Rajasthan: Laneways & Local Villages — Self-Launched

Land at IGI Airport and take the official Delhi Traffic Police prepaid taxi counter (₹250–350 / ~£3) rather than a metered cab or unsolicited 'helper'. Base yourself in Paharganj or Karol Bagh — dorms £6–10, private rooms £15–20. If you'd rather pre-book a woman-driven transfer, Women With Wheels (a Planeterra-supported project) and Sakha Consulting Wings both offer airport pickups, bookable directly online for around £10. In the evening wander Karol Bagh's street food lanes: chole bhature, kebabs, jalebi. Metro is cheap and easy (₹20–60).

🚌Airport prepaid taxi ~£3; metro/day autos ~£2

🛏Hostel/guesthouse dorm, Paharganj or Karol Bagh (£8)

• →Prepaid taxi from IGI Airport
• →Karol Bagh street food walk
• →Delhi Metro orientation

Book a Delhi–Jhunjhunu or Delhi–Nawalgarh bus on RedBus or a Rajasthan State Road Transport service from Kashmere Gate ISBT (₹500–700, ~6–7 hrs), then a shared auto or taxi the last 30–40 min to Mandawa (£3–5). If you prefer rail, take a train to Jhunjhunu and pick up a local bus. Mandawa is a small Shekhawati town of frescoed havelis — walk the old town yourself in the late afternoon, or join a 2–3 hour local guide from the heritage hotel for ₹400–600. Guesthouses here are cheap and atmospheric (£8–14).

🚌Bus from Delhi ISBT ~£7; shared auto ~£4

🛏Heritage guesthouse, Mandawa (£10)

• →Shekhawati haveli fresco walking tour
• →Old town wander

This is the long travel day the private coach normally handles. Best value route: bus from Mandawa/Nawalgarh to Jaipur (₹300–400, ~3 hrs) then an overnight or afternoon train Jaipur–Jodhpur (sleeper ₹250–450 / ~£3–5, ~5–6 hrs; book on IRCTC as soon as your 60-day window opens). Alternatively a direct Rajasthan SRTC bus takes 8–9 hrs. Arrive, check into a guesthouse in the old walled city near the clock tower (£7–12) and do the orientation yourself: Sardar Market, the blue-painted lanes, and the view up to Mehrangarh.

🚌Bus + sleeper train ~£9

🛏Guesthouse near Sardar Market, Jodhpur (£9)

• →Old city orientation walk
• →Sadar Bazaar

Walk up to Mehrangarh Fort early (entrance ₹600, audio guide ₹200) before the heat, then a rooftop breakfast overlooking the blue rooftops. In the afternoon book a short open-jeep excursion to Bishnoi villages through your guesthouse or an operator like Klook's local partners (₹1,200–1,800 shared, ~£14–20) to meet carpet weavers and potters. Cheaper alternative: take a local bus toward Mandore and walk. Evening: mirchi vada and makhaniya lassi at the clock tower.

🚌Autos ~£3

🛏Guesthouse, Jodhpur (£9)

• →Mehrangarh Fort entry (£6)
• →Bishnoi village jeep safari (~£16 shared)
• →Clock tower food crawl

Take a morning bus Jodhpur–Udaipur (₹400–600, ~5–6 hrs). To add Ranakpur, get off at Sadri/Ranakpur junction and take a shared jeep to the Jain temples (entry ₹300, ~£3) — the marble hall of 1,444 carved pillars is the highlight of the drive. Continue on a local bus to Udaipur. In Udaipur stay near Lal Ghat on the lake (£9–14). Evening orientation walk of the old city and, if you fancy it, the Bagore-ki-Haveli folk show on Gangaur Ghat (₹250, ~£2.50, tickets at the door).

🚌Bus + shared jeep ~£8

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Udaipur (£11)

• →Ranakpur Jain temples
• →Udaipur old city walk
• →Bagore-ki-Haveli cultural show

Free day done at your own pace. City Palace and museum (₹450, ~£4.50) takes 2–3 hrs; Jagdish Temple is free to enter. Take a shared boat on Pichola at sunset (₹500–700) or, for the view without the queue, hike or auto up to Sajjangarh (Monsoon Palace, ₹505 including the park shuttle) for the lake panorama. Eat at a thali place near Jagdish Chowk for £3–4.

🚌Autos ~£3

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Udaipur (£11)

• →City Palace and Museum
• →Jagdish Temple
• →Sunset boat on Lake Pichola
• →Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace

Rent a cycle (₹200–300/day) and ride the lake road early to Fateh Sagar and past the ghats before traffic builds. Mid-morning, book a half-day Rajasthani cooking class — Udaipur has several run through GetYourGuide and direct guesthouse arrangements (₹1,200–1,800, ~£14–20), often including a market visit and the lunch you cook. Afternoon free for the Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandir puppet museum (₹100) or simply a rooftop and a book.

🚌Cycle hire ~£3

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Udaipur (£11)

• →Sunrise lake cycle ride
• →Rajasthani cooking class (~£16)
• →Lok Kala Mandir folk museum

Morning train or bus Udaipur–Chittorgarh (train ~1.5 hrs, ₹100–200), then a shared auto or taxi up to Chittorgarh Fort (entry ₹300 plus vehicle charge) for 2–3 hrs among the largest forts in India. Continue Chittorgarh–Ajmer by train (₹150–300), then a local bus or shared jeep over the Snake Mountain road to Pushkar (₹40–70). Pushkar is vegetarian and alcohol-free. Guesthouses off the main bazaar are £7–12; the Brahma Temple and the ghats are a 10-minute walk.

