Persia and the Silk Road – those very words conjure up images of pioneering trading routes, magnificent monuments, sacred relics, mosques, bazaars, minarets and, of course, evocative destinations such as Samarkand, Bukhara and Tehran. On this rich, endlessly fascinating 18-day journey you’ll travel from Moscow to the Iranian capital through a world that may be changing but is one that remains steeped in history, tradition and splendour.
Arrive at Moscow Airport, where you are met and transferred to the five-star Ritz-Carlton located in Moscow city centre, and within walking distance of Red Square and the Bolshoi Theatre, guests will discover a classic and sophisticated ambience within this luxury hotel. We enjoy a welcome reception dinner this evening, whilst you meet our fellow travellers and anticipate the epic voyage that lies ahead. Why not extend your stay in Moscow with additional nights to explore more of the city at your leisure or have time to take in a performance at the world-renowned Bolshoi Theatre? Tickets need to be pre-booked and are subject to schedule and availability.
This morning at Moscow Kazansky Station you will be greeted in the magnificent Imperial Waiting Room with a cold glass of Russian Champagne and canapes as you mix with the other guests and are welcomed by the train staff. The excitement in the waiting room audibly mounts and, 30 minutes before departure, your car attendants will escort you to Platform 1 where a military brass band is playing and the Golden Eagle awaits.
Today, we enjoy a relaxing day on board as we travel across the vast expanses of the Kara Kum desert. As well as experiencing the unique landscape, you can take the opportunity to chat to fellow passengers and maybe take part in a Russian language lesson.
Baikonur, formerly known as Leninsk, is situated on the right bank of the Syr Darya River and was constructed to service the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which itself was originally constructed by the Soviet Union in the late 1950s as the base of operations for its space programme. This is a place filled with so much history from the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 and the launch of the first human, Yuri Gagarin, into space in 1961 to the current day missions to re-supply the International Space Station. On our visit to Baikonur we will visit the launch station of Yuri Gagarin’s mission into space.
Tashkent is the capital city of Uzbekistan and we spend time touring this modern Soviet-style city which was rebuilt following the devastating earthquake of 1966. Our tour of the city includes the Old Town, where traditional homes and religious buildings line the narrow streets and here in a small library we’ll be privileged to see one of Islam’s most sacred relics – the world’s oldest Koran. This is followed by a visit to the Railway Museum and the Museum of Applied Arts.
Just the mention of Samarkand instantly conjures up evocative images of the Silk Road, more so than any other town. Founded in the 6th century BC, Samarkand’s stunning architecture hints at its former status as one of the most important cities in Asia and is particularly noted for its architectural remains from the 14th to the 17th century, when it flourished as the fabled capital of the Mongol empire of Timur and his successors. Today we will visit some of its most significant sites including Registan Square, the refined elegance of the beautifully proportioned Bibi Khanum Mosque and the Ulag Beg observatory, one of the earliest Islamic astronomical observatories built in 1428. Before dinner we will return to the now illuminated and awe-inspiring Registan Square.
Bukhara is quite simply outstanding. Like Khiva, UNESCO sponsored the renovation of much of the city for its 2,500th anniversary in 1999. The highlight of this wonderful tour is a visit to The Ark, a fortified residence of the Emirs of Bukhara – the despotic and ruthless leaders who ruled until Soviet times. We then travel out of the city to experience the Emir’s enchantingly named, Palace of the Moon and Stars. This evening, weather and time permitting, we will enjoy a barbecue on the station platform before our train departs.
From Urgench we travel to the ancient city of Khiva, founded 2,500 years ago. As one of the Silk Road’s most important trading posts and now a World Heritage Site, it lies at the crossroads of the routes between Mongolia, Russia, China and Persia. A truly magnificent sight to behold, it rises out of the desert to reveal a wealth of impressive architecture. Stepping back in time, we discover its impressive mosques, madrassas, bazaars and minarets within Khiva’s ancient walls.
Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan is known as the ‘Las Vegas of the Kara Kum’. Situated between the Kara Kum desert and the Kopet Dag mountain range, Ashgabat is a relatively modern city built upon the ruins of the Silk Road city of Konjikala and the Soviet city built after the devastating earthquake of 1948.
The city’s extravagant fountains, golden domes and towering modern buildings appear strangely incongruous in this desert setting. Highlights on our visit include a visit to the National Museum and Kipchak Mosque.
From Mary we transfer to the ancient and mainly unrestored remains of Merv. Once an important stopping point on the Silk Road, it claims to have briefly been the largest city in the world during the 12th century. 1794 saw the demise of Merv, after the Emir of Bukhara destroyed the dam which the population depended on for its water. Early evening we arrive at the border town of Sarakhs and it is here we make the important changes to the bogies as we prepare to cross into and onto the standard gauge tracks of Iran.
