A little bit about us

We have no group departures; our advertised dates always operate (barring anything completely beyond our control); and, above all, we tell you the unvarnished truth in advance – allowing you to make the right choice from a portfolio of journeys rich in variety and full of memorable experiences.

Our destinations include some of the most remote, extreme and little-visited places on earth – the Mongolian Gobi, the Siberian Steppe, the Taklamakan Desert and beyond.

But while our more “conventional” destinations like Moscow and St Petersburg aren’t in that league, their rapid metamorphosis from grot to grandeur leaves visitors scrabbling for the inside-track of newly-stylish places to stay, eat and drink that baffles even visitors from other cities in Russia. In short – getting there is only half of it. Getting to see and try the good stuff once you’re there will often need transport beyond where the buses run, local nous to find hidden cave-paintings or private museums, ballet performances going on even when everything appears to be closed… and that’s where we come in.

As places that were once little visited attract more tourists (and more tour operators), you  want a company with unrivalled knowledge, who will tell you it warts and all and who is able to come up with some real gems to create a truly memorable journey. It would be a waste of your time and budget to spend all that time and money getting there, and then missing what you came for!

The Russia Experience is the UK’s leading provider of trips on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Our managing director is Moscow-based, a small team of consultants in our London office offer in-depth knowledge and a personalised service, while on the ground we have long-established links with local agents, guides and hoteliers nurtured and developed over more than a decade.

Our MD is an established writer and editorial advisor to guide books and magazines (Rough Guides, Trans-Siberian Handbook, Wanderlust, BBC R4) on Russia and the Trans-Siberian, we’ve helped television crews from both the BBC and ITV capture this amazing journey on film, and a wealth of experience enables us to keep these trips as captivating and engaging as befits one of the world’s great journeys.