Train Journeys: Comfort and Impressions

Train journeys are a wonderful way to discover a country: their sightseeing programmes are every bit as rich as classic tours.

SJourney Vietnam Luxury Express, Vietnam and Indochina

The 12-passenger SJourney is the first train of its class in Vietnam, travelling across the country and the region.

Vietnam (south to north or the reverse), 8 days. Route: Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Quang Binh – Hue – Quang Nam – Phu Yen – Phan Thiet – Ho Chi Minh City. Highlights include:

• the UNESCO-listed Trang An landscape complex with a boat trip among green karst peaks, and Hoa Lu, Vietnam’s ancient capital, in Ninh Binh province;
• Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park with Son Doong, the largest cave on the planet;
• the Imperial Citadel in Hue;
• a stroll and a craft workshop in the ancient town of Hoi An;
• relaxing on the golden beaches of Phu Yen;
• discovering the Champa heritage in Phan Thiet.

Indochina: Vietnam, China and Laos, 8 days. Route: Hanoi – Ha Long – Guilin – Kunming – Dali – Xishuangbanna – Luang Prabang – Vang Vieng – Vientiane. The journey includes:

• a cruise on Ha Long Bay;
• Guilin, with the Jingjiang Princes’ Palace from the Ming dynasty and the beautiful Two Rivers and Four Lakes park, dating back even further to the Tang dynasty;
• Kunming, the “City of Eternal Spring” at 1,900 metres: the 1,200-year-old Yuantong Temple, Green Lake Park and a historic quarter of traditional architecture, craft shops and local restaurants;
• Dali, with its three ancient pagodas on the shore of Erhai Lake (the oldest dating from the first half of the 9th century), and an introduction to Bai culture;
• Xishuangbanna, with tropical landscapes, the cultural centre of the Dai people, known for their reverence of nature, and a cuisine shaped by Thai traditions;
• Luang Prabang and its temples, and the traditional craft village of Ban Xang Khong;
• a morning hot-air balloon flight over the karst peaks, rivers and valleys of Vang Vieng.

There are shorter journeys too. On a 4-day trip from Hanoi you will ascend Fansipan, the “Roof of Indochina”, leaving terraced rice fields, misty villages and mountain ridges below, visit the blooming Muong Hoa Valley in Sapa and cruise Ha Long and Lan Ha bays before returning to Hanoi. A 4-day coastal journey from Ho Chi Minh City to Hoi An passes through Phan Thiet and Phu Yen, with palm-fringed beaches, mountain scenery, the basalt columns of Ganh Da Dia, ancient Cham heritage and fishing villages.

The Blue Jasmine, Thailand

The Blue Jasmine, a restored 1960s train, invites you on a 9-day journey through the history, culture, nature and regional cuisine of Thailand. Route: Bangkok – Ayutthaya – Uthai Thani – Chiang Mai – Sukhothai – Bangkok. Highlights include:

• a welcome ceremony at Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong station, designed by Italian architects more than a century ago;
• lunch by a lotus pond in Ayutthaya and a tuk-tuk tour of the historic capital;
• a sunrise walk through the traditional market in Uthai Thani with alms-giving to monks, visits to the Crystal and Golden temples and lunch on a traditional rice barge on the Sakae Krang River;
• a mountaintop retreat evening in Chiang Mai with a classical music performance and farm-to-table cuisine;
• an ancient temple in Sukhothai and dinner in a garden under the stars with traditional dance and song, plus a pottery and ceramic-painting class;
• a cruise on the Chao Phraya River.

Upcoming departures: 21-29 November 2026, 12-20 December 2026, 26 January – 3 February 2027, 23 February – 3 March 2027.

Dream of the Desert, Saudi Arabia

By the end of 2026, Dream of the Desert, the first five-star train in the Middle East, will make its first journeys. The routes – Sands of the North, Taste of AlUla, Eastern Odyssey, Ramadan Nights and Summer Mirage – were created with the support of the Ministries of Culture and Tourism of Saudi Arabia. Highlights include:

• Sands of the North (3 days / 2 nights, October to May): Riyadh – Al Jouf – Jubbah – Riyadh. The cultural and historical riches of Diriyah, Marid Castle, first recorded in the 3rd century, rock art up to 10,000 years old in the oasis town of Jubbah, and a gourmet lunch among the dunes;
• Taste of AlUla (3 days / 2 nights, October to May): Riyadh – Al Jouf – Jubbah – AlUla. A gala dinner in the Al Jouf desert, a night under the stars at an exclusive desert camp in Jubbah, sunset over the dunes, curated programmes and the best hotels in AlUla;
• Eastern Odyssey (2 days / 1 night, October to May): Riyadh – Jubbah – Riyadh;
• Ramadan Nights (1 day / 1 night, February-March): Riyadh – Al Qassim – Riyadh. A generous feast, stargazing in the Al Qassim desert and an introduction to the spiritual and cultural heritage of Ramadan.

