Day 1
You should arrive at the airport to take your overnight direct flight to Delhi.

Day 2
After our late morning arrival, we transfer to the fivestar Leela Kempinski Hotel on the outskirts of the city for one night’s bed and breakfast (for 2010: stay at the Hotel Lalit). All rooms are stylishly furnished with airconditioning, flat-screen TVs, personal safe, mini-bar and complimentary tea/coffee. The afternoon is at leisure to enjoy the excellent facilities of the hotel.

Day 3
This morning we take a guided tour of New and Old Delhi. Bisected by wide tree-lined avenues, New Delhi was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1911 and clearly reflects the legacy of the British Raj. Surprisingly green and low-rise, at its centre we see the former Viceroy’s Palace, now the Presidential Palace and as we head down the imposing Rajpath, we reach India Gate and the Parliament buildings. We’ll also visit some of Delhi’s older monuments: the 12th century Qutub Minaret is the tallest stone-built tower in India, whilst the Jama Masjid is one of Asia’s largest mosques. Then, later in the afternoon we proceed to the Safdarjung Railway Terminal to join the train and start our wonderful journey aboard the Indian Maharaja towards our first port of call, Agra and the Taj Mahal

Day 4
In the early morning, making use of the best possible light conditions, we visit one of the world’s most iconic monuments - the Taj Mahal. As the sun slowly rises above the horizon, the colours transcend a kaleidoscope, changing from yellows to oranges and deep reds. Framed by the winding Yamuna River behind it, this absolute masterpiece seems to almost float like a mirage above the surrounding landscape. The combination of its extraordinary beauty, symmetry and history has made this one of the world’s most amazing monuments and as the golden orb of the sun slowly rises behind it, we’ll have plenty of time to admire it from all angles. When you experience this amazing this combination of natural and man-made beauty you will realise that everything you have ever heard about the Taj Mahal is true – it really is one of the most amazing creations on the planet! We continue our exploration of Agra with a guided visit to the vast red sandstone Agra Fort. Completed in 1573, it was the headquarters of the Moghul Empire, but its vast size and opulence of its buildings made it more of a palatial walled town than a fort.

After a stop for lunch at the Taj Gateway Hotel, we visit the ancient abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri, just an hour’s drive from Agra. Built in 1571, as Emperor Akbar’s imperial capital, it was inexplicably abandoned just 15 years later. It remains in a remarkable state of preservation, with numerous palaces, wide courtyards and beautiful carvings. We return to the Indian Maharaja for dinner as we travel on towards Jaipur in Rajasthan.

Day 5
Our tour of the ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur sees all the major highlights, including the Hawa Mahal, the famous Palace of the Winds subtlety constructed so the ladies of the Palace could view the busy streets below without being seen. We continue to one of the highlights of the entire tour: the immense, 17th century Amber Fort, crowning one of the many rugged hills surrounding Jaipur, and once the capital of the entire state. We see the royal apartments, the sections reserved for the Maharaja’s wives and concubines as well as the remarkable hall of mirrors, with tiny delicate convex mirrors embedded like a mosaic in the walls and ceilings.

After an included lunch at the Jai Mahal Palace Hotel, we explore the home of the present Maharaja; the City Palace with collections of costumes, carpets, paintings and an impressive armoury, followed by one of Jaipur’s most famous sights, the 18th century Astronomical Observatory. At first glance the oversized instruments look like geometric modernist sculptures, but each has a specific function and is remarkably accurate. It has been described as ‘cosmic architecture’ and our expert guide will explain their religious and scientific significance. We then have some free time in the city before returning to our train for dinner.

Day 6
This morning we visit Ranthambore National Park. Originally the private hunting preserve of Maharajas, its 400 square kilometres of rolling hills, valleys and lakes form an enchanting and unique ecosystem. India’s famous Tiger Project was created to protect the country’s tiger population and despite many difficulties, the tigers of Ranthambore have survived, numbers have stabilised and this remains the best place to spot tigers in the world.

After an early start, we drive into the park for our morning safari in specially-built 20-person open-top, four-wheel drives known as ‘canters’. As part of its conservation efforts, Ranthambore strictly limits the number of daily visitors and the routes that can be followed within the park. But the park is not just about tigers – over 300 bird species have been counted, including impressive crested eagles, painted stork and wild peacocks. The reserve’s residents also include large numbers of sambars, the largest Asian antelope, as well as marsh crocodiles, wild boar, rare sloth bears and even leopards. Look out too for the playful troop of langur monkeys near the main gate. We return to the Indian Maharaja in the late morning, with time to relax before and after lunch on board. During the afternoon we depart for our second trip into the park and another chance to spot the elusive tigers.

On our way back to the train, we stop for High Tea at what used to be the Maharaja’s hunting lodge, now the intimate Taj Lodge hotel, with its shady
colonnaded verandah overlooking the lawn and lush gardens.

