The Palace On Wheels
We invite you to witness the history of India pass by as you relax in comfort. No
wonder the experience is labeled the Palace on Wheels. With its cream saloons, embellished
with intricate designs, chugging through Rajasthan on a journey through the former royal
kingdoms of this state. The experience has been rated as one of the ten best luxurious
trains journeys in the world.
Thu Day 01 : Delhi (Join the Palace on Wheels Train)
At 05:00 PM board the Palace on Wheels train.
Times have changed and winds have shifted, but the Palace on Wheels cruises along in
its unique style, the kind only the Maharajas of Yesteryears could have perpetuated and
enjoyed. Today of course, each traveler on board is treated like royalty in his or her own
right. The exquisite and exclusive Palace on Wheels has luxurious cabins, wall-to-wall
carpeting, a well stocked bar, two dining cars, and a very personalized service. . .in
fact everything that could comprise of heaven on earth for a whole week.
(Overnight Palace on Wheels Train) - (D)
Day 02: Palace on Wheels (Jaipur)
In a land steeped with heritage, picturesque with exquisite architecture, in a state
vibrant with heroic memories and romance, lies the dream city of Jaipur. The people are
dynamic, martial and need we say it colorful. Here every walk through the by lanes is a
walk through history. Indeed, Jaipur could be compared to a vast open-air museum. Pink
turbans jostle with saffron 'odhinis' (ladies scarves). Camels, buggies and elephants are
as commonly found as motor cars and buses. A gala reception awaits you at the Pink City.
With traditional Indian music of the shehnai, playing in the background, you will be
welcomed like a Royal Celebrity.
Following breakfast on the train you are taken for a tour of Amber Fort. Set on the dry
wrinkled Aravali Hills the Fort is a superb example of Rajput (Medieval Hindu) style of
architecture. A slow elephant taxi takes you up to the top of the Fort, which houses
several graceful buildings. Its rugged forbidding exterior belies an inner paradise where
a beautiful fusion of Mughal and Hindu styles finds its ultimate refinement. Painted
scenes of hunting and war adorn the walls with precious stones and mirrors set into the
plaster. In the foreground is the Maota Lake with breathtaking reflections of the
magnificent Amber Fort-Palace.
Following lunch at the former Royal Residence of Maharaja of Jaipur the Rambagh Palace
Hotel you are taken on a tour of the City Palace and Observatory. The City Palace is in
the heart of the old city and is a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. The centre
of the palace is a seven storied building called Chandra Palace, with fine views over the
gardens and the city. The palace lies in the heart of the city and occupies the whole
central grid. The fortified wall has seven gates and was built for protection from
invading armies and animals that lived in jungles which surrounded the wall at that time.
Next you visit the Solar Observatory - an astronomical treasure house, with solar device
that give accurate predictions till date. From here you walk over to the Palace of the
Winds (Hawa Mahal). The ornamental facade of this "Palace of the Winds" is a
landmark in Jaipur. Its five storey structure of pink sandstone encrusted with fine
trellis work and balconies has 953 niches and windows. It was built in 1799 by Pratap
Singh and was a royal grandstand for palace women.
Jaipur is a shopper's Paradise whether you are looking for jewelry, handmade fabrics,
handmade carpets, handmade blue pottery or crafts of any order. You would have an
opportunity to shop for this today. You can take an escorted walk through the popular
bazaars of the city, even the pavements have shops of all order like a pavement barber or
more seriously a pavement dentist - their 'wares' including a laughing set of dentures
proudly displayed on the pavement.
(Overnight Palace on Wheels Train) - (B,L,D)
Day 03: Palace on Wheels Train (Jaisalmer)
Following breakfast on the train today you visit the residential portions of the
Jaisalmer Fort, where one third of the population of the old city still lives. The design
of the houses here remains as they used to a couple of centuries behind time, and so are
the lifestyles of the people inhabiting them. This is so as most of the families continue
to work for generations for the ruler (though only titular now). Hence there is a sense of
continuity. The houses are arranged in narrow lanes and have small windows from where the
shy child or the girl peeps through. This city is believed to be the home of the most
handsome men and the most gorgeous women in Rajasthan.
You can also walk through the narrow cobbled lanes of the golden Sandstone City to
witness the magnificent medieval Indian Havelis (mansions) of medieval Indian merchants.
These elegant buildings which are very well preserved tell you a story of how medieval
Indian society existed.
Following lunch you visit to the cenotaphs of famous heroes and rulers, which are
beautifully decorated with fine stonemasons' work, You will also enjoy the fascinating
journey of the desert on camel back. The most interesting way to see the desert is on a
camel. You will pass through villages and frequently come across fields of millet or girls
picking berries or boys and flocks of sheep / goats. The livestock are garlanded with
bells around their neck and in the desert it is music to the ears.
Dinner will be served at the Moomal Tourist Bungalow after which your train departs for
Jodhpur.
(Overnight Palace on Wheels Train) - (B,L,D)
Day 04: Palace on Wheels Train (Jodhpur)
You arrive at 9:00 and breakfast is on board. This morning we proceed on a guided tour
of Jodhpur.
Jodhpur is the southernmost of the legendary cities of the desert and was built by Rao
Jodha in 1459 on the advice of a hermit. The high walls of the massive 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
erected in 1899 to the memory of Jaswant Singh I.
Today Lunch will be served at the Umaid Bhawan Palace Hotel, originally the Royal
Palace of the Maharajas of Jodhpur. Evening tea and dinner is served on the train.
