The Palace on Wheels is a luxury tourist train. It was launched by the Indian Railways in association with Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation to promote tourism in Rajasthan.
The train service was refurbished and relaunched in August 2009 with a new decor, itinerary and cuisine. It was voted the 4th luxurious train in the world in 2010.
Each saloon highlights the cultural ethos of the state, represented through the use of furniture, handicrafts, painting and furnishings. Delhi-based interior designer Monica Khanna did the interiors of the train.
There are 23 coaches in the train. 104 tourists can travel in train. Each coach is named after former Rajput states and matches the aesthetics and interiors of the royal past: Alwar, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Bundi, Dholpur, Dungargarh, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Jhalawar, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Kota, Sirohi and Udaipur. Each coach has four cabins (named chambers or saloons by the company) with luxury amenities and Wi-Fi internet. The train has two restaurants, The Mahārāja and The Mahārāni, with a Rajasthani ambience serving continental, Chinese cuisine, one bar cum lounge, 14 saloons and a spa.
The train has a 7 nights & 8 days itinerary departs from New Delhi (Day 1), and covers Jaipur (Day 2), Sawai Madhopur and Chittaurgarh (Day 3), Udaipur (Day 4), Jaisalmer (Day 5), Jodhpur (Day 6), Bharatpur and Agra (Day 7), return to New Delhi (Day 9).