Uncover India: High Deserts & Markets — Self-Launched
15 days · India
G Adventures charges £699
No-markup version: ~£489 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched take on G Adventures' 15-day Delhi-to-Goa loop: the Taj Mahal at sunrise, Rajasthan's pink and white cities, a village stay in Tordi Sagar, Pushkar's desert sunrise, lake-side Udaipur, then a long rail run south to Mumbai and the beaches of Goa. Everything runs on Indian Railways, state buses, shared jeeps and tuk-tuks, with budget guesthouses and hostels in place of the group hotels. Book Taj Mahal, Amber Fort and Pushkar camel-dinner tickets yourself online or through a local guide, and treat the rest as free-form wandering. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Delhi — arrive and find your feet
Delhi
Land at IGI Airport and take the Airport Express metro (about £2) or a prepaid taxi (~£6-8) to a hostel in Paharganj or Karol Bagh. Check in, get a local SIM at the airport or an Airtel/Jio shop, and complete your e-Arrival Card online if you haven't already. In the evening walk Karol Bagh's market for chole bhature or parathas at a street stall (~£2) and get an early night before the train tomorrow.
🚌Airport Express metro to New Delhi station, then walk/metro
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Paharganj/Karol Bagh (~£10)
- →Airport Express metro into the city
- →Karol Bagh market wander
- →SIM card and e-Arrival Card admin
Delhi → Agra and the Taj Mahal
Agra
Book a morning Gatimaan Express or Shatabdi train from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra Cantt (~£5-8, 1h50m-2h) via IRCTC — register online in advance, it takes a day or two to verify. Drop bags at a Taj Ganj guesthouse and pre-book your Taj Mahal e-ticket on the ASI site (₹1,100 foreigner, ~£10) for the late afternoon slot. Enter via the East Gate for shorter queues. Hiring a guide at the gate costs £10-15 and is worth it for the history; alternatively use a GetYourGuide Taj Mahal guided-entry product. Optional: Agra Fort (~£6) or Baby Taj (~£3).
🚌Train Delhi–Agra ~£6; tuk-tuk to hotel ~£1.50
🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj (~£10)
- →Gatimaan/Shatabdi train to Agra
- →Taj Mahal entry and guided tour
- →Optional Agra Fort or Baby Taj
Agra → Jaipur (Pink City)
Jaipur
Take an afternoon train from Agra Fort to Jaipur Junction (~£4-6, 4h) or an AC bus (~£5). Settle into a hostel in the old city near Hawa Mahal. In the late afternoon wander the bazaars of Johari and Bapu, photograph Hawa Mahal from the Wind View café, and take a cycle rickshaw loop through the Pink City lanes for about £2. Dinner of dal baati churma or a Rajasthani thali for ~£3.
🚌Train Agra–Jaipur ~£5; cycle rickshaw ~£2
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, old city (~£10)
- →Train to Jaipur
- →Hawa Mahal photo stop
- →Old city bazaar walk by cycle rickshaw
Amber Fort and Jaipur free time
Jaipur
Get to Amber Fort early — local bus #5 from Hawa Mahal (~£0.30) or an Ola auto (~£3). Entry is ₹500 (~£5); add a GetYourGuide or on-site licensed guide for £10. Walk the ramparts, the Sheesh Mahal and the mirror halls. Back in town, hit the City Palace (~£10), Jantar Mantar observatory (~£2) or catch a Bollywood film at Raj Mandir (~£3). Optional splurge: a sunrise hot-air balloon over Jaipur (~£250-300, pre-book).
🚌Local bus and Ola auto to Amber ~£3.50 total
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, old city (~£10)
- →Amber Fort entry and guided tour
- →City Palace or Jantar Mantar
- →Optional Jaipur balloon flight
Jaipur → Tordi Sagar village
Tordi Sagar
Take a train or bus toward Ajmer/Tordi, then a shared jeep or taxi for the last stretch (arrange through a Tordi Sagar guesthouse — several family-run places offer pickup for ~£8-10). Book a village homestay direct by phone or booking.com. Spend the afternoon on a village walk past potters, cobblers and the local market; a homestay host can arrange this for £5-8. Join a game of cricket with local kids — free. Optional jeep safari or camel cart to the dunes for sunset (~£7-8), or a henna tattoo from local women (~£3).
