Highlights of Northern India: Self-Launched Adventure

Fly into Indira Gandhi International Airport. Take the Delhi Metro Airport Express to New Delhi station (£1), then arrange a pre-booked shared taxi or private cab to Sariska National Park (approx. 3–4 hours, £10–15 by shared cab). Book accommodation at a budget jungle camp or guesthouse near the reserve — options like Sariska Regency or similar wildlife lodges run £15–25/night. Freshen up and grab dinner at the camp restaurant or a local dhaba. This evening is a great chance to chat with fellow travellers and plan your game drive.

🚌Delhi Metro Airport Express (£1), then shared taxi/cab to Sariska (~£12)

🛏Sariska Regency or similar budget jungle lodge (~£20/night)

• →Arrive Delhi, take Airport Express Metro to city (£1)
• →Pre-book shared cab or private taxi to Sariska (~£12 per person shared)
• →Check in to a budget jungle lodge near Sariska Tiger Reserve
• →Dinner at camp restaurant or local dhaba (~£5)

Rise early for a morning game drive in Sariska National Park. Book a jeep safari directly at the forest department office or through your lodge — this is mandatory and cannot be done on foot. The buffer zone is home to nilgai, wild boar, jackals, hyenas and abundant birdlife (especially rewarding in the monsoon season). After breakfast, take a shared taxi or bus to Jaipur (roughly 2.5 hours, £5–8). Check in to a centrally located guesthouse near the old city or Jal Mahal — plenty of excellent options in the £12–20/night range.

🚌Shared taxi or RSRTC bus from Sariska/Alwar to Jaipur (~£6, ~2.5 hrs)

🛏Zostel Jaipur or Pearl Palace Heritage guesthouse (~£15/night)

• →Early morning jeep safari in Sariska National Park buffer zone (book at forest office, ~£12–18 per person)
• →Birdwatching — monsoon season brings excellent variety
• →Shared taxi or bus from Sariska to Jaipur (~£6)
• →Check in and explore the neighbourhood around Jal Mahal

Spend a full day exploring Jaipur's extraordinary architecture and culture. Start with an optional sunrise walking tour of the walled city's chowkris (neighbourhood blocks) — local guides can be hired near Badi Chaupar for ~£5. Mid-morning, visit Jantar Mantar observatory (entry ~£3) and photograph the iconic Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds) from outside (entry ~£1). Take an auto-rickshaw or tuk-tuk out to Amber Fort (~£1.50 ride), where entry costs ~£6. The fort's mirrored chambers and hilltop views are breathtaking. Book entry tickets online via the ASI website to skip queues. The evening is free — wander Johari Bazaar for silver jewellery or grab a thali at a rooftop restaurant.

🚌Auto-rickshaws and tuk-tuks around Jaipur (~£1–2 per ride)

🛏Zostel Jaipur or Pearl Palace Heritage guesthouse (~£15/night)

• →Optional dawn walking tour of the walled Pink City with a local guide (~£5)
• →Jantar Mantar astronomical observatory (entry ~£3) — book via ASI or GetYourGuide
• →Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds) exterior and entry (~£1)
• →Amber Fort — take a shared auto-rickshaw (~£1.50) and pay entry (~£6)
• →Evening stroll and shopping in Johari Bazaar
• →Rooftop thali dinner in the old city (~£4)

Take a morning bus or shared taxi from Jaipur to Agra (approx. 4–5 hours, ~£7 by RSRTC bus). En route, stop at the magnificent Fatehpur Sikri — Emperor Akbar's deserted Mughal capital, preserved almost perfectly in red sandstone. Entry costs ~£5. Hire a local guide at the gate for ~£5–8 to bring the site to life. After exploring the mosque, palaces and halls of audience, continue to Agra (~40 mins by shared auto or cab, ~£3). Check in to a budget hotel near Taj Ganj for great rooftop Taj Mahal views. Enjoy lunch near Fatehpur Sikri (~£3–5) and dinner in Agra (~£4–6).

🚌RSRTC bus Jaipur–Agra with Fatehpur Sikri stopoff (~£7); shared auto to Agra (~£3)

🛏Zostel Agra or Hotel Kamal (Taj Ganj area, ~£14/night)

• →Morning bus from Jaipur to Fatehpur Sikri stop or Agra (~£7, RSRTC or private bus)
• →Visit Fatehpur Sikri — Akbar's royal ghost city (entry ~£5, optional local guide ~£6)
• →Explore the Jama Masjid, Panch Mahal and Diwan-i-Khas
• →Onward shared auto or cab to Agra (~£3)
• →Check in and find a rooftop restaurant with Taj Mahal sunset views

Set your alarm for 5am to reach the Taj Mahal for sunrise — the soft light on the white marble and the near-empty gardens make it unmissable. Entry is ~£12 (book online at the ASI portal in advance to avoid queues). Spend 2–3 hours exploring the mausoleum and inner chambers. After breakfast, walk or take a tuk-tuk (~£1) to Agra Fort, whose sandstone walls enclose the Pearl Mosque, palaces and the poignant rooms where Shah Jahan was imprisoned (entry ~£5). In the afternoon, visit Itmad-ud-Daula (the 'Baby Taj', entry ~£2) and end the day at Mehtab Bagh across the river for magical sunset views of the Taj Mahal (entry ~£2). Dinner at a Taj Ganj rooftop restaurant (~£5).

