The Buddhist Circuit Tourist Train, a special tourist train launched by IRCTC, is a comfortable, safe and hassle free tour on the Buddhist Circuit covering important places connected with the life of Gautama Buddha.
The package includes train journey, hotel accommodation at selected destinations, read transportation in 2×2 AC Busses, Tour Guide, all meals and monument entry free.
The train was awarded National Tourism Award by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India in 2009
Buddhist Circuit Train
Duration: 07 Nights / 08 Days
Places Covered: Delhi – Bodhgaya – Rajgir & Nalanda – Varanasi – Lumbini – Kushinagar – Sravasti – Agra – Delhi
DAY | SECTOR | PROGRAMME |
---|---|---|
Day 1 | Delhi – Gaya (990 kms) | 13:00 hrs.- Assemble at the Delhi Safdarjung Railway Station. Board the Buddhist Circuit Tourist Train.
14:30 hrs.- Departure of the train for Gaya. 20:00 hrs .- Dinner on board & proceed to Gaya. |
Day 2 | Gaya – Bodhgaya (16 kms) | Early morning tea, Wash & Change & breakfast On-Board. Arrive at Gaya. Depart to Bodhgaya by coach. Check-in at the hotel. Lunch and relax. Sightseeing of Bodhgaya including Mahabodhi Temple & Niranjana River. Continue sightseeing of Thai Temple, Japanese Temple, Buddha Statue. Dinner & overnight stay at the hotel. |
Day 3 | Bodhgaya – Nalanda – Rajgir – Gaya – Varanasi | Breakfast at the hotel. Check Out and proceed to Rajgir by coach. Arrival at Rajgir. Sightseeing of Rajgir including Bimbimsara Jail, Gridhakut hill &Venuvan. Lunch at the hotel. Proceed to Nalanda for sightseeing covering ruins of world famous Nalanda University & Nalanda Museum. Proceed to Gaya Railway Station. Arrival at Gaya Railway Station and board the train. Dinner on board & proceed to Varanasi. |
Day 4 | Varanasi – Sarnath – Nautanwa | Early morning tea on-board and arrival at Varanasi. Breakfast onboard. Disembark the train and proceed to visit Sarnath (10 kms) for sightseeing of Dhamekh Stupa, Sarnath Museum, Ashokan Pillar and Mulgandha Kuti Vihar. Check in at Hotel for Lunch, wash and change. Visit River Ganges Ghat for evening Aarti. Return to the Railway Station. Dinner on board & proceed to Nautanwa for visit to Lumbini, Nepal. |
Day 5 | Nautanwa – Lumbini | Early morning tea followed by Breakfast onboard. Arrival at Nautanwa Railway station. Proceed by coach to Lumbini, Nepal. (Tourists to keep their passport and Visa ready. In case Nepal visa not issued visa fees to be kept ready also along with passport size photographs). Check-in at hotel. Lunch at hotel. Sight-seeing of Lumbini including Maya Devi Temple and Ashokan Pillar. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel. |
Day 6 | Lumbini – Kushinagar – Gorakhpur | Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out of the hotel and proceed to Kushinagar by coach. Arrive Kushinagar. Proceed for lunch at the hotel. After lunch visit Mahaparinirvan Temple, Rambhar Stupa, Mata Kutir Temple and other sites. Depart to Gorakhpur by coaches. Arrival at Gorakhpur Railway Station. Depart to Balrampur by Buddhist Train. Dinner on board & proceed to Balrampur for visit to Sravasti. |
Day 7 | Balrampur – Sravasti – Balrampur – Agra | Arrival at Balrampur Railway station. Early morning tea On-Board. Departure by coach to Sravasti (15kms). Arrival at the Hotel. Wash & change and breakfast. Sight-seeing of Jetvana Vihara, Pakki Kuti & Sehat Mahet. Lunch at the hotel. Free time. Proceed to Balrampur Railway station. Arrival at Balrampur Railway Station. Proceed to Agra (450 kms). Dinner on board. |
Day 8 | Agra – Delhi | Early morning tea and arrival at Agra City railway station. Wash & change and breakfast On-Board. Proceed for sight-seeing of the World famous Taj Mahal. Proceed to the Agra Cantt. Railway Station. Depart by train to New Delhi (220 kms). Lunch on board. Evening Tea. Arrival at Delhi Safdarjung Railway Station. |
Includes
Journey by Exclusive Air-conditioned Train as per the Itinerary.
