GOLDEN TSAR TRAIN 2016 16 days / 15 nights from Moscow via Lake Baikal through Mongolia and on to Beijing

A journey on the legendary Trans-Siberian Railroad is one of the last great travel adventures in our world. Set this dream of a lifetime on the tracks with the Golden Tsar Train and experience Russia, Mongolia and China in the safest, most comfortable and fascinating manner. The historic route between Moscow, Lake Baikal and Beijing is the heart of all travel variants: The exciting days of your journey are delivering three of the world’s largest countries directly to your compartment. Lean back to enjoy the dramatic changes of scenery and savour a choice of Europe’s and Asia’s most superb and splendid landscapes! Dates: T o u r No . 01

Date 14.05-29.05.2016

Languages ENGLISH, FRENCH

02

11.06-26.06.2016

ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH

03

09.07-24.07.2016

ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH, PORTUGUESE

04

13.08-28.08.2016

ITALIAN, ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH, PORTUGUESE

05

10.09-25.09.2016

ENGLISH, FRENCH

PROGRAM

DAY 1: WELCOME TO MOSCOW You are greeted at the airport by your friendly tour director and accompanied to your hotel. Our “City of Lights” tour shows you around the exquisitely illuminated Russian capital. You stroll across the famous Red Square and take a short trip on the underground to view several of Moscow’s particularly beautiful metro stations. Afterwards you retire to 4-star hotel. You spend the night in a Moscow hotel. Meals: D

DAY 2: SIGHTSEEING IN MOSCOW In the morning you take an informative tour of Moscow including the imposing grounds the Kremlin and its magnificent cathedral from tsarist times. Toward evening, you are greeted aboard your private train prior to departure. A relaxed get-together in the dinning car offers the chance to meet your fellow travellers and learn more details about your private train. You spend the night aboard the train. Meals: B, L, D

DAY 3: KAZAN In the morning you arrive in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan. You take a tour of the Kazan Kremlin (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage) with its wonderful panoramic view over the Volga where you learn about the turbulent history of the relationship between the Tartars, the Cossacks and the Russians. Your train resumes its journey eastwards in the evening. You spend the night aboard the train. Meals: B, L, D

DAY 4: YEKATERINBURG The train stops around noon in Yekaterinburg, the historical capital of the Urals. The city is remembered as the place where the Russian tsar Nicholas II and his family were murdered in 1918. During a brief tour you see the Cathedral of the Saviour on the Spilled Blood which was built in 2003 in commemoration of that tragic historic event, and the city centre so attractively restored in 2009. Back on board, you continue on your journey through the vast steppes of western Siberia. You spend the night aboard the train. Meals: B, L, D

DAY 5: NOVOSIBIRSK You arrive in Novosibirsk, the heart of Siberia, where you are welcomed in the traditional Russian fashion with bread and salt. During a short city tour you experience the most Soviet of all cities during your journey. You see the enormous Trans-Siberian Monument and the mighty Ob River. You spend the night aboard the train. Meals: B, L, D

DAY 6: TRANS-SIBERIA Your train crosses the wide Yenisei River and rolls on through Siberia. The train’s chefs once again demonstrate their skills as they serve the guests Russian specialties in a “tsar’s feast”. A caviar and vodka tasting accompanied by clever toasts offers you a very enjoyable opportunity to combine pleasure and Russian hospitality. Your train passes by villages with their typical wooden houses and through birch forests set against a background of impressive mountainscapes and, hopefully, ample sunshine. You spend the night aboard the train. Meals: B, L, D

DAY 7: IRKUTSK Today your train reaches Irkutsk, the capital of Eastern Siberia in tsarist times. During the city tour you see, among other things, the picturesque Siberian wooden houses and a memorial to Tsar Alexander III (the initiator of the Tran-Siberian Railway) which was erected in 2003 where the Trans-Sib Obelisk previously stood. After lunch you take an excursion to an informative open-air museum with a focus on life and work in historical Siberia. You spend the night in a 4-star hotel in Irkutsk. Meals: B, L, D

