Meet & greet, transfer to hotel: Welcome to India! You will be met on arrival in Mumbai by a local representative and introduced to your private driver. Together they will take you to your city hotel to check in.

Time to recover: Once arrived and checked in, you have the remainder of the day at leisure to relax after your long flight.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Taj Mahal Palace (Luxury Room)

Morning tour of Mumbai: After breakfast, you will meet up with a private guide and head out to explore India's most enthralling city. The tour will begin at Victoria Terminus - also known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, or CST - an architectural marvel of Mumbai. A UNESCO Heritage Site, the station is a hallmark of Victorian Gothic style on par with Paddington or St. Pancras. You will continue on foot down DN Road, also called the Heritage Mile. DN Road is one of the oldest parts of the city, reminiscent of its colonial past, and your walk here will culminate at the ornate Flora Fountain. Continue to explore the charming historic district of Kala Ghoda, with its many Gothic buildings and numerous art galleries. From here head on to the Gateway of India, an icon of Mumbai which has greeted visitors to Indian shores since 1911. From the Gateway you will reunite with your driver and head by road to the Oval Maidan where in a great phalanx lie the Old Secretariat, University Library and Convocation Hall, High Court Building, the old PWD Building and Telegraph Department.

Afternoon at leisure: After ample time to take in all of these impressive buildings, you will return to the hotel to spend the rest of the day relaxing.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Taj Mahal Palace (Luxury Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Private transfer: After a leisurely morning, you will be picked up from the hotel and transferred to the Taj Mahal Palace hotel where you will be met by representatives of the Maharaja's Express. They will then transfer you on to the train, and your adventure begins!

Day 1 - Mumbai: You will be escorted to world-famous Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus Railway Station in Mumbai to board the train. The train will then leave for Ajanta. Dinner is served on board.

Accommodation: Stay tonight onboard the Maharaja's Express (Deluxe Cabin)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 2 - Ajanta: After breakfast, you will leave the train for an excursion to the Ajanta Caves. These archaic rock monuments date back to the 2nd century BC, and comprise of fascinating Buddhist and Jain sculptures. Return to the comforts of the train for lunch, and then afternoon and evening at leisure on board. The train moves on towards Udaipur, the 'City of Lakes'.

Accommodation: Stay tonight onboard the Maharaja's Express (Deluxe Cabin)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3 - Udaipur: On arrival in Udaipur this morning, you will proceed for a picturesque boat ride on the calm waters of Lake Pichola. This is followed by visit to the grandiose City Palace, the largest palace complex in Rajasthan, a blend of imposing Rajput military architecture on the outside and lavish decorative art on the inside. A regal lunch will be served at the Satkar Hall of Fateh Prakash Palace, neighbouring the City Palace, and then after lunch, guests are welcome to return to the train to relax or undertake an optional excursion such as a shopping tour or spa treatment at a city hotel.

Accommodation: Stay tonight onboard the Maharaja's Express (Deluxe Cabin)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4 - Jodhpur: On the 4th day of the tour itinerary, you will arrive in the sun city of Rajasthan - Jodhpur. In the morning, you are at leisure, with the option of a side trip to a rural Bishnoi village outside the city. Lunch is served on-board, and then after lunch you will head into the city to visit the magnificent Mehrangarh Fort. A visit to Mehrangarh is followed by a walking tour in the lively Clock Tower Market, and you will then return to the train for dinner. In the evening, an exclusive Royal Cocktail Dinner is arranged, accompanied by a cultural performance at Hanwant Mahal which will be concluded with a show of fireworks.

Accommodation: Stay tonight onboard the Maharaja's Express (Deluxe Cabin)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 5 - Bikaner: This morning you will relax on board, watching the stunning Rajasthani countryside slip by outside. At lunchtime, you will arrive in Bikaner, where you will be taken for a visit to Junagarh Fort, and then for a tea break at Gajner Palace. In the late afternoon, you will be taken out of the city for sundown cocktails on the sand dunes. This evening, the train heads on to Jaipur.

Accommodation: Stay tonight onboard the Maharaja's Express (Deluxe Cabin)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 6 - Jaipur: Today finds you in Jaipur, the Pink City, and most regal of all in Rajasthan. In the morning, you will be taken to visit the mighty Amber Fort and also to the Jai Mahal Palace, where you come face-to-face with the palace elephants! After lunch, you are welcome to return to the train to relax, or undertake further sightseeing tours, shopping trips, or spa services in a city hotel.

Accommodation: Stay tonight onboard the Maharaja's Express (Deluxe Cabin)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 7 - Ranthambore: This morning, you will arrive at Ranthambore National Park. You will be taken for an early morning safari in the park (tiger spottings are likely, but not guaranteed!) and then return to the train and press on to the abandoned Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri. You will arrive at Fatehpur Sikri in the afternoon and take a guided tour of the UNESCO Heritage Site, then take dinner onboard.

Accommodation: Stay tonight onboard the Maharaja's Express (Deluxe Cabin)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 8 - Agra: Early this morning you arrive in Agra, for the climax of your tour. You will enjoy a champagne breakfast at Taj Khema, with views of the Taj Mahal. You then proceed for a guided tour of this staggering monument to love, one of the world's true 'must-sees'. Return to the train for a sumptuous lunch, and enjoy your last afternoon on board as the train makes its final onward journey to Delhi.

Private transfer from the railway station to your hotel: On arrival at the railway station in Delhi, you will disembark the Maharaja's Express. You will be met on arrival by a private guide and driver, and then transferred to your hotel to check in.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at The Imperial (Imperial Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Morning tour of Old Delhi: This morning, meet up with your guide and set out to explore Old Delhi. Start at Jama Masjid which is the largest mosque in India, with a courtyard capable of holding 25,000 devotees. Its construction started in 1644 and it ended up the final act of architectural extravagance of legendary ruler Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who also built the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort. Head outside the mosque and into the surrounding bazaars (closed on Sundays), which can be explored on foot or by rickshaw. Here you can witness centuries-old arts and crafts, where present owners may be of the 6th or 7th generation to ply the family trade. There are many typical and fascinating businesses here, including a marvellous old-fashioned shop where you can test Indian perfume (attar) from cut-glass bottles. You may also saunter through the main bridal street of Old Delhi, Kinari Bazaar, with its dazzling display of embroidered silk wedding sarees, beautiful bangles and colourful turbans for the bridegroom. Move on to the Khari Baoli, which is all about spices, and where dealers of rice, dal, dry fruits, nuts, and saffron have traded for more than 150 years. The smell of the spices will remain with you even after you have left the market.

Afternoon at leisure: Return to the hotel in the early afternoon, and you then have the remainder of the day at leisure to relax or explore independently.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at The Imperial (Imperial Room)

Meals: Breakfast