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India's Palace on Wheels
15 Days from£4,995
per personTake advantage of our saving of up to £200 per person when booking on or before 14/08/2018.
The Award Winning Leader in Escorted Worldwide Rail Holidays
Take advantage of our saving of up to £200 per person when booking on or before 14/08/2018.
You are viewing the 2019 itinerary
Itineraries and pricing may vary by departure year
Magnificent palaces and forts are waiting to be discovered on this Indian rail adventure aboard the Palace on Wheels train. Experience the lifestyle of the Maharajahs as we visit walled cities, marvel at the astonishing Taj Mahal and enjoy tiger spotting in Ranthambore National Park.
We depart London Heathrow for our overnight flight to the Indian capital, Delhi. On arrival in the late-morning of Day 2, we transfer to the 4-Star Oberoi Maidens 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. We start with an engaging rickshaw ride through the streets of Old Delhi, an explosion of sights, sounds, and activity, and visit the Jama Masjib Mosque. We then go on to New Delhi, passing by President House and Parliament House. We visit Gandhi's Smriti, a museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, before discovering Connaught Square on a walking tour. Finally, we rest and sample high tea at the Imperial Hotel.
After breakfast at our hotel, we transfer to the train station to board the Shatabdi Express to Kalka. On arrival, we embark on a journey on the UNESCO-listed narrow-gauge Toy Train to Shimla. Alternatively, you may choose to make the journey by road.
Today, we explore Shimla by car and see sights such as the Viceregal Lodge, a striking 19th century Elizabethan-style mansion that was the summer seat of the viceroys of India until the 1940's. After lunch, we take a leisurely stroll along the Mall to the town's Gaiety Theatre, the Victorian-Gothic Christ Church and Scandal Point - so called because it was where people would traditionally meet to gossip. A car is available if you would prefer not to walk during the afternoon.
Day 6 is free for you to explore Shimla at your leisure. This provides you with a great opportunity to travel further into the Himalayas, or visit Wildflower Hall, a former residence of Lord Kitchener.
(Please note, both these experiences are payable locally).
We leave Shimla in the morning and travel by road, for the journey back down the mountains through stunning scenery to Chandigarh. Here we join the Shatabdi Express to Delhi, for another night at the Oberoi Maidens Hotel.
Enjoy a free morning today, until this afternoon where we visit Delhi's National Rail Museum, which tells the history of India's railways. After, 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. Founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Singh II, this lovely city is often referred to as 'the Pink City' after the buildings were painted pink in the 19th century to celebrate a visit by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. 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 that dominate the hills above Jaipur, and enjoy lunch at a local hotel. During the night the train continues east.
We leave the train to visit the Ranthambore National Park, one of the largest national parks in India, covering 151 square miles of land. It is here that we try and spot tigers, leopards and other native wildlife before we head to Chittorgarh to see the majestic hilltop fort that sprawls across an area of 692 acres, as well as the Tower of Victory and the intricate Tower of Fame.
The Palace on Wheels reaches Udaipur this morning. We leave the train for lunch at a local hotel before taking a cruise on the serene waters of Lake Pichola, an artificial lake created over 650 years ago. We sail around the small island and the Lake Palace Hotel, originally the Palace of the Maharani of Udaipur, a breathtaking white marble building that was originally built in 1746. On our return to Udaipur we rejoin the train. On Day 12 we arrive in 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 'Citadel of the Sun', the Mehrangarh Fort and Palace with fine sandstone carvings, soaking up the atmosphere and architecture of this excellent throwback to stately Indian court life. We enjoy lunch in the Palace Hotel and visit Jaswant Thada, a white marble cenotaph. We rejoin the train and journey towards Agra.
This morning we arrive into the beautiful city of Agra, where we disembark the Palace on Wheels for the final time. After leaving the train, we visit Agra Fort, the majestic red sandstone citadel and the captivating Taj Mahal, the iconic masterpiece in white marble. Built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1653, for his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal is the world's finest example of Mughal and Persian architecture.
