Highlights of North India — Self-Launched: Delhi, Sariska, Ranthambhore, Jaipur, Agra & Varanasi

Land at Indira Gandhi International and take the Airport Express metro line or an Ola/Uber into Paharganj or Karol Bagh (₹250-500 / £3-5) rather than a pre-arranged transfer. Check into a budget guesthouse, get an Indian SIM/eSIM (Airtel or Jio, ~£5-8), pick up a metro card if you plan to use it, and spend the evening gently acclimatising — dinner at a rooftop cafe in Paharganj or Main Bazaar. Book your Delhi day tour and all onward train tickets tonight if you haven't already.

🚌Airport Express metro or app taxi (~£3-5)

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Paharganj/Karol Bagh (~£12-16)

• →Airport transfer
• →SIM card setup
• →Paharganj evening wander

Do-it-yourself full-day Delhi circuit: start early with the Delhi Metro to Qutub Minar (₹35 entry, ~£0.35), then Humayun's Tomb and the Lotus Temple (both cheap and metro-accessible; Lotus Temple is free but closed Mondays). Break for lunch at a local thali spot (~£3). In the afternoon head to Old Delhi: Jama Masjid (₹300 camera fee), a cycle-rickshaw loop through Chandni Chowk spice market (~£2-3, agree the price first), Raj Ghat, and drive-past views of Red Fort and India Gate. Optional: book a half-day Old Delhi food-and-walking tour on Klook/GetYourGuide (~£15-20) if you want a guide without the group-tour price.

🚌Delhi Metro day pass (~£1.50) + rickshaw (~£3)

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Paharganj/Karol Bagh (~£12-16)

• →Qutub Minar
• →Humayun's Tomb
• →Lotus Temple
• →Jama Masjid
• →Chandni Chowk cycle-rickshaw ride
• →Raj Ghat
• →India Gate

Take a train from Delhi to Alwar (e.g. morning Shatabdi/express, ~2.5-3 hrs, ₹150-500 / £2-5 depending on class), then a local bus or shared jeep up to Sariska (~1-1.5 hrs, ~£1-2). Alternatively a direct bus from Delhi's ISBT Kashmere Gate takes ~4-5 hrs (~£3-5). Base yourself in a simple guesthouse or jungle camp near Sariska National Park, have lunch, and spend the afternoon on foot around the village or at a viewpoint. Book tomorrow's morning safari permit and jeep online via the Rajasthan forest department portal or through your guesthouse (~£25-30 per jeep, sharable).

🚌Train Delhi-Alwar (~£3) then bus/shared jeep to Sariska (~£2)

🛏Guesthouse or jungle camp near Sariska (~£12-18)

• →Sariska village wander
• →Sunset viewpoint

Early morning jeep or canter safari in Sariska Tiger Reserve (gate opens around sunrise; permits ~£25-30 per jeep shared, plus entry). Sariska is quieter than Ranthambhore and has relocated tigers plus plenty of sambar, langur and birdlife. Afterwards, travel on to Ranthambhore: bus or shared taxi Sariska-Alwar, then train Alwar-Sawai Madhopur (~2.5-3 hrs, ~£2-4), or arrange a direct shared taxi (~2.5 hrs, ~£20-25 for the vehicle). Settle into a budget lodge in Sawai Madhopur town.

🚌Shared jeep/train combo (~£5-7)

🛏Budget lodge in Sawai Madhopur / Ranthambhore (~£12-18)

• →Sariska morning jeep safari

The centrepiece of the trip. Book both a morning and an afternoon safari (zones 1-10; zone 3 and zone 4 are classic tiger territory, but allocation is by lottery when you book online at the Rajasthan forest department site — permits release ~90 days ahead and sell out fast). Each safari is per jeep (6 seats, ~£30-40) or per canter (20 seats, ~£12-15 per person), so share with other travellers from your lodge to cut costs. Between safaris, relax at the lodge and have lunch. Realistic expectation: Ranthambhore's tigers are famously visible but never guaranteed — 4 safaris across Sariska and here gives you the best odds for the budget.

🚌Jeep/canter transfers to gate included in safari booking

🛏Budget lodge in Sawai Madhopur / Ranthambhore (~£12-18)

• →Morning Ranthambhore safari with naturalist
• →Afternoon Ranthambhore safari

Walk up to Ranthambore Fort early (free entry, ~45 min climb through the park boundary — go with a guide or lodge staff for wildlife safety) for views over the reserve and its old temples. Then catch a train Sawai Madhopur-Jaipur (~2-2.5 hrs, ~£2-4) or a bus (~3.5 hrs, ~£3) to Jaipur. Check into a hostel or budget haveli in the old city, and spend the evening at the rooftop cafes near Hawa Mahal.

