Tsar's Gold (Zarengold) Classic Trans-Siberian Journey
16 days, 15 nights from 3986.35 £
Bucket list rail journey from Moscow to Beijing

DAY 1, MOSCOW, RUSSIA

You are greeted at the airport by your friendly tour director and accompanied to your hotel. Our “City of Lights” tour shows you around the exquisitely illuminated Russian capital. You notice that Moscow is clearly on a par with Europe’s other great metropolitan cities such as Madrid and Paris. You stroll across the famous Red Square with your travel director and take a short trip on the underground to view several of Moscow’s particularly beautiful metro stations. Afterwards, you retire to the comfort of your 4-star hotel. You spend the night in a Moscow hotel. Dinner is included. 

DAY 2, MOSCOW, RUSSIA

In the morning you take an informative tour of Moscow, including the imposing grounds the Kremlin and its magnificent cathedral from tsarist times. Toward evening, you are greeted aboard your private train prior to departure. A relaxed get-together in the dinning car offers the chance to meet your fellow travellers and learn more details about your private train. You spend the night aboard the train. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included. 

DAY 3, KAZAN, RUSSIA

In the morning you arrive in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan. You take a tour of the Kazan Kremlin (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage) with its wonderful panoramic view over the Volga, where you learn about the turbulent history of the relationship between the Tatars, the Cossacks, and the Russians. Your train resumes its journey eastwards in the evening. You spend the night aboard the train. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 4, YEKATERINBURG, RUSSIA

Your train stops around noon in Yekaterinburg, the historical capital of the Urals. The city is remembered as the place where the Russian tsar Nicholas II and his family were murdered in 1918. During a brief tour you see the Cathedral of the Saviour on the Spilled Blood, which was built in 2003 in commemoration of that tragic historic event, and the city centre so attractively restored in 2009. Back on board, you continue on your journey through the vast steppes of western Siberia. You spend the night aboard the train. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 5, NOVOSIBIRSK, RUSSIA

You arrive in Novosibirsk, the heart of Siberia, where you are welcomed in the traditional Russian fashion with bread and salt. During a short city tour, you experience the most Soviet of all cities during your journey. You see the enormous Trans-Siberian Monument and the mighty Ob River. You spend the night aboard the train. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 6, ONBOARD, RUSSIA

Your train crosses the wide Yenisei River and rolls on through Siberia. The train’s chefs once again demonstrate their skills as they serve the guests Russian specialties in a “tsar’s feast”. A vodka tasting accompanied by clever toasts offers you a very enjoyable opportunity to combine pleasure and Russian hospitality. Your train passes by villages with their typical wooden houses and through birch forests set against a background of impressive mountainscapes and, hopefully, ample sunshine. You spend the night aboard the train. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 7, IRKUTSK, RUSSIA

Today your train reaches Irkutsk, the capital of Eastern Siberia in tsarist times. During your city tour you see, among other things, the picturesque Siberian wooden houses and a memorial to Tsar Alexander III (the initiator of the Tran-Siberian Railway), which was erected in 2003 where the Trans-Sib Obelisk previously stood. After lunch you take an excursion to an informative open-air museum with a focus on life and work in historical Siberia. You spend the night in a 4 star hotel in Irkutsk. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 8, LAKE BAIKAL, RUSSIA

Today you drive by bus to Listvyanka, a Siberian village on the shores of Lake Baikal, the largest reservoir of non-frozen freshwater in the world. From the village, a boat brings you across the lake’s deep waters to Port Baikal, where your private train is waiting. You then travel for several hours directly alongside Lake Baikal, on the original route of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Your train halts for several hours at a particularly scenic spot, for you to truly enjoy the majestic calm of this unique natural wonder. Dinner is served as a picnic on the shores of Lake Baikal, weather permitting. You spend the night aboard the train. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 9, FROM LAKE BAIKAL TO ULAN UDE AND ON TO MONGOLIA

The journey continues along the banks of the seemingly endless Lake Baikal and then through the splendid Selenga Valley and the wild solitude of eastern Siberia’s mountainous steppes. You take a tour of Ulan Ude during an intermediate stop there. Border formalities at the Russian-Mongolian border are an easy matter carried out on board. You spend the night aboard the train. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 10, ULAN BATOR, MONGOLIA

Today, early-risers are treated to central Mongolia’s spectacular scenery, set in a mountain landscape dotted with colourful yurt camps and inhabited by solitary riders on horseback. In the morning you arrive in Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia. As always, you can leave your large luggage safely in your compartment. During your city tour you see the impressive Gandan Buddhist Monastery and the odd Choijin Lama Temple, among other things. Beer gardens are very popular in Mongolia, and your evening includes a visit to the city’s best. Afterwards, you have the unique chance to attend a performance of traditional Mongolian folk arts, including throat singing, horse-headed fiddle playing, national costumes, and dances (tickets are € 14/ $ 15, to be paid on site). You spend the night in a 4 star hotel in Ulaanbaatar. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included. On request, we can organise alternative lodging in a yurt in the beautiful landscape of the Mongolian Alps (supplement € 35/ $ 40). This is a rare experience and a dream come true for nature lovers.

