Palace on Wheels — 7 Nights / 8 Days
Delhi → Jaipur → Sawai Madhopur → Chittorgarh → Udaipur → Jaisalmer → Jodhpur → Bharatpur → Agra → Delhi
The Palace on Wheels is India's most celebrated luxury train, whisking guests across the royal heartland of Rajasthan and beyond on a majestic seven-night, eight-day circuit that begins and ends at Delhi's Safdarjung Railway Station. The journey sweeps through the Pink City of Jaipur, the tiger reserves of Ranthambore, the fortified romance of Chittorgarh, the lake-draped elegance of Udaipur, the golden sandstone citadel of Jaisalmer, the blue-washed lanes of Jodhpur, the bird-paradise of Bharatpur, and finally the immortal white marble of the Taj Mahal in Agra — nine of the subcontinent's greatest destinations in a single seamless arc.
Aboard the train, fourteen dynasty-named saloons carry guests in Rajput splendour. Air-conditioned cabins dressed in hand-embroidered textiles and antique artwork range from Deluxe to the palatial Presidential Suite (introduced in December 2024), complete with a Jacuzzi and Thikri mirror-work ceiling. Two grand dining cars — The Maharajah (Swarn Mahal) and The Maharani (Sheesh Mahal) — serve a rotation of Rajasthani, Indian, Continental and Chinese cuisine, while a Royale Spa car and a bar-lounge car ensure that every hour between cities is an experience in its own right.
Operating every Wednesday from September through April — when Rajasthan's climate rewards exploration — the Palace on Wheels combines immersive guided excursions (jeep safaris, camel rides, boat crossings, rickshaw bird-watches) with regal off-train dining at historic palace hotels, making it the definitive way to encounter royal India without ever losing the thread of luxury that connects each unforgettable day.
- ✦Dawn tiger jeep safari in Ranthambore National Park
- ✦Elephant ride up the ramparts of Jaipur's Amber Fort
- ✦Sunset camel safari across the Sam Sand Dunes near Jaisalmer
- ✦Boat ride to Jag Mandir Palace across the shimmering Lake Pichola
- ✦Dawn rickshaw bird-watch at UNESCO-listed Keoladeo wetlands
- ✦Extended visit to the Taj Mahal and Mughal Agra Fort
- ✦Royal folk dinners at heritage palace hotels in Jaisalmer and Jodhpur
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 — Delhi: A Royal Departure
Guests are requested to report to Safdarjung Railway Station in New Delhi by 4:00 PM, where they are received with the traditional ceremony of garlands, tikka, and turban — an introduction to the Rajput hospitality that will define the week ahead. After settling into their dynasty-named cabins, welcome drinks are served and the train's Maharaja-style attendants conduct a tour of the on-board facilities. The Palace on Wheels departs at 6:30 PM; dinner is served in the Maharajah or Maharani dining cars as the city lights of the capital recede into the night.
Day 2 — Jaipur: The Pink City
The train arrives in Jaipur in the early hours. Breakfast is served at 7:00 AM, after which guests disembark for a royal welcome with garlands and the traditional Kali Ghodi dance. Morning sightseeing covers the Albert Hall Museum — Rajasthan's oldest museum, housed in an Indo-Saracenic masterpiece — the City Palace (still partially occupied by the Jaipur royal family), the astronomical wonder of Jantar Mantar (UNESCO World Heritage Site), the iconic Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds), and the commanding Amber Fort, where an elephant ride up the ramparts provides an unforgettable approach. Lunch is taken at the celebrated 1135 AD restaurant within Amber Fort, serving medieval Rajput recipes in a heritage setting. The afternoon is devoted to shopping at Jaipur's vibrant bazaars — famous for block-print textiles, blue pottery, and gemstones. The train departs at 8:00 PM toward Sawai Madhopur; dinner is served aboard.
Day 3 — Sawai Madhopur & Chittorgarh
An early-morning jeep safari into Ranthambore National Park departs at 6:00 AM, before breakfast — one of India's finest settings for spotting wild Bengal tigers, leopards, sloth bears, and crocodiles amid the photogenic ruins of the medieval Ranthambore Fort. Breakfast is served on board at 10:00 AM as the train departs at 10:20 AM and threads south through Rajasthan's heartland. The train arrives at Chittorgarh at 3:00 PM; sightseeing begins at 4:00 PM. Chittorgarh Fort — a UNESCO World Heritage Site spread across a 180-metre mesa — resonates with tales of Rajput sacrifice: the Tower of Victory (Vijay Stambha), the Tower of Fame (Kirti Stambha), the Padmini Palace, and the Meera Temple (dedicated to the poet-saint Mirabai) are all explored. High tea is served at the fort restaurant, and the evening culminates in an atmospheric Sound and Light programme that brings the fort's epic history alive. Guests return to the train by 8:00 PM for dinner.
