Tag: Luxury Train Travel in India

The Buddhist Circuit Tourist Train, Golden Chariot, and Maharajas’ Express, operated by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, offer unique and enriching journeys to their guests, with exquisite onboard facilities, including spacious cabins, fine dining, and exclusive upholstery.

The Buddhist Circuit Tourist Train covers important destinations associated with the life of Lord Buddha, the Golden Chariot showcases the architecture, culture, and history of the southern part of India, while the Maharajas’ Express provides guests with a luxurious and cultural experience while visiting prominent places of interest. These trains, which provide most prestigious travel options in India, have won numerous awards.

Buddhist Circuit Tourist Train

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a travel, tourism, and hospitality PSU under the Ministry of Railways, is resuming the operation of its Buddhist Circuit Tourist Train after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. The seven-night, eight-day train tour covers important destinations associated with the life of Lord Buddha, such as Bodhgaya, Nalanda, Varanasi, Lumbini, Kushinagar, Sravasti, and ends with a visit to the Taj Mahal. The fully air-conditioned deluxe tourist train consists of 12 state of the art LHB coaches with the option of traveling on specially designed AC-I or AC-Il coaches, costing Rs 90,240 per person. The train also offers in-room amenities, spacious dining cars, a fully equipped kitchen car, and local and international cuisines. IRCTC is the largest mass rail tourism operator in India and has established a place in the religious tourism market by operating tourist train packages for tourists of different faiths.

Golden Chariot

The Golden Chariot Luxury Train is a luxury tourist train operated by the IRCTC, marketed and owned by Karnataka Tourism. It operates in the southern part of India, showcasing the architecture, culture, and history of the region. The guest carriages are named after the dynasties that ruled south India and have four deluxe cabins with a mix of twins and doubles. The train boasts two restaurants, a bar, a spa, and fitness centre.

After being in operation for a decade, the train was taken over by the IRCTC, which refurbished the train and added new features such as renovated rooms and bathrooms, smart TVs, and safety measures. The train offersthree carefully selected itineraries, including Pride of Karnataka, Jewels of South, Majestic Karnataka, and Sojourn of India, covering various destinations in South India.

The Golden Chariot aims to connect the dots of South India’s rich history and culture through its destinations, showcasing thelegacyof the dynasties and their patronage of arts and crafts. The train also offers an array of delicious meals from across the world, selected house wines and beers included in the cost, and spa therapies.

Maharajas’ Express

The Maharajas’ Express luxury train is a prestigious train owned and operated by the IRCTC. It offers a unique and enriching journey experience with its exquisite facilities onboard. The train has four different types of accommodation, all with ensuite bathrooms, adequate wardrobe space, and luggage holds. The carriages are named after semiprecious and precious gemstones and have been tastefully planned with unique upholstery. The train also boasts of providing the most spacious cabins among all luxury tourist trains. The train has two restaurants, each with a seating capacity of 42 guests, and two bar cum lounges, offering house pours and select international wines and spirits. Tthe train has won numerous awards, including the Seven Stars Awards for the category “Luxury Hospitality and Lifestyle Awards” in 2015

The Golden Chariot Luxury Train is a luxury tourist train operated by the IRCTC, marketed and owned by Karnataka Tourism

and 2016 and “Best Luxury Train” in 2022. The train has also been awarded the World Travel Award in the category of “World leading Luxury Train? for six consecutive years from 2012 to 2017

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Travel in a luxury train has its own charm, and luxury trains operated by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) in India offer you magnificent hospitality and a world overflowing in opulence, exuding an impression that takes you back to the days of Maharajas.

Trains take you to places, but luxury trains take you to places in style. Offering a seamless blend of the romance of a bygone era with contemporary finesse, luxury rail journeys in India offer unparalleled opportunities to discover the true essence of Indian culture. IRCTC – run Golden Chariot and Maharajas’ Express welcome travellers to embark on a beguiling journey to discover the rich heritage of India and experience luxury train travels in India, while also offering outstanding customer service and travel experience.

The Golden Chariot

The Golden Chariot Luxury train is owned by Karnataka Tourism and marketed and operated by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited the leading luxury tourist train op- erator of the country. The Golden Chariot Luxury Train operates in the South of India cover various states of the southern peninsula.

Destinations covered

The Golden Chariot is an attempt to connect Some of the important dots which have shaped the his tory of South India through several centuries. Destinations on the Golder Chariot route have been chosen to showcase the architecture, culture and history of this region. The unique position of the Southern peninsula, surrounded by Arabian Sea in West, the Indian Ocean in South and Bay of Bengal in the East saw Several dynasties having trade and political linkages with both the West and East. These dynasties with their patronage of the arts and crafts have left an indelible mark on the terrain through intricately carved temple and other structures which tell a tale of the glorious past of these lands.

Facilities on board

The Guest carriages of the Golden Chariot train are named after the dynasties which ruled south India over several centuries. Each guest carriage has four Deluxe cabins with a mix of twins and doubles. The guest cabins are a mix of 13 Double Bed Cabins, 30 Twin Bed Cabins and 1 Cabin for specially abled.

