The Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express

The world’s ultimate railway journey, the Trans-Siberian railway, runs from Europe to the Orient, starting in Moscow and climbing through the Urals, across the majestic Russian steppes and windswept tundra, along the shores of Lake Baikal, passing beyond Asia to the Sea of Japan as it arrives in Vladivostok.

We make this unparalleled journey even more special by giving you the opportunity to travel by train from London to Moscow, where you join the Trans-Siberian Express, creating a total journey of over 8,000 miles, moving through 11 time zones and travelling one third of the way around the planet. This truly is the vacation of a lifetime!

London to Vladivostok or Vladivostok to London –

Departures in May, June, August and September. Silver Class from $15,595 per person, and Gold Class from $CALL per person (see below for more details). Westbound departures fly from London to Vladivostok then travel by rail from Vladivostok to London (Vladivostok to Moscow on the Trans-Siberian Express).

London to Vladivostok

Day 1 – London to Cologne

Your epic voyage begins at London St Pancras where you board the Eurostar service to begin your 8,000-mile journey across one third of the globe. Sit back and relax as your meal and drinks are served in the comfort of your seat whilst the countryside flashes past. On arrival in Brussels you change onto the Thalys service to Cologne. Here you join the Jan Kiepura overnight sleeper train through Germany and Poland to Warsaw.

Days 2 and 3 – Warsaw to Moscow

On arrival in Warsaw you have a short time to stretch your legs while the new train with its Russian gauge takes over. You now board the Ost-West sleeper train and continue east across Poland, through Belarus and on into Russia, arriving in Moscow on the morning of Day 3. Upon leaving the train you transfer to your centrally located five star overnight hotel, where you enjoy a welcome reception and dinner this evening, and a chance to meet some of your fellow travellers on this amazing adventure.

Day 4 – Moscow

Discover the fascinating city of Moscow and its famous sights, during a full day which includes the Kremlin, Red Square and St Basil’s Cathedral. In the late afternoon you board the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express private train and have time to settle in to your modern, stylish cabin. Enjoy dinner on board the train in one of its beautifully designed restaurant cars as you begin your fantastic 12-day journey to Vladivostok.

Day 5 – Kazan

Your first stop is Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan on the Volga river. Although a large industrial city, Kazan is renowned for its beautifully ornate buildings including the Kremlin fortress, a UNESCO world-heritage site, home to the awe-inspiring Kul Sharif Mosque and the colourful onion-domed Russian Orthodox cathedral. Re-join your luxury train for dinner and perhaps a chance to meet new acquaintances over a drink in the bar car.

Day 6 – Yekaterinburg

The train crosses the Europe-Asia divide and arrives in Yekaterinburg, capital of the Urals. Your city tour includes the poignant site where the Romanov family were murdered in 1918, now a memorial church to the Russian Royal family. There is also time to visit the Military History Museum and the Urals Mineralogical Museum, with its wide variety of precious stones, and stand with one foot in each continent at the Europe-Asia divide.

Day 7 – Novosibirsk

Today you arrive in Novosibirsk, capital of Siberia, founded in 1893 as a stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway, during its construction. Your guided tour includes the world’s largest Opera House, completed in 1945 by the city’s women and children, and Lenin Square. You also travel to Akademgorodok to see its minerals museum and the fascinating Siberian Railway Museum.

Day 8 – On board the Golden Eagle

As your luxury train heads east you have time to watch the landscape unfold and spend a leisurely day enjoying the comfort and camaraderie of life on board.

Day 9 – Irkutsk

This morning the train rolls into Irkutsk, the ‘Paris of Siberia’. Irkutsk is one of Siberia’s oldest cities, founded by the Cossacks in the mid-17th century. During your guided sightseeing tour marvel at the city’s Opera House, its museums and some classic Siberian carved-wood architecture, for which this area is renowned. At the Decembrist House museum, dedicated to the memory of the exiled aristocrats who are credited with helping to being culture to Siberia, you are treated to a private concert. There is some free time to explore the quaint tree-lined streets and shop for souvenirs before you re-join the train.

Day 10 – Lake Baikal

Enjoy one of the most scenic days on board the Trans-Siberian Express as the train winds its way through tunnels and round cliffs as it hugs the shore of Lake Baikal, the largest freshwater lake in the world. There is a barbecue lunch on the beach (weather permitting) from where you can gaze at the snow-covered mountains on the distant shore and even go for a swim if you are feeling brave! After lunch is the chance to visit the small Baikal village of Listvyanka to see an exhibition about the area’s fascinating and unique ecology.