Following the change overnight of wheelsets we leave Sarakhs before dawn and an early morning arrival provides us with the whole day to explore the sacred city of Mashhad, which is home to the Imam Reza Holy Shrine, the largest mosque in the world in terms of its dimension, followed by a tour of the Nader Shah Museum. Following lunch in the city, we will visit the Tomb of Ferdowsi, the father of Persian Literature who lived over 1,000 years ago.
After breakfast we alight in Mahan, where we visit the 19th century Royal building, Prince Garden and tomb. We later visit the sanctuary and tomb of the famous, Soufi, Shah Nematollah Vali, dating back to the Mongol Era. We continue by road onto Rayen. The 20,000 square metre Rayen castle is situated beneath the snow-capped Mount Hezar in the Province of Kerman. A huge medieval mud brick citadel, it was considered second only to Bam before the 2003 earthquake. Rayen displays all the architectural elements of a deserted citadel (it was inhabited until 150 years ago) and is extremely well preserved. It is considered one of the most interesting sites in Iran.
We re-join the train at dusk in time for dinner as we depart for Yazd.
Yazd is thought to be one o f the oldest cities in the world and a centre of Zoroastrianism, a monotheistic faith founded in Iran 3,500 years ago. Our tour takes in the Zoroastrian Fire Temple, Amir Chakhmagh Square and the 14th century Friday Mosque, home to one of Persia’s finest and exquisite mosaics.
This enchanting city, which served as Persia’s capital from 1598 to 1722, is 2,500 years old and one of the oldest in Iran. As a crossroad of international trade and diplomacy, Isfahan has a rich mix of languages, religions and customs. The city is famous for its silver filigree and metal work, array of great historical monuments, and its life-giving river, the Zayandeh-Rood, which has given the city its beauty. Isfahan is packed with some of Iran’s best sights and today we spend a whole day in the city, visiting the Chehel Sotoon Palace and the Vank Church in the Armenian Quarter.
Following a traditional Iranian lunch we move on to Naghshe Jahan Square, a World Heritage Site and the second largest man-made square in the world, where the Ali Qapou Palace and Shah and Sheikh Lutfullah Mosques can be found. Here, the time is yours to enjoy the huge square and pick up a bargain at the handicraft Bazaar of Qaisarieh.
Following breakfast on board we stop at Sadat Shaha, for the home of Persepolis, another World Heritage Site. Perhaps Iran’s most important archaeological site, this ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire dates back to the 6th century. Even now, the ruins are extremely impressive. We also view the Necropolis (Naghshe Rustam). After lunch we continue by bus to Shiraz.
Shiraz has many strings to its bow: poetry, literature, wine, flowers and amazing gardens and fruit trees. A visit to the Quran Gate, Hafez Tomb and the Vakil Citadel are the highlights of our afternoon tour.
After breakfast we reach our final destination, Tehran, and disembark the Golden Eagle and transfer to the five-star Espinas International Hotel for a two night stay.
Our first port of call on our city tour of Tehran is the Crown Jewels Museum in the Central Bank of Iran Building, with its vast array of crown jewels used by the Qajar and Pahlavid royalty and the legendary Peacock Throne. Also we visit the Golestan Palace with its renovated Versailles-inspired mirror-encrusted Marble Throne Hall used for the coronation of the last Shah. Most of the remaining brick and tile buildings date back to the 19th century Qajar dynasty. On our final evening we will enjoy a farewell dinner and take the opportunity to reflect on our pioneering journey along the Silk Road to the heart of Persia.
Following breakfast the following morning you will be transferred to the airport for onward departures.
This trip is very different in style and content to our Classic Trans-Siberian journeys. It is a group departure and has all the day trips and excursions included. Therefore the only optional extras to consider are if you would like to begin your journey in St. Petersburg?
2018 – 15 Days
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Stanton E. Samenow
We just wanted to say huge thanks to you – and to Jo and to Jackie – for all your help.
You provide a truly great service – very efficient and helping us to get a really good sense in advance of what to expect. It was a great trip which we really enjoyed.
I’ve already recommended you to a number of friends and colleagues.
The Moscow-Beijing route that we travelled uses Chinese rolling stock. And so all the carriage attendants were male and Chinese – not quite what we were expecting but they were very pleasant and helpful nonetheless!
Thank you again to all of you,
Ian & Phil
Ian Costain & Philip Hickley
I just wanted to say thanks for organizing the Trans-Siberian Rail Trip trip for me. I just arrived in Moscow and have been having a great time. Everything went incredibly smoothly. I appreciate your help planning everything. I ran into another of your clients along the way, they said the same thing.
