Experience a journey on the legendary Transsiberian Railroad, one of the last great travel adventures in our world. Set this dream of a lifetime on the tracks with a private train and experience Russia, Mongolia and China in the safest, most comfortable and fascinating way.

The historic route between Beijing, Lake Baikal and Moscow is the heart of all travel variants: The exciting days of your journey are delivering three of the world’s largest countries directly to your compartment. Lean back to enjoy the dramatic changes of scenery and savour a choice of Asia’s and Europe's most superb and splendid landscapes!

The Grand Tour from Beijing To Lake Baikal via Mongolia is a unique experience; no traveller could ever forget. The tour totals 40 hours Rail trip on the original tracks of the Trans Siberian (closed to regular traffic) for an unforgettable experience. The train will stop at various cities, allowing travellers to enjoy the unique cultures, scenery, and gastronomy under the leadership of experienced tour guides plus a train tour director. During the tour you will have English or French Speaking guide.

The tour passes untouched landscapes, and includes boat trips on Volga and Lake Baikal, city tours, original Mongolian horseback riding show, visits to typical Siberian villages, daily lectures about culture, country, people and authentic dining. A doctor on board and an entertainment programme ensures a smooth and enjoyable journey. All meals are included during the train ride.

Departure dates 2011: 07 Sep - 18 Sep (Guaranteed English, French, Spanish & Italian speaking guide), 14 Sep – 25 Sep (Guaranteed English speaking guide).
Departure dates 2012: 16-27 May (Guaranteed English speaking guide), 13-24 Jun (Guaranteed French speaking guide), 08-19 Jul (Guaranteed English speaking guide), 01-12 Aug (Guaranteed Spanish & Italian speaking guide), 26 Aug - 06 Sep (Guaranteed French speaking guide), 19 - 30 Sep (Guaranteed English speaking guide). More departures from Moscow to Beijing.

Beijing is China's foremost city and capital for twenty four successive emperors. Some of the major sights include: Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven, Great Wall and Summer Palace. The complete range of Chinese cuisine can be found in the capital, and evening entertainment is superb.

Take an airport transfer by private car with an English-speaking guide.

Fairmont Beijing Hotel is within a short driving distance to Forbidden City or Tiananmen Square, the Embassy District, Oriental Plaza or Wangfujing, and China World Trade Centre. The hotel offers natural-lit rooms with floor-to-ceiling-windows that are furnished in contemporary Chinese style. The gate-form architecture showcases natural light-filled interiors accented by contemporary Chinese artworks, creating a sense of space and luxury living in the heart of China.

Overnight at Fairmont Beijing Hotel .

Enjoy a full day private guided tour with lunch at the Great Wall at Mutianyu located 45 miles northeast of Beijing. This section winds along lofty, cragged mountains for 1.4 miles. Construction was started in the Northern Qi Dynasty (550 - 577) and was restored in the early Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Built mainly from granite with 8m walls and 5m wide at the top, it is notable for its 22 watchtowers. Lunch is included.

Overnight at Fairmont Beijing Hotel .

You will be picked up from your Beijing hotel and taken on a half day private guided tour of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City with a deluxe lunch. Tiananmen Square was built in 1417 during the Ming Dynasty and was the front door of the Forbidden City. The present square stretches a vast 440,000 square meters and features Tiananmen Tower, Monument to the People's Heroes, Great Hall of the People, Mao Zedong Memorial Hall. The Forbidden City is the world's largest palace complex with 9,999 buildings across 74 hectares, surrounded by a six meter deep moat and a ten meter wall, and divided into two parts. The Outer Court was where the emperor exercised his supreme power over the nation. The Inner Court was where he lived with his royal family. Fourteen emperors of the Ming dynasty and ten emperors of the Qing dynasty reigned here until 1924.

Enjoy a transfer to/from train station with private vehicle, driver, and English-speaking guide.

