The Golden Chariot is one the best tourist train that has good connectivity with the famous tourist spots such as Karnataka, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Pondicherry. It was given the name after the Stone Chariot in the Vitthala Temple at Hampi. It offers a mix of heritage, culture, eco-tourism and beach life. Lounge & lax as the magnificent scenery unfolds outside your window with luxury on the inside, thus far reserved for royalty.
In total, they have 19 coaches which are colored in purple and golden. A logo of a mythological animal with the head of an elephant and the body of a lion is embossed over the coaches. The Golden Chariot operates between the months of October March and departures every week, on Monday. It also provides marvelous spa treatment and the dining experience over the train. There are 11 coaches for accommodations and each one of them are named after the dynasties that ruled the region: Kadamba, Hoysala, Rashtrakuta, Adil Shahi, Ganga, Chalukya, Bahamani, Sangama, Yadukula, Vijayanagar and Satavahana.
For dining, it has two multi-cuisine restaurants, namely Nala and Ruchi and it serves bang spread of non-vegetarian and vegetarian cuisines. The names of the restaurants were inspired by the Indian mythological. Nala was a legendary king and a chef in the time of Mahabharata and Ruchi means fine taste and it is a Sanskrit word.
Title of Asia's Leading Luxury Train was awarded to the Golden Chariot at World Travel Awards, 2013. Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation operates this train and the hospitality service onboard is managed by the Maple group. Also, it is a joint venture of State Government of Karnataka - Ministry of Railways.
Destinations covered – Departs from Bangalore every Monday evening followed by Mysore (covering Srirangapatnam, Nagarhole Wildlife Sanctuary), Hassan (Belur, Halebid, Shravanabelagola), Hospet (Hampi), Gadag (Aihole, Badami, Pattadakkal) and Goa. Also, there are two journeys organized by this train. Namely.
a. Pride of the South: Bangalore - Kabini - Srirangapatnam - Mysore - Shravanabelagola - Belur - Halebid - Hampi - Badami - Pattadakal - Goa.
b. Southern Splendour: Bangalore - Chennai - Pondicherry - Tanjavur - Madurai - Thiruvananthapuram - Alleppey - Kochi – Bangalore
The duration of these tours is of 7 nights and 8 days. Each destination mentioned here are marvelous and relaxing. One can enjoy their holiday here.