Download the extensive Trip Dossier for this tour as a PDF file to read offline or print. The trip dossier contains more details of departures dates and trip inclusions for this tour as well as information on the cabin classes and FAQs.
Arrive at Moscow Airport, where you will be met and transferred to the centrally located five-star Four Seasons Moscow Hotel. We will enjoy a welcome reception dinner at our hotel, whilst you meet your fellow travellers and anticipate the 15 day voyage that lies ahead.
MEALS: Dinner
OVERNIGHT: Four Seasons Hotel ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ or similar
DAY 2 - MOSCOW
CITY TOUR OF MOSCOW & JOIN THE GOLDEN EAGLE TRAIN
Our touring programme of Moscow principally takes us to the grandeur of the Kremlin – the spiritual, historical and political heart of Moscow – and to see the treasures of the Tsars in the Armoury Chamber. We will enjoy an exclusive private viewing before it opens to the public before, visiting Red Square. This iconic symbol of Russia’s former military and political might with its eclectic mix of fascinating architecture, such as the ornate St Basil’s Cathedral’s magnificent onion-domed spires, the beautiful façade of the world famous GUM department store which was constructed in Tsarist times, is also the sombre and evocative site of Lenin’s tomb. We will have lunch in Café Pushkin, a legendary Moscow restaurant with a décor that revives the atmosphere of an early 19th century mansion and serves traditional Russian cuisine and end the day with a tour of the opulent and unique stations of the Moscow metro - showpieces of Socialist art furnished with statues, frescoes and mosaics, unsurpassed anywhere in the world.
Following a champagne reception at Moscow Kazanski Railway Station, and with a military band playing on the platform, we will board the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express. After settling into our modern, stylish cabins we enjoy dinner in the restaurant car as our rail adventure westwards begins.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 3 - KIROV
STOP IN THIS INDUSTRIAL CITY ON THE VYATKA RIVER
Kirov is a port city of 518,000 on the Vyatka river. It is named after Sergei Kirov, a communist leader who was expected to succeed Stalin as leader of the communist party, and whose assassination in 1934 gave Stalin the pretext for his great purge.
The city produced the majority of matches for the former USSR and, in 1990, caused chaos for Russian smokers when, flexing their new industrial muscle, they stopped deliveries demanding higher prices. The ensuing shortage caused prices to rocket from 10 kopeks a box to 25 roubles and smokers spent their time begging lights from each other. The Uspensky Cathedral is one of the 17/18th century buildings that has been preserved.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 4 - EKATERINBURG
THE STORY OF THE ROMANOVS IN EKATERINBURG
Founded in 1723 by Peter the Great, Yekaterinburg, is the capital of the Urals. Known as the Great Divide, the Ural Mountains create the natural border between Europe and Asia so that the cultural and architectural influences of European and Asian civilisations come together in this fascinating and cosmopolitan landscape. Our city tour takes us to the poignant site where the Romanov, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, was executed with his family by the Bolsheviks in 1918 following 78 days of imprisonment. Now a church dedicated to their memory, this site provides us with a powerful insight into the turmoil of the Russian Revolution.
We will also drive to the obelisk marking the geographical border and we can drink a glass of champagne with one foot in Europe and the other in Asia. Our Freedom of Choice programme will also offer activities such as a walking tour of the city, or explore the intriguing Soviet military past in a visit to Yekaterinburg Military Museum which displays fragments of the U2 American spy-plane flown by Gary Powers that was shot down in this area in 1960 during the Cold War.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 5 - NOVOSIBIRSK
VISIT SIBERIA’S LARGEST CITY
A modern ‘Soviet’ city, we experience the life and character of Novosibirsk’s rich culture where the arts and science predominate. The city is located in the heart of Russia and is situated on both banks of the River Ob. Our city tour takes us to Lenin Square where the imposing Opera House is located. An architectural marvel, it houses two permanent ballet and opera companies and is one of the largest opera houses in the world. In front of the Opera House, we visit an impressive statue of Lenin – a marvellous opportunity to have your photograph taken with this iconic political leader.
