TRANS SIBERIAN RAILWAY ODYSSEY A Rail-Cruise extravaganza on the TSAR’S GOLD special train with Scott McGregor • BEIJING OPTIONAL PRE - TOUR • 26 July – 29 July 2019 • • ULAANBATAAR • LAKE BAIKAL • IRKUTSK • NOVOSIBIRSK • YEKATERINBURG • KAZAN • MOSCOW 29 July – 13 August 2019 • ST PETERSBURG OPTIONAL POST - TOUR • 13 August - 18 August 2019 • • CHINA • MONGOLIA • RUSSIA • in association with Lernidee The Tsar’s Gold Train On The Lake Baikal Railway OVERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS The world’s longest railway journey is also arguably its greatest; an odyssey not be rushed, but savoured by • Travel along the famous panoramic route of the Trans-Siberian cruising across the continents in your own opulent train Railway along the shores of the scenic Lake Baikal, and with plenty of revealing sidetrips. Built at enormous ex- appreciate the beauty of fantastic untouched natural landscapes pense as a way to unify and defend Russia’s rambling Imperial Empire, the Trans-Siberian railway was finally with green valleys and high mountains, and rich flora and fauna connected near the Chinese border in 1916 and when • Witness a horseback-riding demonstration, Naadam Games and completed it broke all the record books. 10,000km in other cultural experiences in Mongolia all, crossing eight time zones, calling into fifteen major • A full day dedicated entirely to enjoying the blissful Lake Baikal, cities and taking in a plethora of sights, it succeeded in the oldest and deepest freshwater lake in the world, hailed as the transforming one of the world’s last great frontier wil- ‘Blue Eye of Siberia’ dernesses and creating one of the most enthralling of • Enjoy a traditional bread and salt welcoming ceremony in all great train journeys. Novosibirsk to help you fully embrace the rich Siberian culture On this epic Railway Adventure, your special train the • Travel through the captivating Siberian villages, straight out of Tsar’s Gold tour will take you deep into the heart of Russia, the country Winston Churchill called “a riddle a fairy-tale, with their traditional wooden houses and Russian wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” You will ex- Orthodox churches perience first-hand the glories of an old-world empire • Enjoy vodka tasting with traditional Russian dishes, including red that has a foot in both European and Asian culture. caviar This grand tour will treat you to the best of the old and • Enjoy a freedom-of-choice program, with flexible excursions, the comfort and convenience of the new as you travel sightseeing and city tours of Beijing, Ulaanbaatar, Ulan-Ude, through some of the world’s most spectacular land- Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Kazan and Moscow, Russia’s scapes and a fascinating mix of Asian and European proud capital cities in grand style. • Witness the grandeur of Moscow, exploring St Basil’s Cathedral, Red Square and the KGB Headquarters • Stay one night in a yurt in Mongolia, and 3 nights in an opulent five-star hotel in Moscow • Choose an option to begin your journey with a stay in a fabulous St. Petersburg five-star hotel in Beijing, and/or extend your journey to the 5 Wild horses, Mongolia magical city of St Petersburg Kazan Yekaterinburg Novosibirsk 3 1 1 1 Irkutsk 2 Moscow 1 2 Ulan Ude 2 Uland Bator 2 Kazakhstan Mongolia Erlian Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan 3 Turkmenistan China Beijing Tajikistan Scott McGregor MEET YOUR TOUR LEADER SCOTT MCGREGOR has been involved in the media for over 30 years as an actor, presenter, writer and producer, but his passion lies in sharing his love of travel, and particularly railway journeys. Graduating from NIDA in 1979, he appeared in a wide range of stage, film and TV roles, including the lead in the ABC’s epic mini-series 1915. He has presented and hosted numerous prime-time ratings winners including many years as the handyman on Better Homes and Gardens and Room For Improvement. He presented two series of his own Railway Adventures for Channels 10 and 7 and a number of programs for The History Channel. After more than a decade leading tours he decided to establish Railway Adventures in 2012. He also owns and operates RUWENZORI—an Orient Express- style tourist retreat on the Great Dividing Range near Mudgee. WHY TRAVEL WITH US The joy of travel is not confined to the destination. How you travel is a large and rich part of the experience. Railway Adventures offers a truly unique perspective on some of the world’s most spectacular holiday destinations, with the confidence that the journey will be just as magical and memorable as what you find at the end of the line. WITH US, YOU CAN EXPECT: • Unique itineraries — each itinerary has been meticulously developed by a team of expert travellers with many years’ experience, an intimate knowledge of the destination, and