The Journal
Eight Royal Cities in One Week: The Grand Circuit of the Palace on Wheels
One perfect loop
The genius of the Palace on Wheels is its route: a single, beautifully paced seven-night circle that begins and ends in New Delhi and gathers up the finest of Rajasthan and Agra along the way. Departing every Wednesday, it turns a region that would take independent travellers weeks to cover into one seamless week.
The cities, in order
- New Delhi — a ceremonial send-off with shehnai, garland and turban.
- Jaipur — the Pink City, Amber Fort and the astronomer-king's Jantar Mantar.
- Sawai Madhopur — a dawn tiger safari in Ranthambore National Park.
- Chittorgarh — the largest fort in Rajasthan, sacred to Rajput valour.
- Udaipur — the City of Lakes and its shimmering palace on Lake Pichola.
- Jaisalmer — the golden sandstone citadel and Sam Sand Dunes.
- Jodhpur — the Blue City beneath mighty Mehrangarh Fort.
- Bharatpur and Agra — a bird sanctuary and the Taj Mahal at its finest.
Why the order matters
The itinerary is arranged so the drama builds — desert citadels, then lakes, then the Taj Mahal as a grand finale — with each night spent travelling, so you wake in a new city rested and ready. See the full day-by-day itinerary or browse the destinations.