Best of Rajasthan & Holi Festival - 11 Days (Self-Launched)
11 days · Rajasthan & the Golden Triangle, India
Turban Adventures charges £1,930
No-markup version: ~£735 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An independent solo-traveller version of Turban Adventures' 11-day Delhi–Agra–Jaipur–Jodhpur–Udaipur–Pushkar loop timed around Holi. You cover the same headline sights (Taj Mahal at sunrise, Amber Fort, Mehrangarh, Lake Pichola) and the same festival experience, but you get there on Indian Railways trains and local buses, sleep in guesthouses and hostels, and book guides and experiences à la carte on GetYourGuide/Klook or directly with local guides. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget rates for one person, excluding international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Delhi – airport to Paharganj
New Delhi
Land at Terminal 3 (IGI Airport) and take the Airport Express metro to New Delhi railway station (~₹60/£0.60) and walk 10 minutes into Paharganj, or grab a prepaid taxi (~₹500/£5). Settle into a guesthouse off Main Bazaar, buy a local SIM (Airtel/Jio, ~₹500 for a month with data) and sort your onward train tickets at the IRCTC counter or on the RailYatri/IRCTC app if you haven't pre-booked. Evening: easy street food crawl — chole bhature and chai in Paharganj.
🚌Airport Express metro or prepaid taxi from IGI T3
🛏Guesthouse in Paharganj, Delhi (private room, £14–20)
- →Airport Express metro into centre
- →SIM card setup
- →Paharganj street-food orientation walk
Old & New Delhi self-launched sightseeing
New Delhi
Do the classic Delhi double act on your own. Morning: Metro to Chandni Chowk, then a cycle-rickshaw loop of the lanes (~₹200) — Jama Masjid (free/₹300 camera), Red Fort (₹35 foreigner ticket), Raj Ghat (free). Afternoon: Metro Yellow Line to Qutub Minar (₹35), then Humayun's Tomb (₹35), finishing with India Gate and a drive-past of Rashtrapati Bhavan/Parliament on the Kartavya Path walk. A licensed half-day guide via GetYourGuide or Klook costs ~£25–35 if you want stories — otherwise audio guides are fine.
🚌Delhi Metro day pass (~₹200) + cycle-rickshaw
🛏Guesthouse in Paharganj, Delhi
- →Jama Masjid & Red Fort
- →Chandni Chowk rickshaw ride
- →Qutub Minar
- →Humayun's Tomb
- →India Gate & Kartavya Path
Delhi → Agra by train, plus Akbar's Tomb
Agra
Book the Gatimaan Express (08:10, ~1h40, ₹755 AC chair / ~£7.50) or a Shatabdi from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Agra Cantt. Drop bags at a Taj Ganj guesthouse, then take a tuk-tuk (~₹300 round trip) to Akbar's Tomb in Sikandra (₹35) and do a self-guided wander of Agra's old town and Kinari Bazaar. Pre-book your Taj Mahal ticket online at asi.payumoney.com (₹1,100) for tomorrow's sunrise slot. Evening rooftop view of the Taj from Taj Ganj.
🚌Train Delhi–Agra (~£7.50) + local tuk-tuk
🛏Guesthouse in Taj Ganj, Agra (private room, £12–18)
- →Gatimaan Express to Agra
- →Akbar's Tomb, Sikandra
- →Agra old-town bazaar walk
- →Book Taj Mahal sunrise e-ticket
Taj Mahal sunrise, Agra Fort, then on to Jaipur via Abhaneri
Agra → Jaipur
Get to the East Gate queue for 05:30 opening — sunrise from the main platform is the money shot. Back for breakfast, then Agra Fort (₹50) and Itmad-ud-Daulah 'Baby Taj' (₹30). In the afternoon take a train or shared taxi to Jaipur; the cheapest railway option is the 16:00-ish Agra Fort–Jaipur Junction train (~₹200–400 sleeper/chair, ~4h30). If you want the Abhaneri Chand Baori stepwell en-route, book a shared taxi/ac car via a local agency (~£40 for the car, splittable) or a Klook day-transfer. Evening: Holika Dahan bonfires light up on street corners across Jaipur — join a neighbourhood crowd respectfully.
🚌Train Agra–Jaipur (~£5) or shared taxi
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Jaipur old city (dorm £7–10; private £15–20)
- →Taj Mahal at sunrise
- →Agra Fort
- →Itmad-ud-Daulah (Baby Taj)
- →Abhaneri Chand Baori stepwell (optional detour)
- →Holika Dahan street bonfires
Holi in Jaipur
Jaipur
The big one. Either join the official Rajasthan Tourism Holi celebration (free, usually at a city venue with cultural dances — check the tourism department's socials in the week before) or book a small-group Holi experience on GetYourGuide/Klook (~£20–35) which typically includes colours, a white outfit and safety guidance. Wear clothes you can bin, cover your skin and hair with coconut oil, keep your phone in a sealed bag. Afternoon: wash off, then a home-cooking class or home-dinner experience in a Jaipur family home (~£15–25, bookable on Airbnb Experiences/EatWith).
🚌Auto-rickshaw around town (~£3 for the day)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Jaipur old city
- →Holi celebration with colours & cultural dances
- →Home-cooking class / dinner with a local family
Amber Fort & Jaipur's pink city highlights
Jaipur
Take local bus #5 or a tuk-tuk (~₹200) to Amber Fort for opening at 08:00 (₹100 combined ticket or ₹200 with the composite pass) — the composite ticket (₹1,000/2 days) covers Amber, City Palace area sights, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal and more and is worth it. Walk down to Panna Meena ka Kund stepwell (free) with a photo stop at Jal Mahal. Afternoon: City Palace (with composite ticket), Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal facade, then a self-guided heritage walk through the bazaars — Johari, Bapu and Kishanpole — and the flower/vegetable market near Chandi ki Taksal.