The two restaurants, Ruchi and Nalapaka, serve delectable meals from across the world with an array of Indian options. Madira, the bar serves choicest of wines, beers and spirits. Arogya the Spa Cum Fitness Center combines traditional Ayurvedic Spa therapies with modern workout machines.

Changes post IRCTC took over

After being in operation for a de- cade between 2008 and 2018, the train was taken over by IRCTC under an agreement with Karna- taka Tourism whereby IRCTC, the hospitality and tourism arm of Ministry of Railways, Government of India has taken over the responsibility of marketing and operations of the train.

The entire train has undergone a thorough refurbishment after been taken over by IRCTC. To add to the guest’s comforts, the train now boasts of several new features including newly upholstered furniture, elegant drapery, renovated rooms and bathrooms, crockery and cutlery of reputed international brands and an exquisite range of linen. For providing wholesome in-room entertainment, smart TVs with variety of WIFl enabled subscription’s including Netflix, Amazon, Hotstar etc have been installed. CCTV Cameras and Fire Alarm System have been added for more safety.

Experienced chefs have created menus presenting an eclectic mix of mouthwatering international as well as domestic fare. The Package now comes with selected house wines and beers included in the cost with a host of spirits on offer. The guests can continue to enjoy relaxing spa therapies at the onboard spa which has also been provided with modern work out machines for the fitness enthusiasts.

The Golden Chariot
The train offers three carefully selected itineraries:
Pride of Karnataka (6 Nights/7 Days): Bengaluru and Bandipur – Mysore – Halebidu and Chikmangalur- Hampi- Pattadakal and Aihole -Goa – Bengaluru.
Jewels of South (6 Nights/7 Days): Bengaluru and Mysore – Hampi – Mahabalipram – Thanjavur and Chettinad – Cochin – Kumarakom – Bengaluru
Majestic Karnataka (2 Nights/3 Days): Bengaluru – Mysore Hampi – Goa
Sojourn of India (3 Nights/ 4 Days): Goa – Hampi – Chimangalur – Goa – Mysore – Bengaluru

Maharajas’ Express

The Maharajas’ Express luxury train is owned and operated by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited, a Government of India Enterprise and also the professional hospitality and tourism arm of the Indian Railways.

Maharajas’ Express commenced operation in 2010 and has been one of the most prestigious luxury trains in the world during the last 12 years of its operation. The train has carved a niche market for itself in the field of luxury tourism for its enriching journey experiences coupled with exquisite facilities onboard.

Facilities on board

The 23 carriage long train houses four different types of accommodation viz. Deluxe Cabins, Junior Suite Cabins, Suites and Presidential Suite. All cabins come with ensuite bathrooms. The cabins are provided with adequate wardrobe space and luggage holds. The ensuite bathrooms have 24 hours running hot and cold-water Supply. The Deluxe Cabins and Junior Suite Cabins have a WC and Shower Chamber The Suites have a bathroom with a WC and Bathtub. The Presidential Suite has two bathrooms one with a WC and Shower Chamber and the other with a WC and Bathtub. Maharajas’ Express boasts of providing the most spacious cabins among all luxury tourist trains.

The carriages are named after semi-precious gemstones and the interiors of each cabin have been tastefully planned. All cabins of the same class, although same in terms of size and services, has different upholstery to give it a unique ap- peal. The Presidential Suite, which spans one full carriage has a living area with two bedrooms both having attached bathrooms. It has been given a Lotus Theme which is reflected in the hand painted ceilings, wall tiles of bathrooms, drapery and paintings.

The train has two restaurants having seating capacity of 42 each. One of the restaurants is called Rang Mahal literally meaning ‘Palace of Colours’. This restaurant has a hand painted fresco ceiling showcasing the vibrant Colours of India. The other restaurant is called Mayur Mahal which is themed after the National Bird of India, Peacock. Each restaurant serves the same menus and guests can choose to sit in either of the restaurants. In addition to the restaurants, there are 02 Bar cum Lounges in the train. The Rajah Club and Safari Bar which serves a mix of House Pours and other international brands. The House Pours are included in the Package and select international Wines and spirits are on sale.

The train houses a full kitchen onboard which serves a mix of international and Indian cuisines. The menus changes daily and guests can make special dietary requests before commencement of the journey. Owing to its exquisite services, the train has been the winner for two consecutive years (2015 & 2016) of Seven Stars for the category “Luxury Hospitality and Life style Awards“.

Maharaja’s Express
The train offers four exquisite journey options:
Indian Splendour (6 Nights/7 Days): Starting in Delhi covering Agra, Ranthambore, Jaipur, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Udaipur and ending in Mumbai.
Heritage of India (6 Nights/ 7 Days): Starting in Mumbai covering Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaipur, Ranthambore, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra and ending in Delhi.
Indian Panorama (6 Nights/7 Days): Starting in Delhi cover ng Jaipur, Fatehpur Sikri, Ranthambore, Agra, Orcha, Khajurano Varanasi and ending in Delhi.
Treasures of India (3 Nights/ 4 Days): Starting in Delhi covering Agra, Ranthambore and Jaipur and ending in Delhi.

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