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Keeping in mind the intense heat and hot winds, special arrangements including lemon water, Glucon-D, and cold beverages have been made for guests throughout the journey.
The train is set to depart Delhi on May 20, reaching Jaipur on the morning of May 21, where guests will receive a grand welcome.
For the first time in its 45-year history, Rajasthan’s iconic luxury train Palace on Wheels is operating in May — a month it has always skipped due to Rajasthan’s punishing summer heat. The train is scheduled to depart Delhi on May 20, covering a special tour of Rajasthan for a group of 84 members chartered by a nationalised bank. The desert is scorching. The train is sold out. Nobody seems to mind.
Why May — And Why Now?
North Western Railway made the call after seeing rising demand from travellers eager to experience the legendary ride, even in peak summer.
A nationalised bank booked the entire train exclusively for this journey — an unusual charter arrangement that essentially turned one of India’s most storied trains into a private moving palace for 84 guests.
Keeping in mind the intense heat and hot winds, special arrangements including lemon water, Glucon-D, and cold beverages have been made for guests throughout the journey.
Where Does It Go?
The train is set to depart Delhi on May 20, reaching Jaipur on the morning of May 21, where guests will receive a grand welcome.
Tourists were taken in Volvo buses to Albert Hall, Hawa Mahal, and City Palace, with lunch arranged at Lohagarh Resort.
The route covers 2,610 km, with stops at must-see destinations including Udaipur, Jaisalmer, and Bikaner. From May 21 to 24, tourists stay exclusively inside the train’s luxury coaches — the train itself doubling as hotel, restaurant and drawing room.
What Is The Palace On Wheels, Exactly?
Launched in 1982 as a joint initiative between the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation and Indian Railways, the Palace on Wheels is considered India’s first luxury heritage train.
Its 14 coaches are each named after a former princely state of Rajasthan — Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer and others — and styled with décor reflecting Rajasthani heritage, equipped with air conditioning, attached washrooms and Wi-Fi.
Two dining coaches, Sheesh Mahal and Swarn Mahal, serve Indian, continental and Chinese cuisine. Think less train, more moving maharaja’s palace — with a spa, personal butlers and a bar car that doesn’t stop when the scenery does
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