Elephants covered in jewels, tea in the maharajah’s carriage on the journey back to school, a pet mongoose under the veranda to ward off snakes... my mother’s tales of a childhood in India were certainly inspirational. But dreams of visiting are one thing; actually going is quite another — and India’s daunting size, heat and teeming cities made even the thought of touring seem hard work.

So, an escorted tour from Bombay to Calcutta, most of the way by chartered train, with an impressive checklist of must-sees, was the ideal India for Beginners course for me and my partner, Michael.

Although luxury tourist trains are not new to India, this cross-continent route on the Viceroy of India is special, as it takes in the highlights of several states.

Our itinerary, from the east coast to the west, included everything on this pair of first-timers to India’s wish list — the pink palaces and fortresses of Jaipur, the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, Delhi, the holy city of Varanasi on the Ganges by train, then onward to Darjeeling and Calcutta by road and air.

Added to that we had two days in Bombay, where our journey started at the Taj Mahal Palace, a classical Empire-built hotel on the edge of the sea, beside the monumental Gateway of India arch.

A day’s guided sightseeing gave us the chance to meet our fellow passengers — a mix of couples and singles, mostly British and American plus English-speaking Europeans — and introduced us to the constant switch from chilly air-conditioned coaches to humid heat that would be the pattern for the coming days.

Once on board the Viceroy of India (a three-year-old tourist train which operates under the name of the Deccan Odyssey when touring its home state of Maharashtra) we were installed in our compact but comfortable twin-bedded compartment with en suite shower room, by Pramod, our steward, dressed theatrically in the style of a Mogul warrior in red frock coat and stylised turban.

Our first stop, Jaipur, was 24 hours away, giving us time to get over our jet lag while watching the green landscape rush by, reading in the bar car, and for me, a massage in the spa carriage while Michael used the little gym next door. It was a new experience being pummelled and shaken at the same time, as the train hurtled along.

For the next six days we had a busy schedule of sightseeing. Apart from a magical, candlelit dinner in Jaipur on a private terrace of the Taj Rambagh Palace hotel — all lit up with fairy lights like Harrods — and some lunches in restaurants, all our meals were on board.

The catering and housekeeping are managed by Taj Hotels with staff seconded from luxury properties across the sub-continent. Food, meticulously prepared with menus changing daily, included Indian dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with specialities from the regions we passed through. Free seating at tables for two or four meant we could get chatting with our fellow passengers or have lazy meals à deux. Indian wine and beer at meals are included in the full board, but drinks in the bar were surprisingly expensive (£13 for two stiff G&Ts).

Every time we left for an excursion Pramod would put down his little red carpet and help us off the train. And when we returned he would be waiting on the platform to escort us back to our carriage and give us cold towels and drinks. Each morning he appeared with the tea tray, every night he did not retire until the last of his eight charges was safely back from the bar car.

Although we needed no reminder of how privileged we were, one uncomfortable incident in our cushioned existence brought it home hard. After a morning of gentle bird spotting in Keoladeo National Park by bicycle rickshaw, our four-course lunch was served while the train was on the platform at crowded Mathura Junction. A youth in rags pressed his face to the window, pointed to his empty mouth and banged with his fists while we pretended to ignore him, until a waiter was sent out to chase him away.

But the most challenging moment of the trip for some was in Varanasi. A predawn start had us jostling in moored boats on the Ganges as the sun came up over the holy city, where pilgrims come to bathe in the sacred river. Unfazed by a gaggle of tourists watching them perform their ablutions, old and young submerged themselves while we took photographs. We then followed a local guide through narrow, rubbish-strewn alleys to the funeral ghats.

As we picked our way we were accosted by badly deformed and mutilated beggars, some showing us their wounds or the stumps of their leprosy-ravaged hands. Trailing these unfortunate people and hawkers offering postcards, we straggled along for what seemed ages. It was all too much for a Swiss woman who had lived in tidy Singapore. She took her handkerchief away from her mouth and nose just long enough to berate the guide. “It is disgusting! We should not have been made to walk through this.” Half of us climbed the steps to the platform where funeral pyres had been burning all night, the acrid smoke hitting our throats, to see ashes that were about to be cast into the river. The rest hurried in horror back to the coach.

While we saw a good deal of real life — some of the poorest people live in shacks along the railway tracks — and it was only too easy to see into their flimsy homes, it was always through the tinted windows of our air-conditioned train. Educational, but not too real for the inexperienced, I suppose. And I loved the unfolding landscape — rice fields dotted with wild peacocks, oxen pulling ploughs, distant mountains, farming villages, wide brown rivers and desert — but sometimes, with no sounds, smells or heat, it felt as if I was watching it all on screen. The photographers on board were frustrated by not being able to open any windows in our 500m-long sealed capsule.

For beginners this was a great introduction to India: we would love to go back and spend more time focusing on one area. But if we never return, it will be a truly memorable taster, with dazzling sights — yes, the Taj Mahal really is as beautiful as they say — fantastic photo-opportunities, delicious food, wonderful service and top-notch guided tours.

Need to know

Caroline Hendrie travelled with Spirit of Adventure (0800 318225, www.spiritofadventure.co.uk/classicjourneys), which offers “classic journeys” all over the world. A Passage Through India, a 15-day escorted journey, includes stays at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel (www.tajhotels.com) in Bombay, seven nights on the Viceroy of India, three in Darjeeling and two at the Taj Bengal in Calcutta for £5,995pp. The cost includes full board (including wine and beer with meals), all bottled water, British Airways flights, gratuities, visa, transfers, guided excursions and travel insurance. Departures are on September 6 and 20. A similar, eastbound journey, starting in Calcutta, leaves on September 2 and 16.

Further information: www.incredibleindia.org.

Reading: Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra (Lonely Planet, £14.99).

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