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.
Arrival in Moscow and transfer to the luxurious Four Seasons Moscow (or similar) situated on Red Square for two nights. This evening you are invited to a champagne drinks reception with the opportunity to meet your fellow travellers before our exclusive Welcome Dinner. Specially selected international wines are included with dinner, as with all meals during the tour.
MEALS: Dinner
OVERNIGHT: Four Seasons Hotel ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ or similar
DAY 2 - MOSCOW
A SPECIAL VISIT FOR TRAIN ENTHUSIASTS
Today in Moscow we make and extended visit to the Podmoskovnaya Train Station and Locomotive Depot.
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: Four Seasons Hotel ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ or similar
DAY 3 - ROSLAVL
START YOUR RAIL JOURNEY REACHING ROSLAVL
We transfer this morning to Moscow’s Kazanski station to join the Golden Eagle that will be our home for the next 12 days. There will be a welcome reception and introduction to the train staff in the Bar Lounge Car, followed by lunch, as we depart. There will not be many hours of darkness in the next two weeks as this is the time of year the Russians call ‘White Nights’. This evening we make a short stop in the town of Roslavl.
Steam Locomotives: P36 class
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 4 - on the train
TRAVEL THROUGH THE RUSSIAN COUNTRYSIDE
Today we relax on board as our steam engines haul us through the Russian countryside.
Steam Locomotives: L class and Er class
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 5 - PSKOV & NOVGOROD
VISIT THESE TWO HISTORIC CITIES
This morning we make a visit to Pskov with its ancient and well restored centre situated on the Latvian border and in whose station Tsar Nicholas II abdicated on 15th March 1915.
We return to the train for lunch and travel onto Novgorod for a short city tour, billed as the birthplace of Russia. Within Novgorod Kremlin’s red-brick fortress walls is the 5-domed, 11th-century St. Sophia Cathedral.
Steam Locomotives: Er class
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 6 - ST PETERSBURG
A DAY VISITING BEAUTIFUL ST PETERSBURG
After breakfast we visit Catherine’s Summer Palace in Pushkin, including a visit to the Amber Room. Lunch follows at the Podvorye Restaurant (a typical Russian Log House). There is an afternoon tour of the city of St Petersburg incorporating a visit to the Imperial Waiting Room at Vitebski Station and an optional visit to the Railway Museum before we re-join the train for dinner.
Steam Locomotives: LV class, P36 class and Ov class
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 7 - PETROZAVODSK & KIZHI
VISIT KIZHI ISLAND ON LAKE ONEGA
Petrozavodsk stretches along the western shore of Lake Onega - the second largest lake in Europe. It is one of the major cultural and industrial centres of the North-West of Russia and is the capital of the Republic of Karelia.
This afternoon, we enjoy a private folk performance before we take a city tour and a hovercraft transfer to visit Kizhi Island on Lake Onega to explore its open-air museum of wooden architecture. Marvel at wooden churches built without the use of a single nail which have survived the challenges of Russian winters and revolution.
Steam Locomotives: Ov class
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 8 - MURMANSK
TOUR RUSSIA’S NORTHERN PORT CITY
We will continue to Murmansk, a city halfway between Moscow and the North Pole, and 120 miles north of the Arctic Circle. As the main city of the Kola Peninsula, it started as a tiny settlement and Arctic trading post. In 1916, under pressure from the British to establish a support port, Murmansk was founded.
Thanks to the influence of the Gulf Stream, the port is ice-free year-round. Here we learn about the perilous missions of the many Arctic convoys, hunted continually by the German Navy, which sailed from the United Kingdom, Iceland and North America to Murmansk in World War Two to deliver essential supplies to the Soviet Union. As Murmansk is homeport of Russia's nuclear-powered icebreaker, we make a scheduled visit to the Nuclear Icebreaker Museum Ship.
Steam Locomotives: Su class
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 9 - NIKEL MURMANSK
VISIT THE BORDER TOWN OF NIKEL
Early morning we will arrive at Nikel, on the border with Norway. The station is close to the Nikel smelting plant which in part has caused the devastation to the surrounding countryside that will have been evident for the 20 miles before our arrival. An eerie place but has been one of the highlights of our previous tours.
Steam Locomotives: P36 class
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 10 - KEM & SOLOVETSKY ISLAND
A DAY TRIP TO THIS ISLAND IN THE WHITE SEA
After arriving early morning into Kem we transfer to a small boat bound for Solovetsky Monastery on Solovetsky Island in the White Sea. The Island is also infamous for its ‘Special Purpose Camp’ set up by Stalin and is the location used as the basis for Solzhenitzyn’s Gulag Archipelago.
Steam Locomotives: P36 class
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 11 - ARCHANGEL
A DAY VISITING THIS HISTORIC & IMPORTANT PORT
We spend the day touring Archangel, a town located on the banks of the White Sea that was the chief seaport of medieval Russia. On our city tour we will have the opportunity to visit the British and American Arctic Convoy War Graves and the Wooden Architecture Museum.
Steam Locomotives: SO class
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 12 - BAKARITSA
A DAY ON THE TRAIN WITH A STOP AT BAKARITSA
This morning we make a short stop in the town of Bakaritsa.
Steam Locomotives: P36 class
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 13 - VOLOGDA & YAROSLAV
EXPLORE THESE TWO FAMOUS GOLDEN RING TOWNS
This morning we arrive in Vologda which is particularly known for its beautiful Kremlin, whose landmark buildings include the 16th-century St. Sophia Cathedral and its gilded bell tower.
We return to the train for lunch whilst our P36 steam locomotives haul us to the next location Yaroslavl for a short city tour. Yaroslavl is the largest and oldest (founded 1010) city on the Golden Ring, a fact underscored by its place of honour on the Russian 1000-rouble note (including the 15-domed church of John the Baptist on the back). Embraced by two rivers, the mighty Volga and the smaller Kotorosl, Yaroslavl’s centre is dotted with onion domes like no other place in Russia. This evening we enjoy our farewell dinner on board.
Steam Locomotives: P36 class
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: On the Golden Eagle Train
DAY 14 - MOSCOW
RETURN TO MOSCOW TO TOUR MORE OF THE CITY
This morning we return to Moscow where we will spend one night at the Four Seasons.
Today we visit Red Square, an 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 constructed in Tsarist times, and the sombre and evocative site of Lenin’s tomb.
We’ll also take 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.
Steam Locomotives: P36 class
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
OVERNIGHT: Four Seasons Hotel ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ or similar
DAY 15 - MOSCOW
FREE TIME UNTIL A TRANSFER TO YOUR ONWARD TRAVEL
Breakfast in the hotel brings the tour to a close and airport transfers are provided for departing flights.
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.
