Rajasthan Historical Circuit: Self-Launched Delhi to Udaipur

Land at Indira Gandhi International (DEL), pick up an Airtel/Jio eSIM before you fly for data on arrival, and take the Airport Express Metro (approx. £1.50) or a prepaid taxi counter cab (£4-6) to a guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh. Spend the afternoon gently: stroll Connaught Place, sort your UPI (Google Pay works with a foreign card via the tourist UPI desk), and buy your onward Agra train ticket on IRCTC (or via the 12Go/RailYatri apps). Easy dinner of chole bhature near your hotel.

🚌Airport Express Metro (£1.50) or prepaid taxi (£4-6)

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel private room, Paharganj/Karol Bagh (approx. £16/night)

• →Airport Express Metro to city
• →Connaught Place wander
• →Set up UPI and IRCTC booking apps

Do a DIY big-hitter loop. Start early at Jama Masjid (£1 entry, modest dress), then take a cycle rickshaw through the Chandni Chowk spice market (£2-3, agree the price first). Metro to Central Secretariat for Rajpath and a walk-past of India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhavan, then auto to Humayun's Tomb (£3) and Qutub Minar (£3). Finish at the Lotus Temple (free) or Raj Ghat (free). Alternatively, a GetYourGuide full-day Old & New Delhi tour with a licensed guide runs about £30-40 if you'd rather not navigate solo — still far below the group-tour inclusion.

🚌Delhi Metro day pass (approx. £1.50) plus autos (£4)

🛏Same guesthouse, New Delhi

• →Jama Masjid
• →Chandni Chowk cycle rickshaw
• →Humayun's Tomb
• →Qutub Minar
• →India Gate & Rajpath stroll
• →Lotus Temple

Take the early Gatimaan Express (dep. ~08:10, arrives Agra Cantt ~09:50, approx. £7-9 in AC Chair) or a cheaper general/2AC train. Drop bags at a Taj Ganj guesthouse with rooftop Taj views. Afternoon: Sikandra (Akbar's Tomb, £3), Agra Fort (£5), and the exquisite Itmad-ud-Daulah ('Baby Taj', £3) across the river. Skip the group's second Jama Masjid visit — you've done the Delhi one — and instead take a sunset view from Mehtab Bagh's north bank (£3).

🚌Gatimaan Express train (£7-9), autos around Agra (£3)

🛏Budget guesthouse, Taj Ganj (approx. £16/night)

• →Gatimaan Express to Agra
• →Agra Fort
• →Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb
• →Sikandra (Akbar's Tomb)
• →Mehtab Bagh sunset

Be at the Taj's east gate for the 06:00 opening for sunrise light and thinner crowds (£13 foreigners, includes shoe covers; book online in advance). Return for breakfast, check out, then a bus or shared taxi to Fatehpur Sikri (£2 bus / £6 shared cab) to see the abandoned Mughal capital, Buland Darwaza, Panch Mahal and the Tomb of Salim Chisti (£4). From Sikri, catch an onward bus toward Jaipur or backtrack to Agra Junction for a train — budget 4-5 hours total. Check in at a Jaipur guesthouse in the old city near Hawa Mahal.

🚌Bus/shared cab to Fatehpur Sikri (£2-6) then bus/train to Jaipur (£4-6)

🛏Guesthouse near Hawa Mahal, Jaipur (approx. £15/night)

• →Taj Mahal at sunrise
• →Fatehpur Sikri
• →Buland Darwaza & Panch Mahal
• →Transfer to Jaipur

Take a local bus or auto to Amer Fort, arriving for the 08:00 opening. Skip the elephant ride (ethical concerns; the operator's jeep backup is the better call) and walk up or take a shared jeep (£1). Fort entry £9 combined ticket. Auto back via Jal Mahal for a photo stop. Afternoon: City Palace (£8) and the Jantar Mantar observatory (£3), then walk past Hawa Mahal at golden hour and visit Birla Temple at dusk. Optional add-ons: Nahargarh Fort for sunset panoramas (£3 + £2 auto) and Jaigarh Fort.

