Railbookers' 59-day, 12-country itinerary includes travel on seven luxury trains, including the iconic Venice-Simplon Orient Express.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Both luxury trains and around-the-world vacations have been in high demand.
Railbookers combined both into a 59-day, 12-country itinerary that includes travel on seven luxury trains.
Railbookers' CEO said the $124,150-per-person trip had a 4,000-person waitlist.
World cruises have been a hot commodity in the luxury travel industry. But if you're prone to seasickness (or don't have more than 100 PTO days to spend), Railbookers has a $124,150 alternative — by luxury rail.
The train-focused tour company's 59-day around-the-world vacation, departing in early September, includes travel on seven high-end trains to more than 20 cities and 12 countries.
Throughout the four-continent trek, globetrotters would go on a safari in India's Ranthambore National Park, cruise the Ganges River, and receive a private tour of the Louvre Museum — all while traveling in bucket-list trains such as Belmond's Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.
It's Railbookers' second year hosting a global itinerary, and travelers rail-y can't get enough.
The itinerary includes six nights on India's Maharajas Express.
Marben/Shutterstock
Luxury trains have been in high demand over the last few years. This itinerary is no different.
Frank Marini, president and CEO of Railbookers Group, told Business Insider that the trip had a 4,000-person waitlist ahead of its launch. (BI could not verify this.)
"The demand was crazy," Andrew Channell, Railbookers' senior vice president of product and operations, told BI. "It's captured the imagination of a lot of people who said, 'I had no idea there was even a luxury train experience you could do there.'"
Some wanted to book the full journey, while others wanted to reserve various legs. Marini said the trip is expected to sell out.
Luxury train enthusiasts will likely recognize several in the itinerary.
Travelers would spend 21 nights on trains, including three on Rovos Rail.
Rovos Rail
The trip starts in Vancouver, Canada, and concludes in Singapore. Guests would travel on seven luxury trains along the way, including three nights touring Scotland on Belmond's Royal Scotsman, two nights sightseeing Italy on the soon-to-debut La Dolce Vita Orient Express, and threenights around South Africa in the renowned Rovos Rail.
Between sleeper trains, guests would spend 32 nights at premium hotels, including Fairmonts in Canada and The Imperial in New Delhi.
The itinerary includes two overnight stays in an Istanbul hotel before flying to New Delhi.
Shutterstock/borozentsev
The itinerary also requires six flights, five of which aren't included in the price.
Excursions are, however, bundled into the $124,150-per-person cost. These activities include a private tour of Venice, Italy's Saint Mark's Basilica, a sunrise stop at the Taj Mahal, and the chance to see elephants and rhinos in South Africa's Pilanesberg National Park.
A more than $2,000-per-day vacation may not be the cheapest global travel option.
The Venice Simplon-Orient Express is one of luxury travel company Belmond's most recognizable trains.
Belmond
The individual trains on Railbookers' itineraries aren't known to be ultra-affordable.
Three nights on the Royal Scotsman in September (as the itinerary includes) goes for about $22,400 per person.
Similarly, a one-night Venice Simplon-Orient-Express trip from Verona, Italy, to Paris during the late-summer month starts at about $4,730 per person.
Around-the-world vacations have been a hit in the cruise industry.
Rocky Mountaineer's GoldLeaf-level travelers have amenities like a two-level coach with a glass dome.
Rocky Mountaineer
Several premium cruise lines, such as Regent Seven Seas, offer annual global voyages.
The luxury cruise line's 132-night 2024 and 150-night 2025 world cruises were sold out in record times: three hours for the former and before bookings formally opened for the latter.
About one-third of the travelers who booked the 2025 itinerary — which started at $87,000 per person — were first-time Regent guests, signaling a growing demand for high-end extended itineraries, a spokesperson told BI.
Railbookers' per-day cost may be more than triple that of Regent's, but it's a great express option if you, like many other wealthy travelers, have several luxury trains on your travel bucket list.
President Donald Trump on Monday said he's not open to pausing planned reciprocal tariffs as his trade war continues to roil markets and create political headaches for fellow Republicans.
The White House, including Trump, continued to send conflicting messages about whether his tariffs were an effort to bring nations to the table or a massive policy shift aimed at reorienting the US economy.
"There can be permanent tariffs and there can also be negotiations," Trump told reporters at the White House.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business that "50, 60, maybe almost 70 countries now have approached" the White House to discuss tariffs.
Earlier in the day, White House senior counselor Peter Navarro wrote in the Financial Times, "This is not a negotiation. For the US, it is a national emergency triggered by trade deficits caused by a rigged system."
Amid mounting political pressure, the GOP leaders of both chambers made it clear they stand behind the president.
"I don't think that has a future," Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters about a bipartisan bill to rein in presidential tariff powers.
Thune's comments came after the White House formally said that Trump would veto a bill to rein in presidential tariff power.
So far, seven Senate Republicans, including Sens. Chuck Grassley and Mitch McConnell, have said they would vote for such a bill. Grassley is the senior most Senate Republican and third in line to the presidency. McConnell led Senate Republicans for nearly two decades.
Across the Capitol, Speaker Mike Johnson sounded a similar note.
"You've got to give the president the latitude, the runway to do what it is he was elected to do," Johnson told reporters when asked about similar House legislation.
Under Grassley's bill, new tariffs would expire if Congress didn't approve them within 60 days. Presidents would also be required to notify Congress of future tariffs ahead of their announcement. Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, one of the most vulnerable House Republicans, has said he would introduce legislation similar to Grassley's in the House.
Before Trump, free trade was one of the pillars of the modern Republican Party. Trump has supported protectionist policies for decades and has been deeply critical of US trade policy.
The White House has sought to buck up support for Trump's latest round of tariffs amid a slump on Wall Street.