Indian Odyssey
The Train
The Deccan Odyssey is a special luxury train based on the model of Palace on Wheels. In addition to being a train that touches tourist spots, this aims to be a complete 5-star hotel on wheels.
General Information
The Deccan Odyssey’s sheer luxury is a sight to behold. Everything in the train reflects the ways of Indian Royalty – “Maharaja”. The plush interiors, an awesome cuisine and grate sites to see makes the journey memorable.
Deccan Odyssey Train operates on six different 7 Nights circuits that includes several exotic destinations covering the vast expanse of Maharashtra and North India. Covering Mumbai, Aurangabad, Udaipur, Sawai Modhopur, Jaipur, Agra and Delhi.
Coaches
The Deccan Odyssey comprises 21 superlative, royal coaches. Eleven of these contain the guest cabins and are named after significant regions of Maharashtra. Each cabin on the Deccan Odyssey is spacious and equipped with every modern amenity to make sure that your journey is comfortable and memorable. The cabins are elegantly designed to reflect the various eras of the Deccan dynasties, beginning your introduction to the Deccan region of India. Each coach has four cabins and a common lounge.
The Deccan Odyssey also offers four resplendent Presidential Suites, the pinnacle of style and sophistication, with exquisite decor and all modern amenities.
To help our differently abled guests to enjoy their journey on Deccan Odyssey, we offer a specially equipped cabin for their comfort. Peshwa 1
| Cabin Type | Description | Occupancy | No. of Cabins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double | Queen Size Bed | Double | 13 |
| Twin | Single bed X 2 | Double / Single | 15 |
| Triple | Single bed X 2 + An attached foldable bunker | Double /Single/Triple | 15 |
| Disable | Sofa cum bed + An attached foldable bunker | Double / Single | 1 |
| Total no of cabins | 44 |
Nala and Ruchi Restaurants
The train has two restraints in board that dish out vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisines. The vegetarian restaurant is named after Nala the mythological chef. While the non-vegetarian restaurant Ruchi means fine taste in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India. The interior décor of the restaurants is based in the ruins of Hampi and Halebid. The restaurants have two/four seater cabins that ensure privacy and comfort during your meals.
Peshwa 1 and Peshwa 2 Restaurants
In keeping with the tradition of royal repasts, the Deccan Odyssey has two gourmet restaurants on board, Peshwa 1 and Peshwa 2, which ensure that the cuisine keeps pace with the train’s journey. Chefs whip up the local specialties of each of the very diverse states that the train makes its way through, so you experience every new location with all your senses – taste buds included. There is also a continental menu at each meal.
Conference Coach
The Deccan Odyssey ensures that even while traveling amongst the historical sites in Karnataka, its privileged passengers do not let their work suffer. The train has all the modern facilities and equipments that make it an office on the move. The train has a separate conference coach that has a seating capacity for up to thirty business leaders. The coach also has a forty two inch LCD television and offers high speed internet connection so as to allow its passengers connected with the world outside.
Mumbai-Hi – Bar
The well-stocked bar, called the Mumbai-Hi, will keep you in high spirits through this incredible journey. It’s the perfect place to try Indian snacks and swap stories with your fellow travelers.
Samwad – Conference Coach
The train has all the modern facilities and equipments that make it an office on the move. The train has a separate conference coach that has a seating capacity for up to thirty business leaders. The coach also has a forty two inch LCD television and offers high speed internet connection so as to allow its passengers connected with the world outside.
Plumeria – Spa
The Deccan Odyssey comes equipped with a delightful spa, “Plumeria”, with well-trained masseurs to help you relax your body after a long day of exploration. Using ancient Indian techniques and skills, the salon is a great place for some pampering and sprucing up.
Duration: 7 Nights & 8 Days
Operational Season: October to April
Destinations Covered
New Delhi – Sawai Madhopur – Agra – Jaipur – Udaipur – Vadodara – Ellora Caves – Mumbai
Itinerary
This evening assemble at the railway station at approximately 2015 hours to complete the registration process and check in formalities for your Indian Odyssey journey, as you receive a traditional Indian welcome and enjoy a refreshing drink.
