India runs four luxury trains. Almost everything written about them is written by whoever operates one of them, which means you can find a great deal of material about each train and almost nothing that compares them honestly.
We sell all four. This is what we tell clients when they ask which one to take.
The short version: the differences that matter are not the ones the brochures emphasise. Every one of these trains has good food, a butler, air conditioning and a bar. What actually decides your trip is where the train goes, how often it runs, and whether a departure exists in the fortnight you can travel.
The quick comparison
Journey length | Routes | Departures, 2026–27 season | From (AUD, per person twin share) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Maharajas' Express | 4 or 7 days | North and west India | 28 | $7,700 |
Palace on Wheels | 8 days | Rajasthan | 35 | $8,800 |
Deccan Odyssey | 8 days | Maharashtra, Rajasthan, central India | 28 | $9,700 |
Golden Chariot | 4 or 6 days | Karnataka, south India, Goa | 13 | $4,950 |
Prices are per person sharing a Deluxe cabin, converted from the operators' USD tariffs. Single travellers pay more on every train — how much more varies enormously, and we come back to that below.
Maharajas' Express
What it is. The most expensive and the most decorated of the four, and the one most people mean when they say "the luxury train in India". Four itineraries, two of them short, two of them week-long.
Where it goes. Treasures of India is the short one: Delhi, Agra, Ranthambore and Jaipur over four days. The Indian Panorama runs Delhi to Varanasi via Khajuraho and Orchha. The Indian Splendour and Heritage of India both cross between Delhi and Mumbai through Rajasthan, in opposite directions.
When it runs. Monthly on each itinerary, from late September to early April. That is roughly one departure every seven days across the four routes combined, but only about seven departures a season on any single one.
What it costs. From AUD $7,700 per person twin share for the four-day Treasures of India. The week-long journeys run $12,200 to $12,800. Above Deluxe there are Junior Suites, Suites and a Presidential Suite, and the gap between them is substantial — the Presidential Suite is roughly three times the Deluxe fare.
Who it suits. People who want the short, high-intensity version — Treasures of India packs the Taj Mahal, a tiger safari and Amber Fort into three nights, which is a remarkable amount of India for a long weekend. It also suits travellers already committed to a longer land itinerary who want three nights of genuine indulgence inside it.
Palace on Wheels
What it is. The original. Running since 1982, operated with Rajasthan Tourism, and by far the easiest of the four to actually book.
Where it goes. One route, eight days, entirely within Rajasthan plus Agra: Delhi, Jaipur, Ranthambore, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bharatpur, Agra, Delhi. It is the most complete single circuit of Rajasthan available on rails.
When it runs. Every Wednesday from September to April. That is about 35 departures a season — more than the other three trains combined, and the single most useful fact in this entire article if your travel dates are fixed.
What it costs. From AUD $8,800 per person twin share on September and April departures, rising to about $9,920 from October to March. The season split is real and worth planning around: the same journey costs roughly $1,100 per person less in the shoulder months.
Who it suits. Anyone whose dates are inflexible, anyone who wants Rajasthan comprehensively rather than in passing, and anyone travelling at short notice. With 88 guests it is the largest of the four, so it feels more like a small ship than a private carriage — which some people prefer and others don't.
Deccan Odyssey
What it is. The most varied of the four, and the least known outside India. Six different itineraries, all eight days, covering ground none of the others touch.
Where it goes. This is its real distinction. Maharashtra Splendor and Maharashtra Wild Trail cover Ellora, Ajanta, the Nashik vineyards, Kolhapur, Goa and the Konkan coast. Cultural Odyssey runs Delhi to Varanasi via Gwalior, Orchha and Khajuraho. Heritage Odyssey, Indian Odyssey and Indian Sojourn cover Rajasthan and the Mughal cities in various combinations.
If you have already seen Rajasthan, the two Maharashtra itineraries are the most genuinely different week available on any Indian train.
When it runs. Roughly 28 departures across the six itineraries between September and May — but spread thinly. Maharashtra Wild Trail, which includes safaris at both Pench and Tadoba, runs three times a season.
