You will be transferred to the hotel Leela Palace by our tour representatives. After lunch you will proceed for a prearranged sightseeing tour of Bangalore. The Tippu's Palace, Bull Temple & Lalbagh Garden are visited during this excursion.
Provision of an alternate itinerary is available for those who do not wish to check in at The Leela hotel. You will enjoy the lunch at our native village.
Later you will track the following plan:
- Art and culture tour
- Herbal & Medicinal plant tour, Organic farm tour
- Pottery session & Explore the simplicity of village games – playing Indian village games & Bullock cart rides
- Rest and depart to Yeshwantpur Railway Station
Bangalore is the best illustration one can find to show how well traditions and modernity can blend perfectly. The city is alive with gardens, lakes, malls and age old markets. It is a fusion of the past and future retaining only the best of each. Later in the eve, you will board The Golden Chariot from platform No. 6 of Yeshwanthpur Railway Station. You will be served dinner on board as the train head towards Mysore.
Second day the golden chariot will reach Mysore. After a delicious breakfast on board, train will take you to your next destination Kabini. It is a pristine and untouched place which lies between the National Wildlife Reserve of Nagarhole and Bandipur. You will check in at the Jungle lodge.
Afterwards, you will go out for a jungle safari. Here Nature unfolds to give you a rare treat of pure bliss. Wandering in the wild in presence of several species of birds and animals is a once in a life time opportunity. Enjoy it to the fullest. Jungle safari will be followed by a boat safari. Return back to the jungle lodge after this intriguing excursion to relax for the day. Enjoy Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.
Alternate Itinerary for those who don’t like to visit Kabini:
- Bird Watching in the Raganatittu Bird Sanctuary
- Mysore Zoo Visit
- Lunch on board the train
- Visit to the Bridavan Gardens
In the morning, tweeting of birds will wake you up from your deep slumber. After having breakfast at the lodge you will be transferred back to the golden chariot. Relax in your personal kingdom till lunch as afterwards you will proceed towards Mysore city lying peacefully at the foot of Chamundi Hills. The quaint Mysore Palace bags the reason for the extreme tourist intake of the city. It is one sight that the onlookers will never tire of. Visit Srirangapatna, the island fortress of the legendary warrior king Tipu. It houses the Tipu's mosque with its twin minarets, the Wellesley Bridge and the dungeons.
In the light of dusking sun, enjoy cultural show at the beautiful Bridavan Gardens. Enjoy dinner at Hotel KRS. Later, Reach back to board the train.
Fourth day of your golden chariot train tour promises wonderful surprises on way as it gives you an opportunity to visit three heritage sites of Hassan district. First of all you will sojourn Shravanabelagola. Apart from resting in the heart of natural beauty, it claims attention due to the presence of the humungous statue of Gommateshwara which is wrought out of a single rock. Post lunch you will be led to Belur which gives you a peep to Hoysala architecture of the 11th century and Halebidu which is a World Heritage Site. Belur houses the Chennakesava Temple while Halebid is home to Hoysaleswara Temple.
Afterwards return back to the train where you will be served mouthwatering dinner. The train will head towards next destination while you will be relaxing in your compartment.
Fifth day the golden chariot will arrive at Hospet. After morning breakfast you will be taken to the small village of Hampi. Hampi is a fascinating place filled with glorious relics of the grand Vijayanagara Empire. It is pure poetry still singing about the good old days. It is interesting to note that the stone chariot here gave the name to your golden chariot train. Return back to the train for dinner and overnight stay.
Next on chart is Badami. It is said that Badami is a place where the Gods dance. It was the former capital of the mighty Chalukya rulers and is famous for its labyrinth of caves. It is located at the most picturesque looking place; at the opening space between two rocky hills. One of the caves has as many as 81 poses of Shiva carved on the walls of cave.
Pattadakal mirrors the culmination of early Chalukyan style of construction. The place is called as Red Tolwn because you can find red sandstones in abundance here. It is almost a 2 hour drive from Bangalore. Aihole is a multifarious complex of temples located in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka. It is also an abode of Chalukya Architecture. The Kontigudi group and the Galaganatha group of temples are the prominent of those. Afterwards, return back to the train to head towards the final destination Goa.
The most awaited day of the tour! Sixth day you will reach the golden city Goa. Goa is all about beaches, parties, festivities and carnivals. This gay cosmopolitan with rich culture always gives the impression of being much ahead of time. The deep blue-green sea dashing on the golden sea is a great sight to behold. Enjoy the night parties with traditional dance and music before enjoying a barbecue dinner of yummy Goan food.
After day long tour of Goa, you will be transferred to the golden chariot that will head towards Bangalore.
To complete the circle of the Pride of South itinerary, train will reach back to Bangalore. Here you will check out from the train still lingered by the beautiful memories of the tour.