Land of the Taj & Tigers: Kathmandu to Mumbai — Self-Launched

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport and take a prepaid taxi to Thamel (NPR 800–1,000, ~£5–6) — ignore the touts inside the terminal. Check into a Thamel guesthouse or hostel, sort a local SIM/eSIM, and spend the afternoon wandering the lanes of Thamel and Durbar Marg. Book your Boudhanath/Patan day tour tonight via GetYourGuide or your guesthouse (roughly £35–45 for a shared guided day). Evening: momos and a rooftop beer, early night for the next day.

🚌Airport prepaid taxi ~£5–6

🛏Thamel guesthouse or hostel, private room with hot water (~£14/night)

• →Thamel orientation walk
• →Book Boudhanath & Patan day tour

Join a small-group or shared day tour (GetYourGuide/Klook, ~£40) covering the three big Kathmandu Valley sights: Boudhanath Stupa for morning kora with pilgrims, Pashupatinath's cremation ghats, and Patan Durbar Square's Newari temples of the old royal city. Alternatively, do it yourself: taxi or local bus to Boudhanath (NPR 100 entry), then Patan (NPR 1,000 for foreigners — yes, it's steep, budget for it). Lunch at a Patan rooftop café. Finish with sunset back at Boudhanath's roof terraces.

🚌Shared taxi/local bus ~£4–6

🛏Thamel guesthouse (~£14/night)

• →Boudhanath Stupa
• →Pashupatinath Temple
• →Patan Durbar Square

Morning at Hanuman Dhoka (Kathmandu Durbar Square) with the Kumari Ghar and its living goddess's courtyard — entry NPR 1,000, best done on foot from Thamel (10 min). Grab an early lunch, then head to the airport for the direct Kathmandu–Varanasi flight (Buddha Air/Yeti/IndiGo, ~£135–160 one way, book early — this route is only a few times a week, so check schedules and be ready to route via Delhi if needed). Land at Varanasi, prepaid taxi to a guesthouse near Assi Ghat or Dashashwamedh (~£4–5). Evening free to acclimatise on the ghats.

🚌Kathmandu–Varanasi direct flight ~£150; airport taxi ~£5

🛏Varanasi ghat-side guesthouse, private room (~£15/night)

• →Hanuman Dhoka & Kumari Ghar
• →Ghat-side sunset walk

Pre-book a sunrise rowboat through your guesthouse or GetYourGuide (~£8–12 pp shared) — 5:45am departure from Assi Ghat, drifting past the bathing ghats, Dasaswamedh's Aarti platforms and the cremation ghats at Manikarnika. Back for breakfast and a nap, then spend the afternoon walking the ghat labyrinth to the Alamgir Mosque and Banaras Hindu University. In the evening, catch the Ganga Aarti ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat — arrive by 6pm to get a step, or watch from a boat (£4–5). Bonus: a cheap thali dinner at a Kachori Gali stall or a Blue Lassi.

🚌On foot; occasional auto-rickshaw ~£1–2

🛏Varanasi ghat-side guesthouse (~£15/night)

• →Sunrise boat ride on the Ganges
• →Ganga Aarti ceremony
• →Old city ghat walk

Morning auto-rickshaw to Sarnath (~£3 return), where the Buddha preached his first sermon — the Dhamek Stupa and the archaeological museum are worth 2 hours (combined entry ~£4). Return, check out and leave bags at the guesthouse. Late afternoon head to Varanasi Junction for an overnight train to New Delhi — an AC2 sleeper on a Rajdhani-class service runs around 8pm–8am and costs roughly £18–25 if booked at IRCTC/12Go 60 days out. Book a lower berth and bring earplugs and a chain lock for your bag.

🚌Overnight train Varanasi–Delhi AC2 ~£22; auto-rickshaws ~£4

🛏Overnight AC2 sleeper train berth

• →Sarnath stupa & museum

Arrive Delhi early, drop bags at a Paharganj or Karol Bagh guesthouse, then do the classic Delhi circuit by metro + cycle-rickshaw: Jama Masjid (free, ~£1 for camera/shoes), a cycle-rickshaw loop through Chandni Chowk bazaar (~£3), Raj Ghat if time allows, then Humayun's Tomb (£6), Qutub Minar (£6) and Gurudwara Bangla Sahib (free — volunteer at the langar kitchen). An orientation drive past India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhavan fits in on the way back. A GetYourGuide half-day Old Delhi food walk (~£20) is a great substitute for a coach guide.