In the evening, the rail part of the journey begins. A modern Chinese train will pull out from Beijing’s station, en route to Mongolia, a 16-hour trip (Nostalgic Comfort and Bolshoi cars are not available for this one night). Meanwhile, China’s busy rural life unfolds outside your window: people working in the fields, donkey-drawn carts on dusty roads, and the great steppes of the Gobi desert. (BLD)

The Trans-Siberian railway is one of world’s safest modes of travel. It is safe, clean and maintained to the highest standards. There are 3 compartments categories, and a shower on board. In category I and II cars, you can raise the lower bunk beds; there is more storage space for luggage in a metal compartment underneath. You can put your valuables in here and sleep well knowing they are safe. In many of the cars you can widen the lower beds by a few centimetres. Your car conductor will be happy to assist you. All compartments have a dial for announcements on the on-board intercom. You can walk through the entire train. The view from the very last car is especially interesting. Even the luggage compartment is available for viewing. The train has a maximum length of 21 cars, a restaurant and a luggage car. All meals are included in the journey, as well as special activities and features as specified in the tour itinerary.

Overnight at Tsar`s Gold Train.

The Gobi, "gravel-covered plain" is the largest desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Tibetan Plateau to the southwest, and by the North China Plain to the southeast. The Gobi is made up of several distinct ecological and geographic regions based on variations in climate and topography. This desert is the fifth largest in the world. The Gobi is most notable in history as part of the great Mongol Empire, and as the location of several important cities along the Silk Road. The Gobi is a rain shadow desert formed by the Himalaya range blocking rain-carrying clouds from reaching the Gobi.

At noon you arrive at the Chinese-Mongolian border and change to your Private Train. Formalities are easily dispatched in your compartment. In Erlian you can explore the colourful border market.

The Trans-Siberian railway is one of world’s safest modes of travel. It is safe, clean and maintained to the highest standards. There are 3 compartments categories, and a shower on board. In category I and II cars, you can raise the lower bunk beds; there is more storage space for luggage in a metal compartment underneath. You can put your valuables in here and sleep well knowing they are safe. In many of the cars you can widen the lower beds by a few centimetres. Your car conductor will be happy to assist you. All compartments have a dial for announcements on the on-board intercom. You can walk through the entire train. The view from the very last car is especially interesting. Even the luggage compartment is available for viewing. The train has a maximum length of 21 cars, a restaurant and a luggage car. All meals are included in the journey, as well as special activities and features as specified in the tour itinerary.

Overnight at Tsar`s Gold Train.

Ulaan Bataar is the capital and largest city of Mongolia. The city is an independent municipality not part of any province, and its population as of 2008 is just over 1 million. Located in the north central part of the country, the city lies at an elevation of about 1,310 metres (4,300 ft) in a valley on the Tuul River. It is the cultural, industrial, and financial heart of the country. It is also the center of Mongolia's road network, and connected by rail to the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Chinese railroad network. The city was founded in 1639 as an initially nomadic Buddhist monastic centre. Since 1778 it has been located in the Tuul river valley. In the 20th century, Ulaanbaatar grew into a major manufacturing centre.

In the morning you arrive in the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator. Major luggage can be left on the train while you check into the centrally located standard hotel and then enjoy a tour of the city. You will see the Choijin Lama temple. at night you will have the unique opportunity to watch traditional Mongolian music performances. (BLD)

You will spend the night in a good, centrally located medium-class hotel in Ulan Bator. The Ulaanbaatar Hotel is favorably located in the heart of Ulaanbaatar. Perfect for sightseers as, in close proximity to the hotel, there is Sukhbaatar Square with Government buildings, National University of Mongolia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Overnight at Ulaan Baatar Hotel.

After breakfast you will visit the Buddhist Gandan Monastery and undertake an excursion to a mountainous area with stunning rock formations. Along the way, an open-air railroad museum puts the Mongolian railway in context. A picnic lunch in a yurt is followed by a demonstration of Mongolian horsemanship and the traditional wrestling match. Try some lamb in milk, a culinary specialty of Mongolia. Or, for the brave of heart, there’s always kumys (fermented mare’s milk), the beer of the nomads.

The Trans-Siberian railway is one of world’s safest modes of travel. It is safe, clean and maintained to the highest standards. There are 3 compartments categories, and a shower on board. In category I and II cars, you can raise the lower bunk beds; there is more storage space for luggage in a metal compartment underneath. You can put your valuables in here and sleep well knowing they are safe. In many of the cars you can widen the lower beds by a few centimetres. Your car conductor will be happy to assist you. All compartments have a dial for announcements on the on-board intercom. You can walk through the entire train. The view from the very last car is especially interesting. Even the luggage compartment is available for viewing. The train has a maximum length of 21 cars, a restaurant and a luggage car. All meals are included in the journey, as well as special activities and features as specified in the tour itinerary.

