Whilst there are many packages available from other tour operators on the Trans-Siberian Railway, nearly all will involve travel on the regular Trans-Siberian trains – which have nothing but the most basic facilities.
This deluxe tour is offered by Trans-Siberia.com in conjunction with GW Travel/The Trans-Siberian Express Company, who have been operating private rail adventures for more than 13 years. This is a private departure, which combines an extensive off-train programme with a level of class, comfort and safety that no other passenger train provides.
This is itinerary is one of many tours run by GW Travel/The Trans-Siberian Express Company.
Day 1 Moscow
Group flights are met at Moscow airport and passengers transfer to the five-star Baltschug Kempinski Hotel, opposite the Kremlin and Red Square, for a one-night stay. Welcome dinner.
Day 2 Moscow
A full day touring Moscow, including Red Square and the Kremlin. Evening departure of our Trans-Siberian Express private train.
Day 3 St. Petersburg
After our morning arrival in Peter the Great’s capital city, our full-day tour includes Peterhof (Petrodvorets) Palace and Catherine’s beautiful Summer Palace. Overnight stay at the historic Astoria/Angleterre hotel, or similar, opposite the golden-domed St Isaac’s Cathedral.
Day 4 St. Petersburg
Morning visit to the Hermitage and Winter Palace, housing one of the world’s most remarkable collections of art. Afternoon/early evening departure of our private Trans-Siberian Express.
Day 5 On Board
A full day spent on the train where you can settle into your cabin and enjoy the comfort, space and service available on our exclusive Trans-Siberian Express train.
Day 6 Yekaterinburg
We cross the Europe/Asia divide before arrival in Yekaterinburg, capital of the Urals. Our city tour includes the Romanov execution site and the Urals Mineralogical Museum.
Day 7 Novosibirsk
We stop in this modern ‘Soviet’ city where we visit the famous Opera House, Lenin Square and the Ob River, which flows 3,500 miles from its source to the Arctic.
Day 8 On Board
As we head east you can relax, spending another day on board our Trans-Siberian Express train. Enjoy the peaceful pace aboard our train as you have the choice of attending the various lessons/lectures we offer, enjoying the warm atmosphere in the Bar Car or watching the passing countryside.
Day 9 Irkutsk
Morning arrival in the ‘Paris of Siberia’, Irkutsk. Our day-long tour includes a cultural immersion of the major sights and museums, including the classic wooden architecture.
Day 10 Lake Baikal
A fantastic day’s adventure as we wind our way through tunnels and round cliffs along the shoreline of the world’s largest freshwater lake, Lake Baikal. A completely different experience, we stop at one of the bays and have a barbecue off the train at the water’s edge. The braver are invited for a swim, but beware; the water in the summer is a cool 10ºC. We then visit Listvyanka, a small Baikal village nestled at the base of the surrounding hills. We return to the train for dinner and an evening departure.
Day 11 Ulan Ude
Morning arrival in Ulan Ude, capital of the Buryat Republic. A fascinating change of people and faces greet us as we tour the area’s colourful Buddhist Temple at nearby Ivolginsk, and travel by coach to the Village of Old Believers. The day’s attraction includes a concert featuring local dancers and musicians.
Day 12 On Board
Following the Shilka and Amur rivers, we are never far from the Chinese border. Siberia at its most remote, beauty unfolds before us as we enter the region of permafrost. Here the vast distances and forbidding geographic and climatic conditions render the entire region a difficult environment for human existence.
Day 13 On Board
Our last full day on board our Trans-Siberian Express private train. We are now north of Seoul, Darwin and interestingly, Osaka. We reach the most easterly point of the journey passing through Khabarovsk, where we cross the river Amur. Final dinner on board the train.
Day 14 Vladivostok
Morning arrival in Vladivostok and the end of the Trans-Siberian line. Our city tour includes the principal military attractions of this once ‘closed’ Russian town. We transfer to the Hotel Hyundai for a one-night stay and our final farewell dinner.
Day 15 Vladivostok
Breakfast in the hotel with transfers being provided to the airport for departing international flights.
Note: There are other varients of this tour, including to Mongolia and Beijing. Tours are available West to East or East to West.