One of the world’s greatest rail journeys, the Trans-Siberian rattles across Russia from Moscow, over the Ural Mountains, across the vast steppes, around the giant Lake Baikal to arrive up to two weeks later in Vladivostock. The train will have crossed eight time zones and travelled 6,000 miles over this unbearably large and impossibly challenging country, and you will have gone to Siberia in five star luxury.
Before boarding the train there’s a champagne reception in the Imperial Waiting Room. As the anticipation builds, toast your fellow passengers and prepare to board the train. The car attendants will then escort you to Platform 1 where you’ll get your first glimpse of the train, along with a brass band, who will play as you step on to the Golden Eagle for the first time.
All tours are run by an experienced manager who will ensure the smooth-running of the trip. Each journey also includes numerous opportunities to step down form the train when it stops in stations, so you can explore. Special experiences might include a private concert in the heart of Siberia or the chance to meet a traditional family while crossing Mongolia.
Accommodation onboard is seriously stylish and among the best available to rail travellers; there’s nothing comparable in this part of the world. Cabins are furnished and decorated in classical style, with no expense spared. The result is that time spent on the train is as thrilling and enjoyable as the time spent exploring on excursions. Every class of cabin has a private en suite wet room or bathroom. Smaller cabins come with comfy sofas that convert into bunk beds but the larger, Imperial Suite, among the largest suite on any train in Russia, has a luxurious king size bed for you to recline on and a private sitting area to retire to.
In between excursions or while the train rolls across the landscape towards Siberia, take to the Peter the Great Lounge and Bar Car to sip perfectly-prepared cocktails and swap stories with fellow passengers or listen to a pianist playing Tchaikovsky and Chopin on a baby grand. Panoramic picture windows mean that you won’t miss a moment of the unfolding scenery outside. What’s more, onboard the train there’s no Last Call so you can sit late into the night if you like, reminiscing about the day’s adventures or playing cards. Meals are taken in the carefully designed restaurant cars, which capture the essence of fine dining during the early 20th century. A brigade of talented chefs conjure meals from locally sourced ingredients, reflecting where you are on your journey. Tuck in to red pacific caviar and indulge yourself with delicious gastronomic specialities such as black sturgeon as you make your stately progress across the steppes.