DAY 11, ULAN BATOR AND THE MONGOLIAN ALPS

After breakfast a bus brings you to Terelj National Park, east of Ulan Bator. Here you get to see the nomadic herdsmen’s exotic settlements of tradition tents, horse herds, and scraggly yaks, a type of wild Tibetan cattle. A small Mongolian horse-riding demonstration is put on especially for you and you enjoy a picnic lunch served in these splendid surroundings. In the evening you continue on aboard your train towards China. You spend the night aboard the train. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 12, CROSSING THE GOBI DESERT

Around noon, you arrive at the Mongolian-Chinese border, where your chartered Chinese train is waiting. The Russian private train cannot continue towards Beijing because of the different track gauge in China. Your train reaches the Chinese capital in approximately 16 hours. The Chinese train does not include wagons in the Nostalgic Comfort or Bolshoi categories. You spend the night aboard the train. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 13, BEIJING, CHINA

You arrive in the hustle and bustle of Beijing in the morning. After transferring to your hotel, the rest of the day is yours to do with as you please. You spend the night in a hotel in Beijing (4-star). Breakfast and lunch are included.

DAY 14, TEMPLE OF HEAVEN AND TIANANMEN SQUARE, CHINA

A tour lasting several hours takes you to Beijing’s most beautiful and important sights, including the photogenic Temple of Heaven with its park, the huge Tiananmen Square, and some of the city’s contemporary architectural achievements, such as the new “Bird’s Nest” Olympic stadium and several futuristic sky scrapers. In the afternoon, you are able to enter the Forbidden City, the former imperial palace, and view its numerous temples and halls. You spend the night in your Beijing hotel. Breakfast and lunch are included.

DAY 15, THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA AND PEKING DUCK

Your tour today takes you to the Great Wall, the eighth wonder of the world. The giant wall extends for more than 6000 km through the countryside. On the way you visit the Ming Tombs, the burial site of 13 Ming Dynasty emperors, with its impressive Spirit Way. In the evening you enjoy a farewell dinner of world-renowned Peking Duck. You spend the night in your Beijing hotel. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 16, DEPARTURE FROM BEIJING FOR HOME

After breakfast, you transfer to the airport. Breakfast is included.

DAY 1, WELCOME TO BEIJING, CHINA

You are greeted at the airport by your friendly tour director and accompanied to your centrally located 4-star hotel, where you have a pause to relax. The tour through Beijing shows you many of the colourful facets of this large metropolitan city. The highlights are certainly the Temple of Heaven and history-laden Tiananmen Square, two of the city’s most famous sights, but it also includes recent achievements in the area of contemporary architecture, such as the new “Bird’s Nest” Olympic stadium, and several of Beijing’s futuristic sky scrapers. Afterwards you enjoy a mutual dinner to welcome you to the tour. You spend the night in a hotel in Beijing (4-star). Dinner is included.

DAY 2, THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA AND PEKING DUCK

Today you visit the Great Wall, the eighth wonder of the world. The giant wall extends for more than 6000 km through the countryside. On the way you visit the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Ming Tombs and the Spirit Way. In the evening you dine on the well-known delicacy of Peking Duck. You spend the night in your Beijing hotel. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 3, THE FORBIDDEN CITY AND DEPARTURE FOR MONGOLIA

For centuries, the gates to the Forbidden City were closed to the public. Today you have the morning to view its awe-inspiring halls and mysterious temples. In the evening your rail journey begins, as you transfer to the train station and depart for Mongolia aboard a chartered Chinese train. You reach the border city of Erlian in approximately 16 hours, on the following day. You spend the night aboard the train. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 4, CROSSING THE GOBI DESERT

Around noon you reach the Chinese-Mongolian border, where you transfer to the Tsar’s Gold private train. The change of trains is necessary because of the different track gauges in the two countries. In the growing city of Erlian, you have some time to explore the colourful local market, before your Russian train sets off towards Mongolia. After crossing sections of the legendary Gobi Desert, the train travels through the vast green steppes of Mongolia. You spend the night aboard the train. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 5, ULAN BATOR: A LAMA TEMPLE AND THE BUDDHIST REALMS OF HELL

Early-risers are treated to central Mongolia’s spectacular scenery. In the morning you arrive in Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia. You can leave your large luggage securely in your compartment. During your city tour you see the impressive Gandan Buddhist Monastery and the odd Choijin Lama Temple, among other things. In the evening you have the unique chance to attend a performance of traditional Mongolian folk arts, including throat singing, horse-headed fiddle playing, national costumes and dances (tickets are € 14/ $ 15, to be paid on site). You spend the night in a 4 star hotel in Ulan Bator. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included. On request, we can organise alternative lodging in a yurt in the beautiful landscape of the Mongolian Alps (suppelement € 35/ $ 40). This is a rare experience and a dream come true for nature lovers.

