The Journal
The Taj Mahal at Sunrise, the Royal Way
Saving the best for last
After a week of desert citadels and lake palaces, the Palace on Wheels delivers its crescendo: the Taj Mahal at Agra. Reaching it by luxury train — rested, guided and unhurried — is a world away from the usual day-trip scramble.
A monument to love
Built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal and completed in the mid-17th century, the Taj is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Its white marble shifts colour through the day — blush pink at dawn, brilliant white at noon, gold at dusk.
More than the Taj
Agra also holds the red-sandstone Agra Fort, itself a World Heritage Site and the seat of Mughal power, from which Shah Jahan is said to have gazed at the Taj in his final years. The morning before, the train pauses at Bharatpur's famous bird sanctuary.
The perfect ending
From Agra the train returns to Delhi, closing the loop. It is a fitting finale to India's most romantic rail journey. Explore Agra or the whole route.