| Day 1: Moscow |
| Group flights are met at the Moscow airport and passengers transferred to the five-star Baltschug Kempinski Hotel, opposite the Kremlin, for a two-night stay. Welcome dinner in the city. |
| Day 2: Moscow |
| A full day touring Moscow, including Red Square and the Kremlin, with its magnificent Armory. Lunch and dinner are served in city restaurants. |
| Day 3: Moscow |
| After breakfast guests have free time in the morning. Lunch time departure of our exclusive Trans-Siberian Express train as we head south towards Volgograd. Lunch and dinner on the train. |
| Day 4: Volgograd |
| On the banks of the Volga River, Stalingrad (as the city was once known in Soviet times) was the scene of probably the most important battles in World War II. The Russians finally turned back the Nazi advance to the Caucasian oil fields in Baku at this city. It was a true turning point in the war. Prior to the German’s defeat (in which the city was virtually destroyed and cost hundreds of thousands of lives) Hitler’s armies had not lost a battle. After Stalingrad, the Germans never won another battle. We visit the sobering Mamayev Kurgan war memorial. Breakfast, lunch and dinner on board. |
| Day 5: Kara Kum |
| A relaxing day on our Trans-Siberian Express private train as we head through Kazakhstan’s Kara Kum desert. Enjoy the scenery and the remote villages we briefly stop at from time to time. All meals are served on board today. |
| Day 6: Khiva |
| We cross into Uzbekistan for our morning arrival in Urgench and transfer to this 2,500-year old city. Khiva was once one of the most important trading centers at the crossroads of the routes between Mongolia, Russia, China and Paris. Its former wealth is evident in the fabulous buildings, mosques, bazaars and minarets that are within the walled city and which have been restored with the support of UNESCO for the city’s 2,500th anniversary celebrations. Lunch is in one of the former summer residence’s of the Khan. We return to the train for our overnight run to the capital of Turkmenistan. Dinner on board. |
| Day 7: / Day 8: Ashgabat, Merv |
| We arrive in the “Las Vegas of the Kara Kum,” the capital city of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, where we spend the day touring. We then return to the train and travel to the ancient city of Merv. Once an ancient Silk Road city, Merv was left to “die” after the Emir of Bukhara destroyed the dam, which the population depended upon for water. We visit at least one of the five walled cities contained within the 50-square mile area before returning to the train for our departure to Bukhara. |
| Day 9: Bukhara |
| We arrive in Uzbekistan’s largest oasis city, the splendid Bukhara. Smaller than other cities in the country, it is perhaps just as impressive, if not more, as the larger Samarkand. Like Khiva UNESCO renovated much of the city for its 2,500th anniversary in 1999. The highlight of the tour includes a visit to The Ark, the fortified residence of the Emirs of Bukhara, rulers infamous for their cruelty. Lunch is within one of the city’s many medressehs (beautifully-tiled Islamic schools popular in the area). We then travel out of the city to visit the Emir’s Palace of the Moon and Stars. Dinner on board as we head towards Samarkand. |
| Day 10: Samarkand |
| Many phrases have been used to describe this jewel of the Islamic world, including: “the Paris of the Muslim World” and “Rome of the East.” The list of its admirers is endless an includes Marco Polo, Tamerlane, and Alexander the Great. Founded in the 6th century BC, its architecture gives an indication of its former status as one of the most important cities in Asia. We spend the day visiting the many fabulous buildings including the Bibi Kharum Mosque, the Ulag Beg observatory and the awe-inspiring Registan Square. Dinner is near the illuminated Registan Square, after which we return to the train for an evening departure. |
| Day 11: Tashkent |
| We arrive in the capital city of Uzbekistan and spend the morning touring this pleasant, modern, Soviet-style city, which was rebuilt after a devastating earthquake leveled it in 1966. We re-board the train for lunch as we head towards Kazakhstan and Almaty. Dinner on board. |
| Day 12: Almaty |
| Just before lunch we arrive in the largest city in Kazakhstan, Almaty. Beautifully set in a valley in the foothills of the Tien Shen Mountains, we have lunch in a traditional Kazak ‘yurt’, and then spend the afternoon touring. We re-board the train for our final dinner and evening on board the Trans-Siberian Express. |
| Day 13: Crossing into China |
| We bid our Trans-Siberian Express a final farewell as we arrive on the border of Russia and China. We change trains and spend most of the day crossing from Russia into China. We board our awaiting China Orient Express private train and spend the rest of the day settling in. We arrive in Urumchi late evening where we transfer to the Holiday Inn for one night. |
| Day 14: Urumchi |
| Our tour today includes Heavenly Lake, stationed 1,900 meters high, and dominated by the 5,445-metre high Bogda Feng, or “Peak of God.” This idyllic setting looks like a part of Switzerland or Canada set in the midst of the Gobi desert. Dinner on board the train as we travel through the Gobi desert. |
| Day 15: Dunhuang |
| We arrive after lunch in Liuyang and transfer to the small city of Dunhuang to visit the fascinating Magao Thousand Buddha Cave Complex, which contains almost 500 grottoes, carved between 700 and 1,700 years ago, and filled with an amazing collection of sculptures and murals depicting the evolution of Buddhist religious art over a 1,000-year period. Over 2,000 statues and 45,000 murals still remain. Dinner in the city and we stay overnight at the Dunhuang Hotel. |
| Day 16: Jiayuguan |
| This morning we arrive in Jiayuguan. The fortress at the end of the Great Wall is situated here and dates back to 1372; perfectly restored it is considered one of the great sights of northwestern China. We visit the fort and museum before our lunchtime departure and we spend the afternoon continuing through the Gobi towards Xian. |
| Day 17: Xian |
| Mid-morning arrival in the ancient city of Xian. We tour the city today with the highlights being the Great Mosque, the 14-km city walls, Drum and Bell Towers, Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The afternoon is dedicated to visiting the world famous Terracotta Warriors, discovered by peasants barely 30 years ago. The 6,000 Terracotta figures, arranged in row after row of warriors and horses, are one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century. If time permits, we will visit Huaqing Lake and hot springs on the way back to the city for dinner and Tang Dynasty show. After dinner return to the train for our last night on board. |
| Day 18: Beijing |
| We spend the day winding our way northwards towards Beijing, where we arrive early evening. Having traveled 11,353km from Moscow, we bid farewell to our train crew and transfer to the five-star Peninsula Palace hotel (or similar) for dinner and a three night stay. |
| Day 19: Beijing |
| Breakfast in the hotel. Our city tour includes Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City. Dinner is in the hotel restaurant. |
| Day 20: Beijing |
| After breakfast we visit the Great Wall at Badaling and Ming Tombs. Lunch is in the city and in the afternoon you will have free time at the week-end market (open every day) and later that evening we have our final farewell dinner at a Peking Duck restaurant. |
| Day 21: Beijing |
| After breakfast in the hotel, guests are transferred to the airport for international flight departures. |