with great cultural awareness. You are guaranteed to experience the best that each destination has to offer. • Authentic local experiences — whether it’s a little-known yet impressive steam railway, a small boutique hotel or an authentic restaurant, you can be sure of experiencing something special on our tours. • Expert local guides and operators — we employ local guides to share their passion and knowledge of the place they call home, while our partners on the ground provide the best possible support and backup all the way. • Small group sizes — a small number of passengers per trip guarantees an intimate experience with less time spent queuing, more time with your guide, and better access to sightseeing destinations. • Fully escorted – our tour leaders are experienced and capable, entertaining and considerate, and together with our local guides have your needs well covered. They help with everything along the way, providing peace of mind, and enabling you to relax and enjoy the journey. And you’ll find them jolly good company, to boot! • Customer satisfaction — our testimonials speak for themselves. Thousands have travelled with us over the years and many come back year after year, often bringing friends along. Our customer satisfaction ratings show that over 97% would recommend us to others and/or travel with us again. TOUR MAP Train St. Petersburg n Nights on Board 5 n Nights at Hotel Kazan Yekaterinburg Novosibirsk 3 1 1 1 Irkutsk 2 Moscow 1 2 Ulan Ude 2 Uland Bator 2 Kazakhstan Mongolia Erlian Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan 3 Turkmenistan China Beijing HOW YOU’LL TRAVEL Tajikistan The best train trips possible, private luxury coach for off-train travel, guided walking where suitable, and other appropriate and appealing options to make exploration easy. Dining Car on the Tsar’s Gold Metro in Moscow Cruise on the Moskva river in Moscow PRE-TOUR: BEIJING Day 1 – Saturday 27th July: ARRIVE IN BEIJING Upon your arrival in Beijing, you’ll be welcomed by your local guide and be transferred to your centrally-located hotel. On the way to your hotel, the sights of Beijing will be on show. Capital of the ‘Middle Kingdom’, this is a grand iconic city dating back at least three millennia. This fascinating place has become a thriving metropolis and one of the world’s great capitals in recent years and was brought back to the attention of everyone on the world stage when it hosted the Olympic Games in 2008. After settling into your hotel for the next three nights we then re-group for a celebratory welcome dinner at one of Beijing’s signature restaurants. Overnight: Pan Pacific Beijing or similar, Beijing (D) Day 2 – Sunday 28th July: BEIJING After a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel we head out in the morning for a city tour. First stop is the extraordinary Temple of Heaven. At this time of the day, you will see the various activities of traditional Chinese city life in the morning: Tai Qi, Kung Fu, sabre practice, and meditation, to name a few. Then we will head over to the Forbidden City, a world heritage site and one of the most extensive imperial palaces in the world. Most Chinese buildings face south, facing the sun. According to ancient beliefs, it blocks bad luck from entry from the North, the usual direction of barbarian invasion. This explains why the iconic main entrance to the Forbidden City faces south towards the vast Tiananmen Square, the third largest city square in the world. In the afternoon, you will visit the Olympic stadium, also called the ‘Bird’s Nest’, which also gives us a chance to view the astounding cityscape and cutting-edge architecture as we motor through the busy city. Overnight: Pan Pacific Beijing or similar, Beijing (B,L,D) Day 3 – Monday 29th July: BEIJING Today you will visit the eighth wonder of the world, the Great Wall of China. The giant wall extends for more than 6000 km through the countryside. Placed on the highest ridges, the wall offered an excellent view to the north and permitted the guards of the lookout towers to watch out for alarm fires down the wall alerting them to barbarian intruders. The journey heading north out of the bustle of Beijing takes us past China’s mountain landscapes and on the way, you visit the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Chang Tomb, a fascinating part of the Ming Tombs complex. In the evening, you’re invited to dine on the well-known delicacy of Peking Duck at a nearby restaurant. Overnight: Pan Pacific Beijing or similar, Beijing (B,L,D) Day 4 – Tuesday 30th July: BEIJING TO ULAANBAATAR Today, after breakfast, we’ll be transferred to the airport to catch our flight to Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia. As soon as we arrive in the capital of Mongolia, our driver welcomes us at the airport and drives us to our centrally-located hotel.