We shipped cars to Mumbai and drove a three week loop through Rajasthan to Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Agra for the Taj Mahal, then north into Nepal for Pokhara, Kathmandu, and high Himalayan tracks before re entering India to reach Varanasi. The route mixed paved roads with unpaved sections, paired with inspected hotels where possible and simple stays where useful, especially in Nepal.