Day 4 — Udaipur: The City of Lakes
The train glides into Udaipur at 7:00 AM. After breakfast at 7:30 AM, a 9:00 AM excursion explores Saheliyon ki Bari (the Garden of the Maidens, with its lotus pools and marble kiosks), the sprawling City Palace complex overlooking Lake Pichola, and the dazzling Crystal Gallery — one of the world's largest private collections of Osler crystal, ordered by Maharana Sajjan Singh in 1877. Lunch is taken at the elegant Fateh Prakash Palace Hotel, set on the lake shore. The afternoon highlight is a boat ride across Lake Pichola to Jag Mandir Palace, the island retreat that inspired Shah Jahan's Taj Mahal, where high tea is served on the water. The train departs at 4:00 PM toward Jaisalmer; a deluxe dinner is served en route.
Day 5 — Jaisalmer: The Golden City
Breakfast is available from 7:30 AM as the train approaches the Thar Desert. Sightseeing begins at 9:30 AM: the placid Gadisar Lake (a 14th-century reservoir ringed by shrines and cenotaphs), the intricate five-storey Patwon ki Haveli (the grandest merchant mansion in the city), the exquisitely carved Nathmal ji ki Haveli (carved by two brothers who each built half — separately), and the living Jaisalmer Fort — a UNESCO-listed golden sandstone citadel rising 99 metres from the desert plain, unique among India's forts in that a quarter of the city's population still resides within its walls. A Heritage City Walk weaves through the narrow lanes and Jain temples inside the fort. After lunch on board, guests depart at 4:00 PM for a camel safari across the Sam Sand Dunes, watching the sun sink into the infinite desert horizon. The evening concludes with a special dinner and live folk-music and dance programme at Gorbandh Palace, with the illuminated fort as a backdrop; guests return to the train by midnight.
Day 6 — Jodhpur: The Blue City
The train arrives at Mandor Railway Station, Jodhpur, in the early morning. After breakfast at 7:30 AM, a 9:00 AM excursion sets out for the Mehrangarh Fort — one of India's largest and most imposing citadels, perched 122 metres above the cobalt-blue city below and housing a superb museum of Rajput arms, palanquins, and royal regalia. The iconic Umaid Bhawan Palace (the art-deco marvel completed in 1943 and still home to the Jodhpur royal family, with a section open as a museum) and the graceful marble Jaswant Thada cenotaph are also visited, alongside time for shopping in the city's famous spice and textile markets. Lunch is served at Ajit Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur's first heritage hotel. Guests return to the train by 4:00 PM to relax in the on-board lounges and spa. Dinner is at 7:30 PM; the train departs at 4:30 PM for Bharatpur.
Day 7 — Bharatpur & Agra
A dawn rickshaw safari into Keoladeo National Park (also known as Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary, UNESCO World Heritage Site) departs at 6:00 AM — home to more than 380 resident and migratory bird species. During the winter months (October to March), the rare Siberian crane may be spotted, along with painted storks, open-bill storks, grey herons, and dozens of raptor species. Guests return at 8:45 AM for breakfast before the train moves north to Agra, arriving at Agra Cantonment Station at 11:00 AM. The morning is spent exploring the red-sandstone grandeur of Agra Fort (UNESCO World Heritage Site) — the Mughal seat of power where Shah Jahan was famously imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb, with views across the Yamuna River to his own beloved Taj. Lunch is served at a deluxe hotel at 1:30 PM. The afternoon is devoted to an extended visit to the Taj Mahal — the 17th-century ivory-white marble mausoleum commissioned by Emperor Shah Jahan as an eternal monument to his wife Mumtaz Mahal, and widely regarded as the world's most beautiful building. Time is allowed for shopping in Agra's craft markets, famous for inlaid marble work (pietra dura) and leather goods. Dinner is at 7:30 PM; the train departs at 8:45 PM for Delhi.
Day 8 — Delhi: Journey's End
The Palace on Wheels arrives at Safdarjung Railway Station in the early hours of the morning. A final breakfast is served from 6:00 AM, with check-out formalities beginning at 7:30 AM. Guests disembark — carrying with them memories of eight days spent moving through royal India at the pace of a maharaja, with every comfort attended to and every great landmark given its full due.