DAY 6, THE GANDAN MONASTERY AND MONGOLIAN ALPS

After breakfast you visit the Gandan Monastery, where it is possible to observe a Buddhist religious ceremony. Your bus then takes you to the Mongolian Alps, located some 90 minutes east of Ulan Bator, with their majestic scenery and bizarre rock formations. After a picnic lunch in a yurt camp, you watch a small Mongolian horse-riding demonstration and a traditional wrestling match. You spend the night aboard the train. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 7, ULAN UDE,RUSSIA

You take your leave of the Mongolian steppes today. You travel through the valley of Mongolia’s largest river, the Selenga, You are on the way to Ulan Ude, where your train reaches the main route of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Here you take an informative city tour. You spend the night aboard the train. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 8, LAKE BAIKAL, RUSSIA

Today is spent exploring the remarkable natural phenomenon of Lake Baikal, the largest reservoir of freshwater in the world. In the morning your train travels directly alongside Lake Baikal, on the old route of the Trans-Siberian Railway. During two extended photo-stops, you have a chance to explore and record the scenic beauty of the lake and its setting. A short boat excursion from Port Baikal takes you out onto the lake. Take a swim in the lake, if you wish, and visit a picturesque Baikal village. Dinner is a Baikal-style picnic on the lakeshore with a view of the incredible natural surroundings (weather permitting). You spend the night aboard the train. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 9, IRKUTSK, RUSSIA

In the morning, you arrive in Irkutsk, the capital of Eastern Siberia in tsarist times. Here you move into your hotel, which is simple, but central and nicely located. You can safely leave your large baggage on the private train. During your city tour you see the Okhlopkov Drama Theatre, the new memorial to Tsar Alexander III, and the photogenic market hall. Around noon you pay a worthwhile visit to an open-air museum with a focus on life and work in historical Siberia. You spend the night in a 4 star hotel in Irkutsk. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 10, TRANS-SIBERIA

After breakfast your train passes through the diverse landscapes of eastern Siberia. Talks on board inform you about the region and a vodka tasting with typical Russian snacks is an opportunity to experience firsthand the Russian festive customs of hospitality and clever toasts. You spend the night aboard the train. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 11, NOVOSIBIRSK, RUSSIA

Around noon, your train arrives in Novosibirsk, the largest city in Siberia. You are greeted with bread and salt in the customary Russian manner and taken on a tour of this most Soviet of cities along your entire route, including the chance to see the mighty Ob River. You spend the night aboard the train. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 12, YEKATERINBURG, RUSSIA

Your train stops in the afternoon in Yekaterinburg, the capital of the Ural Federal District. The city is known as the place where the Russian tsar Nicholas II and his family were murdered in 1918. During a tour you see the Cathedral of the Saviour on the Spilled Blood, which was built in 2003 to commemorate that tragic historic event, and the city centre attractively restored in 2009. Back on board, you enjoy views of the Urals landscape and indulge yourself in the dining car. Your private train is already rolling across the European continent. You spend the night aboard the train. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

DAY 13, KAZAN, RUSSIA

After breakfast you reach Kazan, the Tatar capital on the banks of the Volga. On your city tour you see Tatar mosques and the most famous Russian Orthodox cathedral. You also take a tour of Kazan’s Kremlin, where you learn about the turbulent history of the relationship between the Tatars, the Cossacks, and the Russians. Afterwards you enjoy lunch in a city restaurant. You spend the night aboard the train. Breakfast and lunch are included.

DAY 14, MOSCOW, RUSSIA

Around noon, you arrive in the Russian capital of Moscow, now a thriving, prosperous city, and are accompanied to your 4-star hotel. At noon you visit the Kremlin grounds with its magnificent cathedral. Several of the building interiors can also be viewed. After dinner, discover the city’s magic during an hour-long “City of Lights” tour, including a stop at Red Square, and a ride on the underground to view two of Moscow’s particularly beautiful metro stations. You spend the night in a hotel in Moscow. Breakfast and lunch are included.

DAY 15, TOUR OF MOSCOW AND FLIGHT HOME

After an ample breakfast at your hotel, your tour of the city takes you to the reconstructed Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Lomonossov University, the New Maidens’ Convent (Novodevichy Monastery), and Red Square with its colourful St. Basil’s Cathedral, as well as to the notorious former KGB headquarters and the White House. This then marks the end of your memorable journey and the time has come to head to the airport. We accompany you to the airport and bid you bon voyage. Breakfast is included.