In 2016, Golden Eagle Luxury Trains will offer the opportunity to journey by rail into the heart of destinations such as Siberia’s grand wilderness, the Norwegian Arctic Circle and the remote former Soviet Republics on the ancient Silk Road. Next year will also mark the 100th anniversary of the completion of the wholly Russian Trans-Siberian Railway. To celebrate the centenary, Golden Eagle Luxury Trains, will be introducing some special new, one-off, journeys along this iconic route between Moscow and Vladivostok.
The Trans-Siberian
The Trans-Siberian Railway runs like a steel ribbon across Russia connecting the east with the west. At 9,288kms in length it is the longest single-service railway in the world and crosses eight time zones as it weaves through Russia’s vast and little-visited interior, over the Urals and across the steppe. In addition to the classic Trans-Siberian Express journey and Winter Wonderland version, Golden Eagle’s 2016 programme will feature two new and unique commemorative journeys.
Trans-Siberian Express – Classic Route:
Journeying along the Trans-Siberian line from Moscow to Vladivostok, passengers disembark to visit the city of Kazan, the modern Soviet city of Novosibirsk and the ‘Paris of Siberia’, Irkutsk. The Golden Eagle then detours along the shores of Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world, and into Mongolia to explore its capital, Ulaan Baatar, ahead of arrival in Vladivostok. Covering a massive 11,000kms over two weeks, there are many highlights along the way, including: a private viewing of the Kremlin; a glass of champagne with one foot in Europe and the other in Asia at Yekaterinburg, known as the Great Divide; learning to cook traditional Russian dishes in Irkutsk; being hauled by a Soviet-Era steam locomotive along the shores of Lake Baikal and swimming in its ice-cold waters; a folk performance in the Old Believers Village at Ulan Ude; and in Mongolia, visiting a traditional Ger and meeting a nomadic family in Gorkhi-Terelj National Park.
Price: from £9,895 all-inclusive, including 12 nights onboard the Golden Eagle and 2 nights’ hotel accommodation.
Departures in 2016: Eastbound – 5 May, 22 Aug; Westbound – 18 May, 18 June, 8 Aug, 4 Sept.
Centenary Special: Trans-Siberian Express via Baikal-Amur Magistral (BAM)
This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to travel by private train through an area of untouched natural beauty of Siberia on the Baikal-Amur Magistral line. Instead of detouring to Lake Baikal and into Mongolia, this journey heads through the Sayan Mountains to follow the BAM mainline that runs to the north and parallel to the original Trans-Siberian. Passengers visit the remote Severobaikalsk and meet local inhabitants, before skirting the northern shores of Lake Baikal and heading east to Tynda, the largest town in the area. Meandering through untouched tundra to experience Russia at its most remote, the train then enters a region of permafrost to visit isolated Novy Urgal ahead of rejoining the Trans-Siberian line to Vladivostok.
Price: from £9,895 all-inclusive, including 12 nights onboard the Golden Eagle and 2 nights’ hotel accommodation.
Departure in 2016: 5 June.
Centenary Special: Trans-Siberian Express Siberian Discovery
Following along the main Trans-Siberian line, this special journey includes additional stops in three of the remote communities of Eastern Siberia. After Lake Baikal visit Nerchinsk which was bypassed by the building of the Trans-Siberian line and leads a forgotten existence. Next up is Sretensk, another community which survives far from the beaten track of the famous railway, and offers a rare opportunity to see how families exist and livelihoods are maintained despite the isolation. Also visited ahead of arrival in Vladivostok is picturesque Blagoveshchensk, a distant outpost of the Russian Far East that rests beside the mighty Amur River and Zeya River, which separates Russia from China.
Price: from £9,895 all-inclusive, including 12 nights onboard the Golden Eagle and 2 nights’ hotel accommodation.
Departure in 2016: 26 July.
Trans-Siberian Express Winter Wonderland:
Passengers join the Trans-Siberian Express in winter, following a similar route to the classic journey, with additional visits to the historic city of Vladimir and the pastoral town of Suzdal, where they can enjoy a horse-drawn sleigh ride and watch a choral performance by the resident monks at St. Euthymius Monastery. Passengers are provided with hats, felt boots and gloves to brave the sub-zero temperatures.
Price: from £9,895 all-inclusive, including 12 nights onboard the Golden Eagle and 2 nights’ hotel accommodation.
Departure in 2016: 21 Feb.
*Prices are per person, based on 2 sharing an en suite cabin in Silver Class (Gold and Imperial also available) on the Golden Eagle, and include all meals and drinks, fully guided off-train excursions programme, porterage, arrival and departure transfers, the services of a Tour Manager and all gratuities. Hotel accommodation is 5* (4* in Vladivostok and Kirkenes). Flights are extra.*
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