What it costs. AUD $9,700 per person twin share across all six itineraries, with a Presidential Suite option above that.
Who it suits. Second-time visitors to India, wildlife travellers, and anyone who wants Ajanta and Ellora without the long road journeys they normally require.
Golden Chariot
What it is. South India's luxury train, relaunched by IRCTC for the 2026–27 season with refurbished interiors, 40 cabins carrying up to 80 guests, two restaurants, a lounge bar and a spa. It is also the most affordable way onto an Indian luxury train by a clear margin.
Where it goes. Glimpses of Karnataka is four days: Bengaluru, Mysore, a wildlife safari, and the ruins of Hampi. Pride of Karnataka and Jewels of the South are both six days — the first through Karnataka to Goa, the second across Tamil Nadu to Kerala, finishing in the backwaters.
When it runs. This is where you need to pay attention. Across all three itineraries there are 13 departures in the entire 2026–27 season. Jewels of the South runs three times: 28 November, 20 February and 27 March. If one of those three dates doesn't work, that journey is not available to you this season.
What it costs. From AUD $4,950 per person twin share for the four-day Glimpses of Karnataka — the cheapest entry point to Indian luxury rail by some distance. The six-day journeys are $7,300.
Who it suits. Anyone who wants the experience without the Rajasthan price tag, anyone drawn to Hampi or the Kerala backwaters, and anyone who has already done the north. The caveat is simply that you must plan around its calendar rather than your own.
The thing nobody tells you about departures
Put the season's departures side by side and the picture changes:
Palace on Wheels ~35 departures roughly weekly
Maharajas' Express ~28 departures ~7 per itinerary
Deccan Odyssey ~28 departures 2–7 per itinerary
Golden Chariot ~13 departures 1–3 per itinerary in places
For most people this matters more than the price difference. A client with two fixed weeks in February has a wide choice on the Palace on Wheels, a handful of options on the Maharajas' Express and the Deccan Odyssey, and on some Golden Chariot itineraries, none at all.
It also means the planning has to run in a particular order. The train's departure date determines the rest of the itinerary, not the other way round. Flights, pre-journey hotel nights, the days either side — all of it is built backwards from a fixed date that cannot move. Booking the flights first, then looking for a train, is the single most common way these trips come unstuck.
Three practical notes
Book earlier than feels necessary. Cabins release six to twelve months ahead and the popular dates — Christmas, New Year, the February and March departures — go first. Deposits are typically 20% at confirmation with the balance 45 days out, and cancellation terms tighten sharply inside 60 days.
Arrive the day before. Always. Every one of these trains leaves on a fixed schedule from a fixed station. A delayed connection on the morning of departure does not cost you a night's hotel; it costs you the entire journey. We build a buffer night into every luxury rail itinerary as standard, and we have never regretted it.
Single travellers should compare carefully. The supplements vary enormously between trains. On the Golden Chariot the supplement is around AUD $3,800 to $5,550 on top of the twin fare. On the Deccan Odyssey, single occupancy of a Deluxe cabin is AUD $13,550 against $9,700 sharing. On the Maharajas' Express, the Suite and Presidential Suite cost the same whether one or two people occupy them — which occasionally makes a suite the better value for a solo traveller than a Deluxe cabin.
Which one would we book?
For a first trip to India, where Rajasthan and the Taj Mahal are the point: Palace on Wheels, because the dates work and the circuit is complete.
For the best of everything, on a short timeframe: Maharajas' Express, Treasures of India.
For a second trip, or for someone who wants Ajanta, Ellora and the wine country: Deccan Odyssey, Maharashtra Splendor.
For the south, or for a first taste at a sensible price: Golden Chariot — booked around its calendar rather than yours.
Taj Voyages is an ATAS-accredited (A12208) travel agency in Sydney, specialising in tailor-made journeys through India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Nepal and Bhutan since 2012. We book all four Indian luxury trains and build the land itineraries around them. Prices quoted are per person twin share in Deluxe accommodation, converted from operator USD tariffs and current at the time of writing; fares and departure dates are confirmed at the time of booking.