🚌Train + local bus ~£8

🛏Guesthouse, Pushkar (£9)

• →Chittorgarh Fort
• →Brahma Temple visit
• →Pushkar ghat orientation walk

Start before dawn for the 20–30 minute stair climb to Savitri Temple for sunrise over the Thar — free to enter, and the ropeway (₹110) is an option if you'd rather not climb. Spend the afternoon drifting between the 52 ghats, the hundreds of small temples, and the bazaar; watch out for the many 'blessing' scams at the lake (politely decline flowers). In the evening, a desert dinner with folk music and dance can be booked locally or via GetYourGuide for ₹1,200–1,600 (~£14–18), including a camel or jeep ride out of town.

🚌Walking; autos ~£2

🛏Guesthouse, Pushkar (£9)

• →Savitri Temple sunrise hike
• →Ghat and temple circuit
• →Desert dinner with folk performance (~£16)

Take a bus or shared taxi Pushkar–Ajmer (₹40) then a local bus toward Tordi/Sanganer and a shared jeep the last stretch (total ~£5–7, 3–4 hrs). Tordi Garh's restored heritage haveli is the classic stay here — book directly online, roughly £18–28 a night for a character room, notably more than a standard guesthouse but the point of this stop. Walk the village in the late afternoon: markets, a chai stall or two, and near-guaranteed cricket. Book a camel cart ride or jeep to the dunes for sunset through the haveli (₹600 each, ~£6).

🚌Bus + shared jeep ~£6

🛏Restored heritage haveli, Tordi Garh (£22)

• →Village walk
• →Camel cart or jeep sunset ride (~£6)

Optional early hike up to the old hill fort above Tordi (₹250 entry, free if you just walk the ramparts). Then a shared jeep back to the main road and a bus or train into Jaipur (₹200–400, ~3 hrs). Base yourself in the old Pink City around Bani Park or near Hawa Mahal — dorms £6–9, private rooms £12–18. Afternoon orientation on foot: Hawa Mahal from the street, Johari and Bapu bazaars, and a rooftop for sunset. Raj Mandir cinema tickets for a Bollywood show run ₹200–400.

🚌Shared jeep + bus/train ~£5

🛏Hostel/guesthouse, Jaipur old city (£10)

• →Tordi old fort hike
• →Pink City orientation walk
• →Raj Mandir cinema show (~£3)

Do the optional dawn cycle tour if you're keen (operators like Le Tour De India from ~£30, or hire your own bike for £3), starting with a lassi. Then take a local bus or shared auto to Amber Fort (₹300 entry, ~£3) — an audio guide (₹200) replaces the group guide well, and the Sheesh Mahal and the Hindu-Mughal courtyards are the highlights. Afternoon: Jantar Mantar (₹202) and Hawa Mahal (₹202), or a spice cooking class (£15–18). Big night out on a rooftop bar in Bani Park or Amer Road to finish.

🚌Local bus/auto ~£3

🛏Hostel/guesthouse, Jaipur (£10)

• →Amber Fort entry (£3)
• →Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal
• →Rooftop drinks

Head out on the Delhi road and stop at Abhaneri to see Chand Baori, the 13-storey stepwell, and Harshat Mata Temple — buses to Sikandra/Dausa then a shared jeep (₹150–300 total), or arrange a shared taxi through your guesthouse for ~£12–15. Then continue to Agra: fastest is a train from Jaipur (₹150–400, ~4 hrs) or the Gatimaan/express from nearby stations. Stay in Taj Ganj (£8–14) so you can walk to the east gate in the morning. Have a rooftop dinner with the Taj behind you.

🚌Shared taxi + train ~£12

🛏Guesthouse, Taj Ganj, Agra (£10)

• →Chand Baori stepwell
• →Harshat Mata Temple

Buy the Taj Mahal ticket online in advance (₹1,100, ~£11, plus ₹200 mausoleum) and be at the east gate before sunrise — it's by far the quietest and best light. Two to three hours is enough; an official ASI-approved guide can be picked up at the gate or booked via GetYourGuide for £10–15 if you want the love story and the marble detail explained. After a slow breakfast, head to Agra Fort (₹650, ~£6.50) and, if time allows, Mehtab Bagh for the sunset view across the Yamuna.

🚌Walking + autos ~£2

🛏Guesthouse, Taj Ganj, Agra (£10)

• →Taj Mahal at sunrise (£11)
• →Agra Fort (£6.50)
• →Mehtab Bagh sunset view

Take a morning train Agra Cantt–Hazrat Nizamuddin or New Delhi (₹100–350, ~2–3 hrs) — the Gatimaan Express is fastest if you can book ahead — or an AC bus (~£5, 4 hrs). If your flight is later, drop your bag at a Delhi hostel or the airport cloakroom and spend a last few hours in Humayun's Tomb (₹600) or Lodhi Garden before heading to IGI. Allow three hours before an international departure for Delhi traffic and airport security.

🚌Train to Delhi ~£4; airport metro ~£2

🛏None (departure day)

• →Train to Delhi
• →Optional Humayun's Tomb or Lodhi Garden