🚌Local bus + auto-rickshaw
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Jaipur old city
- →Amber Fort
- →Panna Meena ka Kund
- →Jal Mahal photo stop
- →City Palace & Jantar Mantar
- →Hawa Mahal
- →Bazaar heritage walk & flower market
Jaipur → Jodhpur (Blue City)
Jodhpur
Morning train Jaipur–Jodhpur (~5h, sleeper/AC chair ₹350–750) — book on IRCTC in advance. Check into a rooftop guesthouse in the old blue lanes below Mehrangarh. Late afternoon: wander the indigo houses of Navchokiya and get sunset from the rooftop or from the free viewpoint by Toorji ka Jhalra stepwell. Dinner: makhaniya lassi at Shri Mishrilal and mirchi vada at a street stall.
🚌Train Jaipur–Jodhpur (~£7) + auto-rickshaw
🛏Rooftop guesthouse in Jodhpur old city (private £15–22)
- →Train through rural Rajasthan
- →Blue City lanes walk
- →Toorji ka Jhalra stepwell
- →Sunset rooftop
Mehrangarh Fort & on to Udaipur
Jodhpur → Udaipur
Early entry to Mehrangarh Fort (₹600 with audio guide) — the audio guide is excellent and replaces a private guide. Walk to Jaswant Thada (₹30) and photograph Umaid Bhawan Palace from outside (interior museum ₹100 optional). If you want the Bishnoi-village experience, a half-day tuk-tuk tour to Guda Bishnoi Village costs ~₹1,200–1,500 (~£13–15) booked directly with a local driver. Afternoon/evening bus to Udaipur (Rajasthan State Road Transport or private Volvo sleeper, ~6h, ₹600–900).
🚌Auto-rickshaw + overnight/evening sleeper bus to Udaipur (~£8)
🛏Guesthouse near Lal Ghat, Udaipur (private £12–18)
- →Mehrangarh Fort with audio guide
- →Jaswant Thada
- →Umaid Bhawan Palace exterior
- →Optional Guda Bishnoi village tuk-tuk tour
Udaipur: City Palace, ghats & Lake Pichola
Udaipur
Self-guided City Palace (₹400 incl. museum + Crystal Gallery combo cheaper online), Jagdish Temple next door, then a walk down to Gangaur Ghat and Ambrai Ghat for the classic lake view. A shared boat ride on Lake Pichola from Rameshwar Ghat (~₹400–700 for the short/public boat, or ~₹1,000 for the sunset Island Palace trip) is cheaper than a private charter. Afternoon: Saheliyon ki Bari (₹50) and Fateh Sagar Lake. Dinner lakeside at Ambrai or a cheaper rooftop in Lal Ghat (~£8–12).
🚌Walking + local auto-rickshaw
🛏Guesthouse near Lal Ghat, Udaipur
- →City Palace Udaipur
- →Jagdish Temple
- →Gangaur Ghat heritage walk
- →Lake Pichola boat ride
- →Saheliyon ki Bari & Fateh Sagar Lake
Udaipur → Pushkar via Nathdwara
Pushkar
Take an early bus or shared taxi to Nathdwara (~1h, ₹100–200) to see the Shrinathji Temple (free; leave phones/cameras outside). Continue by bus to Ajmer (~2h) then a local bus or shared jeep up to Pushkar (~30 min, ₹30–50), or book a direct Udaipur–Pushkar shared taxi (~₹700–900). Afternoon: Brahma Temple, Pushkar Lake ghats and a bazaar wander. Sunset hike up to Savitri Temple (free, 20–30 min of steps) for the best view over the lake and dunes.
🚌Local buses/shared jeep via Nathdwara & Ajmer (~£8)
🛏Guesthouse in Pushkar (private £10–15)
- →Nathdwara Shrinathji Temple
- →Brahma Temple
- →Pushkar Lake ghats
- →Savitri Temple sunset hike
Pushkar → Delhi (or fly out of Jaipur)
Pushkar → New Delhi
Early bus to Ajmer (~30 min) and train Ajmer–Delhi Sarai Rohilla/Delhi Junction (~6h, sleeper/AC chair ₹400–900) to catch an evening international flight from IGI T3, or bus to Jaipur (~3h) and fly Jaipur–Delhi (~£25–40 one way, book IndiGo/SpiceJet in advance). Build in at least 4 hours' buffer before an international departure. Airport transfer to T3 by Airport Express metro from New Delhi station.
🚌Bus to Ajmer + train to Delhi (~£10) or Jaipur flight (~£30)
🛏None (departure day) or one night in Delhi if flight is next morning (£14–20)
- →Train Ajmer–Delhi
- →Airport transfer to IGI T3
Self-launched vs. Turban Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Turban Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£735 | £1,930 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,195 per person (62%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Turban Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£735
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Best of Rajasthan & Holi Festival - 11 Days (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £735 per person for 11 days in Rajasthan & the Golden Triangle, India. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Turban Adventures?+
Yes — Turban Adventures charges around £1,930 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £735 — a saving of roughly £1,195 (62%) per person.
How long is the Rajasthan & the Golden Triangle, India trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 day-by-day stops through Rajasthan & the Golden Triangle, India.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, festivals, foodie trip through Rajasthan & the Golden Triangle, India, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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