Self-Launched Northern India & the Taj Mahal: Delhi, Rajasthan & Agra in 14 Days

Land at Indira Gandhi International and take the Airport Express metro line into New Delhi station (about £1) or a prepaid taxi from the official counter (£4–6). Check into a guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh. Get an Indian SIM/eSIM (Airtel or Jio, ~£5 for a month), draw cash from an ATM, and pick up your first UPI-enabled wallet or just keep cash for chai and autos. Easy evening walk and dinner near Connaught Place. Book tomorrow's Old Delhi guide and your onward train ticket on IRCTC (register in advance if possible).

🚌Airport Express metro ~£1 or prepaid taxi ~£5

🛏Budget guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh, ~£12/night

• →Airport transfer to central Delhi
• →SIM card and cash setup
• →Evening stroll around Connaught Place

Take the metro to Chandni Chowk and start early at Jama Masjid (entry ~£0.50, camera fee extra — dress modestly). Wander the spice lanes of Chandni Chowk and take a cycle-rickshaw loop (~£2–3, agree the price first). Book a half-day Old Delhi walking guide via GetYourGuide (~£20) if you want the history, otherwise self-guide with a good app. Afternoon: Humayun's Tomb (£5), then Qutub Minar (£5), driving past India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Lotus Temple by auto or a half-day car hire (~£25 for the car, split if sharing). Raj Ghat is free. Eat at a local thali spot in Old Delhi (~£3).

🚌Delhi Metro day pass ~£2 plus autos ~£5

🛏Same Paharganj/Karol Bagh guesthouse, ~£12/night

• →Jama Masjid
• →Chandni Chowk spice market cycle-rickshaw ride
• →Humayun's Tomb
• →Qutub Minar
• →Raj Ghat
• →Optional GetYourGuide Old Delhi walking tour ~£20

Catch a morning train or bus toward Jhunjhunu/Nawalgarh and take a short shared auto or taxi to Mandawa — the Shekhawati region's painted-haveli town. Buses from Delhi's ISBT Kashmiri Gate run to Nawalgarh/Jhunjhunu for roughly £4–6 and take 6–7 hours; trains to Jhunjhunu are similar. Check into a small heritage haveli guesthouse (many family-run places from £15–20). Afternoon self-guided walk past the frescoed havelis — Mandawa Castle, Gulab Rai Ladia Haveli and the Harlalka wells. Rooftop dinner ~£4.

🚌Bus or train Delhi to Jhunjhunu/Nawalgarh ~£5, plus shared auto ~£2

🛏Heritage haveli guesthouse in Mandawa, ~£18/night

• →Walk the Shekhawati painted havelis
• →Mandawa Castle exterior and bazaar
• →Sunset from a haveli rooftop

Morning bus or shared taxi to Bikaner (~3 hours, £3–5). Drop bags at a guesthouse near the old city. Visit Junagarh Fort (£6 with audio guide), then Lalgarh Palace museum (£2) and the beautiful Bhandasar Jain Temple (free, remove shoes, no leather). Late afternoon head to the National Research Centre on Camel (~£3 entry) for camel milk ice cream and a short ride (~£2). Evening in the old city for Bikaneri bhujia and kachori snacks (~£3).

🚌Local bus Mandawa–Bikaner ~£4, autos ~£3

🛏Guesthouse in Bikaner old city, ~£14/night

• →Junagarh Fort
• →Lalgarh Palace
• →Bhandasar Jain Temple
• →National Research Centre on Camel

Take the morning train or bus to Jaisalmer (~6 hours; bus ~£6, train ~£4 in sleeper). Book a shared desert-camp package directly with a Jaisalmer operator or your guesthouse (~£25–35 including jeep transfer, 1.5-hour camel ride, dinner with Rajasthani folk dance, camp tent and breakfast) — this replaces the tour's private desert camp night. Arrive at the dunes for sunset camel ride, then dinner and dancing under the stars. Bring a headtorch and warm layer in winter.

🚌Bus Bikaner–Jaisalmer ~£6, jeep to dunes included in safari package

🛏Desert camp tent near Sam/Khuri dunes, ~£25/night (included in safari package)

• →Camel ride on the Thar dunes
• →Sunset over the desert
• →Rajasthani folk dance and dinner at camp

Jeep back to town after breakfast and check into a guesthouse inside or just below the fort (many from £12–18 with rooftop views). Hire a local fort guide for 2–3 hours (~£15, split with others) or self-guide with the audio tour. Highlights: Jaisalmer Fort's living lanes and Jain temples (£2.50), Patwon-ki-Haveli (£2.50), Salim Singh-ki-Haveli (£1.50), Nathmal-ki-Haveli, Thar Heritage Museum (£1) and Gadisar Lake at sunset (free). Rooftop dinner with fort views ~£5.

🚌Walking plus autos ~£2

🛏Guesthouse in Jaisalmer, ~£15/night

• →Jaisalmer Fort and Jain temples
• →Patwon-ki-Haveli
• →Salim Singh-ki-Haveli
• →Thar Heritage Museum
• →Gadisar Lake sunset

Morning bus or train to Jodhpur (~5–6 hours, £5–7). Check into a guesthouse in the blue-washed old city below the fort (~£15). Late afternoon: Mehrangarh Fort (£6 including audio guide — one of India's best), Jaswant Thada (£1), and the blue city lanes below. Wander the Sardar Market and Clock Tower bazaar for spices and mirchi vada (~£3). Optional: Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park (£2) for a short walk. Umaid Bhawan Palace museum is ~£3 if you have time.