🚌Tuk-tuks between sites (~£1–2 per ride)

🛏Zostel Agra or Hotel Kamal (~£14/night)

• →Sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal (entry ~£12 — book online via ASI to skip queues)
• →Explore inner chambers and mausoleum with audio guide (~£2)
• →Agra Fort — Red Fort of Akbar (entry ~£5)
• →Itmad-ud-Daula 'Baby Taj' mausoleum (entry ~£2)
• →Mehtab Bagh Moonlight Garden for Taj Mahal sunset views (entry ~£2)
• →Dinner at a rooftop restaurant in Taj Ganj (~£5)

Book the Vande Bharat Express (train 22415 or similar) from Agra Cantt station departing around 6am to Varanasi Junction — book well in advance on IRCTC.co.in (~£10–15 in 2AC/3AC class). The journey takes approximately 7 hours, arriving early afternoon. Transfer to your hotel by auto-rickshaw or prepaid taxi (~£2–3). Check in from 2pm. Spend the afternoon wandering Varanasi's atmospheric narrow lanes, browsing silk emporiums and watching the ever-present rituals along the ghats. Take an optional auto-rickshaw to Sarnath (£1.50 each way) to visit the Dhamekh Stupa and archaeology museum (entry ~£3). In the evening, don't miss the spectacular Ganga Aarti ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat — free to watch from the ghats or book a boat for a river view (~£3).

🚌Vande Bharat Express Agra Cantt → Varanasi Junction (~£12, book on IRCTC); auto-rickshaw from station (~£2)

🛏Stops at Ganges or Assi Ghat guesthouses (e.g. Hotel Ganges View or Brijrama Palace budget rooms, ~£16/night)

• →Vande Bharat Express train Agra–Varanasi (book on IRCTC, ~£12 in 3AC class)
• →Arrive Varanasi, check in and explore the ghats and old city lanes
• →Optional trip to Sarnath — Dhamekh Stupa and Buddhist archaeology museum (~£5 total)
• →Ganga Aarti ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat (free or £3 for boat view)

Wake before sunrise and walk to the ghats — or have your guesthouse arrange a rowing boat for a dawn ride (negotiate directly, ~£4–6 per person for a shared boat). Float past the bathing ghats as thousands of Hindu pilgrims descend to the holy river: an utterly unforgettable spectacle. Watch the cremation ghats at Manikarnika from a respectful distance. After breakfast, pack up and take the Vande Bharat Express back to Delhi (book on IRCTC, departs mid-afternoon, arrives late evening, ~£12–15 in 3AC). Stock up on snacks and fruit before boarding. Arrive New Delhi station and take the Metro to your accommodation (~£1).

🚌Vande Bharat Express Varanasi → New Delhi (~£13, book on IRCTC); Metro from station (~£1)

🛏Zostel Delhi or hostel in Paharganj/Karol Bagh area (~£12/night)

• →Pre-dawn walk to the ghats
• →Shared rowing boat ride on the Ganges past the bathing and cremation ghats (~£5 per person)
• →Breakfast at a ghat-side chai stall (~£2)
• →Afternoon Vande Bharat Express Varanasi–New Delhi (book on IRCTC, ~£13 in 3AC)
• →Delhi Metro from New Delhi station to hotel (~£1)

A free day to explore the fascinating dual city of Old and New Delhi at your own pace. In Old Delhi, visit the Red Fort (entry ~£5), the vast Jama Masjid mosque (free, modest dress required) and wander the chaotic bazaars of Chandni Chowk. In New Delhi, see Humayun's Tomb (entry ~£5 — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a precursor to the Taj Mahal), India Gate (free) and Raj Ghat (free). The Sikh Golden Temple of Sheeshganj Gurudwara in Chandni Chowk is free and serves a free communal langar meal — a wonderful cultural experience. For last-minute souvenirs, browse Karol Bagh market. In the evening, splurge on a farewell dinner at a rooftop restaurant in Connaught Place (~£8).

🚌Delhi Metro all day pass (~£2); auto-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws (~£1–2 per ride)

🛏Zostel Delhi or similar hostel (~£12/night)

• →Red Fort, Old Delhi (entry ~£5, book online via ASI)
• →Jama Masjid — largest mosque in India (free)
• →Cycle-rickshaw through Chandni Chowk bazaar (~£2)
• →Humayun's Tomb, New Delhi (entry ~£5)
• →India Gate and Raj Ghat (free)
• →Sheeshganj Gurudwara — free langar meal at the Sikh temple
• →Evening dinner at Connaught Place (~£8)

Your northern India adventure ends today. Take the Delhi Metro Airport Express from New Delhi station directly to the international terminal (~£1, ~20 mins). Arrive at least 3 hours before your international flight. If you have time before your flight, the Indira Gandhi International Airport has decent food options. Consider extending your stay to explore Varanasi further, head south to Ranthambore for tiger safari, or connect to Nepal — all easily done independently from Delhi.

🚌Delhi Metro Airport Express to IGI Airport Terminal 3 (~£1, ~20 mins)

• →Check out and transfer to IGI Airport via Metro Airport Express (~£1)
• →Optional: early breakfast at a local café near the hotel
• →Consider extending to Ranthambore National Park, Udaipur or Nepal