🚌Train/bus toward Ajmer ~£4; shared jeep to village ~£5
🛏Family-run village homestay (~£12, includes home-cooked dinner)
- →Train and shared jeep to Tordi Sagar
- →Village walk with local guide
- →Cricket with locals
- →Optional jeep safari or camel cart sunset
Tordi Sagar → Pushkar
Pushkar
Travel to Ajmer by bus, then a local bus over Snake Mountain to Pushkar (~£3 total). Book a guesthouse in the old town near the lake — Pushkar is dry (no alcohol), which keeps guesthouse prices low. Afternoon orientation walk: Brahma Temple (the world's only one), the ghats around Pushkar Lake, and a sunset rooftop chai. Note the lake-side priests may push for donations — a polite no and small offering is fine.
🚌Local buses Tordi–Ajmer–Pushkar ~£3
🛏Guesthouse near Pushkar Lake (~£10)
- →Bus over Snake Mountain to Pushkar
- →Brahma Temple visit
- →Pushkar Lake ghat walk
Savitri Temple sunrise and desert evening
Pushkar
Climb the 1,000+ steps to Savitri Temple before dawn (free, about 45 minutes) for the sunrise over the Thar Desert. Spend the mid-morning in cafés around the lake and take a drop-in yoga class (~£5) at one of the many shalas. In the evening book a camel-ride-plus-desert-dinner package through your guesthouse — cameleers cook dinner over a fire with live folk music, roughly £15-18. Pushkar's bazaar is excellent for textiles and silver.
🚌Walking; shared jeep to dunes included in dinner package
🛏Guesthouse near Pushkar Lake (~£10)
- →Savitri Temple sunrise hike
- →Drop-in yoga class
- →Camel ride and desert dinner with folk music
Pushkar → Udaipur
Udaipur
Take a morning bus or train via Ajmer to Udaipur (~£6-8, 6-7h). Check into a guesthouse in the Lal Ghat area with a lake view — this is the budget traveller's sweet spot. Evening orientation walk: Jagdish Temple, the ghats of Lake Pichola, and sunset from Ambrai Ghat. A shared boat ride on Lake Pichola costs ~£5 and is best done at golden hour.
🚌Bus/train Pushkar–Udaipur ~£7; shared boat ~£5
🛏Guesthouse in Lal Ghat (~£12)
- →Bus to Udaipur
- →Jagdish Temple
- →Sunset boat on Lake Pichola
Udaipur — palaces and miniature painting
Udaipur
Do the City Palace complex (~£5) and the Crystal Gallery, then spend the afternoon in a miniature-painting workshop (many studios in Lal Ghat run 2-hour classes for £8-10). Wander the lanes between Gangaur Ghat and Hanuman Ghat, and end with a Rajasthani cultural show at Bagore ki Haveli (~£3). Optional Monsoon Palace trip by auto (~£6).
🚌Walking and auto-rickshaw ~£2
🛏Guesthouse in Lal Ghat (~£12)
- →City Palace visit
- →Miniature painting class
- →Bagore ki Haveli cultural show
Udaipur — Ranakpur or slow day
Udaipur
Take a day trip to the Ranakpur Jain Temples (~1.5h each way by shared jeep or local bus, ~£6-8 return, entry ₹200-300). Alternatively stay in town: a sunrise cycle tour around the lakes (~£8), a cooking class (~£12), or just cafes and laundry. This is the buffer day for a self-launched trip — use it to catch up or get ahead.