DAY 8: LAKE BAIKAL Today you drive by bus to Listvyanka, a Siberian village on the shores of Lake Baikal, the largest reservoir of non-frozen freshwater in the world. From the village a boat brings you across the lake’s deep waters to Port Baikal where your private train is waiting. Then you travel for several hours directly alongside Lake Baikal, on the original route of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Your train halts for several hours at a particularly scenic spot for you to truly enjoy the majestic calm of this unique natural wonder. Dinner is served as a picnic on the shores of Lake Baikal if weather permitting. You spend the night aboard the train. Meals: B, L, D

DAY 9: TO ULAN-UDE AND TO MONGOLIA The journey continues along the banks of the seemingly endless Lake Baikal and then through the splendid Selenga Valley and the wild solitude of eastern Siberia’s mountainous steppes. You take a tour of Ulan-Ude during an intermediate stop there. Border formalities at the Russian-Mongolian border are an easy matter carried out on board. You spend the night aboard the train. Meals: B, L, D

DAY 10: ULAANBAATAR AND GANDAN MONASTERY In the morning you arrive in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. As always, you can leave your large luggage safely in your compartment. During your city tour you see the impressive Gandan Buddhist Monastery and the odd Choijin Lama Temple among other things. Beer gardens are very popular in Mongolia and your evening includes a visit to the city’s best. You spend the night in a 4-star bhotel in Ulaanbaatar. Meals: B, L, D

DAY 11: ULAANBAATAR AND THE MONGOLIAN ALPS After breakfast a bus brings you to Terelj National Park, east of Ulaanbaatar. Here you will see the nomadic herdsmen’s exotic settlements of tradition tents, horse herds and scraggly yaks, a type of wild Tibetan cattle. A small Mongolian horse-riding demonstration is put on especially for you and you enjoy a picnic lunch served in these splendid surroundings. In the evening you continue on aboard your train towards China. You spend the night aboard the train. Meals: B, L, D

DAY 12: CROSSING THE GOBI DESERT In the early morning your train halts in the middle of the Gobi Desert, some time ago one of the favourite settlements of dinosaurs. Around noon you arrive at the Mongolian-Chinese boarder where your chartered Chinese train is waiting. The Russian private train cannot continue towards Beijing because of the different track gauge in China. Your train reaches the Chinese capital in approximately 16 hours. The Chinese train does not include wagons in the Nostalgic Comfort or Bolshoi categories. You spend the night aboard the train. Meals: B, L, D

DAY 13: WELCOME TO BEIJING You arrive in the hustle and bustle of Beijing in the morning. After transfer to the hotel the rest of the day is yours for leisure. You spend the night in a hotel in Beijing (4- or 5-star, depending on booking). Meals: B, L

DAY 14: BEIJING - TEMPLE OF HEAVEN AND TIANANMEN SQUARE A tour lasting several hours takes you to Beijing’s most beautiful and important sights including the photogenic Temple of Heaven with its park, the huge Tiananmen Square and some of the city’s contemporary architectural achievements such as the new “Bird’s Nest” Olympic stadium and several futuristic sky scrapers. In the afternoon you are able to enter the Forbidden City, the former imperial palace and view its numerous temples and halls. You spend the night in your Beijing hotel. Meals: B, L

DAY 15: THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA AND PEKING DUCK Your tour today takes you to the Great Wall, the eighth wonder of the world. The giant wall extends for more than 6000 km through the countryside. On the way you visit a pearl cultivation farm and the Ming Tombs, the burial site of 13 Ming Dynasty emperors with its impressive Spirit Way. In the evening you enjoy a farewell dinner of world-renowned Peking Duck. You spend the night in your Beijing hotel. Meals: B, L, D DAY 16: DEPARTURE FROM BEIJING Breakfast, transfer to the airport, departure flight, end of services. Meals: B

