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If you're searching for the ultimate rail adventure, you will find nowhere more perfect to explore than Russia. Long famous for its magnificent train travel, the destination is also overflowing with exciting cities just waiting to be discovered. Indeed, Russian train travel recaptures the romance that used to be associated with this mode of transport - and combines this quality with a host of fascinating attractions, particularly if you choose to travel on the incredible Trans-Siberian Railway. Rail tours of the nation do not get much more impressive than this. Covering some 8,000 miles, this epic journey will take you halfway around the world, seeing some of Russia's most important cities, as well as landscapes that rank among the most remote and dramatic on the planet. Your itinerary will start in London, where you'll board the comfortable Eurostar for Brussels. Changing here, you will continue on to Cologne, where the Jan Kierpura sleeper train will be waiting to carry you to Poland. In the morning, you will wake in Warsaw and have a day free to sightsee before completing your journey to Russia. Starting with an exciting city tour of Moscow, your exploration of the nation will begin with visits to some of its best-known sights. These include St Basil's Cathedral, Red Square and the Kremlin. Leaving Moscow onboard the iconic and luxurious Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express, you will begin your 12-night odyssey, stopping first in Kazan. This is the capital of Tatarstan, which is a federal subject of Russia and is situated on the River Volga. Perhaps the quality this city is most widely renowned for is its incredibly ornate architecture. A tour of the metropolis will ensure you see some of the most impressive examples of this, including the Kul Sharif Mosque and the cathedral, which boasts a colourful onion-shaped dome. Continuing your journey, you will arrive at Yekaterinburg next, crossing the Europe-Asia divide to get here. This is the capital of the Urals, where the Romanovs met their end at the hand of the Bolsheviks in 1918. After visiting the memorial church that now stands at the site, you can peruse the Urals Mineralogical Museum and the Military History Museum. The following day, the Trans-Siberian Express will reach Novosibirsk - Siberia's capital. Visit Lenin Square and the world's largest opera house before boarding the train once more. After a day at leisure onboard this luxurious train, you will disembark at Irkutsk - a location known for its Siberian carved wood architecture. Once you have viewed some classic examples of this, you can enjoy a private concert at the Decembrist House Museum - a truly unique part of your trip. Your next destination is Lake Baikal, which holds the title of being the planet's largest freshwater lake. The train will follow a route along it, offering magnificent views, so make sure you don't miss a second of this amazing vista. Disembarking, you can look forward to enjoying a delicious barbeque by the water's edge before continuing your journey to reach Ulan Ude the following day. This is the capital of the Buryat Republic. A Buddhist temple and the Village of Old Believers will make up your itinerary here, and at the latter you can expect to see a concert of local music and dances. Next you will stop at the capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, where you will be able to find out more about Mongolian nomads and their ways of life. After a traditional lunch in a yurt, you have the opportunity to spend the afternoon exploring independently. Alternatively, you could opt to visit Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, which is situated close by. Enjoying another full day at leisure onboard, you will take in views of remote Siberia. As you travel, these will become all the more dramatic - particularly as the train follows the Amur and Shilka Rivers. You will then arrive at your final destination, Vladivostok, which is located on the Sea of Japan. Before you start your journey home, you will be given a comprehensive coach tour of this unique city, which encompasses both Oriental and European cultures. As well as a spot of sightseeing by coach, you will take a cruise in Golden Horn Bay. So, why not discover more of Russia and exciting remote landscapes with rail tours of the nation? Want to discover Russia by train? Come to Great Rail Journeys and find incredible rail tours, including those featuring the Trans-Siberian Railway. So, why not experience the excitement of Russian train travel and start planning your break today?
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Russian train travel, rail tours, Trans-Siberian Railway,
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