Did you know that the Indian Railways offers a magical feature that allows you to travel to eight different cities in the country on a single ticket? It’s called the Circular Journey Ticket. People often book tickets repeatedly from different stations for pilgrimages or long excursions, which puts a heavy burden on their pockets and wastes time. But with this hidden feature of the Railways, you can travel to multiple stations on a fixed route and return to the same station where you started. This is the most budget-friendly way to make your vacation in 2026.

What is a Circular Journey Ticket

According to Indian Railways rules, a Circular Journey Ticket is issued to passengers whose journey begins and ends at the same station. It acts like a ‘loop’. Suppose you started your journey from Delhi and want to visit Mathura, Agra, Varanasi, and Patna before returning to Delhi, you don’t need to buy separate tickets for each city.

The most significant feature of this ticket is that you can stop at up to eight different stations on a single ticket. During this time, you can also choose different trains as per your convenience. This facility is a boon for pilgrims who want to visit multiple Jyotirlingas or major pilgrimage sites in a single trip.

56 Days Validity and Telescopic Rates

The Circular Journey Ticket not only offers convenience but also ensures your savings. The validity of this ticket is 56 days. This means that you can stay in any city for two days and in another for five days; you just need to plan your entire tour accordingly in advance.

Telescopic rates apply to this ticket. Simply put, the railway rules state that the longer the journey distance you combine on a single ticket, the lower the fare per kilometer. This is significantly cheaper than regular point-to-point ticket booking because you don’t have to pay repeated booking charges for new tickets.

Who benefits

This steel ticket is available in all classes of railways. You can book it for any coach, from sleeper class to first AC, depending on your convenience. This ticket is issued to both solo travellers and families traveling in groups.

In which categories is it available

According to railway rules, if the total distance covered under a circular journey ticket exceeds 1,000 kilometers, senior citizens are also given a special fare concession. This is very beneficial for elderly people who wish to go on a pilgrimage.

Process for Booking a Circular Journey Ticket

Circular journey tickets are not available directly at the general ticket counters, nor can they be booked online. You must follow a specific, rigorous process. First, you must list the eight stations you intend to stop at on your journey. You must then contact the Divisional Commercial Manager (DCM) or Station Master at your main station and provide them with your route map.

Railway officials will calculate the total distance of the route you provide and prepare a standard fare quotation based on the telescopic rate. Once the fare is finalized, you will be given a special authorization letter, which you can show to obtain your circular journey ticket from the booking counter. Once you have your ticket, you can reserve your preferred seats on different trains.