Its first trip departed on 16 January 2004 for a week-long maiden trip and was
flagged off by then Prime Minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee.[10][4][11] Due to lack of bookings, later journeys in 2004 were suspended by the state government of Maharashtra. However, its operations restarted after the
monsoon season.[12]
The train was not in service for the majority of the
COVID-19 pandemic and resumed services in September 2023.[13]
Design and amenities
Design
The train is 700 metres (2,300 ft) long and painted in royal blue. It gets its name from the
Deccan Plateau which is located in Maharashtra.[2][11][14] The design is meant to emulate the luxuries enjoyed by 16th century
Maharajas.[3][14] The train has 21 coaches, each named after places in Maharashtra and can accommodate up to 88 passengers.[15][2]
Amenities
Suite amenities include an en suite bathroom, Wi-Fi, a TV, and a cell phone "with all emergency numbers fed in."[16] Guests are serviced by an onboard butler and each suite is marked with a custom nameplate.[17] In addition to accommodation amenities, the train is fully air-conditioned and has a small gym, a spa, salon, library,
foreign exchange services, a bar, and a conference room, which can be converted into a dance floor.[16][4][18][14][2][19]
There are two restaurants in the train, Waavar and Utsav, which are managed by
Taj Hotels.[14][16][3][20]
Journeys
The Deccan Odyssey offers six different seven day, Seven night trips around Maharashtra, Rajasthan & Northern India, typically starting and ending in Delhi or Mumbai at
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus & Sajdarjung Railway Station, New Delhi.[18][2][16][5][14]
Guests can adhere to pre-arranged sightseeing tours or explore each stop on their own.[5][17] Trips typically run between October and May.[21][22]
As of 2024, the journeys include: (New Itineraries added and Older ones modified)
Maharashtra Wild Trail Journey: Mumbai, Aurangabad, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Ellora Caves),
Ramtek (
Pench National Park),
Tadoba, Ajanta Caves, Nashik, Mumbai. UNESCO World Heritage Sites on this journey include the Ellora and Ajanta Caves.[26][18][15]
Indian Sojurn: Mumbai, Vadodara, Udaipur,
Jodhpur, Jaipur, Agra, Sawai Madhopur (Ranthambore National Park), Delhi. UNESCO World Heritage Sites on this journey include Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, Amer Fort, and the Taj Mahal.[28][5][15]
Most passengers are international travellers and are charged US$8,330 per single occupancy deluxe cabin for a seven night, eight day trip.[23][3][14][21][5]
Awards
The Deccan Odyssey has won the title of Asia's Leading Luxury Train at the World Travel Awards in 2010–2012, 2014, and 2015–2019. In 2018, the train earned recognition for being the first to win the Asia's Leading Luxury Train award five consecutive times.[7][31][32]
The train was also named World's Leading Luxury Train in 2019. Previous nominations include World's Leading Travel Experience by Train (2009-2012), World's Leading Luxury Train (2010-2018, 2020), and Asia's Leading Luxury Train (2013, 2020–2021).[33][15][34][6]