After completion of all formalities, you will be escorted to your delightful cabins. As you settle in, the Deccan Odyssey shall depart Delhi for Sawai Madhopur.
Dinner and overnight on board.
Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan is the alighting point for the famous Ranthambore National Park, and India’s efforts to conserve the dwindling tiger population can be seen here. The park is one of the finest tiger reserves in the country and the most likely place to spot one of these majestic animals.
Enjoy an early morning breakfast before you set out for your morning game drive. Ranthambore is home to several other species as well; you can see herds of Chital and Sambhar deer as well as wild boar, Nilgai antelope and chinkara gazelles. There are also sloth bear, a few leopards and crocodiles. Extensive bird life includes jungle fowl, partridges, quails, the crested serpent eagle, woodpeckers, flycatchers etc. There are also water birds like storks, ducks and geese at the lakes and waterholes. If it’s your lucky day, you could spot a tiger lolling around lazily in the sun, or feverishly hunting down deer around the lakes!
Return to the comfort of the Deccan Odyssey for lunch and a short rest before your next adventure into the village.
The people of Rajasthan’s villages are mostly tribal who subsist on farming and hunting. These friendly folk are warm and welcoming, happy to show guests around their villages, giving deep insights into their daily lives. The women here wear bright colours to offset the drab desert, and most people live in mud huts. Visit a local home and interact with the family.
After a fulfilling afternoon, proceed for a high tea at the Sawai Madhopur Lodge, the former hunting lodge of the erstwhile royal family of Jaipur.
After high tea, it is time to head back to the Deccan Odyssey where you can relax with a drink before dinner on board, as the Deccan Odyssey sets off for Agra, the city of the world famous “Taj Mahal”
Overnight on board.
After a leisurely breakfast on board, you will visit the Taj Mahal, which was Emperor Shah Jahan’s gift of love to his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, and is truly the world’s most wondrous monument. The making of the Taj Mahal is as much a fable as the edifice itself. It took 20000 men 22 years to build this unrivalled mausoleum and its exquisite white marble was brought from 200 miles away by caravans of elephants and camels.
Lunch at a City Hotel.
After lunch your tour of Agra continues as you visit Itmad-ud-Daulah, a marble mausoleum built by Nur Jahan, the wife of Emperor Jahangir, in memory of her father, Ghiyas Beg. Sometimes called the ‘Baby Taj’, it is beautifully conceived in white marble, mosaic and lattice.
Thereafter proceed to Agra Fort, the seat of Mughal reign and administration for three generations. The present structure owes its origins to Emperor Akbar who had its first buildings of red sandstone erected on the eastern bank of the river Yamuna. His grandson Shah Jahan, the most artistic and prolific builder of the dynasty, later added the impressive marbled private quarters and the mosque while Aurangzeb added the outer ramparts. A visit to the Diwan-e-Am, ‘Hall of Public Audience’ and the Royal Pavilions is not to be missed.
Later, you have the opportunity to visit the local markets to admire the exquisite Pietra Dura (marble inlay) artefacts and Mughal ornaments OR as an optional activity you may avail of spa facilities before completing your tour of this historical city.
Late evening, you return to the Deccan Odyssey for dinner and your onward journey to Jaipur, The Pink City.
Overnight on board.
Jaipur, is surrounded by the rugged Aravali hills – crowned by formidable forts – and beautiful palaces, mansions and gardens. Royal processions and parades, in all their splendour, graced these palaces and forts once. The city is a colourful oasis in the desert and you will notice a timeless quality to Jaipur’s bazaars and its people.
After breakfast you drive to Maharaja Mansingh’s 17th century masterpiece, the Amber Fort that overlooks the beautiful Maota Lake. The fort is a sprawling complex of courtyards, halls and rooms adorned with beautiful paintings, precious stones and mirrors. Behold the Sheesh Mahal, ‘Hall of Mirrors’, where a single lamplight reflects in many mirrors, and lights up the entire room, creating a dazzling effect.
