What better way to travel through this intriguing land than by train? It will be a grand adventure exploring the wonders of this region. The journey: a 6,250-mile trip from Beijing to Moscow aboard the Shangri-La Express and Trans-Siberian Express. We are delighted to sponsor this program in conjunction with GW Travel of England.
Tour Highlights:
- Beijing, The Great Wall, Forbidden City
- Xian, The Terracotta Army & city tour
- Dunhuang's Magao Thousand Buddha Cave Complex
- Heavenly Lake in Urumchi
- Almaty, fomer capital of Kazakhstan
- Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan & Ashgabat, capital of Turkmenistan
- Merv & Khiva
- Kara Kum Desert
- Volgograd
- Moscow
- Last but not least the train, a comfortable hotel-on-wheels with bar car, restaurant cars, first-class sleeping cars, a staff of around 80 (60 Russian Train).
Your Itinerary (Westbound)
Day 1: Beijing
Independent arrival at Beijing Airport. Transfers for all passengers arriving at Beijing Capital Airport today to the Peninsula Palace Hotel, or similar, where we stay for three nights. Afternoon free to relax before meeting fellow passengers at the welcome dinner.
Day 2: Beijing
After breakfast a city tour of China’s thriving capital city takes in all the famous landmarks including the Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. Lunch and dinner in the city.
Day 3: Beijing
After breakfast 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 market. Dinner at a Peking Duck restaurant.
Day 4: Luoyang
Free morning before transferring to Beijing West station (reputedly the world’s largest) to board China’s most prestigious private train, the Shangri-La Express at the start of your 7,050-mile journey to Moscow. Lunch as we depart. In the afternoon settle into your cabin as we head for Xian passing Luoyang along the way.
Day 5: Xian
After breakfast we arrive in the ancient city of Xian. We tour the city today with the highlights being the Great Mosque, the 8.7-mile 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.
Day 6: Lanzhou
Lunch-time arrival into Lanzhou, a vital city on the Silk Route due to its principal crossing point of the mighty Yellow River. A visit to the Gansu Provincial museum here provides evidence of the kind of goods that moved in an Eastward direction along the Silk Route, along with the famous ‘galloping horse’ dating from the Eastern Han period that was found in a nearby tomb. Also included today is a visit to the Longmen Grottoes--undoubtedly the most spectacular sight in the vicinity with more than 100,000 Buddhist sculptures situated in 1,352 grottoes. Dinner on board the train and an early evening departure.
Day 7: Jiayuguan
This morning we arrive in Jiayuguan. The fortress at the end of the Great Wall is situated here and dates back to 1372. It has been perfectly restored and is considered one of the great sights of Northwestern China. Lunch is in the city; we visit both the fort and the museum before returning to the train for a dinnertime departure.
Day 8: Dunhuang
Transfer to the small oasis city of Dunhuang to visit the fascinating Mogao 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 remain. This afternoon we visit the Sand Dunes where we take a camel ride to Crescent Moon Lake. Dinner near to the dunes with a local folk show. Late departure as our journey across the Gobi Desert continues.
Day 9: Urumchi
Lunch-time arrival in Urumchi. In the afternoon we visit Heavenly Lake, situated at 6,234-foot elevation, and dominated by the 17,864-foot 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 at a hotel before rejoining the train for a late evening departure.
Day 10: Crossing to Kazakhstan
Your final breakfast on board the Chinese train, we pass through dramatic mountain scenery before arriving in Alashankou, where border controls are carried out. The border crossing takes many hours, and patience is a virtue! We transfer to our waiting Trans-Siberian Express private train for the continuation of our journey to Moscow. Lunch and dinner on the Russian train.
Day 11: Almaty
Arrive in Almaty after breakfast and tour this flourishing former capital of Kazakhstan, nestled in the foothills of the Tien Shan mountains. Visit the magnificent 170-foot high wooden Zenkhov Cathedral during your morning city tour before having lunch in a Kazak yurt in the mountains, some 15 miles from the city. Early evening departure.
Day 12: Tashkent
After lunch on board, arrival in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan. You spend the afternoon in this pleasant, modern Soviet-style city that was rebuilt with wide tree-lined boulevards after a devastating earthquake in April 1966. After visiting the Museum of Fine Arts you have dinner on the train as it departs for Samarkand.
Day 13: Samarkand
Many phrases have been used to describe this wonderful city—Rome of the East, Pearl of the Muslim World—with Alexander the Great, Marco Polo and Tamerlane among its most well-known admirers. 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 touring the many fabulous buildings including the Bibi Khanum Mosque, Ulug Beg observatory and end at the awe-inspiring Registan Square, one of the most inspirational sights in all of Central Asia. After dinner we return to the Square to see it splendidly lit up, and enjoy an evening of traditional dancing and music. Return to the train for a midnight departure.
Day 14: Bukhara
Traversing the Kyzyikum desert during the night you awake to the splendor of Uzbekistan's oasis city, Bukhara. Smaller than Samarkand, but no less impressive, UNESCO funded the renovation of this "jewel of the desert" for its 2,500-year anniversary in 1999. The highlight of the tour is a visit to The Ark, the fortified residence of the Emirs of Bukhara, rulers infamous for their cruelty and who survived into Soviet times. Lunch provides an authentic experience of traditional local cuisine as we dine within one of the city’s many medressehs (beautifully-tiled Islamic schools popular in the area), after which we travel out of the city to visit the Emir's Palace of Moon and Stars. Dinner on the train returned.
