Royal Orient Train Tour rolls like a movie on the
wheels of the Royal Orient Train. This train has luxury unspoken, and so it
becomes absolutely essential for every traveler to board the Royal Orient at
least once during their lifetime. This tour trespasses all the heritage
destinations of Rajasthan and brings to live, the memories of the bygone
era. You also get to learn weaving techniques in Patola Weaving Center as
the train halts in Mahesana. The train also takes you to various craft
villages like Vishala crafts village and Shilpgram craft village, where you
get to learn a lot about traditional methods of crafting. Besides, the
package is very concise and ends in just seven days. So, it becomes very
feasible for travelers to manage time. As a tour operator we recommend you
the Royal Orient as it is furnished with all modern amenities and is a
guaranteed substitute of the 'Palace on Wheels'. This train also being very
royal, we recommend that you maintain discipline on-board in the train. The
train offers the best of services but do abide by the norms of the trains to
have an access to all the royal services. However, it is guaranteed that
there is no space for boredom in The Royal Orient Train.
Day 01 : Wednesday: Delhi 
This is a luxury train that curves its way through Rajasthan. This train
starts its journey from Delhi on every Wednesdays. Board the train at 3.00
p.m. at Delhi Cantonment Railway Station. Once you are in the train, the
evening welcome tea and dinner is served to you in the luxurious ambiance of
the Royal Orient.
Day 02 : Thursday: Chittaurgarh Udaipur
Chittaurgarh, is the first halt and you arrive here at 5.30 am. On arrival,
visit the Chittaurgarh fort at 6.30 hrs. Also, see Padmini's Palace
the resort of the beautiful princess Padmini. Later, visit the Kirti Stambh-
dedicated to Adinath, the first Jain Tirthankar. At 9 am, the train leaves
for Udaipur 'the City of Lakes'. Have your lunch at the majestic Lake
Palace Hotel in Udaipur at 12.15 hrs. Visit the City Palace, Lake Palace,
Jagdish temple and Sahelion ki- Bari in Udaipur. At 5.30 p.m. depart
for Mahesana.
Day 03 : Friday: Mahesana - Ahmedabad - Sasan Gir
At 6.45 am arrive at Mehsana. After breakfast on board, visit Sun Temple at
Modhera that is dedicated to Sun God. Also visit Rani-ki- vav- an
eight-storied step well and Patola Weaving centers to observe the unique
weaving craft of Patola. Later at 11.15 am depart for Ahmedabad. Arrive at
12.45 am and move to the hotel. Lunch is at the hotel. Post lunch we take
you for city tour of Ahmedabad- the colorful city of Gujarat. We visit
Bhadra Fort and Jama Masjid - built by Ahmed Shah in 1411 and 1423. In
Ahmedabad you also get to visit the tomb of Ahmed Shah, Ahmed Shah's Mosque
and Rani Rupmati's Mosque. We also take you to Shaking Minarets, Hathee
Singh Temple, dada-hari-vav - a step well and Sabarmati Ashram. Later at
8.15 p.m. depart for Sasan Gir. Lunch is on board of Royal Orient.
Day 04 : Saturday: Sasan Gir - Palitana
Arrive Sasan Gir at 8.00 am. After breakfast on board, visit the Lion
Sanctuary and the Gir National Park. Engage in a short one-hour jeep safari
in the park. All meals are kept on board in the train. An excursion of the
Diu Fort and St Paul's Church is also exciting before departing for
Palitana. At 8 p.m. the train departs for Palitana. Dinner is on board.
While on board, avail the luxury of the train, as this train has 13 coaches
and gold embossed saloon that exemplifies the grandeur of the bygone era.
Day 05 : Sunday: Palitana Sarkhej - Udaipur 
Morning have breakfast on board and then at 7.45 am the train arrives at
Palitana, the temple town that has the largest concentration of Jain temples
in the world. There are 863 temples on the Shatrunjaya hill. Afternoon at
12.00 hrs depart for Sarkhej. Lunch on board. On arrival to Sarkhej at 5.45
p.m., we take you to Vishala village - a recreated Gujarati crafts village.
Dinner is at a restaurant and then we depart for Udaipur at 8.30 p.m.
Overnight at train.
Day 06 : Monday: Udaipur - Jaipur
On arrival to Udaipur at 7.15 am have your breakfast and set out for an
excursion of the Ranakpur Jain temples. This place is among the most pious
pilgrim places for the Buddhist. Watch out for the Chamukha temple, amongst
the other subsidiary shrines in the temple complex. After lunch, visit the
Shilpgram craft village located at a distance of 3 kms from Udaipur. This is
a rural art and crafts complex and is conceived as a living ethnographic
museum and within this complex are huts of all member states. At 8.00 p.m.,
depart for Jaipur. Dinner is on board of Royal Orient.
Day 07 : Tuesday: Jaipur 
At 7.50 am arrive to Jaipur. Visit Amber fort and City Palace- the official
residence of the royal family. One part of the City Palace is still occupied
by royal family and another portion is converted to Sawai Man Singh II
Museum. Later, we take you to explore Jantar Mantar, and shopping for the
plethora of handicrafts and other attractions in the bustling bazaars of
Jaipur. On the way to the market, we en route Hawa Mahal and Shisha Mahal.
At 9.55 p.m. we depart for Delhi. Dinner is on board. We reach Delhi at 7 am
the next morning.
I was looking for a trip to India without much
concerns about hotel stays, dining and transportation, as I was travelling
with my family, so a luxury train tour would always be the best option for
me. At first I tried for a reservation in the Palace on Wheels, as this was
the only luxury train I knew before. But somehow I missed Palace on Wheels
and resorted to the Royal Orient Train Tour. Being in the Royal Orient train
is like being at home, not even for a single moment did I feel the exertion
of tour. My son Jeany walked around in the train just like he would do at
home. This train blinks like a meteorite in the night sky and appears like
an anaconda in daylight. The luxury is unsurpassed and comparable to any
other luxury train. This train came as a relief to me because my wife Sheron
is bit scared of the rustic road trips so I had to find luxurious ground
means of travel. This train explores all the destinations of Rajasthan that
people literally long to visit. I was particularly enthralled with the visit
to the Amber Fort of Jaipur. Moreover, the train offers meals that are the
delicacies of royal Rajasthan and I relished every supper, lunch or
breakfast that were served to us. The cuisines were so well cooked that it
suited the taste needs of my children. I admire the saloon of the 13-boogie
train that is furnished with all royal ambiance and is a really refreshing
hermitage, built within the train. I truly admire the courtesy of the staff
of the Royal Orient and love their constant willingness to be at my service.
So, in a nutshell I truly liked the Royal Orient Train Tour.
---- Jacob Cardew from Canada