Day 11 – Ulan Ude

As you arrive in Ulan Ude, capital of the Buryat Republic, you will note a fascinating change of people and faces as you tour the area. During your guided city sightseeing there is a visit to the colourful Buddhist temple – the centre of Buddhism in Russia. At the Village of Old Believers there is time to learn about the local culture and history of these unique people as you are treated to a traditional meal and enjoy a concert featuring local dancers and musicians.

Day 12 – Ulaan Baatar

Your journey continues into Mongolia today and its’ capital city, Ulaan Baatar. Passing the central monument to the legendary ruler, Gengis Khan, there is a visit to the Natural History Museum. During lunch at a restaurant housed in a Ger or Yurt, a round felt-covered tent which is still a traditional dwelling for about a third of this nomadic nation, you can experience local hospitality and entertainment at its best. Your afternoon is free to explore or join an optional visit to Gorkhi-Terelj National Park. Later you board the train in time for dinner as it heads back into Russia.

Days 13 to 15 – Remote Siberia

Now the Trans-Siberian railway, running like a steel ribbon from west to east, comes into its own as your luxury train continues eastward, contrasting dramatically with the harsh climate outside. The train follows the Shilka and Amur Rivers never far from the Chinese border. This is Siberia at its most remote. Discover the timeless beauty of this unparalleled region as the route takes you across a zone of permafrost. The vast distances and forbidding landscape demonstrate what a huge challenge it is to simply exist in this terrain. During the closing stages of your epic voyage the train reaches the most easterly point of the journey, passing Khabarovsk where it crosses the River Amur. Unbelievably you are now heading towards the Pacific coast and journey’s end. Enjoy a farewell dinner with your fellow travellers on board the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express.

Day 16 – The Sea of Japan and Vladivostok

Today you arrive in Vladivostok after having travelled over a staggering 8,000 miles from London along this classic route to the end of the Trans-Siberian line. It is time to bid farewell to the train as you set off on a tour of this intriguing, once “closed” city. Here, where European and Oriental cultures meet, highlights include a tour of a restored submarine, a visit to the Arsenyev History Museum and a boat cruise on Golden Horn Bay, a natural deep-water harbour which served as the headquarters of the Russian Pacific Fleet. You transfer to the modern Hyundai Hotel (4 star) for an overnight stay and time to say your goodbyes.

Day 17 – Return home

After breakfast you transfer to the airport for your flight home.

The Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express Hotel Train

On 26 April 2007 HRH Prince Michael of Kent, GCVO unveiled the ‘Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express’, a new train that brings unprecedented luxury to the world’s greatest railway journey. The new 21 carriage private train, with 2 stylish restaurant cars, a welcoming bar car and 12 fully en suite sleeping cars feature state of the art amenities and standards of accommodation and catering that most rail passengers crossing Russia can only dream of.

Gold Class Accommodation

Gold Class cabins are among the best available in rail travel anywhere in the world, with an overall area of 77 sq ft. In addition to the extensive amenities offered as standard, these cabins benefit from underfloor heating and en-suite facilities which include power showers in the separate shower cubicle. Most drinks are also included at the bar for Gold Class customers. A particular delight of the Golden Eagle is the two beautifully appointed restaurant cars, the venue for the chefs to use only the finest local ingredients to prepare all the on-board meals.

Whether it be the world-renowned ‘Borsch’, caviar or Omul – a fish unique to Lake Baikal – they offer a culinary experience representing the very best of Russia. Lunch and dinner are complimented by quality wines from around the world, mineral water and soft drinks as well as – naturally – vodka. At the social heart of the train is of course the bar car, a great place to relax and settle into the unhurried pace of life on board. Unwind in comfortable surroundings and watch the world go by as you get to know your fellow passengers… the bar stays open until the last person leaves.

Cabin area – 77 sq ft (7sqm)
Cabin length – 6’ 7” (2m)
Cabin width – 11’ 8” (3.6m)
Lower bed width – 4’ 5” (1.35m)
Upper bed width – 2’ 9” (85cm)
Bed Length – 6’ 3” (1.9m)

Silver Class Accommodation

Silver Class cabins cover 60 sq ft and have a wealth of amenities including DVD/CD players, LCD screens, audio systems, individual air conditioning, recessed lighting and wardrobe space. They also feature a fully en suite wet room. Wine and soft drinks are included with meals for Silver Class guests.

Cabin area – 60 square feet, (5.5sqm)
Cabin length – 6’ 7” (2m)
Cabin width – 9’ (2.7m)
Lower bed width – 4’ (1.2m)
Upper bed width – 2’ 9” (85cm)
Bed length (upper & lower) – 6’ 3” (1.9m)

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