Eastern & Oriental Express: Wild Malaysia

It is a three-night journey from Singapore, boarding at Woodlands station and returning there on the morning of day four. The train heads north to Gemas, then inland along the Jungle Railway to Taman Negara, before crossing the peninsula to Penang and running south again through Johor. Your cabin is yours for the whole journey.

Departure from Singapore is estimated at 15:00 on day one, and the train is back at around 10:20 on the morning of day four. Those times are estimates rather than guarantees, so leave a comfortable margin when booking onward flights. Transfers to the station are timed around the departure and confirmed with your travel documents.

You board the green and cream carriages at Woodlands train station, in the north of Singapore near the causeway, rather than at a city-centre station. Complimentary return transfers between your Singapore accommodation and Woodlands are included in the fare. Your pick-up time arrives with your final travel documents.

The Jungle Railway is the inland line that climbs the spine of peninsular Malaysia, away from the developed west coast and through some of the wildest country the train can reach. On the morning of day two you have breakfast as the train follows it, then alight at Merapoh for Taman Negara National Park. You are back on board in time for lunch and a relaxed afternoon.

Taman Negara is one of the oldest tropical rainforests on earth, and you choose one experience there: a tiger-habitat conservation walk, a nature-photography immersion, an e-bicycle tour to ancient caves, or a wellness morning of sunrise yoga, forest bathing and sound meditation. Local experts lead each one. You tell us your preference before departure and confirm it on board.

On day three you cross to Penang, Malaysia's cultural melting pot, and choose between exploring the George Town Old Quarter by Vespa with a guide and visits to local artists, a Peranakan cookery discovery, or winding through the streets by tri-shaw at your own pace. You rejoin the train at Butterworth for lunch, an afternoon at the Dior Spa, and a convivial final evening. George Town's old quarter is UNESCO-listed and compact enough to absorb in an afternoon.

The train offers Pullman Cabins, larger State Cabins, and the Presidential Suite at the top of the range. All have en-suite bathrooms, air conditioning and a steward on call around the clock, and all convert from a daytime sitting area to a bedroom in the evening. The grades open on your chosen date are shown on this page.

Fares start from about $5,200 per person for two travellers sharing a cabin, which makes this one of the more accessible ways onto the train. The exact fare for each date and cabin grade is shown on this page. Meals, house beverages, excursions and transfers are already included in that figure.

Yes. One traveller occupying a cabin pays twice the per-person sharing rate, from about $10,400 on this journey, since the cabin is held exclusively for you. Communal dining and bar cars make the train an easy one to travel alone on. Availability varies by date, so ask us to check before you book flights.

Three nights on board with dedicated 24-hour steward service, all meals - a daily four-course dinner, continental breakfast in your cabin, a three-course lunch and afternoon tea - and house beverages throughout. The guided tour of Taman Negara National Park and the Penang Island excursion are included, with a choice of cultural immersions, along with return transfers to Woodlands station. Onboard entertainment completes the fare.

Airfares, hotel nights in Singapore before or after the journey, and travel insurance sit outside the fare. Spa treatments are charged separately, as are beverages beyond the house selection and personal purchases ashore. Gratuities are at your discretion.

Menus are authored by chef Andre Chiang and rooted in the region the train is crossing, with a four-course dinner each evening and a three-course lunch. Afternoon tea is served as the landscape passes, and a continental breakfast is brought to your cabin. Share any dietary requirements when you book so the galley can prepare.

Yes, there is a Dior Spa on board, and the afternoon after Butterworth on day three is set aside partly for it. Treatments are booked and paid for separately once you are aboard. With only three nights, reserve your slot early in the journey.

Daytime is smart casual and light, and the rainforest morning calls for closed shoes, long sleeves and insect repellent. Evenings in the Dining Car are dressier - a jacket for gentlemen, a dress or equivalent for ladies. Carry a light layer for the air conditioning, which contrasts sharply with the humidity outside.

Departures run from 21 September 2026 through to 25 October 2027, across two seasons. Every bookable date is listed on this page with the cabin grades open for it and the fare that applies. The train runs on set days rather than daily, so choose your date before fixing flights.

A deposit of 15 percent of the fare confirms your cabin, with the balance payable 56 days before departure. If you book within 56 days of the date, the full amount is due at the time of booking. Exact figures are confirmed in writing before any payment is processed.

Children are priced by their age on the departure date, with one band for children under five and another for ages five to under twelve. The rainforest excursions and late dining hours suit older children better than very young ones. Email travel@palacetours.com or call 786-408-0610 for an exact family quote.

Fly into Singapore Changi, which has direct services from most major hubs and is around twenty minutes from the city centre. Transfers from your Singapore accommodation to Woodlands station are included, so the journey north is arranged for you. Plan to stay in the city the night before, which also protects you against flight disruption.

Most of the journey is spent on board at an unhurried pace, and the excursions range from genuinely active to very gentle. The e-bicycle cave tour and the conservation walk involve real effort in heat and humidity, while the wellness morning and the tri-shaw tour in George Town are restful. There are steps up into the carriages and narrow corridors on a moving train, so tell us about mobility needs when you book.

Email travel@palacetours.com, call 786-408-0610, or send a WhatsApp message to https://wa.me/17864080610, and a travel specialist or our AI assistant will reply. The departure list on this page is bookable directly, so you can select your date and cabin grade and confirm online. If you would like to weigh the rainforest route against the Langkawi and Perlis itinerary, just ask.