All aboard the Golden Chariot: Karnataka's luxury train rolls into its 2026–27 season with a full house
Karnataka's revamped Golden Chariot opened its 2026–27 season from Bengaluru on 24 October, fully booked for the first time. Here are the routes, the fares and whether the splurge is worth it.
The Golden Chariot is back on the rails, and this time every seat is taken. Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar flagged off the luxury tourist train's 2026–27 season on 24 October at Bengaluru's Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) railway station. The opening Pride of Karnataka journey left with 75 guests on board, the first time the train has been fully booked for a trip. Thirteen journeys are planned for the season, so if you have ever wanted to wake up next to a Hoysala temple and fall asleep on the way to Goa, the window is open until March 2027.
What's new this season
The train has been revamped for 2026–27. According to the state tourism department, its exterior has been refreshed and its hospitality strengthened, including a modernised onboard kitchen with a combi oven, high-capacity induction systems and an upgraded RO water purification plant. That may sound like a spec sheet only a chef could love, but on a six-day trip where every meal happens on or around the train, a better kitchen is the upgrade you will actually taste.
The three routes
The season's 13 departures are split three ways: seven Pride of Karnataka trips, three Glimpses of Karnataka and three Jewels of South. Speaking at the flag-off, the Chief Minister also said the government is planning discounted fares in the off-season, so that more travellers from Karnataka can experience the train.
- Pride of Karnataka (5 nights/6 days): the flagship loop from Bengaluru through Bandipur, Mysuru, Halebidu, Chikkamagaluru and Hampi, ending with a stop in Goa before returning to Bengaluru.
- Jewels of South (5 nights/6 days): crosses into Tamil Nadu and Kerala, with Mysuru, Mahabalipuram, Thanjavur, Chettinad, Kochi and Kumarakom on the official itinerary.
- Glimpses of Karnataka (3 nights/4 days): the short version, covering Bandipur, Mysuru and Hampi from Bengaluru.
What it costs
This is not a weekend-getaway budget. Published fares go up to about ₹4.87 lakh per person for the six-day journeys. The official Golden Chariot website currently lists lower Deluxe Cabin fares for Indian nationals: ₹2,65,440 per person for Glimpses of Karnataka, and ₹3,98,160 for Pride of Karnataka (with Goa) or Jewels of South. The site also runs a combination offer: book the Golden Chariot and IRCTC's Maharajas' Express together and get USD 200 off per passenger on each train, limited to 10 cabins per departure. Bookings go through an IRCTC login, and it is worth checking the official site for taxes and the latest offers before you pay.
How it compares
India's palace-on-wheels trains mostly head for Rajasthan's forts. The Golden Chariot is the southern alternative: wildlife at Bandipur, Mysuru's royal palace, the stone carvings of Halebidu, coffee country around Chikkamagaluru, the boulder landscape of Hampi (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Goa's coast to finish. Doing the same circuit by road would mean long drives and a new hotel almost every night; here your room travels with you.
The FHM take
Is ₹4 lakh for six days steep? Absolutely. Is it one of the few ways to see Hampi, Halebidu and Bandipur in a single trip without a highway pit stop? Also yes. For a big anniversary, a milestone birthday or the parents' trip you keep promising, we think the Golden Chariot earns the splurge. And if the off-season discounts happen, the shorter Glimpses of Karnataka run could be the smartest way to find out whether slow luxury rail is your thing.
Sources: The Hindu, Indian Express
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