Tour includes: - Train and hotel accommodation, excursions, meals and transfers according to the program - Dine in special designed restaurant wagons and enjoy the finest local cuisine and drinks served by courteous waiters - 42 meals during the tour according to itinerary (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner) - More than 20 excursions and performances as well as all entrance fees - Professional threefold tour guide-system: Knowledgeable and dedicated tour director, a competent group train guide (max. 26 guests per group guide) as well as local guides, all equipped with expert knowledge of the region - Alternating overnights in train compartment and in first class and standard class hotels - Choose from 7 different compartment categories: Standard (4-berth); Classic (2-berth) Superior, Superior Plus (2-berth, both categories are newly renovated); Nostalgic Comfort 2-berth, (newly built cars nostalgically furnished in the Soviet Government Train style of the 50’s); Bolshoi (2-berth with ensuite facilities) and Bolshoi Platinum (2-berth even larger than Bolshoi cabins and also featuring a full shower cabin) - Travel with guaranteed accommodation in the category booked onboard train from Moscow to Erlian; Single accommodation is possible - From Erlian to Beijing (about 16 hours) accommodation in comfortable sleeping compartments. The Chinese train do not carry sleeping cars of the Nostalgic Comfort and Bolshoi / Bolshoi Platinum category. Single and double accommodation are not guaranteed except for categories: Nostalgic Comfort and Bolshoi / Bolshoi Platinum. - Extensive trip on the ancient rail lines of the Trans-Siberian Railway directly on the banks of Lake Baikal with photo stop - Three overnights in Beijing and one overnight in Moscow in first class hotels (4 star level) – Bolshoi / Bolshoi Platinum guests reside in deluxe rooms or suites of the hotels, whereas Non-Bolshoi guests sleep in standard rooms (Bolshoi and Non-Bolshoi guests stay at the same hotels). If the entire train has been up-graded and resides in a deluxe hotel in Moscow or Beijing (5 star level) there is no difference in rooms for Bolshoi / Bolshoi Platinum and Non-Bolshoi guests. - One overnight each at centrally located standard hotels (3 star level) in Irkutsk and Ulaanbaatar. Bolshoi / Bolshoi Platinum guests reside in deluxe rooms or suites of standard hotels). If the entire train has been up-graded and resides in a first class hotel in Irkutsk or Ulan Bator (4 star level) there is no difference in rooms for Bolshoi / Bolshoi Platinum and Non-Bolshoi guests. - Hotel property selection is subject to change. Exact name of final hotel property will be announced prior to departure with final train pre-departure information. - All transfers at your travel destinations - on arrival and departure day airport transfers are only provided during specific departure and arrival times - Luggage service at all train stations - Detailed travel documents, travel guides and personal log book - Sophisticated on-board programmes: Entertaining lectures on local culture, history and everyday life - Doctor on board (from Moscow to the Chinese border) - Showers on board - Caviar and vodka tasting on board the train - Traditional Russian welcoming ceremony with bread and salt - Special Peking Duck dinner at one of Beijing’s leading theme restaurants

Travel documents and vaccinations: - Passport and visas required - No vaccinations are prescribed

Prices pr person in EUR, commissionable Golden Tsar Train, Moscow - Beijing, 16 days CAT. I STANDARD 4-BERTH

CAT. II CLASSIC

CAT. IV BOLSHOI

PLUS

CAT. III NOSTALGIC COMFORT

CAT. V BOLSHOI PLATINUM

4100,00

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

6200,00

6500,00

6950,00

8800,00

11700,00

13850,00

SUPPLEMENT BY 3 PERSONS

1080,00

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

SINGLE USE

N/A

1850,00

2150,00

2150,00

3900,00

5600,00

6650,00

SINGLE USE SUPPLEMENT FOR 6 HOTEL OVERNIGHTS

630,00

630,00

630,00

630,00

630,00

1.290,00

1.290,00

SUPPLEMENT

195,00

195,00

195,00

195,00

195,00

195,00

195,00

PRICE BY 4

CAT. II SUPERIOR

CAT. II+ SUPERIOR

PERSONS

PRICE BY 2 PERSONS

SUPPLEMET

FOR HIGH SEASON: TOURS:03-05

Payment conditions: - A non-refundable deposit of 15% is requested upon reservation. The balance should be paid 7 weeks before departure date

