Palace on wheels to Fairy Queen: 7 top high-end trains in India

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Palace On Wheels

If someone is looking for a mix of royalty, luxury, adventure and beauty, then Palace on Wheels is the best bet. There are 23 coaches in the train and a maximum of 104 tourists can travel in the train. Each coach is named after former Rajput states and matches the aesthetics and interiors of the royal past: Alwar, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Bundi, Dholpur, Dungargarh, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Jhalawar, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Kota, Sirohi and Udaipur.

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Palace On Wheels

Operator: Indian Railways

First trip: January 26, 1982

Route- Delhi-Jaipur- Udaipur- Swai Madhopur- Chittorgarh- Jaisalmer- Jodhpur- Bharatpur- Agra-Delhi

Duration: 8 Days and 7 Nights (from Delhi to Delhi in 168 Hours)

Facilities- 14 salons, 2 restaurants, exotic bar, spa, Live TV, Internet connectivity, music and security

Tour Cost:

Rs 4.4 lakh to Rs 4.6 lakh (Peak season)

Rs 3. 3 Lakh to Rs 4.6 lakh (Lean season)

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The Golden Chariot

The Golden Chariot is a luxury tourist train that connects important tourist spots in the Indian states of Karnataka, Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as Pondicherry, depending on the selected itinerary.

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The Golden Chariot

Operator: Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC)

First Service: 2008

Time - 8 Days, 7 Nights

Routes

> Pride of the South (Bangalore - Kabini - Mysore - Hassan - Hampi - Badami - Goa - Bangalore)
> Southern Splendour (Bangalore - Chennai - Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry - Thanjavur - Madurai - Thiruvananthapuram - Alleppey - Kochi - Bangalore)

Facilities: AC chambers with royal interiors, bars, restaurant serving multiple cuisines, mini gym, Ayurveda spa and other 5-star facilities.

Tour Cost

Pride of the South:

For International tourists: Rs. 3.9 lakh
For Indians: Rs 2. 45 lakh

Southern Splendour:
For International tourists: Rs. 4.4 lakh
For Indian Travelers- Rs 2. 6 lakh

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The Maharajas' Express

The Maharajas' Express is a luxury tourist train which runs on 5 circuits covering more than 12 destinations across North-West and Central India, mainly centered on Rajasthan between the months of October and April.
The Maharajas' Express was voted "The World's Leading Luxury Train" a multiple times in a row at The World Travel Awards in 2013, 2014,2015, 2016 and 2017.

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The Maharajas' Express

Operator: IRCTC

First Service: March 2010

Route:
> The Heritage of India (Mumbai - Ajanta - Udaipur - Jodhpur - Bikaner - Jaipur - Ranthambore - Agra - Delhi)
> Gems of India (Delhi - Agra - Ranthambore - Jaipur - Delhi)
> The Indian Panorama (Delhi - Jaipur - Ranthambore - Fatehpur - Sikri - Agra - Gwalior - Orchha - Khajuraho - Varanasi - Lucknow - Delhi)
> Indian Splendour (Delhi - Agra - Ranthambore - Jaipur - Bikaner - Jodhpur - Udaipur - Balasinor - Mumbai)
> Treasures of India (Delhi - Agra - Ranthambore - Jaipur - Delhi)

Tour Cost:
Gems of India & Treasures of India: Rs 278,586 - Rs 9.3 lakh per head
Indian Splendour & The Indian Panorama: Rs 4.4 lakh - Rs 18 lakh per head
Heritage of India: Rs 4. 9 lakh - Rs 17 lakh per head

Duration:
Gems of India & Treasures of India: 4 days
Indian Splendour & The Indian Panorama: 8 days
Heritage of India: 8 days

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Royal Rajasthan on Wheels

The Royal Rajasthan on Wheels is a luxury tourist train run by Indian Railways and is modelled on the Palace on Wheels. It also follows a similar route through Rajasthan. Tourists are taken to several important tourist, wildlife and heritage sites across Rajasthan.

