• →Tiger Hill sunrise
• →Peace Pagoda
• →Happy Valley Tea Estate

Shared jeep to Gangtok (~4-5 hours, ~£5-7 — or bus via Siliguri). Note: Sikkim needs a permit for foreign nationals (Inner Line Permit, obtainable in Siliguri or at Rangpo, free/cheap). Afternoon orientation on MG Marg, Gangtok's pedestrian main street.

🚌Shared jeep to Gangtok ~£6

🛏Guesthouse in Gangtok (~£12-18)

• →Shared jeep to Gangtok
• →Sikkim permit paperwork
• →MG Marg wander

Shared taxi or bus to Rumtek Monastery (~£2-3), seat of the Karma Kagyu lineage. On the way back stop at Ganesh Tok viewpoint and the Institute of Tibetology (free).

🚌Shared taxi ~£3

🛏Guesthouse in Gangtok

• →Rumtek Monastery
• →Ganesh Tok viewpoint
• →Institute of Tibetology

Shared jeep to Kalimpong (~3 hours, ~£4). This quiet hill town has colonial-era churches, flower nurseries and the Deolo Hill viewpoint. Afternoon walk up to Deolo Hill for sunset over the Teesta valley.

🚌Shared jeep ~£4

🛏Guesthouse in Kalimpong (~£10-16)

• →Shared jeep to Kalimpong
• →Deolo Hill sunset

Morning in Kalimpong: the Tharpa Choling Monastery and the Zang Dhok Palri Phodang. Shared jeep down to NJP (~£4), then an overnight train west towards Varanasi or Lucknow (NJP–Mughalsarai/Varanasi, ~£8-14 in 3AC).

🚌Jeep to NJP ~£4; overnight train ~£11

🛏Overnight train (~£11)

• →Kalimpong monasteries
• →Jeep to NJP
• →Overnight train west

Arrive Varanasi and check into a guesthouse near Assi Ghat or in the old lanes. Afternoon walk along the ghats; evening attend the Ganga Aarti fire ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat (free, arrive early for a front row from a rooftop or boat).

🚌Auto from station ~£2; walking

🛏Guesthouse in Varanasi (~£10-16)

• →Ghat walk
• →Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat

Book a sunrise rowboat on the Ganges the night before with a boatman at Assi Ghat (~£5-8 per person, or via GetYourGuide ~£10) — the equivalent of the group tour's included sunrise boat trip. Then take a shared auto to Sarnath (~£1.50) to see the Dhamek Stupa and the museum.

🚌Boat ~£6; auto to Sarnath ~£3

🛏Guesthouse in Varanasi

• →Sunrise Ganges boat trip
• →Sarnath stupa & museum
• →Banaras silk quarter

Train to Lucknow (~4-5 hours, ~£4-6). Afternoon: the Bara Imambara with its labyrinthine bhulbhulaiya (maze, ~£5 entry for foreigners) and the Chota Imambara. Evening: eat your way through Lucknow's Awadhi kebab trail — Tunday Kababi's galawati kebabs are cheap and legendary (~£2).

🚌Train to Lucknow ~£5; autos ~£2

🛏Guesthouse in Lucknow (~£10-16)

• →Bara Imambara
• →Chota Imambara
• →Awadhi kebab food walk

Morning: The Residency ruins (~£2.50) and the La Martiniere or the British-era monuments. Take the afternoon Shatabdi or Vande Bharat back to Delhi (~6-7 hours, ~£8-10). Overnight in Delhi.

🚌Train Lucknow–Delhi ~£9

🛏Guesthouse in Delhi (~£12-18)

• →The Residency
• →Train to Delhi

A full self-guided day: morning cycle-rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk with your own haggling (~£2 for the ride), the Jama Masjid (~£1.50 for the minaret climb, modest dress required), and the Red Fort (~£6). Afternoon: Humayun's Tomb (~£6) at golden hour and Qutub Minar if you're energetic. Evening: a Karim's or Al-Jawahar meal in Old Delhi.

🚌Delhi Metro day pass ~£2; rickshaw ~£2

🛏Guesthouse in Delhi

• →Chandni Chowk cycle-rickshaw tour
• →Jama Masjid
• →Red Fort
• →Humayun's Tomb
• →Qutub Minar (optional)

Slow day in Delhi: Lodhi Gardens at dawn, the National Museum (~£6) or the Crafts Museum, and an afternoon at Dilli Haat for regional crafts and street food (~£1 entry). Pack and prep for departure.

🚌Metro ~£2

🛏Guesthouse in Delhi

• →Lodhi Gardens
• →National Museum
• →Dilli Haat

Buffer day for the inevitable delays, or use it to visit Nizamuddin's Sufi shrines, the Lotus Temple (free) and Akshardham. Alternatively, take an early Gatimaan Express day trip to Agra if you want more Taj time.

🚌Metro/train ~£2-9

🛏Guesthouse in Delhi

• →Nizamuddin shrines
• →Lotus Temple
• →Optional Agra day trip

Last full day: Dilli Haat or Janpath for souvenirs, the Khan Market area for cafés, and a final dinner in Hauz Khas Village. Confirm your airport transfer for tomorrow.

🚌Metro ~£2

🛏Guesthouse in Delhi

• →Souvenir shopping
• →Khan Market
• →Hauz Khas Village dinner

Airport Express metro or prepaid taxi to Indira Gandhi International for your flight home.

🚌Airport Express metro ~£1.20 or prepaid taxi ~£4.50

🛏None (departure day)

• →Airport transfer