🚌Shared jeep to Ranakpur ~£7 return, or cycle hire ~£3
🛏Guesthouse in Lal Ghat (~£12)
- →Ranakpur Jain Temples day trip
- →Optional cooking class or sunrise cycle tour
Udaipur → Ahmedabad and the Gandhi Ashram
Ahmedabad
Take a morning bus or train to Ahmedabad (~£6-9, 4-5h). Book an overnight train onward for tomorrow and stash bags at your hotel. Spend the afternoon at Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram — free entry, very calm, and the museum explaining the Salt March is excellent. Walk the Sabarmati riverfront at sunset, then eat a Gujarati thali (unlimited, ~£3-4) in the old city.
🚌Bus/train Udaipur–Ahmedabad ~£8
🛏Budget hotel near railway station (~£12)
- →Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram
- →Sabarmati riverfront walk
- →Gujarati thali dinner
Ahmedabad → Mumbai on the overnight train
Mumbai
Spend the day exploring Ahmedabad's old city (pols, Jama Masjid, Sidi Saiyyed Mosque's stone lattice windows) or the Calico Museum if you can get a slot. Board an evening Ahmedabad–Mumbai train in sleeper or 3AC class (~£8-12, 7-8h) and sleep on the move. Book this on IRCTC well in advance; 3AC sleeper is the comfortable-budget choice.
🚌Overnight train Ahmedabad–Mumbai ~£10
🛏Overnight train, 3AC or sleeper class
- →Old city pols walk
- →Overnight train to Mumbai
Mumbai — Gateway of India, Marine Drive, Dharavi
Mumbai
Arrive early at Mumbai Central, drop bags at a Colaba or Fort hostel, and do a walking day: Gateway of India, the Taj Mahal Palace exterior, Colaba Causeway, and the Dhobi Ghat laundry from Mahalaxmi bridge. A Dharavi community-led walking tour (booked via GetYourGuide or Reality Tours, ~£15-20) is the best-value cultural experience in the city and money goes back into the community. Take the local train to Bandra for sunset at Bandstand, then walk Marine Drive's Queen's Necklace at night. Vada pav dinner costs about £1.
🚌Suburban local train and metro ~£2
🛏Hostel dorm in Colaba/Fort (~£12)
- →Gateway of India and Colaba Causeway
- →Dharavi community walking tour
- →Marine Drive and Bandra sunset
Mumbai → Goa
Goa (Anjuna/Palolem)
Take the Konkan Railway — one of the world's great train journeys — from Mumbai CSMT or Panvel to Thivim or Madgaon (~£8-12 in 3AC, 9-11h). Book a sleeper so you travel overnight or take an early train and arrive in the afternoon. From Madgaon, a bus or shared taxi gets you to Palolem (~£2) or Anjuna (~£4). Check into a beach hut (basic huts £10-15 in season; hostel dorms similar). Eat fresh fish thali by the sea for ~£4.
🚌Konkan Railway to Goa ~£10; local bus to beach ~£3
🛏Beach hut or beach hostel (~£13)
- →Konkan Railway scenic train
- →Local bus to beach
- →Beach sunset and fish thali
Goa beaches — trip end
Goa
A slow final day: sunrise walk on Palolem or Anjuna beach, a scooter hire for the day (~£6-8 including fuel) to hit a couple of quiet coves, and a beach shack breakfast. Optional dolphin boat trip (~£8) or a spice plantation visit (~£8 with lunch). Trip officially ends here — either fly out of Dabolim/Mopa (Mopa is the newer airport) or extend south into Kerala by train.
🚌Scooter hire ~£7
🛏Beach hut or beach hostel (~£13)
- →Sunrise beach walk
- →Scooter day to nearby beaches
- →Optional dolphin boat trip
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£489 | £699 |
| Duration | 15 days | 15 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £210 per person (30%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£489
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 Uncover India: High Deserts & Markets — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £489 per person for 15 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 £699 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £489 — a saving of roughly £210 (30%) per person.
How long is the India trip?+
This itinerary runs 15 days, covering 15 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, budget 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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