The Great Indian Rail Journey

Day 1 - Delhi

Join your tour group at the hotel.

The Leela Ambience, Delhi (5-star)

Day 2 - Delhi

Spend the day discovering Old and New Delhi on a guided tour. We embrace the colour and clamour of Old Delhi first, weaving our way through the rainbow-coloured sari sellers, electronic stalls and makeshift restaurants that spill onto the pavements of Chandni Chowk - Delhi’s biggest market. Old Delhi dates back to the Mughal empire and we witness the majesty of the Shahs in the intricate marble of Jama Masjid - India's largest and more impressive mosque, and the soaring sandstone battlements of the Red Fort. Established by the British, New Delhi is a mix of modern and colonial - with elegant pockets of tree-lined boulevards and blinding-white Georgian colonnades. We drive past the presidential palace of Rashtrapati Bhavan and India Gate - built to commemorate Indian soldiers who died in WWI; stopping to visit Raj Ghat - the final resting place of Gandhi, and UNESCO-listed Qutab Minar - a 13th-century minaret and masterpiece of Indo-Muslim art.

The Leela Ambience, Delhi (5-star)

Day 3 - Delhi - Jaipur

Today we take the train to one of the points of Rajasthan’s famous Golden Triangle, the ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur. The jewel in Rajasthan’s already bejewelled crown, the pink-hued archways, bustling bazaars and carved palaces of Jaipur were the setting for the film 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'. The rest of the day is free. There’s an optional excursion to learn kite flying and enjoy a delicious high tea afterwards.

Hilton Jaipur (5-star)

Day 4 - Jaipur

Today’s tour starts outside Jaipur at the UNESCO-listed Amber Fort - the ancient capital of the Rajput empire. Seemingly carved out of the desert sandstone hillside, the palace complex rises majestically above a mirrored lake. Within the creamy coloured ramparts, we explore a maze of marble-inlaid halls, emerald-green gardens and sunken royal courtyards. Back in Jaipur, we visit the extraordinary Jantar Mantar. Built in the 1720s, architectural and astronomical accuracy combine to reveal 18 huge stone sculptures, including a 27m-high sundial that can calculate the time to within two seconds. Not bad for a 300-year-old clock. We also drive past Hawa Mahal, ‘The Palace of the Winds’. Built in 1799 so that royal women could watch street processions while in purdah, like tiers on a wedding cake, layer after layer of intricately carved windows create Jaipur’s most recognisable site.

Hilton Jaipur (5-star)

Day 5 - Jaipur - Ranthambore

Travelling by air-conditioned intercity express train, we leave Jaipur late morning for Sawai Madhopur - the gateway to Ranthambore National Park. Slowly being reclaimed by the jungle, the 1,000-year-old crumbling forts and tangled vines provide an Indiana Jones-esque backdrop for spotting India’s elusive Bengal tigers. The rest of the day is free to relax by the pool ahead of tomorrow’s safaris. There are two optional excursions: a guided nature walk; or a visit to Dastkar to see the stunning handicrafts made by the women of the village in order to support their families.

Ranthambhore Kothi (3.5-star)

Day 6 - Ranthambore

Today we go on a morning and afternoon safari drive in open-sided vehicles. The promise of tigers and leopards are the big cat draw of Ranthambore, we also keep a close watch for the park’s other residents amongst the scattered ruins and lakes - including hyena, sambar, wild boar, water buffalo and crocodile.

Ranthambhore Kothi (3.5-star)

Day 7 - Ranthambore - Agra

This morning we board the Shatabdi train to Bharatpur and drive into Agra - the final apex of the Golden Triangle. After a traditional thali lunch, we take a guided tour of the city. Agra is best known for the Taj Mahal, and while it remains the star of the show, the former capital of the Mughal empire has more imperial treasures in its trove. We begin at the UNESCO-listed Agra Fort. Begun in 1565 by the great Mughal emperor Akbar, this vast red sandstone fort was finished over successive reigns by his grandson and great-grandson. A proper family home, the finished result is 2.5km long and 21m high. In comparison to its indomitable size, we also visit the nearby tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah (known as the 'Baby Taj') - a royal tomb built in the same style as the Taj Mahal but a fraction of the size. There’s an optional excursion this evening to watch the Mohabbat the Taj show.

