The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will operate its Bharat Paithrika Yatra special tourist train from Thiruvananthapuram on May 23. The train will cover destinations such as Mysuru, Aurangabad, Ajanta, Mumbai, Statue of Unity, Hyderabad, Hampi and Goa in 12 days.
Tourists can board the train from Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Ottappalam, Palakkad and Erode.
The IRCTC, a Mini Ratna (category I) public sector enterprise under the Railway Ministry, will offer the tour package in four categories: comfort, standard, economy and budget.
The Comfort category will have AC 3-tier coach, AC vehicles for transfers and AC rooms for night stay. It will cost ₹40,300 a person.
The Standard category will have AC 3-tier coach, non-AC vehicles for transfers and non-AC rooms for night stay. It will cost ₹37,300 a person.
The Economy category will have Sleeper Class coach, non-AC vehicles for transfers, and non-AC rooms for night stay. It will cost ₹28,400 a person.
The Budget category will have Sleeper Class coach, non-AC vehicles for transfers, and non-AC halls or dormitories for night stay. It will cost ₹21,100 a person.
South Indian vegetarian food, services of tour escort and security on train are common for all categories, said Sam Joseph, joint general manager for tourism.
The IRCTC will also operate Chardham Yatra air packages to Badrinath, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and other pilgrim centres in Uttarakhand. The 12-day air package from Thiruvananthapuram will be on June 3 and from Kochi on June 22.
The package includes economy class air tickets from Thiruvananthapuram or Kochi to Delhi and back, hotel accommodation with breakfast and dinner, transfers in comfortable vehicles, IRCTC tour escort services, and travel insurance. It will cost ₹62,600 a person from Thiruvananthapuram, and ₹60,500 a person from Kochi.
For details, people can contact the IRCTC in Thiruvananthapuram at 8287932095, in Ernakulam at 8287932082 or 8287932114, and in Kozhikode at 8287932098. The IRCTC can also be reached at www.irctctourism.com, or through email at tourismkerala@irctc.com.