(Overnight Palace on Wheels Train) - (B,L,D)
Day 05: Palace on Wheels Train (Sawai Madhopur - Ranthambore)
You arrive in Sawai Madhopur at 6:30 AM. Following breakfast you are driven to
Ranthambor National Park (14 km - 9 miles). Ranthambore is known to have India's
friendliest tigers assured of protection; these nocturnal creatures are seen often in the
day. Once the citadel of Rajput rulers, the fort at Ranthambore faced repeated attacks by
invaders and became part of Emperor Akbar's domain in 1569. The Mughals gifted the fort
and its adjoining areas to the maharajas of Jaipur who converted its forests into his
exclusive hunting preserve.
Sprawled on the Aravalli and Vindhya ranges of Rajasthan, Ranthambore National Park
encompasses an area of 410 sq km in which live a healthy population of about 40 tigers. A
large number of deer inhabit the area and leopards are occasionally sighted. The Pandam
Taloa Lake, located adjacent to the jogi Mahal hunting lodge is the park's favorite water
source. Smaller pools at Raj Bagh and Milak also attract a variety of wild life. The best
way to explore Ranthambore is in a jeep as the park is well connected by arterial roads
and tracks. Some of the popular sighting areas are Nal Ghati, Lahpur, Bakuala, Anantpur
and the Kachida valley.
(Overnight Palace on Wheels Train) - (B,L,D)
Day 06: Palace on Wheels Train (Chittorgarh - Udaipur)
Arrival in Chittorgarh at 7:30 AM. After breakfast on board the train your tour starts
with the Chittorgarh Fort. Chittaurgarh is a place immortalized by deeds of valor and
sacrifice of two remarkable queens. This was the place where Queen Padmini preferred
jauhar (ritual sacrifice by self-immolation), rather than be taken captive, and be
submitted to the lust of Alaudin Khilji, Sultan of Delhi. Saintly Mirabai's bhajans
(devotional songs) still seem to echo through the countryside.
You drive 2 hours in your luxury coach to Udaipur to the Lake Palace Hotel, which is a
palace on an island girdled by hills. Built on a rocky island over Lake Pichola about two
and a half centuries ago, once it was the summer palace of the rulers of Mewar. Today this
pleasure palace is a luxury hotel like no other in the world. To stay here is a privilege,
affording as it does a glimpse of pleasure that once were the sole preserve of princes.
The Lake Palaces Hotel amazes and delights you at every turn. It is pure white marble,
every ancient inch of it - slender carved columns, fountains, filigreed screens, marble
from the pinnacles of its domed Chatris to the bottom of its swimming pool, created for
the private frolics of a princess.
Following lunch at the Lake Palace hotel you proceed on a guided tour of this
"Lake City". Udaipur is a cool oasis in the dry heart of Rajasthan. It is
probably the most romantic city in a state where every city has some romantic or exotic
tale to tell.. The huge city palace towering over the Lake Pichola is the largest palace
complex in Rajasthan. Though it is a conglomeration of buildings built by successive
rulers, it manages to retain a surprising uniformity of design and affords a very fine
view of the lake and the city from the upper terraces. The Jagadish temple next to the
city palace enshrines a black stone image of Lord Vishnu and his vehicle- a mighty bird
called garuda - in a brass image. The temple is a very fine example of Indo-Aryan Art.
(Overnight Palace on Wheels Train) - (B,L,D)
Day 07: Palace on Wheels Train (Bharatpur / Fathephur Sikri / Agra)
You arrive in Bharatpur at 7:15 AM. Following breakfast in Bharatpur you are taken on a
tour of the world famous bird sanctuary located here. The reserve boasts of over 300
species of resident and migratory birds. After the tour of the bird sanctuary you drive an
hour to Fatehpur Sikri (ghost capital) for a tour of this magnificent and world heritage
buildings which is still in a state of perfect reservation.
From here you will drive another hour to Agra in time for lunch. Later this afternoon
you are driven to the massive Agra Fort: the elegant buildings inside reflect an
interesting synthesis of Hindu and Central Asian architectural styles. Built by Emperor
Akbar, the maze of the courtyards, mosques and private chambers of the fort echo the story
of the Mughal Empire. The Moti Masjid and other magnificent buildings reflect the skill of
the ancient Indian architects.
Agra is the city of the Taj Mahal, perhaps the most photographed monument in the world.
However there is a degree of enigma about the Taj. Once you hear about a building so much
and see so many pictures of a building your expectations become high and this is the
enigma about the Taj Mahal: no matter how many pictures you have seen or how high your
expectations are, the Taj never lets you down - the unparalleled glory and beauty of the
building surpasses beyond all human imaginations. At sun set you will visit the Taj Mahal
to witness this spectacular monument built for love. Besides perfect symmetry in every
aspect of its construction, the inlay work of semi precious stones into marble in pietra
dura style is absolutely remarkable.
You would also have an opportunity to visit a marble showroom where you are able to
witness the inlay work done on marble just as at the Taj Mahal
(Overnight Palace On Wheels Train) - (B,L,D)
Day 08: Arrival Delhi (Early Morning Arrival)
Early this morning your train arrives in Delhi Cantt. After a sumptuous breakfast you
bid farewell to the Luxury Train as you disembark by 8:00 AM.
END OF TOUR
We also offer customized tours to destinations in Rajasthan. We will be happy to
customize this tour for you to suit your interests and convenience. |
