Luxury Trains in India - Palace on Wheels and the Alternatives

India runs a small number of "tourism trains" that are themselves the holiday — the cabin is a five-star hotel room, sightseeing is by day, you sleep on the move, and the route covers a region's signature destinations on a fixed itinerary. They are an entirely different category of travel from regular Indian Railways and they are priced accordingly. This page summarises the main options as of 2026 and how to book.

Pricing on luxury trains is set per season and changes year to year. The figures below are indicative; always confirm current fares with the official operator or a recognised tour partner before you book.

Palace on Wheels

The original and still the best-known. Palace on Wheels is operated by Rajasthan Tourism (RTDC) in partnership with Indian Railways and runs a single seven-night, eight-day Rajasthan-focused itinerary, departing New Delhi every Wednesday during the season.

• Route: Delhi → Jaipur → Sawai Madhopur (Ranthambhore) → Chittorgarh → Udaipur → Jaisalmer → Jodhpur → Bharatpur → Agra → Delhi.
• Season: September to April. The train does not operate during the hot summer or the monsoon.
• Cabins: 14 fully air-conditioned coaches with twin-bed cabins or larger Deluxe Cabins and Suites. Attached bathrooms, hot/cold running water, individual climate control.
• Included: all meals, sightseeing tours at every stop, monument entrance fees, bottled water. Excluded: alcohol, laundry, paid photography permits.
• Indicative 2025-26 fare: roughly US$ 6,800-7,500 per person on twin sharing, and around US$ 10,500 per person for a single occupancy deluxe cabin, for the seven-night package. Surcharges apply for travel between Christmas and New Year. Children under five travel free; ages 5-12 pay around 75 % of the adult fare.

Maharajas' Express

Operated by IRCTC. Often considered the most opulent of India's luxury trains and the highest priced. The train runs four different itineraries of three to seven nights, each focusing on a different region of India.

• Itineraries (representative):
  • Heritage of India — 7 nights covering Mumbai, Ajanta, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaipur, Ranthambhore, Agra and Delhi.
  • Indian Splendour — 7 nights covering Delhi, Agra, Ranthambhore, Jaipur, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Mumbai.
  • Indian Panorama — 7 nights covering Delhi, Jaipur, Ranthambhore, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, Gwalior, Khajuraho, Varanasi, Lucknow.
  • Treasures of India — 3 nights covering Delhi, Agra and Jaipur (the shortest itinerary, often a "taster").
• Season: October to April.
• Indicative 2025-26 fares (per person, twin share): Treasures of India from around US$ 4,500; the seven-night itineraries from around US$ 8,500; Presidential Suite considerably higher.

Royal Rajasthan on Wheels

A second RTDC luxury train running a Rajasthan-plus-Khajuraho-and-Varanasi itinerary, typically aimed at travellers who have already done the standard Palace on Wheels circuit.

• Route: Delhi → Jodhpur → Udaipur → Chittorgarh → Sawai Madhopur → Jaipur → Khajuraho → Varanasi → Agra → Delhi.
• Duration: 7 nights, 8 days. Season: October to March.
• Indicative fare: broadly comparable to Palace on Wheels (around US$ 6,000-8,000 per person twin share); confirm with RTDC.

Deccan Odyssey

The Maharashtra Tourism luxury train. It runs multiple itineraries through Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa and the Western coast. Operated jointly by Maharashtra Tourism and Indian Railways.

• Itineraries (representative):
  • Maharashtra Splendour — Mumbai, Nashik, Aurangabad (Ajanta-Ellora), Kolhapur, Goa, Sindhudurg, Mumbai.
  • Indian Sojourn — Mumbai, Vadodara, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Agra, Sawai Madhopur, Jaipur, Delhi.
  • Hidden Treasures of Gujarat — Mumbai, Vadodara, Palitana, Sasangir, Somnath, Little Rann of Kutch, Modhera, Patan, Ahmedabad, Mumbai.
• Duration: 7 nights. Season: October to April.
• Indicative fare: from around US$ 6,500 per person twin share for the seven-night itineraries.

Golden Chariot

The South Indian luxury train, run by Karnataka Tourism. Smaller scale and slightly less expensive than the Rajasthan trains.

• Itineraries: Two main routes — Pride of the South (Karnataka, Goa) and Glimpses of Karnataka (a shorter Karnataka loop). Some seasons add a south-India temples itinerary.
• Duration: typically 6-7 nights. Season: October to March.
• Indicative fare: from around US$ 4,000-5,000 per person twin share for the seven-night itineraries.

Comparing the options

A quirky honourable mention: the Fairy Queen Express is a heritage steam-locomotive special that occasionally runs short Delhi-Alwar-Sariska weekend trips; it is an experience rather than a luxury package.

Booking

• Direct with the operator — all five trains have official websites. Palace on Wheels and Royal Rajasthan on Wheels are sold via RTDC; Maharajas' Express via IRCTC; Deccan Odyssey via Maharashtra Tourism; Golden Chariot via Karnataka Tourism. Direct booking avoids agent commissions but the booking process is paper-heavy.
• Through a recognised inbound-tour operator — most foreign visitors book luxury trains through a travel agent, often as part of a longer itinerary. See Selecting a Tour Operator.
• Book early. Premium cabins on Palace on Wheels and Maharajas' Express routinely sell out 6-9 months ahead, especially for the December-March peak season. Christmas and New Year departures sell out the earliest.

Cancellation policies

Cancellation rules vary by train, but the typical pattern (broadly representative; check the actual terms of the train you book) is:

• Cancellation 60+ days before departure: ~20-25 % of ticket value retained.
• Cancellation 30-59 days before departure: ~50 % of ticket value retained.
• Cancellation less than 15-30 days before departure: 100 % of ticket value retained.

Travel insurance covering trip cancellation is sensible at this price level.

Is a luxury train the right choice?

A luxury train suits travellers who want to see a region's headline destinations efficiently, in comfort, with sightseeing organised for them. They are not the cheapest way to see India by train — a regular AC 2-Tier journey on the Rajdhani or a Vande Bharat is dramatically less expensive and equally enjoyable in its own way (see Train Travel in India - A Beginner's Guide). But for a once-in-a-lifetime trip with the stops curated and the cabin done up like a small hotel suite, the luxury trains deliver something no other category of travel in India does.