🚌Local bus/auto to Amer (£2), autos (£3)

🛏Same guesthouse, Jaipur

• →Amer Fort & shared jeep ascent
• →Jal Mahal photo stop
• →City Palace
• →Jantar Mantar
• →Hawa Mahal
• →Birla Temple
• →Nahargarh Fort sunset (optional)

A local bus or shared taxi runs Jaipur to Ajmer in about 2.5 hours (£2-3). Stop at Ajmer Dargah Sharif (free; cover your head, leave shoes) and the 12th-century Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra (£1). Continue 30 minutes by bus to Pushkar (£1). Check into a lakeside guesthouse, then wander Pushkar Lake's 52 ghats, the Brahma Temple (£1) and the market. Climb (or take the ropeway, £2) to Savitri Temple for sunset over the lake.

🚌Bus Jaipur-Ajmer (£2-3), bus Ajmer-Pushkar (£1)

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Pushkar (approx. £14/night)

• →Ajmer Dargah Sharif
• →Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra
• →Pushkar Lake & ghats
• →Brahma Temple
• →Savitri Temple sunset

The group's camp night at Osian is easy to replicate independently. Take a bus or shared jeep from Pushkar/Jodhpur road to Osian (approx. 2 hours, £2), where the 8th-11th century Jain and Brahmin temples are free to wander. Book a simple tented camp or dharamshala in the village (£18-25 incl. dinner) and head out to the dunes for sunset with a chai wallah and a local camel herder (£8 for a short ride). Note: Osian camping is basic — bring cash and a torch.

🚌Local bus/shared jeep Pushkar-Jodhpur road-Osian (£3)

🛏Standard desert camp or village guesthouse, Osian (approx. £20/night incl. dinner)

• →Osian temple complex
• →Local market wander
• →Dune sunset point
• →Optional short camel ride

Bus or shared jeep to Jodhpur (£4), then a 5-6 hour bus or train to Jaisalmer (£5-7). Alternatively book a Klook or GetYourGuide overnight desert safari (Sam or Khuri dunes, approx. £30-45 pp incl. camel ride, dinner and folk dance) and let them shuttle you from Jaisalmer — this is the cheapest way to cover the operator's desert camp night. Expect a camel ride into the dunes, Rajasthani folk musicians and a Kalbeliya dancer around a fire, and dinner under the stars.

🚌Bus/shared jeep (£4) plus bus/train to Jaisalmer (£5-7)

🛏Standard desert camp, Sam/Khuri dunes (included in safari package, approx. £30-45 pp)

• →Transfer Jodhpur to Jaisalmer
• →Camel ride in the dunes
• →Traditional Rajasthani dance performance
• →Desert camp dinner under the stars

Return to town and check into a guesthouse inside or just below the fort walls (£16). Explore Jaisalmer Fort independently (free to enter, £4 for the fort palace museum), then Patwon-ki-Haveli (£2.50) and Salim Singh-ki-Haveli (£1.50), the Thar Heritage Museum (£1) and the Silk Route Art Gallery. Sunset at Gadisar Lake with the cenotaph boats, then dinner on a rooftop watching the fort glow. A licensed local guide for two hours costs about £12 if you want the history depth of the group tour.

🚌Walking; autos (£2)

🛏Guesthouse by the fort, Jaisalmer (approx. £16/night)

• →Jaisalmer Fort & palace museum
• →Patwon-ki-Haveli
• →Salim Singh-ki-Haveli
• →Thar Heritage Museum
• →Gadisar Lake sunset
• →Optional local guide (£12)

Morning bus or train to Jodhpur (5 hours, £5-7). Head straight to Mehrangarh Fort (£7 with audio guide — one of India's best), Jaswant Thada (£1.50) and the blue-washed old town, then walk the Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park trails (£2.50). Skip the overpriced Umaid Bhawan interior and view it from the road. In the afternoon take a local bus 20 km south to Luni village for a heritage-style budget guesthouse or simple resort (£20-25) with home-cooked Rajasthani dinner — the independent version of the group's Luni camp night.

