Arrival Transfer to the Hotel. Exploring Moscow

Upon arrival in Moscow, our friendly driver will be waiting to meet you with a sign board. Transfer to the hotel. In the evening you will enjoy a city tour of Moscow. Our night tour showcases the best of the city’s unique cultural and historical sites, many of which are illuminated after sunset. Together with your guide, you’ll explore Moscow’s tourist highlights by car.

Kremlin & Cathedrals. Departure to Kazan

The Kremlin's imposing walls enclose Cathedral Square, location to several elegant cathedrals. The Kremlin itself was nice an Imperial residence and now the office of the Russian President. After a Kremlin tour, we'll return to the hotel and be collected by our driver who will take us to the railway station.

Kazan Kremlin

Our overnight train deposits us on the platform at Kazan just after breakfast and we have the day free in this, the old Tatar capital situated on the banks of the River Volga. Cohabitation of the Russians and Tatars has largely been harmonious, influencing the city's traditions and unique culture. We'll have a guided tour of the city's Kremlin before resuming our private train journey in the evening.

Exploring Yekaterinburg

This afternoon we arrive in Yekaterinburg, site of the newly erected Cathedral-on-the-blood, built in memorial of the Russian tsar family executed here. Founded in 1723, this was a fortress city and is now the hub of the Ural region. Later we board the train and continue our journey into Siberia.

Novosibirsk City Tour

A traditional Russian welcome of bread and salt will be our introduction to Novosibirsk, the largest city in Siberia. At the time of its founding, the city was home to those construction workers building the Trans-Siberian Railway. We'll visit the monument erected to commemorate this feat of civil engineering and also see the Ob River. After dinner, we reboard the train to continue our epic trip across Siberia.

On the Train

Today, the train crosses the Yenisei River and travels deeper into Siberia. We'll pass mountains, crystal clear streams and lush forested slopes. The onboard entertainment team will invite you to hear their interesting talks about the landscape through which we travel while the chefs will rustle up a "Tsar's Feast" which includes a caviar and vodka tasting.

Irkutsk City Tour

We reach the capital of Eastern Siberia today to spend time in beautiful Irkutsk. During a city tour you will be shown beautiful Siberian wooden cottages, the new statue of Alexander III and the lively market hall. After lunch we will visit an open-air museum to learn more about "Life and Work in the Time of the Tsars”. Tonight, we give the train a rest and overnight in a centrally located hotel.

Circum-Baikal Railway Guided Tour

Many people miss out on the Circum-Baikal but it's well worth the effort. First, we cross Lake Baikal by boat to reach Port Baikal. Following ancient tracks our private train hugs the shore of Lake Baikal for several hours. The Circum-Baikal is not just a railway, but a unique museum of history and nature, combining architecture with zoology, mineralogy and geology. So long as weather permits, dinner is served in typical local style as a picnic on the shores of the lake.

Journey along the Eastern Siberia. Ulan-Ude City Tour

Continuing along the shore of Lake Baikal and then through the magnificent valley of Selenga the private train passes by the wild and lonely mountain steppes of Eastern Siberia. On reaching Ulan-Ude, the capital of the Buryat Republic of the Russian Federation, we take a short city tour. Look out for the oversized head of Lenin, a local landmark.

Arrival in Mongolia. Ulan Bator City Tour. Overnight in a Ger Camp

In the morning our train reaches Ulan Bator, the Mongolian capital. Ulan Bator means “Red Hero” and lies on the bank of the river Tuur, surrounded by four mountains that local people believe to be sacred. Our sightseeing programme includes a guided visit to the Buddhist Gandan Monastery. This special place escaped destruction in 1937 only to be closed a year later. Fortunately, it was reopened in 1946 following a change of policy. Tonight, we'll head out into the Mongolian countryside to spend the night in a typical felt yurt or ger (upon request).

Mongolian Countryside Guided Tour

Today we head out into the countryside visiting a typical tent settlement of the nomadic herdsmen to share lunch and then to witness a private performance of the skilful Mongolian horseback riding. Later this evening we hop on board our private train and continue our journey.

Travel through the Gobi Desert

In the early morning your train halts in the middle of the Gobi Desert. This was dinosaur country and many fascinating remains have been uncovered from the desert through which we pass. Towards noon we reach the Chinese border and then, formalities concluded, we continue on towards Beijing.

Arrival in China

As we arrive in Beijing, our driver will be waiting to meet you with a sign board at the station. Transfer to the hotel.

Tiananmen Square. Forbidden City & Temple of Heaven

It's right to the heart of the Chinese capital today, when we make our way to Tiananmen Square, the largest city square on the planet. Notorious for the tragic events of 1989 when a pro-democracy demo was crushed by government troops, it's home to the Forbidden City and Imperial Palace. Listed by UNESCO as having the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world, the imperial palace dates from the Ming and Qing dynasties. After exploring at a leisurely pace, we shall move onto the Temple of Heaven. set amidst beautiful gardens.

The Great Wall. Ming Tombs. Peking Duck Dinner

There are few more iconic sites than the Great Wall of China. You can't, despite what people claim, see it from space with the naked eye, but seeing it close up is guaranteed to be one of the highlights of your trip. On our way, we shall make a stop to see the Ming Tombs, the burial site of 13 Ming Dynasty emperors. In the evening you enjoy a farewell dinner of world-renowned Peking Duck.

Departure for the Airport

Sadly it's time to return to the airport for the flight home, escorted from the hotel by our personable driver.