Where else can you relax in comfort & witness the history of India passing by ...


It's a journey worthy of kings. No wonder the experience is labelled the Palace on Wheels. With its cream saloons, embellished with intricate designs, chug through Rajasthan on a journey through the former royal kingdoms of this state. Once ruled by kings whose presence lingers on in forbidding fortresses and fairytale palaces, now converted into museums, hotels, and restaurants where retainers serve truly royal repasts.

The 14 coaches of the Palace On Wheels are named after former Rajput states. Each evokes visions of those royal kingdoms. The names are romantic, mesmerizing... Kota, Jaipur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Alwar, Sirohi, Kishangarh, Bundi, Dungarpur, Bharatpur, Jhalawar and Dholpur. It has been rated one of the ten best luxurious train journeys in the world.

Day 01: Wednesday - Departure Delhi
Arive Delhi Cantonment Station between 15:30 and 16:00hrs. Departure 17:45 hrs Dinner will be served on board the train

Day 02: Thursday - Arrive Jaipur
Jaipur. Arrival 00:00 Hrs. Breakfast on board at 07:30 Hrs. Sightseeing trip round town followed by lunch in hotel. Cultural show and dinner at Nahargarh Citadel, a former royal fort, or in Man-Singh Hotel. Jaipur, the first stopping place, was built at the beginning of the 18th century by the Maharajah Jai Singh II. The \"pink\" city is surrounded by a town wall with 8 gates. The town palace and the Sawai-Man-Singh Museum directly beside it are well worth looking at. The Jantar-Mantar Observatory still astonishes with the precision of its layout. The jewel of Jaipur is the Palace of the Winds, a stone facade with an immense number of finely sculptured lattice panels. The festival Palace of Amber lies 12 km (7.5 miles) from Jaipur and is visited on the backs of elephants. Amber’s rooms are famous for the variety of their decoration and the beautiful Hall of Mirrors.

Day 03: Friday - Arrive Jaisalmer
Arrival Jaisalmer at 0615. Breakfast on board, followed by sightseeing in town. Lunch on train or in tourist bungalow. Visit to the cenotaphs of famous heroes and rulers which are beautifully decorated with fine stonemasons’ work. Camel rides to experience the real desert. Dinner at the Moomal Tourist Bungalow, then on with the train to Jodhpur. Jaisalmer, a fairy-tale town in the Thar desert was founded about 800 years ago by Rajah Jaisal. The town is surrounded by mighty walls which seem to grow up out of sunbleached desert sands. In the town centre the buildings provide evidence of the Indian stonemasons’ unsurpassed art. In narrow, twisting streets you can visit havelis, the houses of rich merchants with their finely carved filigree facades.

Day 04: Saturday - Arrive Jodhpur
Jodhpur. Arrival 08:00. Breakfast on board. Sightseeing in town. Lunch at Umaid Bhawan Palace Hotel, originally the Royal Palace of the Maharajas of Jodhpur. Evening tea and dinner on board. Jodhpur, the southernmost of the legendary cities of the desert, was built by Rao Jodha in 14:59 on the advice of a hermit. The high walls of the massive Mehrangarh Fort form a delightful contrast to the elegant sandstone facades with their fine carvings inside the palace. Opposite the fort lies Jaswant Thada, a memorial made of white marble which was errected in 1899 to the memory of Jaswant Singh I. Departure 17:00.

Day 05: Sunday - Arrive SwaiMadhopur / Chittor
Sawai Madhopur (Ranthambor). Arrival in Sawai Madhopur at 0400. Travel to Ranthambor (14 km - 9 miles) to the well-known game park with its tigers and leopards. With any luck you might see a tiger in its natural surroundings. Many other animals such as crocodiles, deer, gazelles, nilgais and hyenas live here. Depart at 12:00. Ranthambor lies 132 km (82 miles) from Jaipur. The area is 392 sq. km (150 sq. miles) and lies between the Aravali and Vindhya mountains. The best time for seeing many animals is between October and April. Departure for Chittaurgarh at 11:00 hrs. Lunch on Board at 13:00.
Arrival Chittaurgarh at 15:30 hrs. Sightseeing of Chittorgarh Fort. Chittorgarh Fort on a 180 m high hill, was the strongest of the Rajput forts. The tall and finely chiseled Victory Tower and the Tower of Fame are undamaged and reach up into the sky from the surrounding ruins. Dinner on Board 20:00 hrs.

Day 06:Monday - Chittorgarh / Udaipur
Chittorgarh/Udaipur. Arrival 06:45 Hrs. Breakfast on board. Drive by bus journey to Udaipur to the Lake Palace Hotel on Lake Pichola, originally the summer palace of the Maharana of Udaipur. Boot trip followed by lunch at the Lake Palace Hotel. Sightseeing in Udaipur. Evening meal on board train. Udaipur was founded in 1559 on the banks of Lake Pichola by the Maharana Udai Singh. The town palace is raised high above the lake and contains among others a hall of mirrors, a roof garden with a pond and a peacock court, named after its peacock mosaic. Sahelion-Ki-bari is a pleasant park with 4 fountains and colourful flower beds.

Day 07: Tuesday - Arrive Bharatpur / Agra
Bharatpur - Fatehpur Sikri - Agra.
Arrival Bharatpur 07:00 Hrs. Breakfast in Bharatpur bird sanctuary and boat trip. By coach to Fatehpur Sikri and Agra. Lunch at hotel. Sightseeing in Agra and tea at Taj Restaurant, Agra or on board. Dinner on board.Bharatpur is an enormous bird sanctuary. The flat marshes attract resident and migratory birds in their thousands. More than 500,000 birds of 325 species have been counted in winter. It is possible to travel by boat to the low trees where the birds assemble. From Bharatpur it is 22 km (14 miles) to Fatehpur Sikri. The town is still completely preserved. It was built by the Mogul emperor Akbar in the 16th century but abandoned a short time later because of an acute lack of water. It is still possible to see spacious courtyards, an audience hall and the palace complex, which is made up of apartments.

Day 08: Wednesday - Arrive Delhi
Delhi. Breakfast on train and end of journey. Arrive Delhi 7:30

Train Departure Dates December 2006 to December 2008

5. Payment has to be made as per the prevailing exchange rate on the day of payment. 50% advance payment is required at the time of booking.

6. Palace on Wheels no more has the options of 03/04 nights journey.