· Last Great Train Journey

Day 1
USA - BEIJING
Your journey of a lifetime begins with an overnight flight to Beijing, the capital of China.

Day 2
BEIJING
Upon arrival transfer to your deluxe hotel.

Day 3
BEIJING
With its thousands of years of history, Beijing enjoys a wealth of great monuments from its remarkable history of emperors, poets and scholars. This morning visit the Forbidden City, a vast complex of imperial buildings, elegant courtyards and tranquil gardens all walled in a rectangular-shaped island, surrounded by a moat. Later walk along nearby Tian'anmen Square in the center of Beijing. The afternoon is on your own to shop or explore Beijing. This evening, enjoy a traditional Beijing roast duck banquet at the 138-year old Quan Ju De restaurant, followed by a performance of the renowned Beijing Opera.

Day 4
BEIJING
This morning, see rare giant pandas at the Beijing Zoo. Later visit the Summer Palace, a tranquil haven in the midst of bustling Beijing, famous for its beautiful gardens and quaint Oriental pavilions. Palaces, pavilions, temples and halls occupy only a minor portion of the carefully landscaped area. Take a boat ride on Kunming Lake, by far the largest feature of the site. After lunch visit the beautiful Temple of Heaven, a masterpiece of Ming Dynasty architecture. The highlight is the circular blue-tiled-roof Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, as brilliantly beautiful as any building in the world.

Day 5
BEIJING - CHINA ORIENT EXPRESS
Today, leave Beijing for a first stop 40 miles north of the city to the magnificent Ming Tombs, a series of 13 underground palaces built to hold the lavish wealth of the Ming Dynasty emperors.
After lunch, the Great Wall. A trip to the Great Wall telescopes history: from the busy modern capital through outskirts where donkey carts and cargo-carrying bicycles share the road, past
farms where nothing seems to have changed for centuries, to a harsh and rugged mountain range, where nearly a million workers walled in an empire. A walk atop this spectacular monument is unforgettable. Later board the China Orient Express at the nearby KangZhuang Railway station. Enjoy your first dinner aboard as you travel through the rural landscape toward Inner Mongolia.

Day 6
ERLIAN - GOBI DESERT, MONGOLIA
Awake to the eerie landscape of the Gobi Desert, stretching to the horizon in every direction. Stop in Erlian, the old frontier town, to clear customs and to change from the narrow-gauged China Orient Express to the Russian-gauged Nostalgic Istanbul Orient Express, your hotel-on-wheels for the next nine days. In the afternoon, continue your journey and enjoy dinner aboard as the Gobi unfolds before you.

Day 7
ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA
This morning tour the sprawling Mongolian capital with a population located 4,600 feet above sea level on the banks of the Tuul River. It is a city of open spaces - wide boulevards, squares and parks. Soviet-style high-rise apartment blocks dominate the center, but much of the population lives in Gers (Yurts) on the outskirts of town. Witness a chant and prayer at the Gandan Buddhist Monastery. See the fascinating collection of the world's best-preserved skeletons of giant dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum. After lunch at a local restaurant, an excursion into the countryside introduces you to Mongolian nomadic life at a yurt encampment. Enjoy a folk show, including traditional dancing and the famous Khoomei singing. Reboard your train and continue overnight to Siberia.

Day 8
ULAN UDE, BURYATIA
Visit the colorful capital of the friendly Buryats, Siberia's largest ethnic minority, who trace their ancestry to Genghis Khan. The people of Ulan Ude are very friendly and hospitable. Tour this picturesque town and visit their famous Ethnographic Open-Air Museum. Afterwards, visit Ivolginsky Datsan, a functioning Buddhist monastery, and the center of Buddhism in Russia. Return to town for a special ethnic dinner in a local restaurant and a performance by a Buryat folk ensemble.