🚌Bus Jaisalmer-Jodhpur (£5-7), local bus to Luni (£1)

🛏Village heritage guesthouse, Luni (approx. £22/night)

• →Mehrangarh Fort with audio guide
• →Jaswant Thada
• →Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park
• →Umaid Bhawan Palace exterior
• →Mandore Gardens (if time)

Bus back to Jodhpur, then onward via Ajmer/Rajsamand road to Deogarh (money-saving route: shared jeeps and state buses, approx. £5-6 total, 5-6 hours). Stay in a budget heritage haveli or guesthouse in Deogarh (£18-22). Visit Deogarh Mahal (£2) and arrange a village jeep safari directly with your guesthouse (£12-15 pp) to see rural craft villages. In the evening your host can usually arrange folk musicians and dancers for a small group — often £5-10 pp between a few travellers.

🚌Local buses and shared jeeps (£5-6)

🛏Heritage haveli guesthouse, Deogarh (approx. £20/night)

• →Deogarh Mahal
• →Village jeep safari
• →Rajasthani folk music and dance evening

Shared jeep or bus from Deogarh toward Rajsamand, then on to Kumbhalgarh (approx. 3 hours, £4). Check into a simple resort or homestay just outside the fort (£18-22) and spend the afternoon at Kumbhalgarh Fort (£4) — the second-longest continuous wall in the world after China's, with superb Aravalli views. Stay for sunset over the ramparts, then return for a thali dinner at your guesthouse.

🚌Shared jeep and bus (£4)

🛏Homestay/simple resort near the fort (approx. £20/night)

• →Kumbhalgarh Fort and ramparts walk
• →Sunset over the Aravalli hills

Morning shared jeep or bus 20 km to the Ranakpur Jain Temples (open from noon to non-Jains; £3, plus £1.50 camera fee) — their 1,444 carved marble pillars are a highlight of the trip. Continue by bus or shared taxi over the Aravallis to Udaipur (2.5-3 hours, £3-4). Check into a guesthouse on the lake in Lal Ghat (£15-18). Optional side trip to Eklingji and Nagda temples by local bus (£2) if you're moving quickly. Evening rooftop dinner looking over Lake Pichola.

🚌Shared jeep/bus (£5-6 total)

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Lal Ghat, Udaipur (approx. £17/night)

• →Ranakpur Jain Temples
• →Transfer to Udaipur
• →Optional Eklingji & Nagda temples
• →Lal Ghat lakeside evening

Full day in the City of Lakes. City Palace and museum (£6), the crystal-lined Jagdish Temple (free) and Bagore-ki-Haveli's museum by day (or return at 19:00 for the Dharohar folk dance show, £2). Take the Ropeway up to Karni Mata (£2) for city views, then a shared boat ride on Lake Pichola (£5-7 sunset cruise) past Jag Mandir. Wander Saheliyon-ki-Bari (£1) and the Shilpgram craft village (£1), and catch sunset from Ambrai Ghat. The Vintage Car Museum (£3) is optional.

🚌Walking; short autos (£2-3)

🛏Same lake guesthouse, Udaipur

• →City Palace
• →Jagdish Temple
• →Bagore-ki-Haveli & Dharohar dance show
• →Karni Mata ropeway
• →Lake Pichola boat ride
• →Saheliyon-ki-Bari
• →Ambrai Ghat sunset

Choose your return: a direct flight Udaipur-Delhi is often only £35-50 booked a few weeks out and saves a full day; alternatively the Mewar Express overnight or Chetak Express day train (approx. £10-14 in 3AC) takes about 12 hours. Land back in Delhi and check into a Paharganj guesthouse. Spend the evening at Hauz Khas Village or Lodi Garden if you have energy — a pleasant close to the loop.

🚌Flight (£35-50) or overnight train 3AC (£10-14)

🛏Budget guesthouse, Paharganj, New Delhi (approx. £16/night)

• →Flight or train to New Delhi
• →Evening in Hauz Khas/Lodi Garden

Last breakfast, pick up any souvenirs in Dilli Haat or Khan Market, and take the Airport Express Metro or prepaid taxi to DEL for your flight home. If your flight is late, a half-day GetYourGuide tour of the Nizamuddin area or a cooking class (£20-25) makes a good final activity.

🚌Airport Express Metro (£1.50) or prepaid taxi (£4-6)

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Airport transfer
• →Optional Nizamuddin walk or cooking class