2020 GeoEx Catalog

GOLDEN EAGLE LUXURY TRAINS

ABOVE  The stately Golden Eagle making its way along Lake Baikal, proof that there is more to life than frequent flier miles.

TheTrans-Siberian andTrans-Mongolian Express

ABOARD THE GOLDEN EAGLE

TRAIN TOURING | 9–15 DAYS · GROUP

T  rain buffs (there are many of us out there) think of the Trans-Siberian as a kind of Mount Everest of rail journeys. Back in the day, both in Soviet times and until relatively recently, accommodations along the Trans-Siberian ranged from barely sustainable to passably comfortable, though rather basic. But fortunately the Golden Eagle is in a grander, more salubrious class entirely. The Imperial Suites and Gold and Silver Class cabins are among the most spa- cious and comfortable rail cabins available anywhere in the world, equipped with en-suite bathrooms (with power showers), DVD/CD players, LCD screens, central air-conditioning, and much else. In short, Old Russia’s nobles—whose private railcars were the private jets of the era—would feel right at home. A rolling odyssey, the Trans-Siberian crosses eight time zones and 6,600 miles as it traverses Russia from Moscow to the country’s major Pacific port, Vladi- vostok. On our way to the Russian Far East, we pass through the mesmerizing, seemingly infinite Siberian forest, the taiga, paying leisurely visits to Kazan and Yekaterinburg, founded in 1723 by Peter the Great as a gateway for his expansion into the wilds of Siberia (we’ll visit the church that marks the poignant spot where Russia’s last tsar, Nicholas II, and his family were murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918). We continue to the Soviets’ Siberian capital, Novosibirsk, and on to archi- tecturally and historically fascinating Irkutsk, Siberia’s major city in tsarist times, and then to the greatest of lakes: Baikal. Turning from the lake to the south, we reach Ulan Ude, capital of the largely Mongolian Buddhist Buryat Republic. Now we head into Mongolia for a visit to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongo­ lia. The July 1 and 10 departures stay in Ulaanbaatar for the Naadam Festival, a stupendously colorful, multiday archery, horse-racing, and wrestling competition.

various departures feb.–sept. from $16,995

TRANS-SIBERIAN EXPRESS: 15-DAY ITINERARY Day 1  arrive in Moscow, settle in at five-star hotel ✦  2  Moscow tour, board Golden Eagle and head east ✦  3  city tour of Kazan ✦ 4  cross into Asia, tour Yekaterinburg ✦ 5  Novosibirsk ✦  6  onward to Vladivostok ✦  7  arrive in Irkutsk ✦  8  by rail to Lake Baikal, with a stop for lunch on the lake’s shores and, later, a visit to the charming village of Listvyanka ✦  9  south around the lake to Ulan Ude and visit to Old Believers village ✦  10 & 11  farther south into Mongolia for a visit to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, return to Russia ✦  12–14  along the Amur and Shilka Rivers, close to the Chinese border, to Vladivostok ✦  15  flights homeward. Please note: The Golden Eagle travels both east and west. See the detailed itinerary or call us for details.

SHORTER VERSION OF THE TRANS-SIBERIAN EXPRESS A 9-day journey, the Baikal Express , is also available.

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