The Trans-Siberian: Moscow to Beijing

Meet the rest of your group and Tour Manager at the 4-Star Hotel InterContinentalin Moscow. This evening, we enjoy a magnificent 'City Lights' tour, where we see the beautifully illuminated sights of Moscow as darkness falls.

On Day 2, we visit the Kremlin, a potent symbol of two mighty Imperial cultures. This stunning building overlooks the Moskva River. After some free time, we join the Tsar's Gold Private Train to embark on our incredible journey to Beijing.

Our first stop is Kazan, the old Tartar capital on the banks of the Volga. The city was at the center of the struggle for control of Russia - and we learn more of its past on a guided tour of Kazan's magnificent Kremlin - a UNESCO World Heritage site - has been used as the seat of Tsars and Grand Dukes, as well as the site of Stalin's residence in Moscow. Now, it is a museum, after having been restored to its former Imperial glory.

On Day 4 we cross the Europe-Asia divide, arriving in Yekaterinburg, which was founded by Peter the Great. During a tour of the city we visit the site where the Romanov family were murdered in 1918. On Day 5 we reach Novosibirsk in the heart of Siberia. We receive a traditional Russian welcome with bread and salt, and enjoy a guided tour.

We spend Day 6 traveling through the Sayan Mountains before an evening speciality 'Tsar's Feast', including vodka and caviar tastings. On Day 7 we arrive in Irkutsk which we explore on a guided tour. Later we enjoy an excursion to the local open-air museum to see the region as it would have been in the time of the Tsars. We spend tonight at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel in Irkutsk.

On Day 8, we travel by bus to a typical Siberian village. After learning about the local culture, we take a leisurely boat trip across Lake Baikal, the largest freshwater lake in the world. We rejoin our train in Port Baikal and continue alongside the sparkling water, with fantastic views of the surrounding hills and forests. Later we stop for a typical picnic dinner on the lake shore.

Today we continue through the Selenga Valley, arriving in Ulan Ude for a tour. The town is dominated by the world's largest Lenin sculpture, and is home to an old branch of the Russian Orthodox Church. Later we return to the train for the journey into Mongolia stopping in the capital, Ulaanbaatar on Day 10. A guided tour takes us past the city's impressive sights, before we spend tonight at the Kempinski Hotel Khan Palace.

This morning we travel by coach into the rugged mountainous region known as Mongolian Switzerland. We experience a traditional-style lunch in a tent settlement populated by nomadic herdsmen and enjoy a horse-riding show before returning to the train.

On Day 12 we pause in the Gobi Desert, the vast arid landscape where several dinosaur remains have been found amongst the towering dunes. Arriving at the Chinese border, we change trains to a Chinese sleeper train for the final leg of our journey, taking in scenes of rural Chinese life as we travel through the countryside. Having traveled a colossal 7,000 miles from Moscow, we arrive in Beijing on Day 13. We disembark the train and transfer to the Hotel Capital for a three-night stay.

Today we enjoy a guided tour of one of China's ancient cities. We visit the incredible Tiananmen Square, one of the largest city squares in the world, which is surrounded by symbols of China's power and reminders of its glorious past. These treasures include the Great Hall of the People, Mao's Mausoleum, the Monument to the People and Tiananmen Tower. The square also serves as the entrance to the truly wonderful Forbidden City, the Chinese Imperial Palace complex which was the center of Chinese power from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. We also visit the Temple of Heaven, a breathtaking example of Chinese architecture from the 15th century which symbolised the relationship between Heaven and Earth in Chinese culture.

On Day 15 we visit a beautiful section of the world-famous Great Wall of China, perhaps the most evocative symbol of Chinese skill and precision. Tonight we enjoy a dinner together featuring the celebrated dish of Peking duck.

This morning you are free to return home.