Luxury on the rail - India Train tour

Arrival in Delhi and boarding on the Palace on Wheels set at 4:00 pm.

Delhi will welcome you as Maharaja and Maharani with garlands of flowers, snacks and wine glasses. The capital of modern India is a city known for its history full of charm. Once, It was the city of the Mahabharata where the Rajput kings reigned before their defeat.

The tour begins with a welcoming ceremony on board of the Palace on Wheels at Safdarjung, New Delhi. You will be introduced to your fellow travelers and you can visit the train and discover all the offered services.

Before dinner, which will be served in one of the two restaurants, you can enjoy a drink at the bar. The departure is set at 6:00 pm.

The first stage of the Palace on Wheels is Jaipur, also known as the Pink City. The tour begins with a visiting of the Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds, followed by the free visit of the Jantar Mantar, the observatory. Transfers are made by bus with air conditioning.

The city of Jaipur is a city palace, a museum full of royal splendor.
Jaipur, besides, also offers great opportunities for shopping, especially with regard to the processing of stones, gems and tissues.
 
Packed lunch at the Amber Fort. Reaching the Fort, you can see the decorated elephants used for the climbing.

After lunch visiting of the fort, a magnificent example of the fusion of Rajput and Mughal architecture.
 
The wonderful old citadel, a labyrinth of massive walls and towers, hides a beautiful building with marble, carved and illuminated by a million tiny mirrors that create a wonderful play of light.
 
Return to the train by bus, available time to freshen up and rest before the sumptuous dinner that will be served in one of the best restaurants in Jaipur.
 
After dinner return to the Palace on Wheel and departure at 11.30 pm.

Arrival in Sawai Madhopur at 05.30 am.

After breakfast, served at the Hotel Vinayak, visiting of the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve which is a melange of nature and history. The reserve is located about 14 km far from the town of Sawai Madphur, immersed in a vast and arid territory in eastern Rajasthan.

Within the reserve, there is the old Fort. It boasts at least 1000 years old and it is located on the top of a hill where cenotaphs, tombs, summer residences are merged harmoniously with the forest. From the fort, you can see three lakes that appear as turquoise in this wonderful landscape.

The reserve, through a delicate ecosystem, offers a wide variety of wildlife. Tigers reign in solitude and, therefore, is not easy to admire them, but their traces are evident. Apart from tigers, the reserve offers 24 different species of mammals, such as spotted deer, Indian gazelle, jungle cats, wild boar, and many others, in addition to about 300 types of birds.
 
Back to the train and lunch on board. Free afternoon.
 
Arrival in Chittorgarh at 4.00 pm. The Chittorgarh Fort is considered as the largest of India and it covers an area of about 680 acres. It was built by different rulers between the fifth and eighth century. Most of the structure is in ruins, but there are some remains that testify its ancient glory.
 
Departure set at 02:00 am.

Arrival in Udaipur at 8.00 am.

Udaipur is a beautiful and romantic city of lakes, palaces and fountains, nicknamed the "Venice of the East" for its charm and its atmosphere. Shade of dark green hills, there are the three lakes of Udaipur: Pichola, Fateh Sagar and Udai Sagar, sparkling jewels from glass surface from which rise magnificent palaces white. Mahahrana Udai Singh used this place as a shelter  from the Mugha hordes and, during this time it was the city of fashion, out of the silent valley.

We will continue with a boat tour on the fantastic Lake Pichola: the biggest and the most beautiful lake of Udaipur placed in the shadow of the hills palaces, villas, beaches, gardens and temples that populate its shores.

Back to the train and departure at 3.30 pm.

Arrival in Jaisalmer at 09.15 am.

Stronghold founded in 1156 AD, Jaisalmer is like a yellow sandstone architectural mirage in gold color, emerging from Thar, desolate and silent. Perhaps what led Jaisal, a Bhatti prince, to settle right in the heart of the desert, was the incomparable beauty and the amazing magic of this place: a beauty and magic that even today, unchanged by time, can be seen in its entirety. The city is also known for the magnificence of its buildings and its "havelis", the old houses with finely painted facades: Patwon-Ki-Haveli, is the best known and admired; Salim Singh Ki-Haveli is instead characterized by a blue dome and a splendid jutting balcony and Nathmalji-Ki-Haveli which, with its finely worked stone, is reflected by its subtle web of grid windows.

Stop for shopping and lunch at the Hotel Moomal. In the afternoon you will enjoy an excursion with camels that will allow you to immerse yourself in the soft sand dunes, in the romantic solitude atmosphere and to enjoy the wonderful experience of the sunset over the desert. Dinner will be served in the desert, by the light of torches. Returning on the train and departure at 11.45 pm.
 

After breakfast, drive to Jodhpur. Overnight at the hotel.

In the afternoon visit the city, known as the "Blue City" , the ancient capital of the Rathor kingdom. A high stone wall 10 km long protects the well fortified cit . Inside a majestic fort stands on a low group of sandstone hills, dominating the surrounding plains.

Visit Mehrangarh Fort, founded in 1459 A.D. by Rao Jodha, adorned with long carved panels and timber-framed windows with exquisite designs in red sandstone. You will end the day with a visit to Jaswant Thada, dedicated to Maharaja Jaswant Singh, an imposing white marble memorial to commemorate the deeds and generosity of the rulers of the nineteenth century. Return to the hotel and overnight.
 

In the morning arrival in Bharaptur. After breakfast visit to Keoladeo National Park, one of the most important bird sanctuaries in the world that was built thanks to a royal edict. Its development is due to the creation of a series of dams who channeled the water to the hunting reserve of the Maharajas and which attracted thousands of birds.

Here are over 300 species of birds, including many migratory birds who come here from far away places like Siberia and China. The story of Bahratpur is not so old and takes beginning from the moment Suraj Mal established this fort in a region beset by conflicts between the Rajput and Mughal. The exploits of Suraj Mal are legendary and the fort, called the Iron Fort, is the witness of his courage. It is the only fort with mud walls that once hit by cannons did not report damage as they encompassed the shots.

Departure at 08:45 to Agra. Arrive in Agra and visit the Taj Mahal, perhaps the most photographed monument in the world. The Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved: it is a marble mausoleum, which with its breathtaking beauty is the greatest testimony of love. During the 22 years of construction, marble from the Malharaja mines was used, along with sand offered by the Maharaja of Jaipur and precious stones from all over the world. Departure at 11 pm.
 

Departure from Agra. The tour is over, after breakfast the day is free depending on the airport transfer.