🚌Delhi Metro day card ~£3; rickshaws/taxis ~£7

🛏Paharganj or Karol Bagh budget hotel (~£18/night)

• →Jama Masjid
• →Chandni Chowk cycle-rickshaw ride
• →Humayun's Tomb
• →Qutub Minar
• →Gurudwara Bangla Sahib
• →India Gate

Take a morning Gatimaan Express from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra Cantt (about 1h40, ~£8–12 in AC Chair) — book on IRCTC. Check into a Taj Ganj guesthouse with a rooftop view, then visit Agra Fort (£6) in the early afternoon. Buy your Taj Mahal ticket online (₹1,100 / ~£11) and enter for the golden-hour sunset slot — the west-side river view is best from Mehtab Bagh (£3) if you want the classic postcard angle instead. Dinner: Mughlai at a Taj Ganj rooftop.

🚌Gatimaan Express Delhi–Agra ~£10; autos ~£3

🛏Taj Ganj guesthouse, rooftop Taj view (~£16/night)

• →Agra Fort
• →Taj Mahal at sunset
• →Mehtab Bagh viewpoint

Sunrise entry at the Taj (gates open 30 min before dawn) is far quieter than sunset — go early, then breakfast back at the guesthouse. Hire a driver for the day (~£40 for the car, split if you can find travellers) or take a bus to Fatehpur Sikri (~1h) to see Akbar's abandoned red-sandstone capital and the Jama Masjid/Buland Darwaza (entry ~£6). Continue by bus or the same car to Sawai Madhopur (~4h, ~£6 by bus), the gateway to Ranthambore National Park. Book your safari permits tonight if you haven't — they sell out in peak season (Oct–Apr).

🚌Private car Agra–Fatehpur Sikri–Sawai Madhopur ~£40 (shared if possible) or buses ~£10

🛏Sawai Madhopur guesthouse near the park gate (~£20/night)

• →Taj Mahal at sunrise
• →Fatehpur Sikri UNESCO site

Two game drives: the 6:30am and 2:30pm slots, each 3.5 hours in a shared 6-seater Gypsy or 20-seater Canter. Permits are booked online at the Rajasthan Forest Department site (or via 12Go/GetYourGuide markup) and cost roughly £25–30 per drive for foreigners in a shared vehicle — plus ~£12–15 vehicle/guide share. Zone 3 and Zone 4 around the lakes are your best tiger odds. Between drives, rest, and if you want a third drive the following dawn you'll need to have booked it in advance. Realistic expectation: tigers are wild, but Ranthambore has one of India's densest populations.

🚌Park jeeps included in safari cost

🛏Sawai Madhopur guesthouse (~£20/night)

• →Morning jeep safari, Ranthambore
• →Afternoon jeep safari, Ranthambore
• →Ranthambore Fort viewpoint (optional, ~£5)

Morning train or bus Sawai Madhopur–Jaipur (~2h30; train ~£3–6). Settle into a Haveli-style guesthouse in the old city. Afternoon: Jantar Mantar (£5) and the City Palace Museum (£8), both walking distance from Hawa Mahal. If you want the Ladli-style social project interaction from the original tour, look for grassroots NGO visits in Jaipur via Responsible Travel or local voluntourism networks — book direct, not via a coach operator. Evening: rooftop dinner overlooking Hawa Mahal, then a Raj Mandir cinema showing if you're brave.

🚌Train Sawai Madhopur–Jaipur ~£5; autos ~£3

🛏Jaipur old-city haveli guesthouse (~£18/night)

• →Jantar Mantar
• →City Palace Museum
• →Hawa Mahal exterior

Catch local bus #5 or an auto to Amber Fort (entry ~£6, or £13 with the composite ticket that also covers Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, Nahargarh and Albert Hall — great value if you're doing a full day). Go early to beat the crowds and the elephant rides (skip those; they're ethically dubious). Walk down to Jaigarh Fort and Jal Mahal for photos. Afternoon: block-printing or blue-pottery workshop in Sanganer/Bagru (~£15–20), or the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing. Finish with sunset from Nahargarh Fort's Padao café.

