The Indian Panorama: 7 Days on the Maharajas' Express from Jaipur and the Taj Mahal to Khajuraho and Varanasi

Board in Delhi and arrive in Jaipur

Arrive at Delhi's Safdarjung station for a traditional welcome and settle into your cabin as the train sets off for Jaipur, with brunch served on board. Because boarding is in the morning, we recommend a night in a Delhi hotel beforehand, with a private transfer to the station, so a late flight does not put the start of your journey at risk.

The run to Jaipur gives you time to unpack once for the whole week and meet the butler who looks after your carriage. Watch the farmland of Haryana give way to the low, rocky Aravalli hills as you enter Rajasthan.

In Jaipur, visit the galleries of the City Palace, still home to the former royal family, with royal costumes, arms and the giant silver urns used to carry Ganges water to England. Look for the four painted gateways of the Pritam Niwas Chowk courtyard, each representing a season, the peacock gate being the best known. In the evening, dine at the Rambagh Palace, once the residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur. Bring something a little smart to wear.

• MorningBoard in Delhi
• AfternoonCity Palace, Jaipur
• EveningDinner at the Rambagh Palace

OvernightAboard the Maharajas' Express.

Amber Fort and on to Ranthambore

Visit Amber Fort, the hilltop palace of the Kachwaha kings above Maota Lake, a blend of Rajput and Mughal architecture in red sandstone and white marble. Tour the royal apartments and the Sheesh Mahal, the Hall of Mirrors, where a single candle once lit the whole room.

You enter through the painted Ganesh Pol into the private quarters, where the Sukh Niwas was cooled by water flowing through channels in the floor. The ridge above is lined with the walls of Jaigarh Fort, built to guard Amber. Expect ramps, steps and uneven stone, and wear comfortable shoes. Going early in the day means softer light and fewer crowds.

Return to the train for lunch as it heads to Sawai Madhopur, the gateway to Ranthambore National Park. The afternoon is for the lounge, the spa or the view from your window: rocky hills, small villages and, in late winter, fields of yellow mustard. Have an early night, as the safari tomorrow starts before sunrise.

• MorningAmber Fort and the Sheesh Mahal
• AfternoonTrain to Sawai Madhopur

OvernightAboard the Maharajas' Express.

A tiger safari and Akbar's ghost city

Head into Ranthambore National Park at dawn on a jeep safari. Once the private hunting ground of the Maharajas of Jaipur, it is one of the best places in India to see wild tigers, as well as leopards, sloth bears and sambar deer, in dry forest scattered with lakes and ruins below a 10th-century fort. Sightings are never guaranteed. Dress in layers, as open vehicles are cold at dawn in winter.

Return to the train for breakfast as it continues to Fatehpur Sikri, the red sandstone capital built by the emperor Akbar in the 1570s and abandoned within a few decades. Walk through its palaces, courtyards and the great mosque with its Buland Darwaza gateway, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Look for the Diwan-i-Khas, where a single carved pillar supports a circular platform, and the five-storey Panch Mahal. In the mosque courtyard is the white marble tomb of the Sufi saint Salim Chishti, whose blessing Akbar sought for a son; visitors still tie threads to its screens with a wish. Shoes come off at the mosque, and the courtyard stone can be hot, so socks help. Expect persistent hawkers at the gates.

• DawnJeep safari in Ranthambore
• AfternoonFatehpur Sikri

OvernightAboard the Maharajas' Express.

Breakfast with a view of the Taj Mahal

Visit the Taj Mahal early, when the marble changes colour with the light. Built by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal and completed around 1648, it is one of the most perfect buildings in the world. Look closely at the marble, inlaid with flowers of semi-precious stone, and at the Quranic calligraphy framing the arches. Then enjoy a champagne breakfast with a view of the Taj.

Security at the Taj is strict: carry only a small bag, with no food, tripods or large electronics. In winter the river mist often softens the first hour of light. The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, which the operator's schedule allows for.

In the afternoon, visit Agra Fort, the red sandstone citadel from which the Mughals ruled, where Shah Jahan spent his last years imprisoned by his son, with a view of the Taj across the river. Look for the Diwan-i-Am, the hall of public audience, and the marble pavilion of the Musamman Burj. Agra's sweet speciality is petha, made from ash gourd. An optional spa session is available before the train departs overnight for Orchha.

• MorningThe Taj Mahal and a champagne breakfast
• AfternoonAgra Fort; optional spa
• EveningTrain to Jhansi

OvernightAboard the Maharajas' Express.

Orchha's palaces and the temples of Khajuraho

Leave the train at Jhansi and drive to Orchha, a quiet town on the Betwa River that was the capital of the Bundela kings from the 16th century. Explore the fort complex, with the Jahangir Mahal built to welcome the Mughal emperor, and take a short tuk-tuk ride through the village past temples and royal cenotaphs.

Orchha feels far quieter than the big cities. In the village is the Ram Raja temple, said to be the only one where Rama is worshipped as a king, and the tall chhatris, or cenotaphs, of the Bundela rulers line the riverbank, where vultures often nest. The palace terraces give wide views over the forest and river.

The train continues to Khajuraho for the afternoon. Its temples, built by the Chandela kings around 950 to 1050 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are covered with some of the finest sculpture in India: gods and goddesses, musicians, dancers, animals and, famously, scenes of love. Your guide explains their meaning. Of perhaps 85 temples once here, about two dozen survive. The largest, the Kandariya Mahadeva, rises in peaks like a mountain range, and the erotic carvings are only a small share of the whole. Late-afternoon light is ideal for the carvings.

• MorningOrchha Fort and village
• AfternoonThe Western Group of temples at Khajuraho

OvernightAboard the Maharajas' Express.

Sarnath, the Ganges and the evening aarti

Arrive in Varanasi, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the holiest in Hinduism, on the banks of the Ganges. Hindus believe that dying here brings release from the cycle of rebirth, which is why pilgrims come from all over India.

Visit Sarnath, about 10 km outside the city, where the Buddha preached his first sermon after enlightenment, with the Dhamek Stupa and the museum's famous Ashoka lion capital, India's national emblem. Sarnath is calm and green, with monks and pilgrims from across Asia walking round the stupa. The museum is usually closed on Fridays. Then see a silk weaving centre, where the city's famous Banarasi brocades are made on handlooms with gold and silver thread.

In the evening, take a boat on the Ganges past the ghats, the steps where pilgrims bathe and the dead are cremated, ending at the Ganga aarti, a ceremony of fire, bells and chanting performed by priests every night. Do not photograph the cremations at Manikarnika Ghat, and dress modestly. If there is a chance, try a cool lassi served in a clay cup.

• MorningSarnath
• AfternoonSilk weaving centre
• EveningBoat on the Ganges and the Ganga aarti

OvernightAboard the Maharajas' Express.

Journey's end in Delhi

Enjoy breakfast and lunch on board as the train returns to Delhi, arriving at Safdarjung station. The long morning on the train is a good time to pack slowly, settle any extras and share photographs with fellow passengers.

We meet you with a private transfer to your hotel or the airport. In December and January, fog can delay trains into Delhi, so an evening or late-night flight home is the safer choice. We can also arrange a night in Delhi and extensions to Rajasthan, the Himalaya or Kerala.

• MiddayArrive in Delhi; private transfer