All aboard the Trans-Siberian Express

The Classic Traveller (theclassictraveller.co.uk) has introduced a holiday aboard the Trans-Siberian Express – the world’s longest rail service – to its extensive range of escorted tours. The 15-day odyssey from Moscow to Beijing costs from £2,699 per person, with a choice of five departure dates over the course of the summer.

The Trans-Siberian Express is a monumental feat of engineering that passes through some fascinating places and stunning natural scenery on this 8,000km journey from Moscow to Mongolia. After a city tour exploring the Russian capital’s many highlights (including Red Square, iconic St Basil’s Cathedral and the finest of the strangely palatial metro stations), the journey aboard the famous train begins, with guests enjoying exclusive use of a private rail carriage for the duration of the trip.

From Moscow, the train travels to the east through rolling countryside and seemingly endless birch forests before crossing the Ural Mountains to reach the city of Yekaterinberg, where a sightseeing tour reveals the spot where the Romanov family – the last of the Russian Tsars – was murdered in 1918. The route continues into Siberia and across the Siberian steppe to Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake that’s home to a unique species of freshwater seal. Here, the journey breaks for an overnight stay in a traditional Siberian guesthouse on the shores of this beautiful lake, fondly known as the ‘Pearl of Siberia’

Continuing through Asia, the train crosses the Mongolian Plateau and the Gobi – wide, open landscapes once terrorised by the infamous horsemen of Genghis Khan – to Ulaanbaatar, the world’s most remote capital city where traditional lifestyles meet the 21st Century in an intoxicating mix of old and new. After taking in the city’s main attractions, the focus changes to the spectacular wilderness of the Terelj National Park and an opportunity for guests to stretch their legs while looking out for moose, bears and any of the park’s 200 species of birds. A particular highlight here is an overnight stay in a ‘ger’, the typically round tent favoured by Mongolia’s nomadic tribesmen.

Leaving the train in Ulaanbaatar, the tour continues by plane to its final destination, Beijing, for a visit to one of the best-preserved sections of the magnificent Great Wall of China. A full city tour also discovers some of Beijing’s most famous sights, including the vastness of Tiananmen Square and the incredible Forbidden City, a former imperial palace that dates from the early 1400s. In all, this wonderful experience offers a true voyage of discovery that merges the best of East and West with exciting cities, unbelievable scenery and the distinctive comfort of a truly unique rail journey.

Keen pricing is synonymous with The Classic Traveller and, as with all the company’s holidays, the Trans-Siberian Express adventure promises exceptional value for money. The trip costs from £2,699 per person (departing 18 October, 2008), to include return flights from London Heathrow; all in-resort transfers; eight nights in a private rail carriage (with shower) aboard the Trans-Siberian Express; four nights’ accommodation in first-class hotels; one night in a traditional Mongolian ‘ger’ tent; one night in a Siberian guesthouse; most meals; various sightseeing excursions; and the services of an English-speaking tour guide throughout. Insurance and visa costs are not included.

For more information or to book, visit Theclassictraveller.co.uk.