Alternatively, south of the city you could visit Novosibirsk’s excellent Railway Museum on our Freedom of Choice tour. The museum displays locomotives and rolling stock from the late 1800s, including carriages of the Tsars, through to the Soviet era. Or choose to go to the Mineralogical Centre with its fine display of Siberian minerals.
From Novosibirsk we leave the Trans-Siberian Railway and head 200 kms south towards Barnaul. After 200 kms, we turn North-East, enjoying the peaceful pace onboard as the Golden Eagle climbs through the Abakan mountains. As well as watching the magnificent scenery, there will be a choice of attending one of the various lectures on board, socialising in the Bar Lounge Car.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 6 - ABAKAN
VISIT THE CITY & A DAY TO RELAX ON THE TRAIN & ENJOY THE LANDSCAPE
This morning we enjoy a visit to Abakan, followed by an afternoon on board the train travelling through some of the best mountain scenery, which includes the Dzheb double horse-shoe curves as the line gains height in the spectacular Sayan mountains. The section between Abakan and Taishet took 23 years to complete.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 7 - BRATSK
START TRAVELING ALONG THE BAM TO BRATSK
Overnight we run north-west to Taishet where we officially join the BAM (Baikal – Amur mainline), the new line that runs north and parallel to the original Trans-Siberian. The BAM section of the journey was called The Road of Courage and Heroism by the Soviets, after the many natural obstacles that had to be overcome during its construction. We spend several hours in the city of Bratsk, visiting one of the biggest hydro-electric dams in the world built during the 1960s and an impressive feat of technological engineering.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 8 - SEVEROBAIKALSK
VISIT THIS CITY AT THE NORTHERN END OF LAKE BAIKAL
We arrive in the morning to the extremely remote location of Severobaikalsk (North Baikal), on the shores of Lake Baikal, where the road network is completely isolated from the rest of the country. The BAM is a vital lifeline to this beautiful area and we have the morning to explore the unique biodiversity of life here, and meet some of the local inhabitants.
On leaving Severobaikalsk along the Upper Angara River, we will pass through the four Mysoviye tunnels as we run parallel to the Baikal shoreline. During the afternoon we climb into the Severomuysky mountain range and late afternoon we arrive in Osypnoni which is the start of the Severomuysky tunnel. Opened in 2003, it is the longest railway tunnel in Russia at 15.3km. Prior to that a 54km tortuous bypass was constructed over to pass over the mountains. We will either take the bypass or the new tunnel from here to Kazankan.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 9 - NOVAY CHARA
JOURNEY INTO A LAND OF UNUSUAL SCENERY
Early morning we arrive in Novaya Chara and spend the morning here. The area is famous for Charoite, a semi-precious lilac coloured gemstone, only found in the Chara area and it is likely traders will be at the station. We will visit an interesting small museum that covers the history of the area including the Marble Canyon Gulag and also make a stop of the unique 6km long Sand Dunes. It is a mystery how they came to be here but they have long been an important site for the indigenous people as artefacts from thousands of years ago have been found buried here. The afternoon is spent heading east along the BAM and around midnight we take the new 1,000km Amur – Yakutsk Mainline (or AYaM).
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 10 - NERYUNGRI
VISIT THIS VAST COAL MINE
Neryungri is about 200 km north of the BAM main line and sits in a huge basin that contains an 80 ft (25m) thick seam of high quality coal amounting to about 40 billion tonnes. Here is located one of the world’s largest open cast mines, which we will visit.