En route to Amber Fort visit the Palace of Winds, otherwise known as the Hawa Mahal, famous for its intricate pink sandstone carving and a beautiful view of the city.
Thereafter you will visit the famous City Palace of Jaipur, an overwhelming complex of exquisite palaces, gardens and courtyards, decorative art and carved doorways. The palace museum houses collections of rare manuscripts, armoury, costumes and carpets. Walk across to the adjacent Jantar Mantar, the astronomical observatory built in the 18th century by Sawai Jai Singh. A wondrous achievement for its time the observatory gives accurate readings even to this day.
Lunch at a City hotel.
Following lunch you may choose to participate in one of the optional tours. Enjoy spa facilities at a palace hotel OR have the opportunity to explore the colorful bazaars of the Pink City which offer a wide range of ethnic handicrafts produced in the city-centre and its outskirts.
After your full day of delving in the royal past of Jaipur you will return to the Deccan Odyssey for dinner on board as it departs for Udaipur.
Overnight on board.
Today arrive at the capital of the Gaekwads, Vadodara, located along the seasonal river Vishwamitri.
After breakfast on board, you will disembark and proceed to visit Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the only complete and unchanged pre-Mughal Islamic city in India. This concentration of largely unexcavated archaeological, historic and living cultural heritage properties is cradled in an impressive landscape. Marvel at the Jami Masjid (Great Mosque ) built in 1513 representing a perfect blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture which was a model for later mosque architecture in India.
Drive back to Vadodara for a leisurely lunch on board the Deccan Odyssey.
After lunch, you will visit the Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum, originally constructed as a school for the Maharaja’s children. Today, art lovers can view a large number of works of art displayed in the museum including a collection of the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma and other renowned European Masters as well as a collection of sculptures in marble and bronze.
Enjoy a high tea at the resplendent Lukshmi Vilas Palace, built in 1890, and the residence of the Royal family even today.
Reputedly four times the size of Buckingham Palace, its overwhelming Durbar Hall boasts a Venetian mosaic floor, Belgian stained glass windows and walls with intricate mosaic decorations. The palace also houses a remarkable collection of old armoury and sculptures in bronze, marble & terracotta by Fellici. Witness a folk performance typical of the region as you savour some of the special delicacies from the Royal kitchen.
Return to the Deccan Odyssey for dinner as it departs for Aurangabad.
Overnight on board.
Aurangabad, named after the last Great Mughal Aurangzeb, is an industrial town in Maharashtra and the stop from where to head out to visit the exceptional Ellora Caves, a World Heritage site. The city itself has deep Mughal influences and there are several monuments of note here; the Daulatabad Fort, Bibi-ka-Makbara and the city’s 52 gates, each with its own history.
Today brings a late start, leaving the morning free for you to enjoy a languid breakfast and enjoy some of the activities available on board.
Later, as you savour lunch, the Deccan Odyssey arrives at Aurangabad, from where a scenic drive takes you to the Ellora Caves, carved into the side of a basaltic hill 30 km from the city. The finest specimen of cave-temple architecture in India, the site encompasses 34 rock-cut shrines representing Buddhist, Jain and Hindu art dating from the 4th to 5th century AD. The 12 caves to the south are Buddhist, the 17 in the centre Hindu, and the 5 caves to the north are Jain. The most remarkable is the Kailash temple, meant to be a replica of Shiva’s celestial abode on Mt. Kailash. It is the best example of rock cut architecture and an engineering marvel.
After exploring Ellora, return to the Deccan Odyssey.
This evening relax with a sun downer at the Mumbai-Hi before dinner is served.
Overnight on board.
Early this morning, after breakfast, you will disembark at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Railway Station, Mumbai.
Bid farewell to the Deccan Odyssey as your royal passage through the grand vistas of India comes to an end.
