India's 'Palace on Wheels' Is One of the Most Luxurious Train Rides in the World
Travelers looking to take in some of India's famed cities and attractions can now do it while onboard a luxurious train made for royalty by booking a trip on the Palace on Wheels.
The train is designed in a contemporary royal style, with plush furnishings in its corridors, 39 deluxe suites, and two presidential suites, and includes amenities to make guests onboard feel like a king or queen themselves.
Guests are treated to butlers dedicated to each train car and features including an onboard spa, a lounge bar, and two different restaurants.
Courtesy of Rajasthan Tourism
Courtesy of Palace Tours
Courtesy of Palace Tours
Ajay Kumar/India Today Group/Getty Images
Large panoramic windows line the train and its restaurants, where guests can dine on traditional Indian specialties focused on Rajasthan's cuisine. Each of the restaurants also includes table settings and draped curtains to evoke the glory days of rail travel.
The seven-night, eight-day journey starts off in New Delhi, and passengers will be treated to a welcome drink in the bar car before heading off to the first stop in Jaipur.
In Jaipur, known as the Pink City thanks to the terracotta pink hue lining its historic center, guests will see awe-inspiring locations such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Jantar Mantar (an astronomical observation site) and the area's famed jewelry, carpet, pottery, and textile markets.
Guests will also tour various palaces, including the Hawa Mahal palace, which is noted for its pink decor and honeycomb windows.
After Jaipur, you'll wake up the next day in Sawai Madhopur and have breakfast before heading to Ranthambore National Park to observe tigers, panthers, deer, and a wide variety of birds. Note that Ranthambore National Park is closed during September, so during that month, guests will be taken instead to Mansigh Sanctuary
Passengers are treated to views and tours of palaces that arise from lakes in Udaipur, known as the Lake City. Here, guests can enjoy the lakes and shop for embroidered artifacts and paintings.
Next, guests are whisked to the Thar Desert, where they can admire sandstone forts and nearby latticed mansions before exploring the desert's sand dunes. After visiting Jaisalmer and Jodhpur, guests can look forward to seeing thousands of bird varieties at the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (also known as Keoladeo National Park).
The trip ends with a visit to the Taj Mahal and stops to take in the marble work, leather good offerings, and jewelry of Agra before heading back to New Delhi.
Prices start at $4,043 for the journey.