Courtyard by Marriott Agra (5-star)

Day 8 - Agra - Delhi

An almost impossible image to live up to, those preparing themselves to be disappointed by the Taj Mahal needn’t worry. Arriving by sunrise to watch the marble walls change from flaming orange to coral and then white, this architectural masterpiece - built by Shah Jahan between 1560-82 in memory of his favourite wife - is spellbinding. Not to mention, a lesson in true love. We grab our photos and take a guided tour before the crowds get too busy. After breakfast back at the hotel, we drive back to Delhi to catch tomorrow's train to Amritsar.

The Leela Ambience, Delhi (5-star)

Day 9 - Delhi - Amritsar

Whizzing through changing landscapes, from rocky deserts to woven countryside, we take the train north into India’s Punjab region close to the border of Pakistan. Established by the Sikh guru, Guru Ram Das, the glittering temples of Amritsar are a holy pilgrimage city for Sikhs. The afternoon is at leisure at the hotel or there's an optional excursion to the Partition Museum.

Le Méridien Amritsar (5-star)

Day 10 - Amritsar

Amritsar is a city of extremes, where resplendent temples and artificial lakes provide moments of serenity and enlightenment amongst the beeping traffic and full-to-bursting bazaars. This morning’s tour takes us to Jallianwalah Bagh - a memorial to commemorate the Indians who died at the hands of British troops during a demonstration in 1919. We also visit a local bazaar and Durgiana Temple, or the Silver Temple - an elaborately carved Hindu temple. We then admire Amritsar’s crowning glory - the gilded domes and mirrored waters of the Golden Temple - the holiest site in the world for Sikhs. This afternoon we travel to the border town of Wagah to see the changing of the guard - a military ceremony involving Indian and Pakistan troops that’s taken place each evening since 1959. Attended by hundreds, with loud cheering from both sides of the border, it’s quite the spectacle.

Le Méridien Amritsar (5-star)

Day 11 - Amritsar - Chandigarh

We leave for Chandigarh this morning - a modern grid-like city built in direct contrast to the chaotic architectural charms of the imperial cities. Designed by Swiss architect Le Corbusier in the 1950s, the city remains cleaner and greener than most Indian cities. On our tour we admire modernist and French-influenced colonial architecture, the magical Rose Garden - a 30-acre garden scented by 50,000 rose bushes, and Sukhana - a boating lake favoured by locals with a view out to the snow-capped Himalayas.

JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh (5-star)

Day 12 - Chandigarh - Shimla

Not to be confused with our childhood railway sets, today we board the Kalka-Shimla 'Toy Train' - part of the UNESCO World Heritage Mountain Railway and one of the most beautiful rail journeys in the world. So called for its diminutive size (just two foot six inches wide), on this 96km journey we wind our way from the plains of Kalka into the foothills of the Himalayas. Skirting the edges of steep hillsides and crossing between lush river valleys - the journey goes over 850 bridges and passes through 100 tunnels!

Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels, Shimla (4-star)

Day 13 - Shimla

Surrounded by snow-flecked Himalayan peaks and with colourful buildings stacked high into the hillsides, Shimla is India’s biggest and most popular hill station. This morning we take a sightseeing tour, visiting the late 19th-century building of the Indian Institute of Advance Study on Observatory Hill, the picturesque Army Heritage Museum and take in the hustle and bustle of Mall Road. We’ll also stop at Christ Church, the second-oldest church in Northern India. The afternoon is free to explore further or relax at the hotel - soaking up the magnificent Himalayan views from the terrace or visiting the hotel spa.

Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels, Shimla (4-star)

Day 14 - Shimla - Delhi

Taking the road back to Chandigarh, we board the Vande Bharat Express for our final train journey back to Delhi.

The Leela Ambience, Delhi (5-star)

Day 15 - Delhi

Say goodbye to your tour group for your onward travel.

Delhi