Heritage Rajasthan: Delhi to the Taj by Train & Bus (Self-Launched)

Land at Delhi (DEL) and take the Airport Express metro (approx. £1.50, 20 min to New Delhi station) or a prepaid airport taxi (approx. £5–7) into Paharganj or the Karol Bagh area. Check into a budget guesthouse, then spend the afternoon on admin that makes the rest of the trip cheap and smooth: withdraw rupees from an ATM, buy an Indian SIM/eSIM (Airtel or Jio, approx. £5–8 for a month), and open IRCTC on your phone to book train tickets for the next legs (book 2–4 weeks ahead online; tourist quota also works at short notice). Evening: a gentle wander down Main Bazaar and an early dinner of chole bhature or a thali (approx. £3). Sort out tomorrow's Delhi Metro card or just use UPI/contactless.

🚌Airport Express metro approx. £1.50 or prepaid taxi approx. £6

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel private room, Paharganj/Karol Bagh (approx. £14)

• →Airport Express metro into the city
• →Buy local SIM/eSIM and set up UPI
• →Book onward train tickets on IRCTC
• →Evening walk in Paharganj Main Bazaar

Do the original's full-day city tour independently, in a logical loop and using the Metro. Start early at Qutub Minar (Metro Yellow Line to Qutub Minar station; entry approx. £5 for foreigners, e-ticket via the ASI portal). Continue to Humayun's Tomb (approx. £5), then Lotus Temple (free, closed Mondays), and drive/auto past Rashtrapati Bhavan and India Gate — the Kartavya Path stretch is walkable in the late afternoon. Finish in Old Delhi: Jama Masjid (free, approx. £2 camera fee), Raj Ghat (free), a look at the Red Fort exterior, and a cycle-rickshaw loop through Chandni Chowk's spice market (negotiate approx. £3–4 for 45 min, or book a GetYourGuide Old Delhi food-and-rickshaw walk from approx. £18 which includes tastings). Eat dinner at Karim's or a Paranthe Wali Gali stall (approx. £4).

🚌Delhi Metro day of rides approx. £2 plus autos approx. £4

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel private room, Paharganj/Karol Bagh (approx. £14)

• →Qutub Minar
• →Humayun's Tomb
• →Lotus Temple
• →India Gate & Kartavya Path
• →Jama Masjid
• →Raj Ghat
• →Cycle-rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk spice market

Take a morning train from Delhi to Jodhpur (Mandore Express or similar, approx. 10–11 hrs, AC Chair Car approx. £12–15, 3AC sleeper approx. £16–18) — alternatively fly IndiGo for approx. £35 if you'd rather save a day. On arrival, check into a guesthouse in the old blue-washed lanes below the fort (approx. £15). Late afternoon: walk up to Mehrangarh Fort (entry approx. £6, plus approx. £4 for the excellent audio guide — a great self-guided substitute for the original's local guide), then Jaswant Thada (approx. £2.50). Skip the pricey Umaid Bhawan Palace interior and instead view it from outside, and take an auto to Balsamand Lake for sunset (approx. £4 return). Dinner on a rooftop overlooking the lit-up fort (approx. £5).

🚌Delhi–Jodhpur train approx. £15 plus autos approx. £5

🛏Heritage guesthouse in Jodhpur old town (approx. £15)

• →Mehrangarh Fort with audio guide
• →Jaswant Thada
• →Umaid Bhawan Palace exterior
• →Balsamand Lake sunset
• →Blue city old-town wander

The original drives this route privately; independently, take a shared jeep or bus from Jodhpur to Ranakpur (approx. 2.5 hrs, approx. £3–4, or a private taxi for the day approx. £35 if you want to split with other travellers from your guesthouse). Spend 1.5–2 hrs at the Ranakpur Jain temples — 1,444 carved marble pillars, entry approx. £2 plus approx. £3 camera fee; dress modestly. Continue by local bus to Udaipur (approx. 2 hrs, approx. £2). Check into a guesthouse near Lake Pichola or Lal Ghat (approx. £16). Evening: sunset drinks on a rooftop and a wander to Ambrai Ghat to see the City Palace light up. If you have energy, add the optional Eklingji and Nagda temples by auto from Udaipur another morning (approx. £12 return).

🚌Shared jeep/bus Jodhpur–Ranakpur–Udaipur approx. £6

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Udaipur (approx. £16)

• →Ranakpur Jain temples
• →Local bus through the Aravalli hills
• →Ambrai Ghat sunset
• →Optional Eklingji & Nagda temples

A full self-launched day in Udaipur. Morning: City Palace complex (entry approx. £6, plus Crystal Gallery approx. £3), then Jagdish Temple (free) and Bagore Ki Haveli (approx. £2.50) — if you're here in the evening, its Dharohar folk dance show is approx. £2.50 and excellent value. Midday: Shilpgram craft village or Saheliyon ki Bari (approx. £2), then the Udaipur ropeway up to Karni Mata for city-and-lake views (approx. £2). Late afternoon: boat ride on Lake Pichola (public jetty ticket approx. £5–7, or book a GetYourGuide sunset boat from approx. £10). Skip the vintage car museum if tight on budget. Dinner at a Lal Ghat rooftop (approx. £6).