Overnight at Tsar`s Gold Train.

Ulan-Ude is the capital city of the Buryat Republic, Russia, is located about 100 km south-east of Lake Baikal on the Uda River at its confluence with the Selenga. According to the 2002 Census, 359,391 residents lived in Ulan-Ude, and it is the third largest city in eastern Siberia.

Bid farewell to the Mongolian steppes as the train rolls on through the valley of Selenga, the largest river of Mongolia. In Ulan Ude your train joins the main route of the Transsiberian Railroad. Here you can stroll through the city streets or join the guided tour of the city.

The Trans-Siberian railway is one of world’s safest modes of travel. It is safe, clean and maintained to the highest standards. There are 3 compartments categories, and a shower on board. In category I and II cars, you can raise the lower bunk beds; there is more storage space for luggage in a metal compartment underneath. You can put your valuables in here and sleep well knowing they are safe. In many of the cars you can widen the lower beds by a few centimetres. Your car conductor will be happy to assist you. All compartments have a dial for announcements on the on-board intercom. You can walk through the entire train. The view from the very last car is especially interesting. Even the luggage compartment is available for viewing. The train has a maximum length of 21 cars, a restaurant and a luggage car. All meals are included in the journey, as well as special activities and features as specified in the tour itinerary.

Overnight at Tsar`s Gold Train (4*).

Lake Baikal is in Southern Siberia in Russia, located between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast, near the city of Irkutsk. It is also known as the "Blue Eye of Siberia". It contains more water than all the North American Great Lakes combined. At 1,637 meters (5,371 ft), Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, and the largest freshwater lake in the world by volume. Like Lake Tanganyika, Lake Baikal was formed in an ancient rift valley and therefore is long and crescent-shaped with a surface area (31,494 km²), less than that of Lake Superior or Lake Victoria. Baikal is home to more than 1,700 species of plants and animals, two thirds of which can be found nowhere else in the world and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. At more than 25 million years old, it is the oldest lake in the world. A Russian mini-submarine attempting to set a record for the deepest freshwater dive on July 29, 2008 was originally reported as being successful, but a correction later emerged that reported the MIR I failed to do so, reaching a depth of only 1,580 meters.

The entire day is dedicated to Lake Baikal. Before noon you will arrive at the old station, located directly on the shore. During two long photo stops you will have the chance to capture the beauty of the lake on film and explore the wonderful scenery. Take a moment to have a dip in the lake or visit a picturesque Baikal village. If the night is warm, your dinner will be served as a picnic on the shores of the spectacular lake before re-boarding the train.

The Trans-Siberian railway is one of world’s safest modes of travel. It is safe, clean and maintained to the highest standards. There are 3 compartments categories, and a shower on board. In category I and II cars, you can raise the lower bunk beds; there is more storage space for luggage in a metal compartment underneath. You can put your valuables in here and sleep well knowing they are safe. In many of the cars you can widen the lower beds by a few centimetres. Your car conductor will be happy to assist you. All compartments have a dial for announcements on the on-board intercom. You can walk through the entire train. The view from the very last car is especially interesting. Even the luggage compartment is available for viewing. The train has a maximum length of 21 cars, a restaurant and a luggage car. All meals are included in the journey, as well as special activities and features as specified in the tour itinerary.

Overnight at Tsar`s Gold Train (4*).

Irkutsk is one of the largest cities in Siberia and the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, situated 5,185 kilometers by rail from Moscow. In the early nineteenth century, many Russian artists, officers and nobles were sent into exile to Siberia for their part in the Decembrist revolt against Tsar Nicholas I. Irkutsk became the major center of intellectual and social life for these exiles, and much of the city's cultural heritage comes from them; also, many of their wooden houses, adorned with ornate, hand-carved decorations, survive today in stark contrast with the standard Soviet apartment buildings that surround them.

Today the train reaches Irkutsk, capital of Eastern Siberia. During a city tour you will see the new statue of Alexander III, the former Tran Siberian Obelisk and lots of picturesque Siberian houses. After lunch, you will have an excursion to the open air museum "Life and Work in the Time of the Tsars", which presents the region’s history in a clear and vivid manner. A taiga dinner in a Siberian forest restaurant is the excursion’s romantic finale.

