Kingdoms, palaces, kings and queens, their pomp and pageantry, all have been etched in history; but the romance still lingers. So, we are always on the look out to revive the splendor and magnificence of the bygone era and Palace on Wheels is one such bold attempt. Rated amongst the top ten luxury trains of the world, Palace on Wheels is true to its name. The rail coaches previously owned by rulers of princely states and Governor Generals and Viceroys of British India outline the Palace on Wheels.
The journey, which commences and ends at Delhi Cantonment station sojourns for a week-long royal quest of
Rajasthan and
Agra. The ride covers
Jaipur,
Jaisalmer,
Jodhpur, the National Park of Ramthambhor,
Chittorgarh, lakes of Udaipur, the bird sanctuary of Bharatpur and
Taj Mahal at Agra.
The Palace on Wheels is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to enhance the pleasure of traveling and it runs on the meter gauge. It consists of 14 fully air-conditioned deluxe coaches, named after the erstwhile Rajput states, matching the majesty and aesthetics of palaces. The train has 56 twin bedded chambers with channel music, intercom, communication facilities, attached toilets, hot and cold water, two restaurants (The Maharaja and The Maharani), and a well stocked bar.
The tariff ranges from US $240 to $500. Tariff is inclusive of travel, food, sightseeing tours, entrance fee for monuments, palaces, and cultural entertainments, the boat ride at Udaipur, elephant ride at Jaipur, camel ride at Jaisalmer and rickshaw ride at Bharatpur. The train departs on every Wednesday and returns after a week (7days/8 nights). The reporting time is 16:00 hrs and the train departs at 18:30 hrs.