India's Palace on Wheels 2012 

We depart London for our overnight flight to the Indian capital, Delhi. On arrival in the late-morning of Day 2, we transfer to the 5-star Claridges Hotel for a two-night stay, in the heart of New Delhi close to diplomatic missions, shops and historical landmarks.

Today is devoted to a fascinating sightseeing tour covering the ancient streets, temples and colourful markets of Old Delhi as well as the leafy avenues and colonial architecture of New Delhi. Our tour includes India Gate, Raj Ghat, the Parliament House, Humayan's tomb and Qutub Minar. We also visit Jama Masjib, India's largest mosque, and see the imposing Red Fort, constructed by the Moghuls in the 17th century.

We leave Delhi on the Shatabdi Express for the train journey to Kalka. Here we change for the narrow-gauge Toy Train, in exclusive Shivalik and Heritage carriages, recently awarded UNESCO World Heritage status, which takes us on a wonderful journey into the Shivalik mountain range to Shimla at over 7,000 feet (2,134m). Shimla was chosen by the British as their retreat from the summer heat, and not only is the main street called the Mall, but many of the buildings in the town are very British in style. We spend three nights at the fabulous 5-star Oberoi Cecil Hotel.

On Day 5 we explore Shimla by jeep and see sights such as the Viceregal Lodge, a striking 19th century Elizabethan-style mansion. After lunch, we take a leisurely stroll along the Mall to the town's Gaiety Theatre, the Victorian-Gothic Christ Church and Scandal Point. A jeep is available if you would prefer not to walk during the afternoon. Day 6 is free for you to explore Shimla at your leisure.

We leave Shimla in the morning by Toy Train for the journey back down the mountains through stunning scenery to Kalka. Here we join the Shatabdi Express to Delhi, where we spend another night at The Claridges Hotel.

Today you are free in Delhi until mid-afternoon, when we transfer to our hotel train, the Palace on Wheels, for an enchanting journey through the bygone eras of the Maharajas. We have time to settle into our comfortable cabins before we enjoy dinner together in the restaurant car as the train heads into the night.

Our first stop is the capital of Rajasthan, the Pink City of Jaipur. Sightseeing includes the imposing Palace of the Winds, whose ornate façade once enabled the ladies of the royal court to observe life in the street below whilst remaining in purdah. We also visit the magnificent Amber Fort, one of three hilltop forts, and enjoy lunch in the Palace Hotel. During the night the train continues west.

We leave the train to visit the Ranthambore National Park, to spot tigers, leopards and other native wildlife before we head to Chittorgarh to see the majestic hilltop fort, the Tower of Victory and the intricate Tower of Fame.

The Palace on Wheels reaches Udaipur this morning. We leave the train and have lunch at a local hotel before taking a cruise on Lake Pichola, sailing around the small island and the Lake Palace Hotel, originally the Palace of the Maharani of Udaipur. On our return to Udaipur you have some free time to explore before we rejoin the train.

After breakfast we visit Jaisalmer, a fairytale walled town in the Thar Desert. We explore the narrow, twisting streets of the town centre, see beautiful merchants' houses with intricately carved sandstone façades and enjoy a camel ride into the surrounding desert. We dine together at a local hotel before the train departs for Jodhpur.

Jodhpur is known as the 'Blue City' due to the hue of the houses within the old walls. During a morning tour we see the impenetrable walls of the Mehrangarh Fort and Palace with fine sandstone carvings. We enjoy lunch in the Palace Hotel and visit Jaswant Thada, a white marble cenotaph. We rejoin the train and journey to Agra, arriving on Day 14.

After a visit by rickshaw to the Bharatpur bird sanctuary, one of the best places for bird watching in India, we rejoin the train and travel to Agra. This afternoon we visit Agra Fort, the majestic red sandstone citadel and the captivating Taj Mahal, the iconic masterpiece in white marble. Built by the Mughal emporer Shah Jahan in 1653, for his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal is the worlds finest example of Mughal and Persian architecture. We return to the train for our final night on board and our farewell dinner.

We arrive back in Delhi this morning, having completed our journey on board the Palace on Wheels and transfer to the airport for our flight home to London.

We have selected award-winning airline Jet Airways to be our preferred airline on all of our India tours in 2011 and 2012. For more information about Jet Airways, click here.