Day 15: Ashgabat
We arrive in the capital of Turkmenistan: Ashgabat. Tour this newly constructed "Las Vegas of the Kara Kum Desert." The old city has been replaced with a modern, multi-fountained, gold gilded center dedicated to "President for life," Sapamurat Turkmenbashi. Dinner in the city before returning to the train for a late evening departure.
Day 16: Merv
After breakfast we pull into Mary and transfer by bus to the ancient Silk Road city of Merv, a city left to "die" after Emir of Bukhara destroyed the dam, which the population depended upon for water. Visit one of the five different walled cities housed in the 50 square-mile area.
Day 17: Khiva
Mid-morning the train crosses back into Uzbekistan arriving in Urgench. We are driven the short distance to Khiva to tour this fascinating Silk Road city on the Amu Darya, which was one of the most important trading centers at the crossroads of the routes between Mongolia, Russia, China and Persia. Its former wealth is evident in the fabulous buildings, mosques, bazaars and minarets that are within the walled city—all restored with UNESCO’s help for its recent 2,500th anniversary. Lunch in the city and dinner on the train as we depart north through the desert, bound for Russia.
Day 18: Kara Kum
A relaxing day on the train heading through Kazakhstan’s Kara Kum Desert. Enjoy the scenery and the remote villages we briefly stop at from time to time. Breakfast, lunch and dinner on the train. In the evening we pass into Russia and follow the Volga north.
Day 19: Volgograd
On the banks of the River Volga, Stalingrad—as the city was known in Soviet times—was the scene of probably the most important battle of World War II. The Russians finally turned back the Nazi advance to the Caucasian oil fields in Baku in the famous battle that claimed many hundreds of thousands of lives. Up to this defeat Hitler had lost no major battles; after Stalingrad he won none. It was the turning point of the war, but Stalingrad had paid an enormous price. The city had been virtually destroyed and today we visit the sobering Mamayev Kurgan war memorial, followed by the excellent diorama and interesting museum before we return to our train for our final dinner on the Trans-Siberian Express.
Day 20: Moscow
Lunchtime arrival in Moscow where our tour concludes with a night in a five-star hotel near Red Square. Afternoon visit to Red Square and the Kremlin. Farewell dinner will be held in the city.
Day 21: Moscow
After breakfast in the hotel, a morning sightseeing tour of the rapidly changing Russian capital brings your tour to an end. Airport transfers provided to connect with afternoon flight departures.
October April 10-30 (Eastbound); Oct. 13-Nov. 2 (Eastbound); Oct. 16-Nov. 5 (Westbound)
Trains:
For this tour, we will be using two trains. The first is the "Shangri-La Express;" when we cross the border into Russia, we will transfer to our waiting "Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express."* Accommodation on the trains is in modern air-conditioned first-class sleeping cars, two people per twin compartment. Single occupancy is available at a supplement. A washbasin and shower is shared between each two compartments on the Chinese train. There is a large amount of luggage space under the seats and above the door; hangers are provided for clothes, and there is a small table by the window. There are also two washrooms in each car; chemical toilets are available for use during stops.
The restaurant cars will serve three meals per day (except where meals are taken in restaurants), and each sleeping car will have two attendants who provide tea and coffee throughout the tour and make up the beds each night during dinner. A Bar Car will also be included in the train formation.
In Russia, members will transfer to the "Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express," which offers varying classes of accommodation as follows:
Silver Class:
Silver Class carriages have six compartments each with private en-suite facilities (power shower, toilet and sink). Silver Class compartments feature under floor heating, DVD/CD player, audio system, individual air conditioning, recessed lighting and wardrobe space. There is a wide lower bed, as well as an upper twin bed.
Gold Class:
Gold Class compartments are the most luxurious and spacious on the train. Amenities are similar to the Silver Class compartments, but the Gold Class cabins are larger. Gold Class carriages have only five compartments per car, each with en-suite facilities (the shower is larger in Gold Class than Silver).
*Some departures feature the "Siberian Tiger Trans-Siberian Express."
General Information:
A full passport with at least six months validity from the start of the tour is required.
Visas-Chinese, Uzbek, Kazak, Turkmen and Russian Visas-will be required. We will provide instructions for arrangement of all visas. This cost is not included.
The Tour Price Includes:
- All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner daily)
- Wine, beer and soft drinks provided with lunch and dinner.
- The services of English-speaking tour leaders and local guides
- English-speaking interpreters
- Comprehensive off-train sightseeing program as detailed in the itinerary.
- A doctor who will travel with the train throughout the tour.
- Complimentary tea, coffee and mineral water throughout the tour from your car attendant
The Tour Price Does Not Include:
- International air
- Insurance (it is a booking condition that passengers have adequate insurance).
- Charges of a personal nature on the train or at the hotels (laundry, telephone, bar account etc.).
- Visa or Excess Baggage Charges, Airport Departure Taxes, Vaccination or Medical Costs.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Accommodations/Price:
Silver Class twin /$15,995 per person
Silver Class single/$21,995
Gold Class twin /$19,995 per person
Gold Class single/$27,995
Also see tour packages in:
Asia
China
Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan
Railway Trips
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