🚌Local bus/auto ~£4

🛏Jaipur old-city haveli guesthouse (~£18/night)

• →Amber Fort
• →Jaigarh Fort & Jal Mahal
• →Block-printing workshop
• →Nahargarh sunset

A slow morning for the Albert Hall Museum and Johari Bazaar shopping (silver, textiles, bangles). The best option to Udaipur is the overnight express from Jaipur to Udaipur City (about 8–9h, arriving early morning) — AC2 ~£12–16, book on IRCTC. If you'd rather travel in daylight, there's a daily bus (~7h, ~£10) or an indirect train via Chittaurgarh. Alternatively fly IndiGo for ~£45 if you'd rather not lose a night. Overnight on the rails, or arrive late evening if flying.

🚌Overnight train Jaipur–Udaipur AC2 ~£14

🛏Overnight AC2 sleeper train berth (or Udaipur guesthouse if flying ~£15)

• →Albert Hall Museum
• →Johari Bazaar shopping

Check into a lakeside guesthouse in the old city (~£18/night, many with rooftop Pichola views). Morning: Udaipur City Palace and Crystal Gallery (£8 combined) and Jagdish Temple (free). Afternoon wander the ghats and Ambrai Ghat for photos. Book a shared sunset boat on Lake Pichola via your guesthouse or the jetty by the City Palace (~£7–9) — the 45-minute loop past Jag Mandir and the Lake Palace is the highlight of Rajasthan. Dinner at Ambrai or a rooftop thali spot.

🚌On foot; auto from station ~£3

🛏Udaipur lakeside guesthouse (~£18/night)

• →Udaipur City Palace & Crystal Gallery
• →Jagdish Temple
• →Sunset boat on Lake Pichola

Morning free: Bagore ki Haveli's museum or a walk up to Monsoon Palace if you have time. Then take an IndiGo/SpiceJet direct flight Udaipur–Mumbai (~1h20, typically £35–55 booked in advance) — far better value than the 15-hour train. Land at Mumbai, take the airport express or an Ola/Uber to a Colaba or Fort-area hostel (~£5). Evening walk along the Gateway of India and Marine Drive's Queen's Necklace lights — free and one of the best city walks in India.

🚌Udaipur–Mumbai flight ~£45; airport transfer ~£5

🛏Colaba/Fort hostel or budget hotel (~£22/night)

• →Bagore ki Haveli (optional)
• →Gateway of India at night
• →Marine Drive walk

Up at 9:30am to see the dabbawala tiffin-box sorting at Churchgate Station, then ride the suburban train one stop to Mahalaxmi (a few rupees, and a genuine commuter experience). Visit Dhobi Ghat's open-air laundry from the Mahalaxmi bridge (free; tip ₹100–200 for photos), then Mani Bhavan, Gandhi's Mumbai residence (£2). Afternoon: a guided Fort district walk (GetYourGuide, ~£15) covering Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the High Court, Oval Maidan and the Kala Ghoda gallery district — or DIY with a walking guide. Evening: Colaba Causeway street food and a drink at Cafe Mondegar.

🚌Suburban train + Ola rides ~£4

🛏Colaba/Fort hostel or budget hotel (~£22/night)

• →Churchgate dabbawala sorting
• →Mumbai suburban train ride
• →Dhobi Ghat
• →Mani Bhavan
• →Colaba & Fort heritage walk
• →CSMT exterior

If your flight is late, take the 9am ferry from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island (£3 ferry + £5 entry) for the UNESCO rock-cut cave temples — allow 4 hours round trip. Otherwise, do a Bandra street-art and Bollywood-tour morning or linger over breakfast at Kyani & Co. Head to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport by airport express line or Ola (~£5). Trip ends.

🚌Ferry ~£3; airport transfer ~£5

🛏—

• →Elephanta Caves ferry & caves (optional)
• →Bandra street art walk (optional)