Destinations & Highlights
Jaipur — The Pink City
Founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, Jaipur was India's first planned city, its grid of rose-pink streets laid out according to ancient Vedic principles. Today it forms one corner of India's fabled Golden Triangle and is a UNESCO World Heritage City (2019). The Amber Fort (1592) presides over a lake-filled valley 11 km from the city — its Hall of Mirrors (Sheesh Mahal) is a masterpiece of Mughal-Rajput artistry. Jantar Mantar is the world's largest stone sundial complex, accurate to within two seconds. The City Palace still houses Jaipur's royal family and displays two enormous silver urns — the largest silver objects in the world, used by Maharaja Madho Singh II to carry Ganges water to England in 1901.
Ranthambore — Tiger Country
Ranthambore National Park, designated a Project Tiger reserve in 1973, spans 1,334 sq km of dry deciduous forest in the Aravalli and Vindhya hill ranges. It is one of the best places in the world to see the Bengal tiger in daylight — the park's tigers are famously bold, often photographed resting beside ancient ruins. The 10th-century Ranthambore Fort (UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Rajasthan Hill Forts group) rises dramatically within the park, giving safaris a rare combination of wildlife and history.
Chittorgarh — The Fort of Sacrifice
Chittorgarh Fort is the largest fort in India and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spread across 700 acres on a cliff-top plateau, it tells the story of Rajput honour through three legendary sacks — each followed by the mass self-immolation (jauhar) of Rajput women rather than submission to conquest. The Vijay Stambha (Tower of Victory), erected by Maharana Kumbha in 1448, rises nine storeys and is richly carved with Hindu deities. The Padmini Palace, surrounded by lotus pools, is associated with the legend of Queen Padmini, whose beauty provoked Alauddin Khilji's 1303 siege.
Udaipur — The City of Lakes
Udaipur is built around a series of interconnected lakes — Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Udai Sagar — in a bowl of the Aravalli Hills, and is frequently ranked among Asia's most romantic cities. The City Palace, begun in 1559 and expanded by subsequent Maharanas, is the largest palace complex in Rajasthan, its rooftop terraces commanding panoramic views across Lake Pichola to the snow-white Lake Palace hotel (Jag Niwas) and the medieval Jag Mandir island. The Crystal Gallery houses a legendary collection of 19th-century Osler crystal — furniture, fountains, chandeliers and even a crystal bed — ordered from Birmingham but not unpacked until 1994.
Jaisalmer — The Golden Citadel
Rising from the flat Thar Desert like a mirage, Jaisalmer Fort was founded in 1156 by the Rajput king Rawal Jaisal on Trikuta Hill. Built of the same golden-yellow Jurassic sandstone as the surrounding desert, it glows amber at sunrise and sunset. Uniquely among India's great forts, it is a living town — some 3,000 people, Jain temples, havelis, and shops crowd its interior. The Patwon ki Haveli (1805) is a five-storey mansion whose façade is so densely carved it seems like lacework in stone. The surrounding Sam Sand Dunes, 42 km west of the city, offer the quintessential Rajasthan desert experience at dusk.
Jodhpur — The Blue Fortress City
Jodhpur was founded in 1459 by Rao Jodha and is dominated by the colossal Mehrangarh Fort, whose walls rise 36 metres sheer from the rocky escarpment and are wide enough to drive two chariots abreast. The old city below is famously painted in varying shades of indigo blue — originally associated with the Brahmin caste but now adopted by all, creating a spectacular aerial view. The Umaid Bhawan Palace (1943), 347 rooms of art-deco pink sandstone, was built as a famine-relief project employing 3,000 workers for 15 years; it remains the private residence of the Jodhpur royal family.
Bharatpur — A Wetland World Heritage Site
Keoladeo National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site, 1985), formerly the private hunting reserve of the Maharajas of Bharatpur, is one of the world's most important bird sanctuaries. Its 29 sq km of marshes, grasslands, and dry deciduous woodland support over 380 bird species, including painted storks, open-bill storks, grey herons, spot-billed pelicans, and — in winter — the critically endangered Siberian crane. The park is best explored by cycle-rickshaw along its flat paths, accompanied by expert naturalist guides.
Agra — The Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal (UNESCO World Heritage Site, 1983) is the supreme monument of Mughal architecture and one of the Seven Wonders of the World, built between 1631 and 1648 by Emperor Shah Jahan as the eternal resting place of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Twenty thousand artisans worked for 17 years to complete it; 28 varieties of precious and semi-precious stones inlaid into white Makrana marble create a surface that shimmers and changes colour with the light throughout the day. Agra Fort (UNESCO World Heritage Site, 1983), 2.5 km upstream, served as the principal seat of Mughal power under Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb — it was from one of its towers that the imprisoned Shah Jahan spent his final years gazing at his masterpiece across the Yamuna River.