| Itinerary |
| Day 1 Vladivostok |
| Flights are met at Vladivostok airport and guests are transferred to the four-star Hotel Hyundai for a one-night stay. We enjoy the welcome reception in a city restaurant and start to get to know fellow travellers with whom we will be sharing this 14 night epic journey. |
| Day 2 Vladivostok |
| Our city tour includes the principal military attractions of this once “closed” Russian town, including a tour of a restored submarine. In the late afternoon we board our Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express private train and have time to settle in to our modern, stylish cabins. We enjoy dinner on board the train in one of our beautifully designed restaurant cars. |
| Day 3 Komsomolsk na Amur |
| During the night we cross the Amur River in Khabarovsk and reach the most easterly point of the journey. After visiting Komsomolsk we join the BAM (Baikal – Amur Mainline), the new line that runs north of and parallel to the original Trans-Siberian and head westwards through a virtually untouched area of outstanding natural beauty. After dinner on board we can listen to the resident pianist in our bar car whilst enjoying a drink with new friends. |
| Day 4 On Board |
Spending the day on board our Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express, there is the chance to relax in the bar car, have our first Russian language lesson and enjoy the scenery. Travelling through the untouched tundra we experience Russia at its most remote. The 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 extreme environment for human existence.
|
| Day 5 Tynda |
| Heading west we visit Tynda. With a population of around 40,000, it is the largest town for over 300 miles in any direction. It was built to be the administrative centre for the construction of the BAM route during the 1970’s and our visit to a local museum gives us a fascinating insight into the building of this line. |
| Day 6 Novaya Chara |
We spend the whole day in this small village lost in the middle of Russia. Our tour takes us to visit an interesting small museum that covers the history of this area including the Marble Canyon Gulag. Many prisoners were sent here during the Soviet regime to mine Uranium for the Russian nuclear programme. Today the area is famous for Charoite, a rare semi-precious lilac coloured gemstone, unique to this region.
It is likely that during our time here we will meet some of the many gem traders who frequent this area. We also make a stop at the unique 6 km long Sand Dunes, the origin of which remains a mystery. We know that they had important significance to the indigenous people of this region as many ancient artefacts, dating back several thousand years, have been found buried here. |
| Day 7 Severomuysk, Severobaikalsk |
| This morning as we travel through the scenic Severomuysk mountain range we pass through the longest railway tunnel in Russia. Stretching for 15.7 km it was also one of the most complicated of all the tunnels to be constructed along the railway. After lunch we arrive in remote Severobaikalsk (North Baikal), where the road network is completely cut-off from the rest of the country. The BAM is a vital lifeline for this beautiful area at the northern tip of the Lake and we have the afternoon to explore the unique way of life here, and meet some of the local inhabitants. |
| Day 8 Bratsk |
| We spend several hours in the city of Bratsk visiting one of the biggest hydroelectric dams in the world, built during the 1960’s. After our tour we continue on to Taishet, where the BAM ends and we cross the Trans-Siberian main line. This part of our journey was nicknamed the “Road of Courage” after the many natural obstacles that had to be overcome during its construction; notably the massive Sayan mountains with their thick Siberian forests, rapid rivers and permafrost. Construction began in 1942 and it took 23 years to complete the section between Taishet and Abakan. |
| Day 9 Sayan Mountains and Abakan |
| Heading west we can enjoy the peaceful pace on board, as the Golden Eagle climbs through the spectacular Sayan Mountains, which stretch for over 1,000km. As well as watching the magnificent scenery, there will be the choice of attending one of the various lectures/lessons on board, socialising in the Bar Car and, if time permits, we will have a short visit to Abakan. |
| Day 10 Novosibirsk |
| Around breakfast time we stop at Seyatel to visit the Novosibirsk Railway museum before continuing into Novisibirsk a modern “Soviet” city, where we visit the famous Opera House, Lenin Square and marvel at the immense river Ob, which flows 3,500 miles from its source to the Arctic. |
| Day 11 Yekaterinburg |
| After lunch we arrive in Yekaterinburg, the last city in Asia and capital of the Urals. Our city tour includes the Romanov execution site, now a Church dedicated to the memory of the Russian Royalfamily, and the monument to the Europe/Asia divide where we can stand with a foot in each continent. |
| Day 12 Kazan |
| After a morning arrival we have time to discover Kazan, the picturesque capital of Tatarstan on the Volga river. One of the highlights of today is our visit to the Kremlin fortress, a UNESCO world heritage site, containing a stunning mosque and Russian Orthodox cathedral. Tonight we have our final dinner on board the Golden Eagle, our home for the last 11 days. |
Day 13 Moscow |
| Mid-morning arrival in Moscow. We spend the rest of the day touring the amazing sites of this vibrant city, including Red Square and the Kremlin. We transfer to a centrally located five-star hotel for a onenight stay and enjoy our farewell dinner where we say our goodbyes. |
| Day 14 Moscow |
| After breakfast in the hotel, free time in the rapidly-changing Russian capital brings our tour to an end (note that it is possible that the Kremlin visit could be this morning). Airport transfers are provided for our departing flights. |
