Eighteen days, four gauges, one lifetime. From Shimla's narrow-gauge railbus to the Himalayan Kangra Valley line, Amritsar's Golden Temple, the Rewari steam shed and the metre-gauge that climbs Rajasthan's Aravalli hills — a connoisseur's railway journey across North India led by Andrew McRae of Darjeeling Tours.
"Ride on all railway gauges in India — while they are still there."
Andrew combines a life-long fascination with railways with his interest in local culture (and cuisine!), conveying genuine enthusiasm when journeying in India with other travellers.
Holidaymaking and railways are inextricably linked in Andrew's view of the world, his earliest memories being of watching mighty "Duchess" class Pacific locos speeding past his seaside accommodation in a British Railways 'Camping Coach' — and he's the author of two comprehensive books on the subject.
Having retired from a professional career during which he enjoyed extensive travel throughout Asia and Latin America, Andrew has become a keen student of Indian history and relishes every opportunity to talk about temples, tracks, and trains.
Four gauges — narrow (2'6"), metre, broad and the rare cable-worked hill railway — connecting the Himalayan foothills to the Aravalli mountains via the Punjab plains.
We check in for the long flight east. Travel Pals will assist with onward connections from North America.
Early-morning arrival in Delhi — straight to the hotel for a morning's rest. After lunch, transfer to the National Railway Museum at Chanakyapuri to see the cream of India's railway treasures: the Fairy Queen, the Patiala State Monorail, royal saloons, and a rolling collection that spans 160 years of empire and independence.
The early-morning train from New Delhi to Kalka — gateway to the famous narrow-gauge line up to Shimla. Half the journey is in one of the line's iconic vintage Railbuses (limited to the first 14 applicants); the rest aboard the Kalka–Shimla Express in first class.
Arrival in Shimla by 6 PM. Luggage transferred separately by road. (B, L, D)
We have requested a steam charter down the line to Kathleeghat. The locomotive is currently undergoing repair — if she's steam-able, she will be in steam at Shimla platform. The afternoon is free to wander the Mall, the Ridge, and Christ Church in this most British of hill stations. (B, D)
By minibus to Mandi — a lovely town on the banks of the River Beas. Wander the bazaar, meet the friendly locals, and settle into a basic but clean hotel with an excellent buffet dinner and famously strong beer. (B, D)
The road climbs to Joginder Nagar, the outer terminus of the Kangra Valley Railway. With a good run, we'll catch the 11:55 train for the two-hour ride along the valley to Baijnath Paprola. A short transfer brings us to our central hotel in Palampur — time enough to wander a typical mountain market town. (B, D)
The 10:54 from Palampur, change at Baijnath Paprola, on to Joginder Nagar. The afternoon belongs to the Shanan hydro-electric power station — built in 1932, with a remarkable cable-worked hill railway system that hauls materials up to the 'top lake' deep in the Himalayan foothills. Back to Palampur for the night. (B, D)
A day excursion through fabulous Himalayan scenery to Dharamsala. The Dalai Lama Temple, the mesmerising 'Kora' walk around the temple complex, McLeod Ganj's Tibetan market, and St John's Church in the Wilderness — built in 1852, lit by Belgian stained glass, surrounded by deodar pines. (B, D)
Subject to train timings, we aim to ride the Palampur–Pathankot service across the newly built Chakki viaduct — the last leg of the Kangra Valley line, rebuilt after monsoon flooding washed out the original. From Pathankot, a local train down to Amritsar for the night. (B, D)
A day in Amritsar. Jallianwala Bagh — the memorial gardens of the 1919 massacre under the British Raj. Then the breathtaking, calming Golden Temple, where the langar canteen serves tens of thousands of free meals a day — help roll the chapattis if you wish.
At sunset, the Wagah border flag-lowering ceremony at the Pakistan border — an extraordinary piece of patriotic theatre. (B, D)
The lunchtime flight down to Delhi. Transfer to our hotel for the next two nights. (B)
A choice: a quiet day at the hotel, or a coach tour of the city. India Gate, Parliament, a cycle-rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk bazaar, Rajghat — Mahatma Gandhi's resting place — and Humayun's Tomb. A ride on the Delhi Metro is included for those who want to compare modern Indian rail with the heritage we've been chasing. (B, D)
The 90-minute train to Rewari — the new outpost of the National Railway Museum where their operational steam locomotives are kept. There is the possibility — no guarantees — that the train may be steam-hauled outbound. Time to look round the metre and broad-gauge collection before continuing to Jaipur, the Pink City, by train. Arrival 8 PM, in time for a late dinner. (B, L, D)
Morning at Amer Fort & Palace, high on its rocky outcrop — access by short 4×4 jeep ride. The ride and the palace are well worth the hassle. Afternoon in the city: the pink-stone façades, the Hawa Mahal — Palace of the Winds — and the fascinating Jantar Mantar observatory, with a sundial accurate to 20 seconds. (B, D)
A 170-mile main-line ride south, disembarking at the Rajasthani city of Marwar. A two-hour coach onwards to the small town of Jojawar — and a hidden gem of a palace hotel, our home for the night. In the evening, turn right out of the gate and you're in the middle of the town's commercial bustle; one of the staff guides will walk you through it. (B, D)
An hour's run to Kambli Ghat station — the highest in the Aravalli mountains — for the daily metre-gauge train down to Phulad. Forests, hills, banked curves, friendly locals, and stations where the monkeys aggressively beg for banana skins (or the bananas themselves). One of Andrew's favourite excursions on the whole tour.
From Phulad, three hours by coach to Udaipur — the City of Lakes — for the night. (B, D)
A morning tour of the city and its environs. In the late afternoon, a cruise on Lake Pichola — the Lake Palace Hotel rising in white marble from its island, made famous in Octopussy. (B, D)
After breakfast, transfer for the early flight to Delhi and onward connections home. Some travellers extend in Udaipur or take one of our extension itineraries — ask us. (B)
This tour rides Indian trains across the full spread of classes — Executive armchair seating on some sectors, two-tier and three-tier berths used for daytime sitting on others. At every station, porters bring your luggage to the carriage. The pace is brisk but the wonders compound: a vintage Railbus on a UNESCO line; a hydro-electric cable railway few foreigners ever see; a steam shed; a metre-gauge climb through monkey-haunted forest. While they are still there.
Single occupancy: $6,695 per person · International flights not included.
Limited capacity: Only 14 seats on the vintage Railbus on the Kalka–Shimla line — open to the first 14 applicants. Early booking strongly recommended.
Operated in partnership with Darjeeling Tours Ltd. (UK). Travel Pals handles bookings and concierge for North-American travellers.