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Royal Rajasthan on Wheels

Operator: Indian Railways
First Service: January 2009

Route: Delhi - Jodhpur - Udaipur - Chittorgarh - Sawai Madhopur - Jaipur - Khajuraho - Varanasi - Agra - Delhi

Facilities: Super deluxe rooms, restaurants, bar, board room, fitness center, spa, saloons, and enabled Wi-Fi

Tour Cost:

International tourists: Rs 4. 4 lakh -Rs 9. 1lakh per person
Indians: Rs 3.60 lakh-Rs 7.6 lakh
Time: 8 Days/ 7 Nights

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The Deccan Odyssey

The Deccan Odyssey is yet another train modelled on Palace on Wheels to boost tourism on the Maharashtra route of the Indian Railways. It is a venture of the Maharashtra government and the Ministry of Railways, Government of India. With two restaurants and a bar, a sauna, business center and other such amenities on board, the train can be a dubbed a 5-star hotel on wheels. The coaches fitted with special amenities were manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai.

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The Deccan Odyssey

Operator- Indian Railways and Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC)

First Service- 2004

Time: 8 Days/ 7 Nights

Route

> Maharashtra Splendor (Mumbai - Nasik - Ellora Cave - Ajanta Caves - Kolhapur - Goa - Ratnagiri - Mumbai)

> Indian Odyssey (Delhi - Sawai Madhopur - Agra - Jaipur - Udaipur - Vadodara - Ellora Caves - Mumbai)
> Hidden Treasures of Gujarat (Mumbai - Vadodara - Palitana - Sasan Gir - Somnath - Little Rann of Kutch - Modhera - Patan - Nashik - Mumbai)
> Indian Sojourn (Mumbai - Vadodara - Udaipur - Jodhpur - Agra - Sawai Madhopur - Jaipur - Delhi)
> Jewels of the Deccan (Mumbai - Bijapur - Aihole - Pattadakal - Hampi - Hyderabad - Ellora Caves - Ajanta Caves - Mumbai)
> Maharashtra Wild Trail (Mumbai - Aurangabad - Ramtek - Tadoba - Ajanta - Nashik - Mumbai)

Facilities: Cabins, multi-cuisine restaurants, lounges, conference car, on-board spa and other state-of-the-art amenities

Tour Cost

International tourists: Rs 4.4 lakh-Rs 9.5 lakh
Indians: Rs 4. 2 lakh -9.2 lakh

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Royal Orient Train

The Royal Orient is a luxury tourism train that runs between Gujarat and Rajasthan, covering important tourist locations in the two states. Modelled on the Palace on Wheels, the train offers one of the best luxury experience.

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Royal Orient Train

Operator: Indian Railways
First Service- 1994

Route- Delhi - Chittorgarh/Udaipur -Junagarh/Veraval- Sasan Gir/Dilwara - Palitana- Sarkhej- Ahmedabad- Jaipur- Delhi

Facilities- Palatial-style, comfortable cabins, well-trained hospitality professionals, multi-cuisine restaurant, library, bar, spacious bath, a total 5-star facility.

Tour Cost
International tourists: Rs 14,472 + service tax
Indians: Rs 7,480 + service tax

Time: 8 Days/ 7 Nights

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Fairy Queen Express

Fairy Queen runs on steam engine. It has a total of two coaches. One is an air-conditioned car with a capacity of 50 people.

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Fairy Queen Express

Operator: East Indian Railway Company
First Service- 1855-1908
Re-started- July 1997
Route: Delhi - Alwar - Sariska- Alwar - Delhi
Facilities: 60-seater AC chair car designed with large glass windows, pantry car, beautiful lounge.
Tour Cost- (Two-way train journey + sightseeing / stay at Sariska for an adult)
Rs 12,375 + taxes
Time: 2 Days/1 Night

PANORAMA