Palace on Wheels, India

Route: Delhi – Jaipur – Sawai Madhopur – Chittorgarh – Udaipur – Jaisalmer – Jodhpur – Bharatpur – Agra – Delhi, 8 days / 7 nights. The programme includes:

• a tour of Jaipur, the “Pink City” (founded in 1727): the Albert Hall Museum, the Hawa Mahal “Palace of Winds”, the UNESCO-listed Jantar Mantar observatory with the world’s largest sundial, the City Palace, Amber Fort and local markets;
• Sawai Madhopur: a morning safari to see Bengal tigers in Ranthambore National Park;
• the monuments of Chittorgarh, led by its fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest fortifications in India, with a sound-and-light show on its walls;
• Udaipur, the “City of Lakes” and Rajasthan’s most romantic city: the 300-year-old Saheliyon-ki-Bari, the “Garden of the Maidens”, with pools and “rain without clouds” fountains designed to cool the royal ladies; the City Palace, Rajasthan’s largest, built over 400 years, and its Mirror Palace; and a boat trip on Lake Pichola past the magnificent Taj Lake Palace;
• Jaisalmer, the “Golden City”, founded in 1156: Gadisar Lake ringed by temples, Jaisalmer Fort and the 19th-century Patwon-ki-Haveli and Nathmal-ki-Haveli mansions (built over 55 and 22 years respectively), plus a dune excursion, camel rides and tea;
• Jodhpur, the “Sun City” or “Blue City”, famous for its fortifications, including the impregnable Mehrangarh Fort on the cliffs above the city; the Jaswant Thada memorial, the Umaid Bhawan Palace museum, one of the largest palaces in the world, and local markets;
• Bharatpur: morning birdwatching in Keoladeo National Park, a UNESCO and Ramsar site;
• Agra Fort, the Taj Mahal and local markets.

Another luxury train in India, the Deccan Odyssey, offers six itineraries, each combining iconic sights with the country’s best beach destinations.

Golden Eagle Luxury Trains, Europe and Asia

Golden Eagle has announced a new Great Silk Road route from Tashkent to Beijing, planned for 30 August to 22 September 2027. The masterpieces of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva in Uzbekistan, Lake Issyk-Kul and the dunes of the Gobi Desert, the Thousand Buddha Caves and the Terracotta Army await on this fascinating journey.

Another journey is the Sicilian Odyssey from Venice to Taormina aboard the Golden Eagle Danube Express. Route: Venice – Cremona – Bologna – Rimini – San Marino – Pompeii – Alberobello – Lecce – Palermo – Agrigento – Ragusa – Syracuse – Caltagirone – Catania – Taormina. The programme includes:

• gondola rides and a private concert in the church of San Zaccaria in Venice;
• the Stradivari Museum in Cremona;
• a walk through Bologna, the culinary capital of Italy, and a toast at the top of the Prendiparte Tower;
• a tour of the Ferrari factory in Maranello or a trip up to San Marino;
• a journey 2,000 years back in time in Pompeii;
• the Casa Setaro winery on the slopes of Vesuvius;
• the secrets of trulli construction in Alberobello;
• a ferry crossing of the Strait of Messina;
• a concert at Palermo’s Teatro Massimo, Italy’s largest opera house;
• the Valley of the Temples and a Sicilian cooking class, a boat trip to Ortigia and the thousand-year-old ceramic traditions of Caltagirone;
• Palazzo Biscari, a masterpiece of Sicilian Baroque in Catania;
• the Etna Museum with a volcanologist.

You can extend your trip independently in Taormina, with its centuries-old architecture and beautiful beaches. Dates: 29 August – 9 September 2027.

Would you like to travel by train? Our travel consultants will choose the route and dates, book your cabin and add hotels before and after the journey.