Great Rail Explorer

The Chinese capital is a great place to start our journey! This bustling city has so much more to offer than just its Imperial history. In your free time, you can indulge in China-€™s modern art scene, observe every day life lived out in the many parks or, sample Beijing-€™s famous imperial cuisine such as Peking duck.Join your Tour Leader and fellow travellers at 5:00pm for your Welcome Meeting as detailed on your Joining Instructions.

Set off on an unforgettable excursion to visit one of China's most popular destinations, the Great Wall of China. Built to defend the civilised world from the fierce and capable Mongol horsemen, the Wall stretches some 5,000 kilometres across China-€™s mountainous northern frontier.

Beyond Beijing and the Great Wall lies Asia-€™s largest desert, the Gobi and to cross it by train is a great rail adventure in itself. After views of northern China, the train changes bogies at Erlian to cater for the wider rail gauge used in Mongolia and Russia.
Dawn aboard the train reveals the wilderness of the Gobi, later merging into the ger-dotted steppe, home of the hardy Mongolian nomads whose lives have changed little since the legendary Genghis Khan.

We arrive in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar. This quirky city is a clash of the old and new, where modern life comfortably coexists with traditional culture. A night in Ulaanbaatar will allow you to sample some of the country-€™s most intriguing cuisine and perhaps take in a performance showcasing the traditional Horse and Hair Fiddle.

We spend tonight beyond the city amongst what was once the homeland of the brilliant, tough, well-drilled horsemen who, for over 500 years in the 13th century, plundered and occupied lands from the Yellow River to the Danube. Here we can enjoy aspects of Mongolian nomadic life when we stay in traditional gers.

This morning wake up in your cozy ger, set amongst spectacular rock formations and wild rolling hills. Alongside nomadic families and their grazing livestock you can explore nearby valleys or just relax and enjoy the area.

Returning to Ulaanbaatar we visit the gigantic Genghis Khan Statue Museum, before our afternoon departure aboard the Trans Mongolian Railway.

This afternoon we arrive into Irkutsk. Founded as a Cossack garrison in the 1600-€™s, Irkutsk flourished on the trade route from China and was known as the -€˜Paris of Siberia-€™. Today, some of the gloss may have faded but Irkutsk remains a welcoming city.
We continue our journey out to Lake Baikal, reputedly the world-€™s deepest lake, where you will be amazed by its vastness -€“ being over 600km long and almost 80km wide.  Two nights at the local holiday village of Listvyanka, is an ideal way to relax by the lakeshore and take in the local museums.

Today we enjoy a day at Listvyanka on the shores of the lake. A perfect picturesque location to relax and take in the area-€™s beautiful wooden church and nearby Limnological Museum.

Late afternoon we join the Trans Siberian Railway and skirt massive Lake Baikal en route to Novosibirsk.

When your train pulls into the many stations along the way hop off, stretch your limbs and restock on supplies from the platform kiosks for the next leg of your journey.

Late in the evening your train pulls into Novosibirsk, the capital of Siberia and junction for the Trans Siberian and Turkestan Siberia Railway lines, connecting the city to Central Asia and the Caspian Sea ports.

After our time in Novosibirsk, travel via the Turkestan Siberia Railway through spectacular mountains and the Dzungarian Gate, south across the Kazak steppe 1700km to Almaty, in the foothills of the Zailisky Alatau mountains.

Life on board is a destination in itself! Mingle, learn some new phrases, or practice those you have learned on the locals over the mandatory vodka. 

Situated at the crossroads of Central Asia, today in Almaty modern skyscrapers, glitzy shopping malls, mosques, Soviet-style official buildings and traditional Russian Orthodox churches vie for attention with the Islamic-inspired Kok Tobe communications tower, and the majestic snow covered Tien Shan Mountains in the background.

After a full day to explore Almaty you farewell Kazakhstan to travel overland to Tashkent.

Welcome to the capital of Uzbekistan, the gateway to Central Asia. A city that cleverly juggles its cultural and historical past, the Soviet era-€™s impact and modern day lifestyles.

Leaving Tashkent you will be whisked off to the fabled city of Samarkand, the great Silk Road town at the crossroads from China, India and Persia. Conquered by Alexander the Great and razed by Genghis Khan, the city was rebuilt by Tamerlane and his grandson Ulug Bek.

No city is so evocative of the Silk Road as -€˜golden-€™ Samarkand and the Registan is simply the most spectacular architectural ensemble in Central Asia. Made up of three madrassas (place of learning) and a mosque, this beautiful square is inspiring. Other highlights include the Shah-i-Zinda, with its narrow alleys of tombs and mausoleums, Bibi Khanym Mosque and the Ulug Bek Observatory.

A spectacular drive through the Zerafshan Mountains takes us to Shakhrisabz, the birthplace of Tamerlane. Beside the ruined entrance towers of his Ak-Serai palace, the pretty market town offers a relaxed atmosphere with traditional homes, tea houses and mosques.

After a morning of further exploration, we board a fast train to Bukhara. 

Ancient Bukhara offers you a taste of old Turkestan with its 1000 year old monuments and historic centre. Explore the old city and bazaar, the Ark Fortress, Kalyan Minaret and the Samanid Mausoleum before relaxing in the Chaikhanas (tea-houses) around the refreshing pool of Lyabi-Hauz.

The day is yours to take in Bukhara! You might stroll through the covered bazaar where trade in silks, rugs, and spices goes on in much the same manner as it did in the days of Marco Polo, or visit a traditional Hamam.

This afternoon we board our train returning to the Uzbek capital, Tashkent.

We now have the opportunity to spend some time in Tashkent before boarding our train to Moscow tomorrow afternoon. 

This evening it-€™s time to leave Central Asia and board your train which will carry you 3800 kilometres to Russia's capital city. 

Settle in as we cross the Kazak steppe, through cotton crops, desert and grasslands and into Moscow's Kazan Station. Sit back and enjoy the ever-changing landscapes flicker past your train window.

Make up your bed with the sheets provided by your provodista and settle in for the night, drifting off to sleep with the rocking and rolling of the train gliding over the tracks. 

Moscow is an exciting city, which has shed its dour, secretive and suspicious past. Today, stores with expensive designer-label goods and prestige cars are everywhere. Take time to see Red Square with St. Basil-€™s Cathedral, the GUM department store and the Kremlin just steps away.

Here you will have ample time to explore the echoing vastness of Red Square, the splendid twirled cupolas of St. Basil-€™s across the cobblestones. Then we head underground for a tour of Moscow's surprisingly magnificent metro system. 

See the Kremlin itself visiting the Armoury Chamber with its incredible collection of amazing pieces including over fifty Faberge eggs! Late evening, we board our final train bound for the stunning -€˜Venice of the North-€™, St. Petersburg.

Today we arrive in St. Petersburg and visit Palace Square and the world-renowned Hermitage Museum where we will see one of the world's largest collections of art displaying priceless works by Rembrandt, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Matisse and Picasso just to name a few. This collection will truly blow your mind!

St. Petersburg was Russia-€™s capital from its founding by Peter the Great in 1712 until the revolution in 1917, it flourished under the reign of Catherine the Great and today is resplendent with wide boulevards and attractive canals. Be sure to see St. Isaac-€™s Cathedral, lavishly decorated palaces from opulent tsarist times and wonderful museums. It-€™s a perfect end to enjoy a journey of a lifetime.

Our adventure has drawn to a close. Say farewell to your travelling companions and tour leader before departing your hotel this morning.