Jewels of the Deccan
Explore the Deccan’s vibrant locales, timeless traditions and cultural diversity on board the country’s finest and state-of-the-art luxury train - The Deccan Odyssey. This tour is applicable for travel on specific departure dates – 27th November, 2021 & 12th March, 2022.*
Day 1: Mumbai: Late in the afternoon, you will board the Deccan Odyssey at the Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and begin your enchanting journey to Bijapur.
Day 2: Bijapur: Arrive at the historic capital of the Sultans of the Deccan Bijapur. You will spend the day exploring the major attractions of the city. You will visit the following places:
Gol Gumbaz: the second largest tomb in the world and the mausoleum of Adil Shah, the erstwhile Sultan of Bijapur.
Jumma Masjid, believed to be one of the first mosques that were built in India and Malik-e-Maidan, the largest medieval canon in the world.
Mehtar Mahal, a 17th century ornamental entrance to a mosque and Ibrahim Rouza, a masterpiece of Islamic architecture renowned for its 24m high minarets.
You will return to your luxury train for lunch. After lunch, you will proceed to Aihole and Pattadakal.
Day 3: Aihole – Pattadakal: This morning, you will visit the superlative Chalukyan temples of Aihole and Pattadakal which boasts a mélange of South Indian (Dravidian) and North Indian (Nagara) styles of architecture.
After lunch, you may like to visit the impressive weaving village of Guledgudda, known for the Ilkhan and Khun hand and power looms. You will also have the opportunity to spend some time and interact with the local weavers.
Alternatively, you can explore the rock-cut caves and beautifully sculptured temples of Badami.
You will then return to your train and proceed towards Hampi.
Day 4: Hampi: Today, you will visit Hampi, the ancient ruined city and erstwhile capital of the Vijaynagar Empire. You will visit the following monuments:
The Narasimha Temple which houses the huge monolith of Ugra Narasimha (half man and half lion statue), an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and Mustard Ganesha where, you will see the statue of the elephant God.
The centuries old Virupaksha Temple, the holy temple of the early Kings of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th century. You will also take a walk along the banks of the scenic Tungabhadra River.
The Vijaya Vitthala Temple whose pillars produce musical notes on being struck, and a stone chariot that is said to have once had rotating wheels.
Later in the afternoon, you will visit the Royal Center at Hampi which constitutes the courtly and military structures that were once the citadel of Vijayanagara Kings. Thereafter, you will visit the key monuments of the Royal Enclosure - Queen's Bath (ancient-royal stepped tank), Mahanavami Dibba or great platform and the Lotus Mahal.
You will end your tour with a visit to Hazararama Temple whose walls chronicle the Ramayana and the erstwhile Elephant stables.
You will then return to your train and proceed towards the City of Nizams, Hyderabad.
Day 5: Hyderabad: After breakfast, you will visit the fort at Golconda which served as the capital of the Qutb Shahi Kings who ruled over the area. Within the fort are the royal palaces, the harem, halls for both public and private audiences, royal baths and a temple. The huge vaults once held the famous Kohinoor and Hope diamonds.
Later in the afternoon, you will visit the quaint and bustling by-lanes of Laad Bazaar known for traditional glittering bangles amongst a host of other items. You may also like to sample the culinary delights of the city, like the Biryani.
Afterwards, you will visit India’s latest palace hotel – the Falaknuma Palace. It is home to priceless art and artifacts, ornate inlaid furniture from Kashmir, rich handcrafted tapestries and brocades from France, and intricate frescos with English and Indian influences.
You will then return to your train and proceed towards Aurangabad.
Day 6: Aurangabad – Ellora Caves: After breakfast, you will visit the Buddhist, Jain and Hindu caves at Ellora (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
You will return to the train for lunch and the remainder of the day will be at leisure. Later in the evening, you will proceed towards Jalgaon.
Day 7: Jalgaon – Ajanta Caves: This morning, you will visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ajanta Caves. Dating from 200 BC to 650 AD, these caves or viharas are remarkable for the quality of their murals, which depict the life of The Buddha and reveal images of the royal court, ordinary family life, and street scenes.
After lunch, you will visit Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial (Gandhi Teerth) located nearby.
In the evening, you will enjoy a sun-downer while taking in the sights and sounds of the rural landscape. Later, you will proceed to Mumbai.
Day 8: Mumbai: Arrive at Mumbai, where your enchanting journey comes to an end. You will disembark after breakfast.
Highlights:
*This tour is to be booked via a travel advisor only.
