IRCTC to launch week-long package tour to Kerala

New Delhi, Mar 18 (UNI) Buoyed by the success of staging weekend package trips to temple shrine of Vaishno Devi in Jammu and Kashmir, Indian Railway Catering and Travel Corp is now going to launch a more than week-long tour to God's Own Country.

Customers would get to experience as many as seven popular tourist destinations during the eight-day and nine-night tour, IRCTC sources told UNI.

The tours, commencing daily from tomorrow, would start from New Delhi Railway Station at 1130 hrs. Passengers would be taken on Kerala Express to the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram, reaching there on the morning of the third day.

After a trip around the city, people would be taken to Kovalam, famous for its beaches. The night would be spent there.

Next day, would be a visit to temple town of Madurai and nearby popular hill station of Kodaikkanal in adjoining state of Tamil Nadu.

Night stay would be at Kodaikkanal.

The travelers would then hit forest resort of Thekkadi and Tea estates of Munnar, with a night halt at Munnar.

Thereafter, the tourists would be taken to the port city of Ernakulam, and after been taken around the city put on Kerala Express back for the national capital.

Each package tour would initially have 15 seats in three categories Budget, Standard and Deluxe the only difference being train travel would be in II class sleeper, AC III tier and AC II tier and accordingly priced Rs 13,250, Rs 19,000 and Rs 24,000 respectively.

The package included train tickets, meals on train, hotel accommodation, travel/sightseeing by road and breakfast and dinner on all days. Children below five years could travel free.

IRCTC had entered in an agreement with the Railways and Kerala Tourism for arranging the tour.

The corporation has also decided to launch a seven-day seven-night luxury package tour to places of Buddhist interest from March 28. The trip would include visit to Bodhgaya, Sarnath, Nalanda and Rajgir, Kaushambi, Shravasti and Lumbini, besides Vishwanath temple in Kashi and Taj Mahal in Agra.

UNI