Palace on wheels

Palace On Wheels is heritage on wheels. Among the top ten luxury trains of the world, Palace on Wheels recreates the luxurious style of royal travel. The coaches of Palace on Wheels trains were originally used by the erstwhile rulers of the princely states of Rajputana, Gujarat, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British India for their personal travel.

The same ambience has now been recreated by the Indian Railways for the tourists to savour. Interiors, cuisines, service and facilities have all been designed to recreate the lavish and majestic feel of a bygone era. The journey covers major destinations of Rajasthan over eight days and seven nights.

Luxury And Comfort

The luxury train made its inaugural trip on 26th January 1982 with a steam engine. The present Palace on Wheels is air conditioned and runs on broad gauge. The current train has fourteen saloons, two restaurant cum kitchen cars, a Bar cum Lounge and four service cars. The cream coloured saloons are done up with opulent curtains and elegant lights and ceiling of each saloon is done up differently. They have all the appointments available in a luxury hotel, viz. channel music, intercom, mini pantry, and lounge. A satellite phone is also available on board.

Each of the saloons has a theme based on the Princely states of Rajasthan that the train passes through. They carry the coat of arms of each state on the saloon’s exteriors. The interior decor also reflects the culture of each princely state, by using its furniture, furnishings, paintings and handicrafts.

The cabins of each saloon have an attached bath and shower. The cabins are double bedded and the train accommodates 104 passengers in all. The train also has a well-appointed lounge, library and bar. There are personal attendants attached to all cabins to cater to all the needs of the guests.

Services available on request include laundry service, Doctor on call at each station, beauty parlour, barber shop and souvenir shop. There are two restaurants serving Indian, Continental and Chinese cuisines and Chef's specials.

Awards And Recognition

Palace on Wheels was the winner of PATA gold award in 1987. It has been rated as one of the ten best luxury trains in the world. Popular TV channels like BBC, MTV, Zee TV, National Geographic and MDR of Germany have all covered this train for their travel shows.

The Itinerary Of Palace On Wheels

Journey on Palace on Wheels is a truly memorable experience. Starting at Delhi every Wednesday evening, it covers the Pink City of Jaipur followed by Jaisalmer The Golden City. After that it travels to the majestic Jodhpur, Ranthambor National Park at Sawai Madhopur followed by Chittaurgarh, a city famous for Rajput chivalry. Next is Udaipur with its lakes and stunning Lake Palace, Bharatpur and Keoladeo Ghana bird sanctuary. Lastly it takes you to the red stone city of Fatehpur Sikri; and Taj Mahal in Agra, among the Seven Wonders of the World. The journey comes a full circle at Delhi on following Wednesday morning.