India Tiger Safari — Self-Launched: Delhi, Ranthambore & Bandhavgarh

Land at Indira Gandhi International and take the Airport Express Metro to New Delhi station (approx. £1.50) or a prepaid taxi (~£5–7) to Paharganj or Karol Bagh. Check into a budget guesthouse, then ease into the city: wander Connaught Place, grab street food (chole bhature, parathas) and sort out your onward train tickets at the reservation counter or on IRCTC. Evening stroll through the lit-up bazaars of Main Bazaar.

🚌Airport Express Metro from IGI to New Delhi station ~£1.50, or prepaid taxi ~£6

🛏Budget guesthouse in Paharganj (private room, ~£15–20/night)

• →Airport Express Metro transfer
• →Paharganj / Karol Bagh orientation walk
• →Connaught Place & street food
• →Book onward trains on IRCTC

Spend the day on a self-guided Old Delhi loop: Red Fort exterior and Chandni Chowk (paratha lane), Jama Masjid, and optionally Humayun's Tomb or Qutub Minar if time allows. Skip the private car — use the Delhi Metro and short auto-rickshaw hops. In the evening head to Hazrat Nizamuddin or New Delhi station for an overnight sleeper/3AC train to Sawai Madhopur (gateway to Ranthambore), roughly 5–6 hours.

🚌Delhi Metro day pass ~£1.50; overnight train Delhi–Sawai Madhopur AC3 ~£10

🛏Overnight AC3 sleeper train (~£10)

• →Old Delhi walking loop (Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid, Red Fort)
• →Delhi Metro + auto-rickshaw sightseeing
• →Overnight sleeper train to Sawai Madhopur

Arrive early and check into a budget jungle lodge in Sawai Madhopur town (cheaper than the resort strip). Head out on a shared 6-seat Gypsy jeep safari in the morning and another in the afternoon — permits are booked online in advance on the Rajasthan Forest Department portal (book as early as possible; core-zone slots sell out weeks ahead). Evenings are for chai, wildlife photography and swapping tiger sightings with other travellers.

🚌Shared Gypsy safari jeep (6 pax) — included in permit + jeep charge

🛏Budget jungle lodge / guesthouse in Sawai Madhopur (~£18–25/night)

• →Morning shared Gypsy safari, Ranthambore National Park
• →Afternoon shared Gypsy safari
• →Wildlife photography from the lodge rooftop

Another two shared safaris (morning and late afternoon), the classic rhythm for maximising tiger odds. Between drives, rest at the lodge or hire a bicycle to the lake edges. Book permits for tomorrow's zones in advance if you want a different sector — Zone 3 and Zone 6 are the classic tiger zones.

🚌Shared Gypsy safari jeep

🛏Budget jungle lodge / guesthouse in Sawai Madhopur (~£18–25/night)

• →Morning shared Gypsy safari
• →Afternoon shared Gypsy safari
• →Optional bicycle hire around Sawai Madhopur

Walk up to Ranthambore Fort inside the park (entry included with some safari tickets or a small fee) for sweeping views and troops of langurs — a great low-cost morning. Afterwards, take an afternoon or evening train back to Delhi (5–6 hrs) and settle into a Paharganj guesthouse for the night.

🚌Train Sawai Madhopur–New Delhi AC3 ~£10–12; auto to/from station ~£3 total

🛏Budget guesthouse in Paharganj (~£15–20/night)

• →Ranthambore Fort hike & viewpoints
• →Train back to New Delhi

The long hop south. Easiest option is a cheap domestic flight Delhi–Jabalpur (~£40–60 booked ahead on IndiGo/SpiceJet); the budget alternative is an overnight train (~14 hrs, AC3 ~£15). From Jabalpur, take a shared taxi or the local bus to Tala village at the Bandhavgarh gate (~4 hrs, ~£4–8 shared). Check into a budget wildlife lodge and pre-book your Bandhavgarh permits on the MP Forest Department portal (Bandhavgarh is closed Wednesday afternoons).

🚌Delhi–Jabalpur flight ~£50; shared taxi Jabalpur–Tala ~£6

🛏Budget wildlife lodge in Tala (~£18–25/night)

• →Domestic flight or train to Jabalpur
• →Shared taxi / bus to Tala village, Bandhavgarh
• →Book Bandhavgarh safari permits online

Bandhavgarh has one of India's densest tiger populations. Do a morning shared jeep safari (Tala zone is the classic) and an afternoon one, each with a forest-department naturalist. Shared jeeps hold six and are booked per-seat — the cheapest way in. Spend the rest of the day at the lodge and plan your zone rotation for tomorrow.

🚌Shared jeep safari (6 seats)

🛏Budget wildlife lodge in Tala (~£18–25/night)

• →Morning shared jeep safari, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve
• →Afternoon shared jeep safari
• →Wildlife photography

Two more safaris — a morning drive and a late-afternoon drive, the best light for photography. If permits allow, try a different zone (Magadhi or Khitauli) for varied terrain. Optional extras at low cost: a village walk, or a visit to the ancient Bandhavgarh Fort on the reserve's ridge (arranged locally, subject to forest permission).

🚌Shared jeep safari (6 seats)

🛏Budget wildlife lodge in Tala (~£18–25/night)

• →Morning shared jeep safari
• →Afternoon shared jeep safari
• →Optional Bandhavgarh Fort / village walk

Morning shared taxi/bus back to Jabalpur. If you have time before your onward train/flight, the UNESCO temples at Khajuraho are reachable by road or a short hop and make a superb bonus stop (as the original tour's reviewers noted). Otherwise fly or take the overnight train back to Delhi and check into a guesthouse near the station.

🚌Shared taxi ~£6; Jabalpur–Delhi flight ~£50 or overnight AC3 train ~£15

🛏Budget guesthouse in Paharganj (~£15–20/night) or overnight train

• →Shared taxi Bandhavgarh–Jabalpur
• →Optional Khajuraho temple visit
• →Train or flight back to New Delhi

A relaxed final morning — pick up last souvenirs in Dilli Haat or Janpath, or revisit a favourite café. Take the Airport Express Metro or a prepaid taxi to IGI for your flight home. If you'd like a buffer day, budget hotels in Paharganj are easy to extend.

🚌Airport Express Metro ~£1.50 or prepaid taxi ~£6

🛏None (departure day)

• →Souvenir shopping (Dilli Haat / Janpath)
• →Airport Express to IGI