🚌Train Sawai Madhopur-Jaipur (~£3)

🛏Hostel or budget haveli in Jaipur old city (~£10-15)

• →Ranthambore Fort hike
• →Jaipur old city evening

Start early at Amber Fort (entry ₹200, ~£2; take a local bus or Ola from the old city, ~£1-2; skip the elephant ride on welfare grounds and walk or take a jeep up). Then City Palace (₹700, ~£7) and Jantar Mantar (₹200). Drive-past Jal Mahal, Hawa Mahal and Birla Temple on the way back, or grab a rooftop view of Hawa Mahal with a chai. Optional afternoon: Nahargarh Fort for sunset over the Pink City (~£2 entry plus taxi). A local guide for the day booked via GetYourGuide is ~£20-30 if you want context.

🚌Local bus/Ola (~£4)

🛏Hostel or budget haveli in Jaipur old city (~£10-15)

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

Take a morning train or bus Jaipur-Agra (~4-5 hrs, train ~£3-5, bus ~£4). Break the journey at Fatehpur Sikri — get off at the Fatehpur Sikri station stop or take a bus; local buses run from the town to the monument. Explore the abandoned Mughal capital, Buland Darwaza, Panch Mahal and the Tomb of Salim Chisti (entry ₹610, ~£6; a battery car or shared auto from the car park ~£1). Continue to Agra by bus or shared taxi (~1.5 hrs, ~£2-3). Evening: sunset view of the Taj from Mehtab Bagh (~£2.50).

🚌Train/bus Jaipur-Agra (~£4) + local buses (~£2)

🛏Budget hotel near Taj Ganj, Agra (~£10-15)

• →Fatehpur Sikri
• →Tomb of Salim Chisti
• →Buland Darwaza
• →Panch Mahal
• →Mehtab Bagh at sunset

Pre-book your Taj Mahal ticket online (~₹1,100 / £11 for foreigners, plus ₹200 to enter the mausoleum) for the first slot at sunrise — arrive at the East Gate before opening to beat the crowds. Walk back via Taj Ganj for breakfast. Then Agra Fort (₹650 / ~£6.50), followed by Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb ('Baby Taj', ~£3) and, if timing allows, a quick stop at Jama Masjid. Store bags at the hotel and head to Agra Cantt for the overnight train to Varanasi (e.g. the Marudhar Express or similar, ~12-14 hrs; AC3 berth ~₹1,500-2,000 / £15-20, sleeper ~£6). Book on IRCTC as soon as the 60-day window opens.

🚌Auto-rickshaws (~£2) + overnight train (~£15-20)

🛏Overnight train, AC3 or sleeper berth (~£15-20)

• →Sunrise Taj Mahal
• →Agra Fort
• →Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb

Roll into Varanasi mid-morning, take an auto or shared ride to a guesthouse near Assi Ghat or in the old city (~£1-2). Rest, then take a local bus or auto to Sarnath (~30-40 min, ~£1-2) where the Buddha gave his first sermon: Dhamek Stupa, Chaukhandi Stupa and the Archaeological Museum (entry ~£0.30-3, museum closed Fridays). A local guide at Sarnath is ~£10-15. Evening: walk the ghats at Assi or Dashashwamedh and eat at a thali or lassi spot.

🚌Auto-rickshaw from station (~£2) + Sarnath round trip (~£3)

🛏Guesthouse near Assi Ghat / old city Varanasi (~£10-15)

• →Sarnath
• →Dhamek Stupa
• →Chaukhandi Stupa
• →Sarnath Archaeological Museum
• →Evening ghat walk

Book a sunrise rowing boat direct with a boatman at the ghats the night before (~£5-8 per person shared, or ~£15 per boat) — go around 5:30am for the best light. Afterwards walk the ghats and temples: Tulsi Manas Temple, Durga Temple (a short auto ride away), Sankat Mochan Temple, and Vishwanath Temple. In the evening, take a seat at Dashashwamedh Ghat for the Ganga Aarti ceremony (free; a boat or balcony seat costs ~£3-5). This is the big Varanasi moment — arrive 45 minutes early.

🚌Auto-rickshaws (~£3)

🛏Guesthouse near Assi Ghat / old city Varanasi (~£10-15)

• →Sunrise boat ride on the Ganges
• →Tulsi Manas Temple
• →Durga Temple
• →Sankat Mochan Temple
• →Vishwanath Temple
• →Ganga Aarti ceremony

Easy morning on the ghats or a last silk-shop wander, then head to Lal Bahadur Shastri airport. A domestic flight Varanasi-Delhi booked via IndiGo/Air India (~£40-60, or more if booked late) is by far the fastest option and matches the original tour's final leg; the overnight train back (~£15-20) is the budget alternative if you have a spare night. Check into a budget guesthouse in Paharganj or near the airport depending on your onward flight time.

🚌Flight Varanasi-Delhi (~£40-60) or overnight train (~£15-20)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Delhi (~£12-16)

• →Last morning at the ghats
• →Transfer to airport

Breakfast, optional last-minute shopping at Dilli Haat or Janpath, then transfer to IGI airport — metro if the timing works (~£1) or app taxi (~£4). If your flight is late, a half-day trip to the National Museum or a Mehrauli walk around the Qutub complex is an easy fill.

🚌Airport transfer (~£1-4)

🛏—

• →Dilli Haat / Janpath shopping
• →Airport transfer