Look out for the massive 2,300 horse power trucks that bring 200 tonnes at a time up from the mine. The tyres of the trucks stand 16’ 7” (5m), about the height of the Golden Eagle. Late morning we continue our journey north towards Yakutsk.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 11 - YAKUTSK
VISIT THIS REMOTE CITY RENOWN FOR FREEZING WINTER TEMPERATURES
After breakfast we arrive in Nizhny Bestyakh, the station for Yakutsk, the capital city of the Sakha Republic, located about 450 kilometres (280 miles) south of the Arctic Circle on the Lena River, with a population of 311,000. Yakutsk has an average temperature of 16.2 °F (-8.8 °C) and is the second coldest large city in the world after Norilsk. Yakutsk is also the largest city located in continuous permafrost.
Lunch will be served on board after our morning in Yakutsk and we retrace our steps back to the BAM and Tynda.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 12 - TYNDA
VISIT THIS CITY THAT EXISTS SOLEY FOR THE RAILWAY
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 1970s and our visit to a local museum gives us a fascinating insight into the building of this line.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 13 - NOVY URGAL
ENJOY THIS REMOTE SECTION OF RUSSIA
Travelling through the untouched Tundra we experience Russia at its most remote, we are now more than 10,000 km from Moscow. The beauty unfolds before us as we enter a region of permafrost. Here the vast distances and forbidding geographic and climatic conditions render the entire region an extreme environment for human existence.
Twenty hours after leaving Tynda we arrive in Novy Urgal. To come here is to feel transported back in time to the Soviet Union. Little has changed in this isolated place since those days and nostalgia for the USSR is strong. In the 1,500 kms between Tynda and Komsomolsk there are no settlements of over 10,000 people.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 14 - KOMSOMOLSK
VISIT THIS LARGE CITY ON THE AMUR RIVER
Komsomolsk reflects the majestic and expansive urban architecture of the Soviet era, including the stupendous Pervostroitelei Avenue, 80 metres wide and lined with 1970s and 1980s blocks with Soviet store fronts and signage intact, with parks and playgrounds hidden behind it. The city was infamously a centre for prisoner labour, with over 900,000 prisoners estimated to have passed through its camps.
After visiting Komsomolsk at our most easterly point before we turn slightly south-west for the Pacific and we cross the Amur at Khabarovsk where we re-join the Trans-Siberian mainline and head towards Vladivostok.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 15 - VLADIVOSTOK
TOUR THIS PORT CITY SO LONG CLOSED TO FOREIGNERS
Vladivostok is a military port, located on the western shores of the Sea of Japan and is home to the Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet. Due to its military importance, the city was closed to foreigners between 1930 and 1992. Vladivostok (literally translated as ‘Ruler of the East’) offers visitors an interesting opportunity to explore its principal military attractions including a visit to a preserved World War Two submarine. Our city tour will also take us to the iconic suspension bridge over Golden Horn Bay, one of the largest of its kind worldwide, which opened in 2012 for the APEC conference.
Our hotel in Vladivostok, where we stay for one night, is the five-star Lotte Hotel.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: Lotte Hotel ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ or similar
DAY 16 - end of tour
DEPART RUSSIA AFTER YOUR EPIC RAIL ADVENTURE
Following breakfast, spend the remaining time in Vladivostok at your leisure, followed by your transfer which will take you to the airport to begin the return flight home.
MEALS: Breakfast
GOLDEN EAGLE LUXURY TRAIN
INCLUSIONS & EXCLUSIONS
As far as possible our tours are all inclusive with no hidden extras. What follows are those elements which are included in the tour price. The only extra items you will need to budget for include personal expenses such as international and internal flights, visa costs, travel insurance, drinks from the Bar Lounge Car and laundry.
Experienced Tour Managers
Our experienced tour managers and their assistants are selected for their travel knowledge and their linguistic and organisational abilities allowing you to relax and enjoy your rail cruise. We receive exceptional passenger comments about our Tour Managers and their aim is to ensure you enjoy every minute of your holiday.
Arrival and Departure Transfers
Arrival and departure transfers are included.
Hotel and On Board Accommodation
Although you will spend much of your time sightseeing or relaxing in the train’s public areas, you will find you hotel room or cabin a welcome retreat at the end of a rewarding day. All hotels are of 5 star standard or, in certain locations, the best available. Room upgrades are available on request and at extra cost.