Now, time to explore!
Regards,
Quinton
Quinton Wall
Hello Russia Experience,We are now in Shanghai. We had the most amazing time on the Trans-Siberian, what a great experience. The level of service and professionalism we had form yourselves continued through the whole trip. In particular the teams in Yekaterinburg and Ulaanbaatar were absolutely brilliant. I can’t believe the three weeks are over however we have memories to last forever. I would have loved to spend more time in Mongolia, so we might come back again for another adventure.I will recommend you to all our friends and I write a travel blog and have given you a good mention.Thank you so much,Chris and Jane.
Christopher Freeman & Jane Henbest
Dear JackieJust wanted to say a big thank you to everyone. I had an absolutely amazing time. Everything went to plan, all the picks ups were on time and the guides were fantastic. A wonderful experience!Judith Downes
Judith Downes
Just a quick note to say we’ve arrived home safely and had an absolutely fantastic time, the whole trip ran like a dream, the transfers and guides were superb, it was a great experience.
Thank you so much for your recommendations, the Golden Apple and the Khan resort (especially!!) were both brilliant.
Best wishes,
Damien & Sali Walsh
Mr & Mrs Walsh
Now that we have finished our journey across Asia, we wanted to email to thank you and your colleagues for the excellent arrangements which went without a hitch. It was a most wonderful and inspiring journey which was made the more enjoyable by knowing that we would be met and guided when it was crucial, but left also left to our own devices to explore places when it was prudent to do so.
In each place, your agents were most helpful, but we especially wanted to single out your Mongolian partners who went out of their way to make us welcome and explain to us a great deal about the country and its customs.
So, all in all, a great trip which we would recommend without hesitation: just the right blend of adventure and comfort! Thank you to all concerned.
With best wishes,
Robert & Louise
Robert & Louise
Arakere,Nagaraj Keshavamurthy
Here are some personal highlights from our trip.
I was struck by the dearth of caucasians in China and Mongolia. Some days the only non-orientals were ourselves! Great to be immersed in another culture like that.
In every big city Stephan and I did an urban run. What a great way to see a city at the street level and the people and all the energy as we ran anywhere from 3 kilometers to 10 kilometers at a go. You can imagine what it was like to run along Tianamen Square or around the Kremlin.
One extra exciting run was at Ekaterineburg. The train had a 29 minute stop and the location of the Ipatiav House where the Romanov’s were murdered was 1.5 kilometers from the train station. We had to book it off the train, through the station, onto the main boulevard and down to the huge cathedral now on that a site. Take a few pictures and hustle back with a minute to spare before the train took off!
The friends we made in wagon 6 on our trek across Siberia. There were many Brits, Canadians, and Aussies. Because we were all on the Trans-Sib/Mongolian, everyone had a sense of adventure. We were among kindred spirits. We shared stories, adventures, food, and vodka. And lots of conversation about about the Brexit vote and the results of Euro 16 football matches.
Quality time for father and son with hours together in our compartment to talk, read, share and grow closer. Stephan speaks ChInese so he was a huge asset in China as well.
A happy home away from home-coming as Sarah and Johan met us in Moscow. Good food and museums. My favorite museum is the Tretyakov and it was such a treat to view the works of Repin, Perov, Shishkin, and Lamonsov.
The Mongolian steppes. The vistas were incredible and the time spent there, as well as sleeping in a ger was so memorable.
Thank you again for your service and care for our trip. We loved it and I am so grateful for your professional wisdom and handling of the details. You are the best and can highly recommend you to all.
Blessings abound,
Joel
The Quie Family
The Havards travelled April 2016
Not sure if you meant it when you said you wanted some feedback but here goes. I’m on the penultimate day as we arrive in Vladivostok tomorrow. I must say I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Nothing like what I expected but it has been a great experience and although I wouldn’t repeat it I would certainly redo it. Siberia was much less sparse than I expected and the towns were much more modern than I had expected. It’s very much a tourist trip for tourists so I could imagine some people being disappointed if they were expecting purely a culture or a geographical trip. The organisation is outstanding,service is excellent, food is very good and the facilities far above what I could have imagined. The trip itself is a curious mixture of culture,cuisine,cities,concerts,folklore,geography, history ( lectures from a professor of Russian history), entertainment,adventure and I’m sure I forgot something.
Really wonderful. Thanks for your help in giving me this experience,
Sincerely John
John (travelled Golden Eagle Imperial Class)
Howard and Alison Brett
Nicholas Mayman & Wendy Wise
Wanted to say a huge thank you for all the help you guys gave me with the trip and the visas! and the patience you had with all my questions!!!!
I had the best time and met some awesome people ???? you guys are the best and I would definitely recommend using your company to friends and anyone that asks really!
