Self-Launched Cycling Through Rajasthan

Arrive in Delhi and check into your guesthouse in the Paharganj or Karol Bagh area — both are well-connected budget hubs close to New Delhi Railway Station. Spend the afternoon sourcing or confirming your bike hire (try operators near Connaught Place or ask your guesthouse). Head out for a street-food dinner in the evening — Delhi's chaat stalls are legendary.

🚌Arrive by international flight into Indira Gandhi International Airport; take the Delhi Metro (Airport Express Line) to New Delhi station (~£2)

🛏Smyle Inn, Zostel Delhi, or similar hostel/guesthouse in Paharganj (~£10–15/night)

• →Arrange bike hire locally — budget around £5–8/day for a serviceable mountain bike from a local shop or via platforms like Wheelocity
• →Evening street food walk in Paharganj or Connaught Place

Rise early and cycle ~25 km through New Delhi, taking in India Gate and the grand colonial boulevards around Rajpath. After breakfast, explore Old Delhi on foot — wander the spice markets of Chandni Chowk, view Jama Masjid from outside, and visit the peaceful Raj Ghat memorial. Pack your day bag for the overnight train; your bike can be registered as luggage or left at the guesthouse if you plan to hire locally at each stop. Board the Mandore Express or Rajasthan Sampark Kranti Express from H. Nizamuddin or Old Delhi station to Jodhpur (~£10–15 in sleeper class, ~12 hrs).

🚌Overnight train: Delhi to Jodhpur — Mandore Express (~£10–15, sleeper class, ~12 hrs). Book at least 2–3 weeks ahead on IRCTC.co.in

🛏Overnight sleeper train to Jodhpur (book via IRCTC or Cleartrip ~£10–15 for sleeper class)

• →Morning cycle ride through New Delhi — India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan boulevard (~25 km)
• →Explore Chandni Chowk market on foot
• →View Jama Masjid exterior
• →Visit Raj Ghat memorial (free entry)

Arrive at Jodhpur Junction in the morning. Check in and rest up before an afternoon cycle tour (~23 km) through the Blue City's narrow lanes. Mehrangarh Fort is one of India's most spectacular, perched on a 125 m rock outcrop. Entry includes a superb audio guide. Wander the old city below for sweeping views of the iconic blue-painted Brahmin houses.

🚌Auto-rickshaw or shared jeep from Jodhpur Junction to guesthouse (~£1–2)

🛏Cosy Nest Homestay, Haveli Inn Pal, or similar budget guesthouse in the old city (~£10–14/night)

• →Afternoon cycle through Jodhpur old city (~23 km)
• →Visit Mehrangarh Fort — entry ~£5, excellent audio guide included
• →Wander the blue lanes of the old city below the fort
• →Sunset views from Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park (free or small entry fee)

An early start for a long but rewarding day. Cycle ~40 km from your guesthouse before boarding a local RSRTC bus to Ranakpur (~3.5 hrs, ~£3). Visit the extraordinary 15th-century Ranakpur Jain Temple — 1,444 intricately carved marble pillars, free entry before noon for non-Hindus (small donation welcome). Take another bus or shared taxi (~30 min) to a rural starting point, then cycle ~34 km through the Aravalli Hills before a final bus transfer into Udaipur (~1.5 hrs, ~£2).

🚌RSRTC bus Jodhpur–Ranakpur (~£3); shared taxi/bus onward to cycling start point (~£1); RSRTC bus to Udaipur (~£2)

🛏Zostel Udaipur, Lal Ghat Guesthouse, or similar (~£10–15/night)

• →Morning cycle ~40 km on rural backroads
• →Visit Ranakpur Jain Temple — one of India's finest Jain monuments (free/donation)
• →Cycle ~34 km through Aravalli Hills
• →Arrive Udaipur — evening stroll along Lake Pichola

Udaipur deserves a full day. Cycle ~25 km on flat rural backroads past farmland, small villages, Fateh Sagar Lake and Badi Lake. Finish at the City Palace — the largest palace complex in Rajasthan — and explore its museums and rooftop terraces with views over Lake Pichola. In the evening, take a sunset boat ride on the lake for views of the floating Jag Mandir palace.

