Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express

Begin your trip in style with complimentary airport lounge access before your flight out to Moscow. On arrival, an included transfer will see you to the luxurious Ritz-Carlton, its neoclassical interior gilded majestically and its opulent rooms, complete with marble bathrooms, ranking among the largest in the city. And, with its rooftop terrace lounge offering panoramic views over the Red Square and the Kremlin, you’ll be perfectly positioned to explore.

Stay: Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Moscow

To get your bearings, you’ll enjoy a full city tour. Highlights include Lenin’s Tomb, the onion-domed spires of St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Tsar treasures of the Armoury Chamber and the riverside severity of the Kremlin and its Red Square icon. You might alternatively want to take advantage of included entrance to the city’s exhibitions, including the Space Museum and the famed State Tretyakov Gallery. An included transfer will then see you board the Golden Eagle to a piano-accompanied glass of champagne the in the Bar Lounge Car before settling into your en-suite, double cabin. You’ll also enjoy the first of your all-inclusive meals, enjoying the best in fresh ingredients washed down with complimentary beers and wines.

Stay: Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express

Begin the day with a cooked-to-order breakfast along with a fresh selection of fruit and cold cuts as you pull into Vladimir. Founded over a thousand years ago, it’s one of the country’s oldest cities – something evidenced by its UNESCO-listed spread. There’s everything from pretty church spires to grand courts and the great Golden Gate. Your tour will also pay particular attention to the Uspenski Cathedral. Built between the 12th and 15th centuries, its dramatic redbrick has seen many a Tsar crowned. Then, it’s on to Suzdal. Dating to the 11th century, it’s one of Russia’s best-preserved walled cities, complete with and whitewashed towers and blue-domed cathedral. Here, you’ll visit the St. Euthymius Monastery for an enchanting choral performance.

Stay: Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express

Heading into the Ural Mountains – the natural border between Europe and Asia – you’ll arrive into Yekaterinburg. No mere geographic meeting point, it’s here that you’ll witness a cultural exchange between these two great continents, immortalised by the towering Border Monument. The city is also host to a violent past, with your tour bringing you to the Church of Spilled Blood – the site of Tsar Nicholas II’s 1918 execution.

Stay: Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express

Today you’ll be arrive into Novosibirsk, a modern Soviet city. It’s centred on Lenin Square where its colossal Opera House is located. All giant domes and imposing columns, it’s the largest theatre in Russia. Of course, a statue of Lenin himself stands imperiously out front. Otherwise, you’ll have the option of heading south to the city’s superb Railway Museum. Here, locomotives and rolling stock span from the time of the Tsars through to the Soviet era.

Stay: Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express  

With a day on board, you’ll watch as the sublime beauty of Siberia unfolds, with ever-changing, snow-laden panoramas playing out before you. You might also want to enjoy a piano-accompanied drink in the bar car, or simply relax with a good book – or the LCD screen – in your cabin.

Stay: Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express

Arriving into Irkutsk, you’ll quickly realise why it’s known as the ‘Paris of Siberia’. Classic wooden architecture sits alongside spectacularly domed residences, complete with intricately carved decorations. The Decembrist House Museum is a special highlight, dedicated to the aristocrats who were exiled here during the 19th century. It’s an atmosphere fully relived by your champagne reception and private concert. You might also want to do as the locals do, with the option of visiting a traditional banya sauna.

Stay: Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express

Your day by Lake Baikal is a true trip highlight, and also a chance to put your complimentary Russian hat, embroidered scarf and woolly mittens to the test. For five hours, you’ll wind along cliff-hugging tracks, dipping through tunnels only to emerge to yet more vistas of its frozen expanse. It’s all backdropped by giant, snow-capped peaks. You’ll also stop off to take a hovercraft over the lake to fully appreciate its sheer scale and give you the chance of dogsledding, ice fishing and snowmobiling. You’ll even have the opportunity to sample the freshly caught fish, smoked and served warm with an ice-cold vodka.

Stay: Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express

Ulan Ude is your next stop. As the capital of the Buryatia, it’s a privileged insight into this remote, mountain republic, first settled by nomadic Mongols. And, you’ll learn about the region’s unique culture with a visit to the Old Believers’ Village where you’ll listen to folk songs and take part in local traditions among colourful timber houses. But, this being Russia, there’s also the world’s largest Lenin head, while the Datsan Rinpoche Bagsha, a golden Buddhist temple, brings you back to the region’s rich cultural diversity.

Stay: Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express

Hopping into Mongolia, you’ll sweep through great green steppes, dotted only by bright-white yurts and grazing livestock. You’ll then arrive into Ulaan Baatar – once the very centre of Genghis Khan’s enormous empire, something remembered by visits to the National Museum and the Chinggis Square, watched over by a great monument to Genghis Khan. You’ll also visit Gandan Monastery whose spectacular tiered curves house some 500 monks before you have the opportunity to visit a traditional ger yurt to meet a nomadic family.

Stay: Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express

With three days on board, you’ll be treated to some of the route’s most spectacular scenery as you travel through the Russian Far East, mapping rushing rivers and skirting the Chinese border to arrive at Vladivostok. As you travel, you’ll be treated to further culinary indulgences, with the likes of such Russian culinary specialities as black sturgeon and salmon caviar served alongside a spread of international favourites. Complimentary tea and coffee is also available in your cabin round the clock, with car attendants providing a superb service.

Stay: Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express

Concluding your epic journey, you’ll pull into Vladivostok – literally the ‘Ruler of the East’. A military port that was closed to foreigners for much of the 20th century, it’s a privileged glimpse into Russia’s martial might. Along with a visit to a preserved WWII submarine, your tour will also take in the Golden Horn Bay’s iconic suspension bridge – one of the largest of its kind in the world. You’ll also enjoy a night at the Hotel Hyundai. As the city’s first luxury hotel, it features its very on sky bar with panoramic city views.

Stay: Hotel Hyundai, Vladivostok

After a final breakfast, your included transfer will see you to the airport for your day flight home.