🚌Autos and walking approx. £5

🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Udaipur (approx. £16)

• →City Palace & Crystal Gallery
• →Jagdish Temple
• →Bagore Ki Haveli (evening Dharohar dance show)
• →Karni Mata ropeway
• →Lake Pichola boat ride
• →Saheliyon ki Bari or Shilpgram

Take an early bus or train from Udaipur to Chittorgarh (approx. 2 hrs, approx. £2–3). The fort is India's largest hill fort: hire an auto up the hill and around the sites (approx. £6–8 for 2–3 hrs) to see Rana Kumbha Palace, Kumbha Shyam Temple, the Victory Tower (Vijay Stambh), Meerabai Temple, Tower of Fame (Kirti Stambh), Padmini Palace and the museum; fort entry approx. £5 (or £1 with the ASI combined ticket if you've bought one). Lunch at a local thali place (approx. £3). Continue by bus/train to Ajmer (approx. 3.5 hrs) and a short auto to Pushkar (approx. £2). Check into a small guesthouse near the lake (approx. £14); Pushkar is alcohol-free and pleasantly low-key.

🚌Udaipur–Chittorgarh–Ajmer buses/trains approx. £8 plus autos approx. £9

🛏Guesthouse near Pushkar Lake (approx. £14)

• →Chittorgarh Fort auto circuit
• →Vijay Stambh & Kirti Stambh
• →Padmini Palace
• →Rana Kumbha Palace
• →Chittorgarh museum

Sunrise walk around Pushkar Lake's 52 ghats and its bathing rituals, then visit the rare Brahma Temple (free; remove shoes, no photos of the deity). If your dates line up with Kartik Purnima (November), the Pushkar Camel Fair ground is a fantastic free wander. Take an auto to Ajmer (approx. £2) and see the Ajmer Dargah Sharif (free — be wary of pushy 'guides' and shoe-watchers; cover your head) plus Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra (approx. £2). Then catch a bus or train to Jaipur (approx. 2.5 hrs, approx. £2–3). Check into a guesthouse in the old city near Hawa Mahal (approx. £15). Evening: sunset from Nahargarh Fort's Padao café if timing works (auto approx. £6 return, entry approx. £2).

🚌Autos and bus Ajmer–Jaipur approx. £7

🛏Old-city guesthouse, Jaipur (approx. £15)

• →Pushkar Lake ghats at sunrise
• →Brahma Temple
• →Pushkar fairground (seasonal)
• →Ajmer Dargah Sharif
• →Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra
• →Optional Nahargarh Fort sunset

Beat the crowds: take a local bus or auto to Amber Fort by 8am (entry approx. £6; the elephant ride the original includes is increasingly controversial and pricey — a shared jeep up the ramp costs approx. £1, and the walk is 15 minutes). Combine with Jaigarh Fort if you have time (approx. £2). Back in the city: City Palace (approx. £8), Jantar Mantar (approx. £3.50), and photo stops at Hawa Mahal and Jal Mahal. Add a GetYourGuide Jaipur walking-and-food tour in the old bazaars (approx. £15–20) or a block-printing workshop (approx. £10). Finish at Birla Temple at dusk (free). Dinner at Handi or a Rajasthani thali spot, laal maas if you eat meat (approx. £6).

🚌Local bus and autos approx. £6

🛏Old-city guesthouse, Jaipur (approx. £15)

• →Amber Fort at opening time
• →Jaigarh Fort (optional)
• →City Palace
• →Jantar Mantar
• →Hawa Mahal & Jal Mahal
• →Birla Temple
• →Optional Jaipur bazaar food walk

Take an early train or bus from Jaipur to Bharatpur/Fatehpur Sikri (approx. 3 hrs, approx. £3–4). Fatehpur Sikri's abandoned Mughal capital: entry approx. £6, plus the battery car from the car park approx. £1.50 — see the Buland Darwaza, Tomb of Salim Chisti, Diwan-e-Khas and Panch Mahal (an audio guide or a fixed-rate ASI-licensed guide at the gate, approx. £8, is worth it here). Continue by bus or shared taxi to Agra (approx. 1.5 hrs, approx. £2). Check into a guesthouse in Taj Ganj with a rooftop Taj view (approx. £16). Evening: Mehtab Bagh across the Yamuna for sunset views of the Taj (approx. £3) — much cheaper and less crowded than the monument at dusk.

🚌Train/bus Jaipur–Fatehpur Sikri–Agra approx. £6 plus battery car £1.50

🛏Taj Ganj guesthouse with rooftop Taj view, Agra (approx. £16)

• →Fatehpur Sikri
• →Buland Darwaza
• →Tomb of Salim Chisti
• →Panch Mahal
• →Mehtab Bagh sunset

Book your Taj Mahal e-ticket in advance on the ASI site (approx. £12 for foreigners; the mausoleum platform now costs a small extra). Arrive at the East Gate before opening (sunrise entry is the quietest and best light), then walk or auto to Agra Fort (approx. £6) for Moti Masjid, Jahangir Palace and Diwan-i-Aam/Khas, and Itmad-ud-Daulah's 'Baby Taj' (approx. £3). Jama Masjid and Sikandra are worth it if you have slack time. Afternoon: take the Gatimaan Express or a Shatabdi chair-car train back to Delhi (approx. 1h50m, approx. £8–10), or a comfortable AC bus (approx. £5). Stay near New Delhi station for an easy airport run tomorrow (approx. £14).

🚌Autos in Agra approx. £4 plus Agra–Delhi train approx. £9

🛏Budget guesthouse, Paharganj near New Delhi station (approx. £14)

• →Taj Mahal at sunrise
• →Agra Fort
• →Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb
• →Optional Sikandra & Agra Jama Masjid

Breakfast, a final wander or a Metro hop to Dilli Haat or Khan Market for last-minute gifts (fabrics, spices, block-print textiles), then take the Airport Express metro or a prepaid taxi to IGI Airport for your flight. If you have a late departure, the National Museum (approx. £2.50) or Lodhi Garden (free) are easy, calm half-day options.

🚌Airport Express metro approx. £1.50 or prepaid taxi approx. £6

🛏None (departure day)

• →Dilli Haat or Khan Market shopping
• →Lodhi Garden or National Museum (time permitting)