🚌Bike hire for the day (~£3–5 local rental)

🛏Zostel Udaipur, Lal Ghat Guesthouse, or similar (~£10–15/night)

• →Morning cycle ~25 km past Fateh Sagar and Badi Lake
• →City Palace museum entry (~£5)
• →Sunset boat ride on Lake Pichola (~£3–5, book at the ghat)
• →Evening wander around the old city and Lal Ghat

Take a morning bus or shared taxi ~1.5 hrs to Iswal, then mount up for a ~65 km ride on quiet backroads through rural Rajasthan to Kumbhalgarh. The final 5 km to the fort itself is a steep uphill climb — deeply satisfying at the top. Kumbhalgarh's walls stretch 36 km (the second-longest continuous wall in the world after the Great Wall of China) and the views from the ramparts are panoramic. Allow yourself plenty of time to explore.

🚌RSRTC bus or shared taxi Udaipur–Iswal (~£2–3); bike the rest

🛏Kumbhalgarh Fort Camping, Hotel Ratandeep, or similar budget guesthouse (~£10–14/night)

• →Cycle ~65 km on rural backroads through Aravalli foothills
• →Visit Kumbhalgarh Fort — entry ~£5
• →Walk sections of the fort's famous 36 km wall
• →Explore the Vedi Temple and palace within the fort complex

Cycle ~35 km on rural backroads before joining the main highway and boarding a local bus for the remaining ~5 hours to Pushkar (~£4). Pushkar is unlike anywhere else in Rajasthan — a small holy town wrapped around a sacred lake, dotted with 52 ghats, 400 temples and one of the world's few Brahma temples. Arrive in time to catch the golden-hour light on the lake. If you're here in November, you may coincide with the famous Pushkar Camel Fair.

🚌Local RSRTC bus from near Kumbhalgarh/Ajmer direction to Pushkar (~£3–4, ~5 hrs total with cycling portion)

🛏Hotel Paramount Palace, Zostel Pushkar, or similar rooftop guesthouse with lake views (~£8–13/night)

• →Morning cycle ~35 km on desert backroads
• →Arrive Pushkar — visit Brahma Temple (one of very few in the world, free)
• →Walk the lakeside ghats at sunset
• →Browse the colourful bazaars of the old town

Leave Pushkar early by bike, winding through desert backroads and small villages to the marble-working town of Rupnagar (~60 km cycling). Transfer by bus or shared taxi to Jaipur (~1.5–2 hrs, ~£3). Check into your guesthouse in the Pink City and wander the old city bazaars in the evening — Johari Bazaar for gems, Bapu Bazaar for textiles.

🚌RSRTC bus or shared taxi from Naraina/Rupnagar to Jaipur (~£2–3)

🛏Moustache Jaipur, Zostel Jaipur, or similar hostel/guesthouse in the old city (~£10–15/night)

• →Cycle ~60 km through desert villages and Rupnagar marble town
• →Evening wander through Jaipur's old city bazaars
• →Optional: rooftop dinner with views of illuminated Hawa Mahal

Optional early morning cycle (~12 km) through the pink city's narrow lanes past havelis and temples to the Albert Hall, stopping at street food stalls for a local breakfast. After freshening up, spend the day sightseeing: Amber Fort is a must (arrive early to beat crowds), followed by the City Palace museum and a photo stop at the iconic Hawa Mahal. Book a GetYourGuide walking or cycling tour of the old city if you'd like local context.

🚌Bike hire or auto-rickshaw for the day (~£3–5)

🛏Moustache Jaipur, Zostel Jaipur, or similar (~£10–15/night)

• →Optional early morning heritage cycle ~12 km through old city lanes
• →Amber Fort — entry ~£8, jeep up the hill ~£2; book via GetYourGuide or direct
• →City Palace museum — entry ~£6
• →Hawa Mahal photo stop (exterior free, interior ~£1)
• →Browse handicraft markets — rugs, gems, printed cloth

Take a shared taxi or bus ~45 mins to Jamwa Ramgarh, then cycle ~60 km through the beautiful Aravalli foothills via Pratap Garh to Sariska. The landscape opens up dramatically as you approach the wildlife reserve. Check into your lodge in time for a late afternoon rest before tomorrow's early game drive.