Day 1: Mumbai: Late in the afternoon, you will board the Deccan Odyssey at the Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and begin your enchanting journey to Bijapur.
Day 2: Bijapur: Arrive at the historic capital of the Sultans of the Deccan Bijapur. You will spend the day exploring the major attractions of the city. You will visit the following places:
Gol Gumbaz: the second largest tomb in the world and the mausoleum of Adil Shah, the erstwhile Sultan of Bijapur.
Jumma Masjid, believed to be one of the first mosques that were built in India and Malik-e-Maidan, the largest medieval canon in the world.
Mehtar Mahal, a 17th century ornamental entrance to a mosque and Ibrahim Rouza, a masterpiece of Islamic architecture renowned for its 24m high minarets.
You will return to your luxury train for lunch. After lunch, you will proceed to Aihole and Pattadakal.
Day 3: Aihole – Pattadakal: This morning, you will visit the superlative Chalukyan temples of Aihole and Pattadakal which boasts a mélange of South Indian (Dravidian) and North Indian (Nagara) styles of architecture.
After lunch, you may like to visit the impressive weaving village of Guledgudda, known for the Ilkhan and Khun hand and power looms. You will also have the opportunity to spend some time and interact with the local weavers.
Alternatively, you can explore the rock-cut caves and beautifully sculptured temples of Badami.
You will then return to your train and proceed towards Hampi.
Day 4: Hampi: Today, you will visit Hampi, the ancient ruined city and erstwhile capital of the Vijaynagar Empire. You will visit the following monuments:
The Narasimha Temple which houses the huge monolith of Ugra Narasimha (half man and half lion statue), an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and Mustard Ganesha where, you will see the statue of the elephant God.
The centuries old Virupaksha Temple, the holy temple of the early Kings of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th century. You will also take a walk along the banks of the scenic Tungabhadra River.
The Vijaya Vitthala Temple whose pillars produce musical notes on being struck, and a stone chariot that is said to have once had rotating wheels.
Later in the afternoon, you will visit the Royal Center at Hampi which constitutes the courtly and military structures that were once the citadel of Vijayanagara Kings. Thereafter, you will visit the key monuments of the Royal Enclosure - Queen's Bath (ancient-royal stepped tank), Mahanavami Dibba or great platform and the Lotus Mahal.
You will end your tour with a visit to Hazararama Temple whose walls chronicle the Ramayana and the erstwhile Elephant stables.
You will then return to your train and proceed towards the City of Nizams, Hyderabad.
Day 5: Hyderabad: After breakfast, you will visit the fort at Golconda which served as the capital of the Qutb Shahi Kings who ruled over the area. Within the fort are the royal palaces, the harem, halls for both public and private audiences, royal baths and a temple. The huge vaults once held the famous Kohinoor and Hope diamonds.
Later in the afternoon, you will visit the quaint and bustling by-lanes of Laad Bazaar known for traditional glittering bangles amongst a host of other items. You may also like to sample the culinary delights of the city, like the Biryani.
Afterwards, you will visit India’s latest palace hotel – the Falaknuma Palace. It is home to priceless art and artifacts, ornate inlaid furniture from Kashmir, rich handcrafted tapestries and brocades from France, and intricate frescos with English and Indian influences.
You will then return to your train and proceed towards Aurangabad.
Day 6: Aurangabad – Ellora Caves: After breakfast, you will visit the Buddhist, Jain and Hindu caves at Ellora (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
You will return to the train for lunch and the remainder of the day will be at leisure. Later in the evening, you will proceed towards Jalgaon.
Day 7: Jalgaon – Ajanta Caves: This morning, you will visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ajanta Caves. Dating from 200 BC to 650 AD, these caves or viharas are remarkable for the quality of their murals, which depict the life of The Buddha and reveal images of the royal court, ordinary family life, and street scenes.
After lunch, you will visit Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial (Gandhi Teerth) located nearby.
In the evening, you will enjoy a sun-downer while taking in the sights and sounds of the rural landscape. Later, you will proceed to Mumbai.
Day 8: Mumbai: Arrive at Mumbai, where your enchanting journey comes to an end. You will disembark after breakfast.
Highlights:
- Visit the iconic symbols and UNESCO World Heritage sites in Aihole, Pattadakal and Hampi.
- Experience the heritage, culture and culinary delights of the Nizams of Hyderabad. Stroll through the colorful and bustling bazaars of Hyderabad and pick up some souvenirs.
- Explore the jewels of ancient Indian architecture, the wondrous cave temples of Ajanta and Ellora, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
*This tour is to be booked via a travel advisor only.
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