Day 9
LAKE BAIKAL, SIBERIA
Witness a magnificent sunrise over the lake as your train arrives at Sliudianka on the southern shores of Lake Baikal, the world's deepest lake with its incredibly clear water. Known as the
"Blue Eyes of Siberia", the world's oldest lake was formed approximately 50 million years ago. Travel along the dramatic old section of the original railroad (about 60 miles) that skirts the lake, traversing 42 tunnels and bridges. A scenic stop is made along the shore of the lake, allowing you to enjoy a stroll or even take a dip in the clear water. Some say if you do test its waters, its icy cold temperature will add years to your life. After lunch arrive in Port Baikal, a small settlement built in 1904, and terminus of the railway. Walk through the quaint Siberian village of Listvianka. Visit the unique Baikal Ecological Museum to discover more about the wonders of Lake Baikal and its marine life. Enjoy a boat ride on the lake, then proceed by motorcoach to the nearby fascinating Museum of Siberian Wooden Architecture. The road takes you through the famous Siberian Taiga (virgin forest). This evening's dinner, complemented by a stirring Siberian folklore show, is in a local restaurant whose dramatic location overlooks the lake.

Day 10
IRKUTSK, SIBERIA
More than 300 years old, Irkutsk owes its progress to its strategic location along the trade route between Russia, Mongolia and China. At the end of the 19th century, the city began to take on the aspect of a "boom town" when trade in gold, fur and diamonds flourished. Spend a day in Siberia's most colorful city. Irkutsk's quaint old wooden houses, with hand-carved ornaments, are a photographer's delight. This morning's tour focuses on the historic and architectural attractions. Visit the Znamensky Orthodox Church that houses the grave of Gregory Shelekhov, the "Russian Columbus" who founded Russia's first Alaskan settlement. After lunch in a local restaurant, stroll through the "Paris of Siberia" on your own. Later this afternoon visit the house of Prince Volkonsky for a welcome cocktail and a concert of classical music.

Day 11
ONBOARD THE NOSTALGIC ISTANBUL ORIENT EXPRESS
Enjoy a full day relaxing or learning about Russia's history, geography and culture presented by our onboard scholar. Or admire the passing scenery as the train winds its way across the immense Taiga, dense with endless forests of cedar, pine, larch, birch and spruce. Make short stops in small towns and villages along the way.

Day 12
NOVOSIBIRSK, SIBERIA
Visit Siberia's largest city, Novosibirsk, which was carved out of the Taiga a century ago during the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Visit the city's monuments and a colorful local market and see one of the main Siberian rivers - the mighty Ob.

Day 13
YEKATERINBURG
Open grasslands of the Tundra give way to plowed fields and forests, as the train continues across the Ural Mountains into Russia. The scenery and landscape, now dotted with farm settlements and villages, changes gently. Today you'll pass the obelisk that marks the point where Asia stops and Europe begins. Tour Yekaterinburg, a city where the last czar and his family were imprisoned and executed, and where Boris Yeltsin started his political career as a local party boss. See parts of Francis Gary Powers' shot-down U-2 spy plane on display here too.

Day 14
YAROSLAVI, RUSSIA
Founded in 1010 by Grand Prince Yaroslavl the Wise of Kiev, Yaroslavl stands as one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in Russia. It stretches for miles along the confluence of the Volga and Kotorosi rivers. For centuries it was home to many wealthy Russian merchants and noble families. On your city tour visit the Church of Elijah the Prophet, an incredible structure filled with 17th century frescoes, and the ancient 12th century Transfiguration Monastery with murals depicting St. John's apocalyptic visions. Dinner today will be in a local restaurant. After dinner, visit the former Governor's Mansion and enjoy a stirring Russian choral concert.

Day 15
MOSCOW - USA
After an early morning departure from Yaroslavl, your train takes a scenic route to Moscow, the grand capital of Russia. Arriving after breakfast, your epic journey across the empire of Genghis Khan and through some of the world's last travel frontiers comes to a glorious end. Say good-bye to your newly made friends as you transfer to the airport to continue your round-the-world journey by air. Or elect to experience more of Russia on a Moscow or Moscow/St. Petersburg extension.

Note
Your Holiday includes
Around-the-World airfare - Depart from the USA to Beijing on United Airlines or Northwest Airlines, and from Moscow return to the USA on Lufthansa or KLM
Only 85 Guests per Departure date
DEPARTURE DATES
June 13
July 18
August 8
RATE PER PERSON BASED ON A DOUBLE $8998.00 USD
Single supplement additional (train& hotel) $1098.00 USD
Upgrade to deluxe accommodation $998.00 USD