Road transport by AC coaches as per the itinerary.
Sightseeing as per the itinerary.
Accommodation as per the itinerary.
Meals as per the itinerary.
English / Hindi speaking Tour Escort.
Entrance fees of monuments/sightseeing trips as per the itinerary.
Travel Insurance.
Excludes
India and Nepal visa fees
Items of personal nature, e.g. Laundry, Medicine, Alcoholic drinks etc.
Road Transfers to and from Delhi-Safdarjung Railway Station.
Hotel stay in Delhi before & after the trip, air ticket, visa charges etc.
Any other services not mentioned in Package Price.
Fees for Still/ Flash Video camera at the monuments and other places.
Minimum 3 Nights / 4 Days travel may be permitted on pro rata basis in Buddhist Circuit Special Train.
1. The accommodation booked under this ticket is not transferable.
2. The voucher is to be carried by the passenger during the journey along with the above photo identity card in original and is valid only when presented with this photo identity card. If the relevant photo identity card is not accompanied with this voucher, it will be considered as ticket-less travel and treated accordingly.
3. The exact train timings are subject to minor modifications. All the travelling passengers must reconfirm the timings with IRCTC, corporate office before the start of their journey.
4. This voucher is to be carried by the passenger during the journey along with the above photo identity card in original and is valid only when presented with this photo identity card.If the relevant photo identity card is not accompanied with this voucher, it will be considered as ticket-less travel and treated accordingly.
5. On demand from ticket checking staff the passenger should produce this voucher along with the above mentioned photo identity card.
6. Visa Clauses :-
a. It may be noted that due to recent change in visa rules, travelers having multiple entry Indian visa on their passport may not be allowed to re-enter India (within Two months) after their Lumbini visit (as per this program).Travelers having double entry Indian visa will only be allowed to re-enter India after their Lumbini visit.
b. Travelers are requested to recheck with Indian visa issuing authorities in their respective countries to have the appropriate visa enabling them travel to Lumbini and return to India. Travelers must present their travel itinerary to the visa issuing authorities at the time of visa application.
c. All Foreign Tourists other than Indian Passport Holders must obtain a valid Indian visa allowing them to visit Nepal (as per the tour itinerary) during the tour and come back to India to complete the tour. All foreign tourists must recheck with visa section at the Indian Embassy / Indian Consulate / Visa Processing authority in their respective countries for the appropriate visa (Double Entry or Multiple Entry) as per their travel program.
d. All Foreign Tourists other than Indian Passport Holders must have valid Nepal visa. In case foreign tourists are unable to process their Nepal visa before joining the tour, IRCTC will facilitate visa processing at the entry post. Such passengers should carry 2 passport size photographs with them.The visa fees if any will be paid by the passengers directly.
e. Indian Nationals must carry a government issued photo identity card (passport, driving license, PAN card etc.) for Nepal visit.
7. IRCTC reserves the right to refuse booking or travel of any passenger without assigning any reason.
8. No refund or adjustment will be made in the event of interruption / non-use of full or any part of the tour or tour service by a tourist on his own after the commencement of the tour or closure of a sightseeing place or monument due any unknown reasons or closure on account of the decision /order of the local municipal administration /any other government authority / unforeseen events, circumstances, situations etc.
9. In case any sightseeing being missed on account of the delay in local transportation buses / train due to the reasons beyond our control, no refund shall be made.
10. Being a group tour, passengers would be required to share the bus / buses and train accommodation with other passengers. In case any passenger / passengers wish to travel in separate bus/buses, he/she should inform IRCTC at least one month in advance. IRCTC would try to make appropriate arrangement for which passenger / passengers would be required to make additional payment. For the smooth operation of the tour, passengers would need to adhere to the instructions given by the Tour Manager from time to time.
11. As per the tour program, this tour involves few long road journeys also. Due to inadequate infrastructure (toilets etc.) en-route, passengers may get little uncomfortable. However, efforts will be made to give breaks at the appropriate places and as & when required by the tourists.