🚌Bus Jaisalmer–Jodhpur ~£6, autos ~£3

🛏Guesthouse in Jodhpur old city, ~£15/night

• →Mehrangarh Fort
• →Jaswant Thada
• →Blue city walk
• →Sardar Market and Clock Tower bazaar
• →Optional Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park

Hire a shared taxi or take the bus to Ranakpur (~2.5 hours) and stop at the Ranakpur Jain Temple complex — the 1,444-carved-marble-pillar Chaumukha Temple is a highlight (entry ~£2, camera fee extra, no leather). Continue by bus or shared taxi to Udaipur (~2 hours, £3–5). Check into a guesthouse in the old city near Lake Pichola or Lal Ghat (~£14). Evening rooftop dinner overlooking the lake ~£4.

🚌Bus/shared taxi Jodhpur–Ranakpur–Udaipur ~£8 total

🛏Guesthouse near Lal Ghat, Udaipur, ~£14/night

• →Ranakpur Jain Temple complex
• →Lakeside evening walk in Udaipur

Self-guided morning through the City Palace complex (£6) and Jagdish Temple (free). Walk the ghats to Ambrai Ghat, then take the public boat on Lake Pichola (~£5) or the Udaipur ropeway (£2) for views. Afternoon: Saheliyon-ki-Bari (£1) and Bagore-ki-Haveli museum (£1.50). Book the Dharohar folk dance show at Bagore-ki-Haveli (7pm, ~£3) — arrive early for a front seat. Optional classic car museum (~£3). Dinner at a local thali house ~£4.

🚌Walking plus autos ~£3

🛏Same Udaipur guesthouse, ~£14/night

• →City Palace
• →Jagdish Temple
• →Lake Pichola boat ride
• →Saheliyon-ki-Bari
• →Dharohar folk dance show at Bagore-ki-Haveli

Long travel day: take a morning bus to Ajmer (~5–6 hours, £6) then a local bus or shared auto to Pushkar (~45 min, £1). Alternatively, overnight trains via Ajmer. Check into a guesthouse near the lake (~£12). Pushkar is vegetarian and alcohol-free. Walk the ghats of Pushkar Lake at sunset, see the Brahma Temple (one of very few in the world), and climb to Savitri Temple at sunrise tomorrow if you're keen (ropeway ~£2 or 30-min stair climb). Rooftop dinner ~£3.50.

🚌Bus Udaipur–Ajmer ~£6 plus local bus ~£1

🛏Guesthouse in Pushkar, ~£12/night

• →Pushkar Lake ghats
• →Brahma Temple
• →Pushkar bazaar
• →Sunset over the lake

Early bus to Ajmer then train or bus to Jaipur (~2.5–4 hours total, £4–6). Check into a guesthouse in the old city near Hawa Mahal (~£14). Afternoon: Hawa Mahal facade (free from outside, £3 inside), City Palace (£8) and Jantar Mantar (£3). Wander Johari and Bapu bazaars for block prints and bangles. Evening at a rooftop restaurant with a Hawa Mahal view (~£5).

🚌Bus and train Pushkar/Ajmer–Jaipur ~£5, autos ~£3

🛏Guesthouse in Jaipur old city, ~£14/night

• →Hawa Mahal
• →City Palace
• →Jantar Mantar
• →Johari and Bapu bazaars

Start early: local bus or auto to Amber Fort (£1 each way), entry £6. Skip the elephant ride (animal welfare concerns — the tour offers jeep as an alternative, take that or walk up). Bolster the fort with Jaigarh or Nahargarh if time allows (both ~£2 and great views). Back to town for a quick lunch, then take an afternoon train to Agra (Jaipur–Agra Cantt ~4–5 hours, £4–6 in sleeper/chair car). Check into a guesthouse in Taj Ganj (~£12). Note: Taj Mahal is closed Fridays — plan around it. Buy your Taj Mahal e-ticket online (£12, plus £2 for the mausoleum platform) in advance.

🚌Local bus to Amber Fort ~£2 return, train Jaipur–Agra ~£5, autos ~£3

🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj, Agra, ~£12/night

• →Amber Fort
• →Optional Jaigarh or Nahargarh Fort
• →Johari Bazaar browsing
• →Afternoon train to Agra

Be at the East Gate before opening (sunrise entry, ~6am) — the £12 online ticket covers entry and the £2 mausoleum add-on. Guides are negotiable at the gate (~£15 for 1.5 hours) but a good guidebook works fine. Walk to Mehtab Bagh (£2) for the riverside view, then Agra Fort (£6) and Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb (Baby Taj, £3). Optional Sikandra/Akbar's Tomb (£3). Late afternoon: Gatimaan Express or a Shatabdi train to Delhi (~2 hours, £8–12) or a bus (~£5, 4–5 hours). Overnight in Delhi.

🚌Train Agra–Delhi ~£10, autos/tuk-tuks ~£4

🛏Guesthouse in Delhi, ~£12/night

• →Sunrise at the Taj Mahal
• →Mehtab Bagh
• →Agra Fort
• →Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb
• →Optional Akbar's Tomb at Sikandra

Slow morning: last-minute shopping at Dilli Haat or Khan Market for crafts and tea, then Airport Express metro to IGI for your flight (~£1). If you have a late flight, optionally add a Humayun's Tomb or Nizamuddin walk. Total independent spend on this route lands around £1,050–1,150 for a solo traveller — well under the operator's advertised price, with your own pace and choice of stays.

🚌Airport Express metro ~£1

🛏—

• →Dilli Haat or Khan Market shopping
• →Airport transfer