India Odyssey Tours - 1 Day Delhi Tour

Indian Railways and the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation provide a variety of luxury rail travel in India. Eight luxury trains are owned and operated by IR, which have decided to introduce luxury Anubhuti coaches on regular trains. The coaches would be similar to those on the Maharajas' Express and the Palace on Wheels.The Fairy Queen is a steam locomotive which runs between the Indian capital, New Delhi, and Alwar in Rajasthan. Built in 1855, it was certified by the Guinness Book of Records in 1998 as the world's oldest locomotive in regular operation after its restoration to haul a luxury train to increase tourism in Rajasthan. In 1999, the Fairy Queen received a National Tourism Award.The Palace on Wheels was also introduced by Indian Railways to promote tourism in Rajasthan. The train was refurbished and reintroduced in August 2009 with new decor, itinerary and cuisine. The palace-on-wheels concept derives from the royal background of the coaches, which were intended to be the personal railway coaches of the former rulers of the princely states of Rajputana, Gujarat, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British India. Each coach has four cabins with twin beds, wall-to-wall carpeting, air-conditioning, satellite television, an intercom, toilets, hot and cold running water and personal attendants.The Royal Orient is another luxury train. The Deccan Odyssey is based on the Palace on Wheels to boost tourism on IR's Maharashtra route. The route begins in Mumbai and travels to Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Goa, Kolhapur, Belgaon, Solapur, Aurangabad, Ajanta-Ellora Nasik and Pune before returning to Mumbai.The Mahaparinirvan Express travels to Buddhist sites in North India. The weekly Golden Chariot connects major tourist areas in states of Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. It is named after the stone chariot at Hampi's Vitthala temple. The train's 19 purple-and-gold coaches bear the logo of a mythological animal with the head of an elephant and the body of a lion. The Golden Chariot began operating on March 10, 2008. Like the Deccan Odyssey, its amenities are based on the Palace on Wheels. The Golden Chariot is operated by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation and marketed by Luxury Trains, with hospitality by the Mapple Group. The train has 44 cabins in 11 coaches named after dynasties which ruled the region: Kadamba, Hoysala, Rashtrakuta, Ganga, Chalukya, Bahamani, Adil Shahi, Sangama, Satavahana, Yadukula and Vijayanagar. It has two restaurants, a lounge, conference, gym and spa facilities and satellite television, and is India's only train with onboard Wi-Fi connectivity.The Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, operated by Indian Railways, is modelled on the Palace on Wheels and follows a similar route through Rajasthan. The train visits several major tourist, wildlife and heritage sites across the state, and was introduced in January 2009. Attractions visited are the Hawa Mahal , Moti Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Ranthambhor National Park, Chittaurgarh Fort, Jag Niwas , Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal. The IRCTC's Maharajas' Express has been in operation since early 2010. The train had been a joint venture between the Cox and Kings travel company and the IRCTC. The train offers five itineraries, all of which begin or end in Delhi and include a visit to Agra's Taj Mahal. It arrives at a different station each morning for off-rail excursions, including shopping and visits to monuments, heritage sites, palaces, forts and hotels. New itineraries include three pan-Indian journeys and two golden-triangle tours of Delhi, Jaipur and Agra. The Maharajas' Express is India's most expensive train.
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