Day 1 Delhi
Jantar Mantar, JaipurDinner on board the Palace on Wheels. Departure for Jaipur.
Day 2 The Pink City - Jaipur
A royal welcome awaits you at Jaipur as you step out from your palace. Caparisoned elephants and musicians playing the shenai are there to greet you as part of a traditional ceremony arranged specially for you. A luxury coach then takes you on a tour of magnificent sights and amazing discoveries. And difficult though it is to tear yourself away from the sights and sounds and scents of Jaipur, the Palace on Wheels is waiting to take you to a place immortalized by valourous deeds, a place called Chittorgarh.
Day 3 The Legendary Honour of Chittorgarh
In its long and chequered history, Chittorgarh was hopelissly besieged three times. And each of the three times, though faced with certain defeat at the hands of a stronger enemy, brave Rajput warriors from the fort of Chittor rode out into the battlefield to manfully fight one last doomed battle. The compelling sights and moving ligends of Chittorgarh are likely to remain in your mind as you go down the hill to proceed by luxury coach to Udaipur, the city of lakes with its palaces, lakes, gardens, temples and forts perched on hilltops, Udaipur, centuries old, presents a series of entrancing sights. The Jag Niwas, once the summer residence of the princess of Mewar, and now a splindid hotel, appears dreamlike as it floats on the waters of the picturesque Picholla Lake. Close by, on another island, stands the red sandstone palace of Jag Mandir. White and majestic, the City Palace stands on a hill overlooking the lake. Returning to the Palace on Wheels you are carried towards yet another attraction - the old world town of Sawai Madhopur.
Day 4 Peace and Excitement at Sawai Madhopur
Sawai Madhopur LodgeSawai Madhopur retains not only old, spacious buildings but also a distinctive quality of peace. Close by, steeped in legends, stands the impressive, sprawling 10th century fort of Ranthambore which offers several rewarding hours of exploration. From the ramparts of the fort which once witnessed so much action, can be glimpsed the lush greenery and shimmering lakes of the Ranthambore National Park, which is also a Project Tiger conservation area. And now on to Jaisalmer.
Day 5 The Golden Sands of Jaisalmer
Today, the massive old sandstone fort of Jaisalmer with its 99 bastions continues to tower proudly over the city, founded in 1156 A.D. The mood, the feel, the free soaring spirit of an entire age is reflected within the fort of jaisalemr. The skilled craftsmanship of the stone carvers of jaisalmer is evident all over the city. With their latticed windows, balconies, couples and distinctive carved facades, each of jaisalmer's many elaborate havelis is sheer poetry in stone.
Exotic camel safaris and desert camps which throb with the rhythm of Rajasthani music and dance unravel the mysteries and magic of the desert for modern day visitors to Jaisalmer. From the glories of Jaisalmer -built after consulting an oracle, the Palace on wheels transports you to Joddhpur - a monumental city built on the advice of a sage.
Day 6 The Splendours of Jodhpur
Mehrangarh Fort, JodhpurOnce the proud capital of the princely desert state of Marwar, Jodhpur, founded in 1459 A. D. is now the second largest city in Rajasthan. Atop a steep hall, the Mehrangarh Fort built in 1459 by Rao Jodha dominates the skyline of Jodhpur. Rated among the best in Indiam the magnificent fort and other monuments in Jodhpur are still full of colour and many precious heirlooms. Near the fort lies an impressive royal cenotaph with its fine stone screens projects the superb, hereditary skills of 19th century masons and stone carvers. The stately Umaid Bhawan - the only palace built in the 20th century - was conceived as a famine relief project by the royal rulers of Jodhpur. A part of the palace has been converted into a luxury hotel. The Palace on Wheels moves for its grand finale towards Agra -the chosen city of the Mughal Emperors, via Bharatpur, a paradise for birds.
Day 7 Bharatpur - A wonderland of Birds
A Jat stronghold in the 17th and 18th centuries, Bharatpur today is a wonderland of birds. Its Keoladeo Ghana National Park, once the preserve of the Maharaja of Bharatpur, is now listed as a World Heritage site. More than 300 species of birds - some flying in from as far away as Siberia and China, have been sighted at Bharatpur.
The crowning glory of Agra continues to be the Taj Mahal - the greatest, the most beautiful monument to love that the world has ever seen. Breathtaking in its superb proportions and highly skilled craftsmanship, the Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan as an eprome of eternal love for his beloved queen, Mumtaz Mahal. And when you return to Delhi at the end of your journey in the Palace of Wheels, you will be able to carry away with you forever a rich store, a wealth of royal memories which combine to make a journey on the Palace on Wheels an extraordinary experience.
Day 8 DELHI
Breakfast on board. Arrival Delhi Cantt. Railway Station.
