Heritage of India: 7 Days on the Maharajas' Express from Mumbai through Rajasthan to Delhi

Board the Maharajas' Express in Mumbai

Check in at the railway station in Mumbai for a traditional welcome and settle into your cabin as the train sets off north through Gujarat towards Rajasthan. Your butler looks after your carriage for the whole journey, and you unpack once for the week.

Spend the afternoon getting to know the train: the lounge, the bar, the two restaurant cars and the observation car. As the city falls behind, the view opens out into the green coastal plain north of Mumbai, then the farmland of Gujarat. Dinner is served on board as you travel overnight, and it is a good evening to meet the fellow passengers you will share excursions with.

We recommend arriving in Mumbai a day early, both as a buffer against flight delays and to see something of the city. We can arrange a hotel and a private city tour: the Gateway of India and the Colaba waterfront, the Gothic railway terminus and university buildings, the art galleries of Kala Ghoda and Marine Drive at dusk. Try vada pav, Mumbai's spiced potato fritter in a bun, or pav bhaji from a beach stall.

• MorningCheck-in and welcome in Mumbai
• DayLunch and dinner on board
• NightOvernight to Udaipur

OvernightAboard the Maharajas' Express.

Udaipur, the City of Lakes

Arrive in Udaipur, founded in the 16th century by Maharana Udai Singh II of Mewar on the shores of Lake Pichola, with the Aravalli hills behind it.

Visit the City Palace, the largest palace complex in Rajasthan, built over four centuries, with mirrored halls, inlaid peacocks and courtyards looking over the lake. Then take a boat on Lake Pichola past the Lake Palace and the island palace of Jag Mandir, where the young Shah Jahan is said to have taken refuge.

Inside the palace, look for the Mor Chowk, the peacock courtyard, whose birds are built up from small pieces of coloured glass, and the views from the upper terraces across the water to the hills. The museum has many steps and narrow passages, so wear comfortable shoes. Close by stands the Jagdish Temple, built in 1651, its walls covered in carvings; shoes come off at the door.

Udaipur's food is Mewari: dal baati churma and gatte ki sabzi, gram-flour dumplings in a spiced yoghurt sauce, are worth trying if there is time. Dinner is served on board as the train continues towards Jodhpur.

• MorningCity Palace
• AfternoonBoat on Lake Pichola
• EveningTrain to Jodhpur

OvernightAboard the Maharajas' Express.

Mehrangarh Fort and the Blue City

Arrive in Jodhpur and visit Mehrangarh Fort, rising sheer from a rock 120 metres above the city. Rao Jodha, the founder of Jodhpur, began it in 1459. Its palaces are richly decorated, and its museum is one of the best in India, with royal palanquins, howdahs, paintings and weapons. From the ramparts, the old city spreads below in shades of indigo blue.

You climb through a series of fortified gates. Beside the Loha Pol, look for the small handprints left by royal widows. Inside, the Phool Mahal glitters with gold leaf and painted panels, and the Sheesh Mahal with inlaid mirror work. The approach is steep, but there is a lift for part of the way. Morning is the best time, before the sun is high and the coach groups arrive.

Return to the train for lunch as it heads deeper into the Thar Desert towards Bikaner. From the window you see a flatter, drier land of sand and scrub, khejri trees, mud-walled villages and, often, camels working near the line. It is a good afternoon for the spa, a book or a quiet hour in the lounge.

• MorningMehrangarh Fort and museum
• AfternoonTrain to Bikaner

OvernightAboard the Maharajas' Express.

Junagarh Fort and sundowners in the dunes

Visit Junagarh Fort, built in the late 16th century, with lavish painted and gilded palace rooms inside its plain walls. It was raised by Raja Rai Singh, a general in the army of the Mughal emperor Akbar, and unlike most Rajasthan forts it stands on flat ground rather than a hilltop. Look for the gold-leaf work of the Anup Mahal and, among the later collections, a First World War biplane.

Then see the Lalgarh Palace, the red sandstone residence of the Maharajas of Bikaner, built in the early 20th century for Maharaja Ganga Singh to designs by the British architect Samuel Swinton Jacob. Its stone screens and balconies are carved as finely as wood. Bikaner is also famous for bhujia, a crisp, spicy gram-flour snack sold all over town.

In the late afternoon, head out into the dunes for a camel ride and sundowner cocktails as the desert light turns gold. Camels have long been part of life here; Bikaner's rulers once kept a camel corps. Desert evenings turn cool quickly from November to February, so take a warm layer, before dinner and the overnight run to Jaipur.

• MorningJunagarh Fort
• AfternoonLalgarh Palace
• SunsetCamel ride and sundowners in the dunes

OvernightAboard the Maharajas' Express.

Amber Fort and the Pink City

Arrive in Jaipur, founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, and go up to Amber Fort, the hilltop palace of the Kachwaha kings, with its Hall of Mirrors and views over Maota Lake. Enter the private quarters through the painted Ganesh Pol. The fort has ramps, steps and uneven stone, so wear comfortable shoes, and the morning light is the softest of the day.

In the city, visit the City Palace, still home to the former royal family, and see the Hawa Mahal, the honeycomb facade of the Palace of the Winds, built so royal women could watch street life unseen. Built in 1799, it is little more than a screen of small latticed windows, best seen from across the road in the morning sun.

There is time for the bazaars, known for gems, textiles and blue pottery. Johari Bazaar is the jewellers' street, and Bapu Bazaar is good for block-printed cottons and embroidered mojari slippers. Bargain politely, and buy gems only from established shops that give a written certificate. Dinner is at an exclusive venue in Jaipur before you return to the train.

• MorningAmber Fort
• AfternoonCity Palace and the Hawa Mahal
• EveningDinner in Jaipur

OvernightAboard the Maharajas' Express.

A tiger safari and the Taj Mahal

Arrive at Sawai Madhopur before dawn for a jeep safari in Ranthambore National Park, one of the best places in India to see wild tigers, among lakes, dry forest and ruined pavilions below a 10th-century fort. Leopards, sloth bears, sambar deer, crocodiles and many birds live here too. Guides listen for the alarm calls of deer and langur monkeys and look for fresh pugmarks. Sightings are never guaranteed, but the setting alone is worth the early start.

Dress in layers, as open jeeps are cold at dawn in winter, and bring a scarf against the dust, a hat and binoculars.

The train continues to Agra. Visit the Taj Mahal, built by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, and Agra Fort, the red sandstone citadel of the Mughal emperors. At the Taj, look for the flowers of semi-precious stone inlaid in the white marble. Security is strict, so carry only a small bag with no food or tripods; the Taj is closed on Fridays, which the operator's schedule allows for. From Agra Fort, where Shah Jahan spent his last years as a prisoner of his son, you see the Taj across the Yamuna. An optional spa session is available on board in the evening.

• DawnJeep safari in Ranthambore
• AfternoonThe Taj Mahal and Agra Fort
• EveningOptional spa on board

OvernightAboard the Maharajas' Express.

Journey's end in Delhi

Enjoy breakfast on board as the train makes its final approach to Delhi, where your journey ends. Pack after breakfast, settle any extras and say goodbye to your butler and fellow passengers.

We meet you with a private transfer to your hotel or the airport. Winter fog around Delhi can delay trains in December and January, so if you are flying home the same day, choose an evening or night flight. We can add a day in Delhi, with Humayun's Tomb, Old Delhi and the Qutub Minar, or an extension to Varanasi or the Himalaya.

• MorningArrive in Delhi; private transfer