“S Priezdom” Welcome to Moscow. Our driver will be there to meet you from whichever flight, train or boat you arrive. You’ll then be transferred to the Panorama 3★ Hotel. (We can obtain rates for superior hotels ask a member of the reservations team for details.) Your complimentary InfoPack is full of ideas for getting the most out of your free time.

After breakfast one of our local experts will meet you at your hotel in the lobby for a three hour walking and familiarisation tour, to introduce the city (and its public transport system) and to get your sightseeing off to a flying start. The rest of the day’s your own.

A morning free to pack in any last minute sightseeing. Afternoon transfer to Kazansky Station where you will board your Ekaterinburg bound train.

Your first full day on board The Trans-Sib…travelling through the Ural Mountains. There will be plenty of time to meet fellow travellers and hang out in the dining car which serves a variety of meals and snacks reasonably priced. Evening arrive in Ekaterinburg where our driver will meet you at the end of the platform, and will be holding a meeting-board with your name on. Transfer to the Chekhov 3★ Hotel, which is centrally located.

After breakfast there’s a walking tour around the well-known and less obvious attractions of Ekaterinburg, with a local expert guide. You’ll visit the historical centre of the city, including the scene of the assassination of the Romanov Royal Family, on which a Cathedral now stands to mark the event. You’ll also see something of Ekaterinburg’s involvement in Russia’s military history. The last half-hour will be spent at The Museum of Gems. The tour ends in the downtown area (we make sure you know the way back!), where you are poised for multiple lunch choices and a free afternoon to explore independently.

Please make a choice of one of the day trip options, it’s all included in the trip price.

• (A) Romanov Graves
• (B)Skiing
• (C) Ice-fishing
• (D) Siberian Husky dog sledding (min 2 persons for Husky dog sledding)

Private car to the station, where you will board the Harbin bound train.

The dining car is the heart of social life on the train. It functions as bar, lounge, and take-out snack store, as well as a café serving reasonably-priced meals. It is a great place to meet fellow travellers and locals alike, sharing your experiences of your journey so far with a few drinks, which no doubt will include some Vodka – and maybe smoked salmon and caviar too!

After a night time border crossing (with a layover while the wheels are switched to Chinese gauge), you’ve entered China and the area known as Manchuria -once a separate Chinese Kingdom, and home to the Manchu (after whom the Manchu Dynasty, the last in Imperial China, was named). Early afternoon arrival in Harbin, the regional capital. We have not provided a transfer as the Kunlun 4★ Hotel is directly opposite the Rail Station on the other side of the square. Harbin is sometimes called “The St Petersburg of China”, and its extraordinary pedestrian main street built entirely in European art nouveau style is a must-see in your free time this afternoon if you can tear yourself away from the temptation to buy “top-end clones” of European fashion in the city’s huge number of high end clothing outlets, that is. Don’t miss the hearty local Manchurian cuisine tonight either!

The Harbin Ice Festival is held at Zhaolin Park which is approximately 5 km from the hotel. The festival is open from 10am – 10pm daily. Sculptors travel from all over the world to display their carvings, but this is very much a local festival. We strongly recommend your visit to include viewings after dusk, which is known locally as the “Lantern Garden Party” when the carvings are bought to life by the amazing lighting. Remember to dress warmly, as temperatures will be well below zero!

Own transfer to the station where you will board the Beijing bound train.

Arriving into Beijing West Station at the end of your Trans-Siberian journey.