Delhi — The Imperial Gateway
On the Palace on Wheels route: Day 1 of the 7-night, 8-day itinerary.
About
About Delhi
Delhi is India's capital and, in effect, two cities layered on top of each other. Old Delhi — the walled Mughal city of Shah Jahan, founded in 1639 — is a dense tangle of bazaars, mosques, and havelis, still centered on the Red Fort and Jama Masjid. New Delhi, laid out by the British in the early 20th century around wide colonnaded avenues, is a city of government buildings, embassies, and the sweeping green of Lutyens' Delhi.
Between these two eras sits centuries more history: Humayun's Tomb, the Mughal garden-tomb that inspired the Taj Mahal itself; the Qutub Minar, a 73-meter 12th-century victory tower and UNESCO World Heritage Site; and India Gate, the war memorial arch anchoring the ceremonial heart of the capital. Most Palace on Wheels guests build in a day or two in Delhi before departure specifically to see these sites without rushing.
The Journey
Delhi on Palace on Wheels
The Palace on Wheels journey itself begins at Safdarjung Railway Station, a heritage building from 1929 that still serves as the departure point for this train today. Boarding typically starts in the late afternoon, with Palace on Wheels staff greeting each guest on the platform with a traditional Rajasthani welcome — garlanding, a tikka blessing, and turban-tying for the gentlemen in the group, all set to live folk music and dance.
A personal khidmatgar (butler) then escorts you to your cabin, one of fourteen heritage-named saloons finished in hand-painted motifs and brass fittings. As the train pulls out of Delhi in the early evening, dinner is served in the Maharaja or Maharani restaurant car, and Palace on Wheels rolls south through the night toward Jaipur — the journey properly underway.
Top Highlights in Delhi
- Humayun's Tomb
- Qutub Minar (UNESCO)
- India Gate
- Lutyens' Delhi
- Safdarjung Railway Station boarding ceremony
Climate & Best Time to Visit
Delhi has an extreme continental climate: summers (April to June) are punishingly hot, regularly crossing 40°C, followed by a humid monsoon from July to September. Winters (October to March) are mild and dry, with daytime temperatures around 15–25°C and cool nights — this is also the Palace on Wheels season, and by far the most comfortable time to sightsee in the capital before boarding.
Food & Cuisine
Food in Delhi
Famous Local Food
Delhi's food identity runs through Old Delhi's lanes as much as its monuments — butter chicken and dal makhani were invented here, and the street food scene around Chandni Chowk (parathas stuffed a dozen ways, golgappe, aloo tikki chaat, and jalebi fried to order) is considered some of the best in North India. Mughlai-style kebabs and biryani, a legacy of the city's centuries as an imperial capital, remain a Delhi specialty.
Onboard on This Leg
The welcome dinner aboard Palace on Wheels sets the tone for the week: a spread of North Indian and Rajasthani specialties served in the Maharaja or Maharani restaurant car, prepared by the train's onboard kitchen as the coaches ease south out of Delhi. It's the first of many meals designed to introduce Rajasthan's royal culinary tradition before the itinerary even reaches Rajasthan itself.
On This Stop
Day 1 · Night 0 · Embarkation
Best for: Mughal & colonial history
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