This afternoon, we take the Gatimaan Express train to the capital city of Delhi, where we check into our hotel, the Taj Mahal Hotel and enjoy a farewell dinner.
We bid farewell to India today, as we transfer to the airport for our flight to London.
On some departures we enjoy a talk from Raaja Bhasin in Shimla, gaining a detailed insight into the town through its people, history and culture. Known for his unique insight into this region's fascinating heritage, Raaja Bhasin is an acclaimed writer and researcher; most recently serving as a historical consultant on Channel 4's 'Indian Summers' series. Born locally, he is considered an authority on Shimla and the wider area of Himachal Pradesh having written five critically acclaimed books, as well as many articles, stories and even a TedTalk relating to the subject. He has been actively involved in many heritage projects, including the Kalka Shimla Railway line which is the route you will be travelling along. Thanks to the efforts of Raaja and his team, this route was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 2008 something that, as we journey through the mountains learning about the distinctive and inspiring engineering that made the line possible, we will soon understand why.
Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.
An escorted experience and all travel arrangements
Comfortable accommodation in your destination
Delicious meals included
Exciting excursions and free time to explore
Enhancing your tour
We are not long back from our really excellent holiday to India.
Maybe I should re-phrase that and say a really wonderful
experience.
The hotels in Delhi and Shimla were first class and all staff at
both Claridges and Oberoi Cecil couldn't have been more helpful and
pleasant. The accommodation, facilities and food in both hotels
couldn't have been bettered.
As for the journey on the Palace on Wheels, well, that was a real
eye opener. Service and food was second to none. Our khidmatgar,
Devendra, was so friendly and nothing was a chore to him. Devendra
and Maharaj, his second in command, made our week's stay so
pleasant.
Thanks again for a wonderful holiday. We would also like to give a
word of mention to Glynn for all the good work and pleasantness
throughout.
A superb holiday, which began in Delhi with the amazing sights
and sounds of Old Delhi. Then north on an Indian Railways Express,
which was an experience in itself, for a journey on the Heritage
Toy Train up to Shimla.
Wonderful hotel in Shimla, and Shimla is a wonderful town. The
return journey on the Toy Train in daylight was fantastic. The
second week, on board the Palace on Wheels, was an experience like
no other. A fabulous train with excellent staff and superb
cuisine.
Have to say that the motion of the train doesn't make it all that easy to sleep, but one does gets used to it (just) by about night four! There cannot be a better way to see the countryside, towns and cities of Rajasthan.
Where does one begin! We chose the holiday because we have a passion for trains and we weren't disappointed. The Toy Train to Shimla was a great joy and experience. We loved every moment. And then the Palace on Wheels, what a beautiful train, and to be looked after so well. All the staff on the holiday couldn't do enough for us. I could have stayed in the hotels longer because they were the very best.
Alastair and the guides were always on hand to guide us and make sure we were always safe. I don't think I've ever been to a country with so many steps into buildings, but what a diverse country. We saw so many wonderful sights and interesting activities, such as elephant and camel rides and a rickshaw ride early in the morning.
We thoroughly enjoyed the holiday, it will keep us busy for months recalling what we did.
Although it is five weeks since we returned from our trip to
India, we feel we must write to say how much we enjoyed the whole
experience. We are still talking about it every day. It
had been a long held dream to go to India and we took great care to
choose the itinerary and the mode of travel which we thought would
suit us best. We were not disappointed, in fact our
expectations were well and truly exceeded.
We could not fault the organisation, the hotels, places of
interest and the mode of travel. All the train journeys
whether by express, the Toy Train and especially the Palace on
Wheels were superb. Every day was an adventure and so
different from the day before. Our Tour Manager, Ian, was
outstanding and his knowledge of India in every respect ensured
that we did not fail to appreciate every place we
visited.
Thank you for making our dream a reality - we will never forget
it.
An adventure on one of India's famous hotel trains
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