Day 7
This morning we arrive in the most beautiful city of Rajasthan, Udaipur, the City of Lakes, staying a full day so as to ensure we can explore at leisure. One of the city’s most imposing buildings is the City Palace, majestically overlooking Lake Pichola, it’s entered through the famous triple arched gate, the Tripolia, where the Maharajas were famously weighed with the equivalent in gold and silver subsequently distributed amongst their subjects! Inside this vast palace with its myriad pavilions, terraces, courtyards and gardens you appreciate the sense of overwhelming opulence of the royal court. Another of today’s highlights is a boat trip at sunset (water levels permitting) across the shimmering glass-like surface of the lake, with its glittering Lake Palace floating like a white marble ship at its centre. This evening a splendid Gala dinner has been arranged for all the Indian Maharaja’s passengers atthe Fateh Prakash Palace’s magnificent Durbar Hall. Hung with vast crystal chandeliers and with its walls lined with enormous paintings of past Maharajas, this is one of Rajasthan’s most impressive buildings.

Day 8
A slower paced day today as we wind into the state of Maharashtra and roll into the city of Daulatabad. Our destination is an extraordinary complex of rock-carved temples known as the Ellora Caves. Dating from around 600AD and incorporating Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples and monasteries, they are sited along a side of a gentle slope, which enabled their builders to cut down into the rock from above, much like the rock-carved temples of Petra in Jordan. The age, size and complexity of the carvings is unique in India and many of the temples are still in use today. We drive to the city of Aurangabad from where we re-join the Indian Maharaja for a leisurely dinner, continuing our journey to our next port of call, the amazing Ajanta Caves.

Day 9
After breakfast we visit the UNESCO World Heritage Buddhist Caves of Ajanta. Dating from around 200BC this superb but little known marvel of early Indian art consists of 30 caves carved into a cliff face by Buddhist monks. Abandoned around 500AD, they were re-discovered by some British officers tracking a tiger in 1819. Many of the caves have beautifully crafted sculptures within colonnaded highceilinged halls and domes, but it is the amazing wall-paintings that are the real revelation! Colourful scenes from Buddhist legends and epics are given a realistic immediacy by their remarkable state of preservation – acknowledged as the best ancient murals in India. We return for dinner and the final night on our train.

Day 10
This morning, the Indian Maharaja pulls into Mumbai’s magnificent Victoria Terminus, a masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture and one of the world’s busiest railway stations. After a short tour of Mumbai, we check into our hotel, the five-star Leela Kempinski on the outskirts of the city. The rest of the day is at leisure to relax around the hotel’s luxuriant gardens or shady free-form pool and enjoy its many facilities, savouring the sights you have seen, the experiences you have had and the people you have met on this unique journey of discovery.

Day 11
After breakfast we depart for the airport and our daytime direct flight to the UK, arriving back later the same day.

The newly developed Leela Kempinski hotel in Delhi has 260 rooms, each with air-conditioning, flat-screen televisions, phone, a mini-bar, en-suite bath/shower and high-speed wifi connectivity. For dining, select from an array of chic restaurants, including all-day dining in an unique glass cube. While facilities of the hotel include a state of the art fitness centre, 6500 square ft. spa by ESPA and a heated roof top swimming pool.

The five-star The Leela Kempinski hotel in Mumbai has 423 luxurious rooms that are all air-conditioned and offer flat-screen TV, phone, minibar, tea/coffee-making, safe, hairdryer and a beautiful en-suite bath/shower. The Leela offers some excellent dining experiences, including the Citrus all-day brassiere, Jamavar its excellent Indian restaurant and the Italian restaurant, Stella, with the largest collection of Italian wines in India. The 6 Degrees bar is considered one of the best in the city and it also has a relaxing open air deck overlooking the beautifully manicured grounds. The hotel boasts an extensive range of spa/massage treatments and its large free-form pool is set in its extensive and lush gardens.

The Indian Maharaja - one of the world’s great trains

This incredible train really is one of the world’s great travel experiences with 21 coaches of sheer luxury; it carries just 96 guests from Delhi to Mumbai.

On boarding you will go straight to the beautifully styled passenger coaches each of which has just four deluxe twin or double cabins with private bathroom (see photographs overleaf). With fine bed linen and tasteful wood panelling you will already be immersed in the atmosphere of a bygone age and for the ultimate in attentive service each carriage even has its own butler.

Within the train’s royal blue carriages there are two beautifully appointed wood-panelled restaurant cars serving superb mouth-watering international and Indian cuisine created by Taj Hotels, one of the most prestigious hotel groups in the world. This, plus crisp table linen, fine china and superb service ensures dining on the Indian Maharaja compliments your travel experience admirably.

After each day’s stunning touring, you can unwind in the convivial bar and lounge car, where you can share your travel experiences with your like-minded travelling companions over something which fits the occasion, like a cup of fine refreshing tea or perhaps a G and T, as the unchanging visions of rural India gently slip by. If you feel like pampering yourself, another carriage has its own spa, a small gym and a hairdresser.

On the other hand, should you feel like a little peace and quiet, perhaps the opportunity to catch up on some reading or just admire the passing scenery, each passenger carriage also has its own small lounge area too.