Cancellation conditions: - Up to 98 days prior to departure: 15 % of total price. From 97- 49 days prior to departure: 50% of total price. From the 48-14th day prior to departure: 80 % of the travel price. From the 13 days prior to departure 90% of the travel price Prices do not include: flights, fees for visa, tips and own expenses.

Prices are gross and include commission. Prices are incl. service and VAT. Prices are valid in the period 01.05-30.09.2016.

Compartment categories

Compartment Category I: Standard

In the STANDARD CATEGORY (I), there are nine compartments per car, each for four guests. On both sides, left and right, there are two berths, one upon the other and each of them sized 27.55 inches x 74.80 inches (70×190cm). In the middle, below the window, you will find a table. Combined toilet/lavatory compartments are located at each end of the car.

Compartment Category II: Classic

In the CLASSIC CATEGORY (II), there are 9 compartments per car. A compartment is shared by two guests. Berths are sized app. 27.5 inches x 75 inches (70 × 190 cm) and arranged facing each other. There is also a table under the window. Combined toilet/lavatory compartments are located at each end of this category’s cars. In every second car there is a shower compartment.

Compartment Category II: Superior

In the SUPERIOR CATEGORY (II), there are 9 newly refurbished compartments per car. A compartment is shared by two guests. Berths are sized app. 27.5 inches x 75 inches (70 × 190 cm) and arranged facing each other. There is also a table under the window. Combined toilet/lavatory compartments are located at each end of this category’s cars. In every second car there is a shower compartment.

Compartment Category II+: Superior Plus

In the SUPERIOR PLUS CATEGORY (II), there are 8 newly refurbished compartments per car. A compartment is shared by two guests. Berths are sized app. 27.5 inches x 75 inches (70 × 190 cm) and arranged facing each other. There is also a table under the window. Combined toilet/lavatory compartments are located at each end of this category’s cars. 8 compartments share one refurbished shower room.

Compartment Category III: Nostalgic Comfort

If you want to travel like the red tsars, the NOSTALGIC COMFORT CATEGORY (III) is a must. The newly built cars of our Category III are nostalgically furnished, but also provide modern amenities. You’ll be travelling in an ambiance, in which even former Soviet leaders would have felt at home – although with the comfort of the 21st century. Each of these rolling hotel rooms offers two large berths (app. 31.5 inches x 73 inches (80 × 185 cm)) and an armchair for an especially comfortable view of the changing landscapes. Two compartments share one small lavatory with wash basin and shower facility between every two compartments. Combined toilet/lavatory compartments are located at each end of this category’s car. Compartment Category IV: Bolshoi

The BOLSHOI CATEGORY (IV) is equipped with two beds, one of which measures 43.30 inches x 74.80 inches (1.10 m x 1.90 m), even providing room for two people if required. Furthermore, the 219.29 inches² (5.57 m²) large compartments offer a cosy seating bench, a commodious table and a wardrobe. The compartment’s exclusive en suite bathroom does not only contain a washing basin, WC and shower, but also enough storage space for your personal belongings. Each car of the Bolshoi category has only six compartments.

Compartment Category V: Bolshoi Platinum

The newly introduced BOLSHOI PLATINUM CATEGORY (V) features the highest possible comfort on the Trans-Siberian. Each compartment is 281.49 inches² (7.15 m²) large and provided with full shower cabin, WC and washing basin. Each wagon of the PLATINUM CATEGORY contains just about 5 of these magnificent cabins. IN ALL CATEGORIES, there are power outlets (both 110 and 220 Volts) as well as ”smoker’s corners” at one end of each car.