India by rail map & highlights

When working out when to go on a rail vacation, it really depends on how much time you can spare. You can shimmy your way by rail along most of the south in a couple of weeks, and south India is easy to explore by rail. Alternatively, it’s a really good way to see the Golden Triangle, whether you choose to travel on the Maharajahs’ Express or with local people.

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Where to go on an India railway vacation

When deciding where to go on a railway vacation, it’s all about how much time you have to spare. Some of our vacations involve just one memorable overnight rail journey, alongside other activities. You could just go down the royal road and take a few days on board the luxurious Maharajas’ Express in the north. You can easily spend three weeks on a tailor made railway journey though South India alone, taking in the coastal and mountainous glories of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Or spend two weeks crossing east to west through Northern India, going nearly border to border.

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1. Chennai & Tamil Nadu coast
2. Kochi
3. Kolkata
4. Goa
5. Golden Triangle
6. Maharajas’ Express
7. Across Northern India
8. Toy Trains

Chennai & Tamil Nadu coast

1. Chennai & Tamil Nadu coast

Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu and a hub for South India rail vacations. It's also hub of Tamil culture mixed with a gorgeous life's-a-beach-attitude. Chennai has one of the world's longest urban beaches, so you can get a whole day in before boarding a sleeper train to Hyderabad, or simply discover the Tamil Nadu coast, such as at Mahabalipuram and Kanyakumari.

Chennai & Tamil Nadu coast

Kochi

2. Kochi

Kochi is the start and end point for many rail journeys in South India as it has an international airport as well as a main junction station, Ernakulam. This vibrant fort and port city has so many flavours running through it, you lose count. Spice trade is at the heart of its history, so enjoy the heady mix of tropical beach vibe, multi-ethnic culture, arts, food and nightlife.

Kolkata

3. Kolkata

Kolkata is a city that no one can prepare you for. It has history, scholars, poets and the colonial leftovers all mixed up together. Give yourself some time here if you can before hopping on a train. The city is the starting point for many rail vacations in North India, the main station, Howrah Junction, the starting point of many long-distance adventures.

Kolkata

Goa

4. Goa

This small, unique state is a stop on many railway vacations not only for its exquisite beach life but also because it is conveniently en route for those big rail journeys between, say, Kolkata and Kochi. Some trips use an airline transfer between Mumbai to Goa. India’s first semi-high speed AC train, the Tejas Express, transports you between Mumbai and Karmali, Goa, in just under nine hours.

Golden Triangle

5. Golden Triangle

You don’t have to travel on the luxury Maharajahs’ Express if you want to see the Golden Triangle. It’s easy to traverse its vertices using India’s express trains. Start in New Delhi, head to Agra for the great fort and the Taj Mahal, and then up to the state of Rajasthan to the city of Jaipur. The nearest station to Ranthambore National Park is Sawai Madhopur, just over two hours from Jaipur.

Golden Triangle

Maharajas’ Express

6. Maharajas’ Express

Step on board what feels like the Marigold Hotel on wheels, and spend five days being shunted in the most sublime way possible around Northern India. This is one railway journey where you do sleep on board throughout, with stop offs at great cultural and natural sites such the Taj Mahal, Ranthambore National Park and Jaipur in Rajasthan. This really is the golden ticket way to see the Golden Triangle.

Across Northern India

7. Across Northern India

With India’s remarkable rail network you can span the country with ease. Traveling from Kolkata, close to the Bangladesh border, you can travel across India via Bodhgaya, Varanasi, Agra, Delhi and Shimla, finishing close to the Pakistan border at Amritsar. Along the way you’ll see sites that are of vital importance to Buddhist, Sikh and Hindu traditions, plus a Himalayan hill station, and cover a distance of over 1,600km.

Across Northern India

Toy Trains

8. Toy Trains

The name toy train was given by Darjeeling residents for the small, single gauge train that took people up to the region’s tea plantations as early as the 1880s. It’s now a top mountain experience for tourists, as are the other toy trains of Kalka-Shimla railway north of Delhi and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway in the Ghat Mountains out of Ooty. These are rail journeys where a good cuppa is guaranteed.