Spend the night at an Irkutsk hotel, best available standards.

Overnight at Irkutsk Hotel.

Siberia is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving as the massive central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, having served in the same capacity previously for the USSR from its beginning, and the Russian Empire beginning in the 16th century. Geographically, it includes a large part of the Eurasian Steppe and extends eastward from the Ural Mountains to the watershed between Pacific and Arctic drainage basins, and southward from the Arctic Ocean to the hills of north-central Kazakhstan and the national borders of both Mongolia and China. It makes up about 77% of Russia's territory (13.1 million square kilometres), but only 26% of Russia's population (43.3 million people).

Spend the day on board the "Tsar’s Gold", by now your second home, proceed onward over the Yenisei River through Siberia. The on-board restaurant cooks once again demonstrate their skills with the specialty meal "Tsar’s Feast". Along the way you will see the typical Siberian villages with their wooden houses, birch forests and – hopefully – lots of sunlight on impressive mountain landscapes.

The Trans-Siberian railway is one of world’s safest modes of travel. It is safe, clean and maintained to the highest standards. There are 3 compartments categories, and a shower on board. In category I and II cars, you can raise the lower bunk beds; there is more storage space for luggage in a metal compartment underneath. You can put your valuables in here and sleep well knowing they are safe. In many of the cars you can widen the lower beds by a few centimetres. Your car conductor will be happy to assist you. All compartments have a dial for announcements on the on-board intercom. You can walk through the entire train. The view from the very last car is especially interesting. Even the luggage compartment is available for viewing. The train has a maximum length of 21 cars, a restaurant and a luggage car. All meals are included in the journey, as well as special activities and features as specified in the tour itinerary.

Overnight at Tsar`s Gold Train (4*).

Novosibirsk is Russia's third-largest city, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast. It is also the largest city in Siberia. Sights include Lenin's square with statute of Lenin left from Soviet times standing right in front of the Opera and Ballet House which is beautiful at night. It is also the largest opera house in Russia. The Chapel of St. Nicholas, originally built in 1915 to commemorate 300 years of Romanov rule, destroyed in 1930 and rebuilt in 1993 can be visited as well. In winter residents build an ice town on the Ob River, and in summer residents go to the beach. Near the city center on Krasny Prospekt, you can also see some excellent work in the Novosibirsk Art Museum and Local Studies Museum. You could also consider the Novosibirsk Regional Puppet Theater (over 70 years old in an interesting historic building), or the Novosibirsk Circus.

You reach Novosibirsk, heart of Siberia, where you will be welcomed in the traditional Russian manner with bread and salt. Your city tour includes a visit to the lively market and the mighty Ob River. After dinner, the train continues its ride to the West.

The Trans-Siberian railway is one of world’s safest modes of travel. It is safe, clean and maintained to the highest standards. There are 3 compartments categories, and a shower on board. In category I and II cars, you can raise the lower bunk beds; there is more storage space for luggage in a metal compartment underneath. You can put your valuables in here and sleep well knowing they are safe. In many of the cars you can widen the lower beds by a few centimetres. Your car conductor will be happy to assist you. All compartments have a dial for announcements on the on-board intercom. You can walk through the entire train. The view from the very last car is especially interesting. Even the luggage compartment is available for viewing. The train has a maximum length of 21 cars, a restaurant and a luggage car. All meals are included in the journey, as well as special activities and features as specified in the tour itinerary.

Overnight at Tsar`s Gold Train (4*).

Yekaterinburg is a major city in the central part of Russia, the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast. Situated on the eastern side of the Ural mountain range, it is the main industrial and cultural center of the Urals Federal District. Its population of 1,293,537, makes it Russia's fifth largest city. Between 1924 and 1991, the city was known as Sverdlovsk, after the Bolshevik leader Yakov Sverdlov.

In the afternoon the train stops in Yekaterinburg, the capital of the Ural Mountains and the border between Asia and Europe, where you enjoy a short exploration of the city. In the course of the city tour you will see the newly erected Cathedral-on-the-blood, built in memorial of that tragic historical event. From now on your train is on European ground.