12. Train / Road journey time may exceed the expected travel time due to unforeseen circumstances such as traffic jams, break down of buses etc. This may result in late meal service, shortened / late/or no sightseeing etc.
13. Meals in hotels and on train are of pre-fixed menus and are generally decided keeping the palate of the overall tourists. Menus according to the specific preferences would not be possible.
14. As per the tour itinerary, hotel rooms at certain places are only provided for wash & change purpose. Passengers should not expect rooms to given to them for longer duration. Check-in at hotel rooms at certain places may be delayed to the due delay from hotel in providing the rooms.
15. AC First class – has cabins with 4 berths (two lower & two upper). The cabins can be locked from inside as it has a sliding door.
AC First class Coupe – has cabins with 2 berths (one lower & one upper). The cabins can be locked from inside as it has a sliding door
AC Two Tier -has open cabins with 4 seats on one side of the pathway. Four seats cabin has two lower & two upper berths. The cabin does not have door and instead has a curtain.
There is a limited storage place inside the train. The luggage can be placed under the seats / berths while on train. Hence, passengers are advised to travel with minimum luggage.
16. Passengers are required to take care of their luggage / belongings themselves. IRCTC will not be responsible for any loss or damage of any of the luggage / belongings at the Railway Stations / Train / Bus / Hotels etc.
17. It is the responsibility of the tourist to carefully read and fully understand all the terms and conditions / services to be offered / type of services to be offered etc. of this tour before making booking. In case of any doubts / clarifications, the same should be cleared with IRCTC before making the booking.
18. The journeys are well planned in advance. We reserve the right to make changes to the programme if necessary at any point of time. Should the minimum number of passengers not be met or due to certain operational reasons & conditions, we reserve the right to cancel the departure or amend the same. Most of the changes made by us would be minor, but on certain occasions there could be possibility of making significant change. A change is defined as significant if it involves change of date or destination. In such an eventuality, we would inform the passengers on the contact details given by them in their booking forms. In such cases, we would inform you as soon as possible and provide you following solutions :
(a) Accepting the changed arrangements or transferring your tour to another available tour date.
(b) Cancelling or accepting the cancellation where you will receive a refund of payment without interest remitted to us. However, there will be no refund of any service such as pre /post tour accommodation, airline tickets, visa charges etc. that have been booked by you and /or your travel agent.
19. OCI card holder will be treated as Foreign National, Expect for Promo Offer for Indian National ( NRI, PIO, OCI).
***Departure Dates for 2019-20***
Month/Year | 2019 | 2020 |
September | 21 | |
October | 05,19 | |
November | 02,16,30 | |
December | 14,28 | |
January | 05,19 | 11,25 |
February | 02,16 | 08,22 |
March | 02,23 | 14,28 |
***Departure Dates for 2020-21***
Month/Year | 2020 | 2021 |
September | 26 | |
October | 10,24 | |
November | 07,21 | |
December | 05,19 | |
January | 02,16,30 | |
February | 13,27 | |
March | 13 |
***Departure Dates for 2021-22***
Month/Year | 2021 | 2022 |
September | 25 | |
October | 09,23 | |
November | 06,20 | |
December | 04,18 | |
January | 01,15,29 | |
February | 12,26 | |
March | 12,26 |
AC – 2 TIER
USD 135 PER NIGHT PER PERSON
USD 945 PER PERSON FOR FULL TOUR
AC – FIRST CLASS
USD 165 PER NIGHT PER PERSON
USD 1155 PER PERSON FOR FULL TOUR
AC – FIRST COUPE
USD 165 PER NIGHT PER PERSON
USD 1305 PER PERSON FOR FULL TOUR
No. of days before commencement of Trip* | Total Deductions |
45 Days and above(excluding departure date) | 10% of the Package cost. |
Within a period of 44 to 15 Days (excluding departure date) | 25% of the package cost |
Within a period of 14 to 7 Days (excluding of Departure Date) | 50% of the package cost |
Within the period of 7 Days or before the scheduled date of departure | 100% of the package cost |
*Excluding the day of start of journey. |