🚌RSRTC bus or shared taxi Jaipur–Jamwa Ramgarh (~£2); cycle the rest

🛏Tiger Den Resort, Forest Rest House (book via Rajasthan tourism), or similar budget lodge near Sariska (~£12–18/night)

• →Cycle ~60 km through Aravalli foothills and rural villages
• →Arrive Sariska — check in and explore the lodge surroundings
• →Evening briefing on wildlife spotting tips for tomorrow's drive

Pre-dawn start for an open-jeep game drive through Sariska Tiger Reserve. Home to tigers, leopards, deer, wild boar, antelopes, jackals, hyenas and rich birdlife. Book your jeep safari directly at the Sariska Forest Department entry gate or online via the Rajasthan Forest Department website (~£10–15/person including guide and jeep share). Return for a late breakfast, then optional 14 km afternoon cycle to rural villages through the park buffer zone.

🚌Shared jeep safari booked at Sariska gate (~£10–15 including guide)

🛏Tiger Den Resort or similar budget lodge near Sariska (~£12–18/night)

• →Early morning jeep game drive in Sariska Tiger Reserve — book direct at gate or via Rajasthan Forest Dept (~£10–15/person)
• →Optional afternoon cycle ~14 km to rural villages
• →Birdwatching around the lodge grounds

An early start for ~63 km of cycling and bus transfers heading east to Bharatpur. The Keoladeo Ghana National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is one of Asia's finest bird sanctuaries — over 370 species recorded, including the rare Siberian crane in winter. Explore by bike directly inside the park (cycling is permitted on the main paths and is the ideal way to spot birds quietly). Book a local cycle-rickshaw guide at the gate for expert bird identification.

🚌Mix of cycling and RSRTC bus transfers to Bharatpur (~£3–5 total)

🛏Hotel Sunbird, Spoonbill Hotel, or similar guesthouse near the park (~£10–14/night)

• →Cycle ~63 km and bus transfers to Bharatpur
• →Keoladeo Ghana National Park entry (~£5) — cycling permitted inside
• →Hire a cycle-rickshaw guide at the gate for bird identification (~£4–6)
• →Evening at leisure in Bharatpur town

Cycle ~35 km from Bharatpur to the magnificent ghost city of Fatehpur Sikri — Akbar's 16th-century Mughal capital, abandoned after just 14 years due to water shortages. Entry ~£6. Transfer by shared taxi or local bus (~1 hr, ~£2) to Agra in time for the Taj Mahal's golden-hour sunset. Book your Taj Mahal entry tickets in advance online (foreigners ~£12) — sunset is the most atmospheric time to visit.

🚌Shared taxi or bus Fatehpur Sikri–Agra (~£2, ~1 hr)

🛏Hotel Kamal, Zostel Agra, or similar guesthouse with Taj views (~£10–15/night)

• →Cycle ~35 km to Fatehpur Sikri — Mughal ghost city, entry ~£6
• →Taj Mahal at sunset — book tickets online in advance (~£12 foreign visitor entry)
• →Wander Agra's old city in the evening

Morning visit to the magnificent Agra Fort — another UNESCO World Heritage Site with views across to the Taj Mahal (~£6 entry). Return your bike if hired locally in Agra. Take the Gatimaan Express or Shatabdi Express back to Delhi (the fastest train on the route, ~1.5–2 hrs, ~£5–8 in chair car class — book on IRCTC in advance). Check into your Delhi guesthouse for a final night.

🚌Gatimaan Express or Shatabdi Express Agra–Delhi (~£5–8, ~1.5–2 hrs). Book on IRCTC.co.in

🛏Smyle Inn, Zostel Delhi, or similar guesthouse in Paharganj (~£10–15/night)

• →Agra Fort — UNESCO World Heritage Site, entry ~£6
• →Optional: visit Mehtab Bagh for a final Taj Mahal view across the river (free or small entry)
• →Return train to Delhi

Your adventure ends in Delhi. Depending on your flight time, grab a final breakfast at a Paharganj café, pick up any last souvenirs at Connaught Place, or just soak up the city one last time. Take the Delhi Metro Airport Express Line to Indira Gandhi International Airport (~£2).

🚌Delhi Metro Airport Express from New Delhi station to IGI Airport (~£2, ~20 min)

• →Final breakfast at a local Delhi café
• →Last-minute shopping at Connaught Place or Paharganj market
• →Metro to airport (~£2)