The Trans-Siberian railway is one of world’s safest modes of travel. It is safe, clean and maintained to the highest standards. There are 3 compartments categories, and a shower on board. In category I and II cars, you can raise the lower bunk beds; there is more storage space for luggage in a metal compartment underneath. You can put your valuables in here and sleep well knowing they are safe. In many of the cars you can widen the lower beds by a few centimetres. Your car conductor will be happy to assist you. All compartments have a dial for announcements on the on-board intercom. You can walk through the entire train. The view from the very last car is especially interesting. Even the luggage compartment is available for viewing. The train has a maximum length of 21 cars, a restaurant and a luggage car. All means are included in the journey, as well as special activities and features as specified in the tour itinerary.

Overnight at Tsar`s Gold Train (4*).

Kazan is the capital city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, and one of Russia's largest cities. It is a major industrial, commercial and cultural center, and remains the most important center of Tatar culture. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in central European Russia. The city has a beautiful citadel, which was declared the World Heritage Site in 2000. Major monuments in the Kremlin are the 5-domed 6-columned Annunciation Cathedral and the mysterious leaning Soyembika Tower, named after the last queen of Kazan and regarded as the city's most conspicuous landmark.

After breakfast you arrive in Kazan, the old Tartar capital on the banks of the Volga. Plenty of history here: on a guided tour of the Kremlin you will learn about the wild and often bloody relations of the Tartars, Cossacks, and Russians. Afterwards you can enjoy a boat ride and have lunch on the Volga. The evening offers you one last chance to be pampered in the onboard restaurant.

The Trans-Siberian railway is one of world’s safest modes of travel. It is safe, clean and maintained to the highest standards. There are 3 compartments categories, and a shower on board. In category I and II cars, you can raise the lower bunk beds; there is more storage space for luggage in a metal compartment underneath. You can put your valuables in here and sleep well knowing they are safe. In many of the cars you can widen the lower beds by a few centimetres. Your car conductor will be happy to assist you. All compartments have a dial for announcements on the on-board intercom. You can walk through the entire train. The view from the very last car is especially interesting. Even the luggage compartment is available for viewing. The train has a maximum length of 21 cars, a restaurant and a luggage car. All meals are included in the journey, as well as special activities and features as specified in the tour itinerary.

Overnight at Tsar`s Gold Train (4*).

The focal point of Moscow is Red Square, on one side of which is the Kremlin surrounded by a thick red fortress wall containing 20 towers altogether. There a several gorgeous buildings in the square including the Uspensky Cathedral, the 14th-century Grand Kremlin Palace, the golden-domed Belfry of Ivan the Great, and the renowned St Basil’s Cathedral, famous for its brightly colored domes. Lenin’s Mausoleum is also located in Red Square and is still open to the public on certain days. Outside Red Square, Tverskaya Street is one of the main shopping streets. Old Arbat Street is a pedestrian zone with crafts and artists’ stalls and street performers. The world-famous Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater at Teatralnaya Square dates from 1824. Novodevichy Convent near Sportivnaya metro station houses a museum of rare and ancient Russian art, and is one of the finest examples of 16th- and 17th-century architecture in the city. The Metro system itself is steeped in history, with many of stations featuring beautiful decoration. Other sites include the superb Tretyakov Gallery, the Annunciation and Our Lady of Kazan Cathedrals, Gorky Park, and the macbre KGB museum.

Enjoy a train station transfer with private vehicle/driver and guide.

Tour the Kremlin, on a private 5 hour guided tour. The site is the city´s former military fortification, a palace, an armoury, the sovereign treasury and the workplace of the Russian President. The Kremlin is the center of Russia´s political life and State power. The Armoury Palace features weaponry, imperial regalia and unique art (Entrance to Kremlin territory and Armoury Chamber included).

Hotel National (5*) is uniquely located just off the Red Square in the very heart of the historical, cultural and business center of Moscow. Its spacious rooms and breathtaking views over the Kremlin has made the National famous worldwide, attracting presidents, royalties and celebrities among the guests. Dine at Moskovsky restaurant, which is considered the best hotel restaurant in Moscow. Its aristocratic Russian and European cuisine, enchanting historical ambience as well as breathtaking panoramic view over the Kremlin make dining truly unforgettable. As an official member of the “Leading Hotels of the World”, The National combines historical ambience, up-to-date convenience and top-notch service with genuine Russian hospitality.

Overnight at Hotel National (5*).

Enjoy an airport transfer with private vehicle and driver.

Depart from International Airport. End of itinerary.

Overnight at Depart (Int`l Airport) (standard).