Welcome and Farewell Dinners
Each tour begins with a Welcome Dinner, an ideal opportunity to get to know your fellow passengers; for the Tour Manager to brief you on the trip; and introduce you to the Golden Eagle Luxury Trains team and the Tour Doctor. The Farewell Dinner is the perfect end to your adventure by private train where you can relive the journey and look ahead to future tours.
Route Guide, Itinerary and Information Pack
When you board the train there will be a brochure in your cabin detailing more about your journey and the places en-route. Our Tour Manager will organise a programme of briefings on the cities or places we visit and, each evening, will issue a programme for the next day’s touring schedule.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Daily
All departures feature one or two uniquely designed restaurant cars where you can enjoy the excellent waiter-served food and wine. Several times during the tour we will also sample authentic local cuisine off the train.
Drinks with Meals and from the Bar Lounge Car
A generous drinks allowance is included with lunch and dinner. For passengers travelling in Gold Class on board the Golden Eagle, drinks from the Standard Drinks List in the Bar Lounge Car are also included. For Imperial Suite guests, drinks from both the Standard and Premium Bar Lists (excluding premium wines) in the Bar Lounge Car are included.
On Board Service
You can expect service which is attentive, friendly and unintrusive. Your car attendants provide 24-hour housekeeping and bedding turndown services, with one attendant always on duty to assist you and to ensure you are comfortable in your cabin. Complimentary tea, coffee and bottle drinking water are available in your cabin 24 hours a day.
Guided Off-Train Excursions
The history and culture of the places we visit on our rail cruises will come alive through our expert local guides. All our tours include a wide-ranging sightseeing schedule to make the most of the time you have off the train and bring you closer to the culture, people and history of your destinations. We believe it is the special little touches that help create magical memories.
Imperial Suite guests will benefit from the option of a private car and guide in the majority of places we visit along the route.
Freedom of Choice Touring
Customise your journey and enjoy the opportunity to select from an array of Freedom of Choice Touring options that best suits your interests. Your off-train excursions will still take in all the major attractions of the places we are visiting but, in featured locations, you will be presented when you are onboard the train with a variety of activities from which to choose, and enjoy a tailor-made experience. Look at the individual itineraries where we are operating Freedom of Choice Touring.
Freedom of Choice Touring options may be subject to variations dependent on finalised train timings and local charges. Touring options available will typically be advised in the evening prior to the day’s tour.
Personal Headsets
On all the off–train excursions, to enhance your enjoyment and comprehension of the places you visit, you will be provided with a lightweight personal headset on which to listen to your tour guide as you take in the sights. So you do not need to worry about missing any of the interesting details on your excursions.
On Board Doctor and Medical Facilities
To give you peace of mind our tours are accompanied by a doctor who travels with us usually for the entire journey; so you can rest assured that medical assistance is always available. On call 24 hours a day, the doctor is on hand to give primary care as required. Normally, the doctor will be English speaking and be registered with the General Medical Council in the UK.
24 Hour Service Attendant
Your car attendants provide 24-hour housekeeping and bedding turndown services, with one attendant always on duty to assist you and to ensure you are comfortable in your cabin. Complimentary tea, coffee and bottled drinking water are available in your cabin 24 hours a day.
Porterage
As you only have to unpack once, your luggage and belongings will stay with you on the train throughout the journey but, wherever necessary, porterage is included between the hotel and stations.
All Gratuities
You will not have to worry about tipping on and off the train on your rail journey with Golden Eagle Luxury Trains as all gratuities are included in the tour price.
CABIN CLASSES
Full details on the cabin classes available on Golden Eagle.
We hold ATOL license 10287 so booking with us gives you 100% financial protection. We are also members of the Association of British Travel Agents. ABTA has strict membership requirements and we are required to adhere to the associations high standards. Our ABTA number is Y1699.
