IRCTC Buddhist Circuit Tourist train: Booking details, itinerary, costs, visa and more information

IRCTC runs a special pilgrim tour train, the Buddhist Circuit Tourist Train, for covering the most venerable sites of Buddhism, following the life path of the Enlightened One, the Buddha, himself. The Buddhist Tourist Train takes pilgrims to all the destinations where Buddhism prospered in the early 19th century. The Buddhist Circuit tour starts from New Delhi and then goes to Gaya, Rajgir and Nalanda, Varanasi and Sarnath, Lumbini, Kushinagar, Sravasti and Agra.

The Buddhist Circuit Tourist Train has two fine dining restaurants that seat 54 persons each and everyone on board dines together. The eight day tour package departs from Delhi’s Safdarjung station in the afternoon at 14:30 hours for Gaya. The train schedule is as follows:

Here is the direct link to book tickets for the Buddhist Circuit Tourist Train.

The package price is as follows for AC first class is $165 per night or $1155 for the full tour. For AC- 2 tier, the cost is $135 per night and $945 for the full tour. For AC- first coupe, the cost per night is $165 and the full tour costs $1305. The tour package includes journey by exclusive air conditioned train, road transport by AC coaches as per the itinerary, sightseeing, accommodation and meals as specified in the itinerary, English/Hindi speaking tour escort, entrance fees for monuments and travel insurance. Children under the age of 5 are allowed free provided they share the berth with their parents. Single child between the age of 5 to 12 will be charged 50 percent of the adult fare and will share the double bed with parents. For children above 12 years of age, a ticket must be purchased complete with GST charge.

Check the rates and dates in detail here.

The tour package does not include India and Nepal visa fees, items of personal nature such as laundry, medicines, alcoholic drinks, road transport to and from Delhi Safdarjung station, hotel stay in Delhi before or after the trip, air ticket and visa charges, fees for still/video photography at monuments.

According to the itinerary, the train depart from Delhi’s Safdarjung station for Gaya. On Day 2, the train arrives in Gaya where pilgrims will visit Bodhgaya. On day 3, a visit to Rajgir and Nalanda is scheduled, after which the train departs for Varanasi. In Varanasi, tourists shall visit Sarnath and the Ganga for evening aarti. Late in the evening, the train departs for Gorakhpur. On day 4, tourists arrive in Gorakhpur and proceed to Lumbini in Nepal by bus. On day 6, pilgrims will proceed to Kushinagar for sightseeing to Mahaparinirvan Temple, Rambhar Stupa, Mata Kutir Temple and more. On day 7, the pilgrims will arrive in Gonda in the morning and visit Sravasti. In the evening, the train departs from Gonda for Agra. After arrival in Agra the following day, tourists will get to visit the majestic Taj Mahal and leave for Delhi in the afternoon. The train arrives at Delhi’s Safdarjung station in the evening.

The terms of cancellation are as follows:

All passengers are requested to check in 1 hour before departure at the Delhi Safdarjung Railway Station. If IRCTC is offering any vouchers or coupons for the journey, then passengers are informed via email or call 14 days before their departure. Once the ticket is checked the ticket holders are escorted to their cabins and luggage assistance is provided to them. On the final night, de-boarding is completed only when the train manager has cleared luggage and charged for extras if passengers have consumed any extra service.

The Buddhist Circuit Special Train does not run if the minimum amounts of seats are not booked. The minimum number of passengers required is 175. The journey can be cancelled with a full refund or another trip can be selected by ticket holders if the number is not met. The announcement that the tour has been revoked is given 30 days prior.

The Luggage Allowance is the same as airlines with one checked in luggage, and one hand luggage allowed per person. However, if there is excess luggage, it may go in the cabin especially for storage, and it is advisable that tourists put a lock on it.

Buddhist circuit is also known as the Dharmayatra or sacred course as the tour covers holy shrines and temples.

Visa clauses:

• Travellers 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. Travellers must present their travel itinerary to the visa issuing authorities at the time of visa application.
• It may be noted that due to recent change in visa rules, travelers with 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). Travellers with double entry Indian visa will only be allowed to re-enter India after their Lumbini visit.
• 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.
• 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.
• Indian Nationals must carry a government issued photo identity card (passport, driving license, PAN card etc.) for Nepal visit.

For more details, contact: buddhisttrain@irctc.com, akhilesh.gupta@irctc.com.

Phone: +91 9717648718, +91 9717639033