The Palace on Wheels is a luxury holiday train, rolling through India’s western desert province of Rajasthan, with magnificent palaces and the historic legacies of the rulers of yore dotting the landscape. Outfitted to combine the aesthetic of the original carriages used by the former Maharajah’s with the latest conveniences such as a bar, restaurants and plush suites, the result is a feeling of grandiosity and opulence, with attired attendants, and changes in scenery from a desert fortress to a waterlogged bird sanctuary and to top it off, a visit to the Taj Mahal. The aim here is to take visitors through Rajasthan in the same way that the princely rulers traveled, with added comfort and modern amenities.

The Palace on Wheels boasts of a centralized air conditioning system, music systems, telecom network, pantry and lounge for each coach, luxurious coupes with attached bathrooms for each group or family, additional bathrooms, two restaurant cars named Maharaja and Maharani serving cuisines for all tastes, a well stocked bar, a reading and relaxing coach and round the clock service provided by liveried and discreet attendants.

The Palace on Wheels provides 8 days of splendor and royal treatment, peppered with stops at historical monuments and fort cities with colorful and vibrant local cultures. The trip starts late in the evening from Delhi with dinner on board and Day 2 sees you arriving early in the morning at Jaipur, the Pink City. Elephants, traditional music and locals bearing trays of refreshments greet you upon arrival. Places to visit in Jaipur include the storied Hawa Mahal with lunch at Rambagh Palace.

You arrive in the fort city of Chittorgarh, with a vivid and violent history of the tragic but valiant fights of the Rajputs. From Chittorgarh you move to the lake city of Udaipur, with its palaces, lakes, gardens, forts and temples. Lunch at the Lake Palace hotel, formerly the summer retreat of the Prince of Mewar. Followed up with excursions to the tranquil Lake Pichoda and the glorious City Palace, home of the Maharajah’s of Udaipur.
 

Takes you deep into Sawai Madhopur, well into the forests of Ranthambor National Park with free roaming tigers and the magnificent backdrop of the Ranthambore fort, built in the 10th century. One of the most beautiful and picturesque spots on this journey, Sawai Madhopur provides a glimpse of India’s natural heritage and beauty, untainted by modernity.
 

Will see you in Jaisalmer, a city founded in the 12th century, amous for its sandstone fort with 99 bastions and exquisite hand crafted palaces and art work. Jaisalmer will give you a first glimpse of the actual life of the Rajasthani people, with camel safari, desert camping, traditional music and dancing by the fire, late into the night.
 

You roll into the bustling city of Jodhpur, with the Mehrangarh fort and Jaswant Thada, a royal cenotaph. Lunch is at the former princely palace of Ummaid Bhawan, now partly a hotel.
 

you join the migrants of the Bharatpur bird sanctuary. The Keoladeo Ghana National Park, a world heritage site hosts more than 300 migrant bird species each year. Some, such as the Siberian Crane, come from as far as Siberia and China. From Bharatpur, you cross over into Agra for Lunch. Post lunch, a visit to the famed Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is one of the most famous monuments on the planet, and it’s quite likely that you may have seen it in pictures or in videos. There is, however, nothing which prepares one for the beauty and absolute majesty of this timeless monument when you are standing in front of it. The city o Agra offers even more monuments and tombs reflecting the Mughal heritage.