Bengaluru, Oct 22 Karnataka’s flagship luxury tourist train, the Golden Chariot, will commence its 2026-27 season on October 24 with enhanced onboard hospitality and curated itineraries covering wildlife, royal heritage, UNESCO World Heritage sites, coffee estates and coastal destinations, Tourism Minister K J George said on Thursday.
The five-night, six-day ‘Pride of Karnataka’ journey, the first trip of the season, has recorded 100 per cent bookings, with 75 guests set to travel, he said. Nearly 60 onboard staff members will provide hospitality and other services during the journey.
George said Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had taken a keen interest in strengthening the Golden Chariot as one of Karnataka’s flagship premium tourism products.
“Our objective is to offer world-class hospitality while showcasing Karnataka’s diversity through a carefully curated journey and position the Golden Chariot strongly in domestic and international premium tourism markets,” he said in a release.
The ‘Pride of Karnataka’ itinerary brings together wildlife experiences at Bandipur, the royal heritage of Mysuru, the architectural legacy of Belur and Halebidu, coffee estates in Chikkamagaluru, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hampi and Goa’s coastal attractions and Indo-Portuguese heritage, the release said.
Ahead of the new season, the train underwent scheduled technical maintenance at the Mysuru Workshop between May and August 2026. Its exterior was refreshed, while onboard hospitality facilities were upgraded. The kitchen now has a combi oven and high-capacity induction systems. The onboard RO water purification plant was also upgraded.
A total of 13 luxury journeys have been scheduled for the 2026-27 season, comprising seven ‘Pride of Karnataka’ trips, three ‘Glimpses of Karnataka’ journeys and three ‘Jewels of South’ journeys.
Tourism Secretary Ram Prasath Manohar said the full booking for the first trip provided an encouraging start to the season.
“The priority now is to sustain this demand across the season,” he said.
Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) Chairman M Srinivas said,
“Our priority is to carry this momentum into subsequent journeys and take Karnataka’s diverse tourism experiences to a larger number of domestic and international travellers,” he said.
(PTI News)
