Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) is offering special vacation tour packages to various centres, including Kashi and Ayodhya, from Kerala.
While the tour to Kashi and Ayodhya will be by train, the packages to Andaman Islands and Hyderabad will be by flight.
The eight-day Kashi-Ayodhya tour package by Bharat Gaurav tourist train will start from Kochuveli on May 18. The tour by sleeper class will cost a person ₹18,060.
IRCTC joint general manager Sam Joseph P. said that the 14-bogey Bharat Gaurav tourist train would have specially modified coaches with better toilet facilities. He said the tour would cover the famous Kashi Viswanath Temple, Sarnath Temple and Ayodhya Ram Temple. Participants will get a chance to take part in the famous Ganga Aarti at Kashi.
Participants can board the train from Kochuveli, Kollam, Chengannur, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Ottapalam and Palakkad. The train will return on May 25.
The IRCTC is offering a six-day tour from Kochi to Andaman by air on May 12. The package costing ₹53,430 per head will cover tourist attractions such as Port Blair, Rose Island, North Bay Island, Havelock Island and Neil Island.
There are two tour packages to Hyderabad from Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode airports. The four-day tour from Calicut International Airport, Karipur, on May 23 will cost ₹23,250. The tour from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on May 24 will cost ₹19,500. “The price difference is because of the air fare,” said Mr. Joseph. He said the tour would cover tourist attractions such as Ramoji Film City, Birla Mandir, Charminar, Makkah Masjid, Chowmahalla Palace, Salar Jung Museum, Lumbini Park, Golconda Fort, and Statue of Equality.
Besides, there will be an air tour package from Thiruvananthapuram to Varanasi, Ayodhya and Prayagraj on May 24. For details, IRCTC can be contacted at 8287932095 (Thiruvananthapuram), 8287932098 (Kozhikode), 8287932082 (Ernakulam) and 9003140655 (Coimbatore).