The guides I had were all amazing and the accommodation was pretty sweet too!!
Thanks so much!
Jenna Thompson
Jenna Thompson
Since the end of the train trip we have been in Moscow for five days and are currently finishing up a visit to beautiful St Petersburg. Tomorrow we head to Copenhagen as we continue our three month journey.
Thanks again for all that you did on our behalf.
Geoffrey Slaff
Geoffrey Slaff
All services – transits, hotels, on-train facilities and guides were punctual and efficient.
We had no problems in meeting/being met by taxi drivers. Hotels were expecting us as paid-for guests.
Guides were pleasant, knowledgeable and had good English. On-train we were surprised at being offered all we wanted. Indeed, the whole package was sound and recommendable.
We were pleasantly surprised with unexpected on-train facilities. Apparently, the 1st class, two-berth, on-train service includes one cooked meal daily and complementary daily supply of tea, coffee and chocolate. Boiling water for beverages is available all day and night in each car. Bedding – linen sleeping bag and two pillows – is free. On the older railway stock, on train 8, don’t expect to wash anything except hands and your plastic crockery and cutlery. Toilet paper is always availably, though not always paper towels, and the waste bins are emptied regularly.
At Irtkusk the local office manager is like no other manager. His appearance is that of a 1960s hippy – long hair tied into a pony-tail, short trousers, back-pack – but he is delightfully lucid, speaks excellent English, is clearly well-connected, is light hearted and very effective. The world needs more of his equal.
The fresh water and very clear Lake Baikal is a treasure: It’s 636 km long, about 1650 m deep and has many species found nowhere else. No wonder it has internationally recognised status for scientific interest. The Baikal museum and aquarium is truly worth a visit.
Thanks for organising a most enjoyable and interesting tour.
Yours aye,
Ian Fraser
Ian Fraser
Our home stay hostess, Olga, was a delight. Loved the visits to villages.
Now to read and reread Russian novels! Mongolia nomad stay was more challenging than we expected but in retrospect was a good experience. Family and guide were great.
Marilyn Thomas
Marilyn Thomas
Kind regards
Paul Pennington
Paul Pennington
Dermot Carlin
We have had an amazing time. Everything was so well organised, we always felt looked after without feeling stifled or rushed about as you might on a fully managed/guided tour. We had plenty of time to do our own thing and the trips were always in very small groups (if not only the three of us!). The local guides at each location were fantastic. All really helpful and knowledgeable and ready to do that little bit extra (special thanks to the amazing Ulziimaa in Ulaanbataar!). As you may have guessed at an early stage I can be a bit of a nervous traveller but you reassured us at every step and everything was so well planned and organised, we really had nothing to worry about at all. I appreciate hugely the fact that every email and question I had was responded to and answered within minutes/hours, even when we were in China. I will (and already have done) unreservedly recommend you and your company to anyone considering travelling through Russia, Mongolia and China.
A truly amazing experience…thank you.
Alanna, Ralph and Nathan
Karen & Jacques Grivel
Thanks for all your troubles and for a wonderful experience.
Best regards,
Carlos Ossenbach Sauter
Carols Ossenbach Sauter
Kind regards,
Lynda Warren
Jessica & Nanae Warren-Hart
Bernadette & Joseph Skinner
City Walks; These added a whole new dimension to the tours as the guides were first rate and very well informed. We also found that they were happy to talk of present and past regimes which served to add colour to the situation and they were also well versed in the local customs. Without the guides the experience would not have been quite so rewarding.
Options; Not to be missed. Picnic at Lake Baikal and the trip to the Great Wall. Excellent guides and very well organised .
As promised we were always met as arranged . The drivers went out of their way to ensure that we were on time for our trains and they also made sure that we were safely on board before leaving. We were also lucky in meeting three others on the “experience” in Moscow who we were with until Beijing and so we had others to turn to when we were confused. ( Often at my age )
All in all it was a fantastic experience and one that I would not have wanted to miss at any cost. You have made two old men very happy.
My one and only complaint about the trip is that I have absolutely nothing about which to complain.
My thanks to you and all involved.
Brian Marchant & Brian Quance
We thoroughly enjoyed the hike round Lake Baikal (although the distances were a lot further than in the itinerary!!!!), and the walking guide Anton was both knowledgeable and chilled out, a great balance!
Mongolia was also an excellent experience, with the family stay being the highlight! Our guide Naki had endless information and was forever cheerful! A big thank you to him too!
The whole experience for us both was a very positive one and we will be sure to recommend your company to family and friends!!
Once again, thank you to all the drivers, guides and yourself for an excellent service!
Amanda and Duncan
Amanda Moran & Duncan Balderson
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