Day 1 and 2: Beijing

Arrive in Beijing. Here you´ll arrive the morning of day 1 of the trip. From Beijing airport you´ll be brought to the comfortable Capitol Hotel (or similar). Here you´ll stay the next two nights. After you´ve recovered from your flight, you´ll be guided to the Temple of Heaven, an architectural masterpiece, and the famous Square of Heavenly Peace.

Day 2 is dedicated to a visit to the Great Wall of China. You´ll also go to Changping, to the Ming tombs, the best preserved tombs of Chinese emperors. In the evening you can enjoy the famous traditional Beijing Duck.

Day 3: Beijing and travel to Mongolia

For centuries, the Forbidden City was closed to the general public, but today it´s one of the most visited places in Beijing. And that´s not without reason! Today you can surrender to the impressive splendor of this extraordinary "city within a city", the former home of 24 emperors, built by more than a million workers.

In the evening you´ll board a comfortable Chinese train to the border with Mongolia where you´ll arrive at noon the next day. Enjoy the fascinating landscapes of the Chinese countryside and the surrealistic Gobi desert. Overnight stay in the train.

Day 4: Gobi Desert

Because of the different track gauges the Tsarsgold can't start the journey in China, that's why you get on this luxurious train from the Mongolian border, around noon. This takes place at Erlian, an old authentic market town. The rest of the day you travel in your comfortable compartment through the beautiful Gobi desert and the beautiful green steppes of Mongolia.

Day 5: Ulaanbaatar

On day 5 in the morning, you´ll arrive in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. You can leave your large luggage on the train, you only take what you need for one night. During the city tour you´ll visit the Ghoijin Lama Temple. In the evening you can attend performances of typical Mongolian music. You´ll spend the night in the Ramada hotel (or similar) in Ulaanbaatar. On request, you can also stay in a 'yurt', a traditional round tent, in the Mongolian Alps.

Day 6: Gandan Monastery and Mongolian Alps

Today you´ll visit the impressive Buddhist Gandan monastery and the railroad museum. To get acquainted with the vastness of Mongolia, you´ll make an excursion outside the capital. By bus you´ll drive through the beautiful landscape of Terelj. You´ll see the typical round yak tents, herds of horses and roughly haired yaks.

In this area you´ll have a picnic lunch in a 'yurt' and a small Mongolian equestrian show will be performed especially for you. Try lamb in milk, a Mongolian specialty, and take a sip of the fermented horse's milk, also known as nomadic beer. You´ll also get a demonstration of a traditional wrestling match and archery. Overnight stay in the train.

Day 7, 8 and 9: Oelan-Oede, Lake Baikal and Irkutsk.

On day 7 you leave the steppe of Mongolia to travel along the green and picturesque valley of the Selenga River to Oelan-Oede where you´ll make an interesting city tour.

After spending the night on the train, the next day you can enjoy the beautiful Lake Baikal, the oldest and deepest freshwater lake in the world. The lake is on the World Heritage list of Unesco. The clear deep blue-green water glistens in the sun and reflects the surrounding mountains. From Port Baikal, the train follows the shores of the lake for a few hours on the disused section of the original Trans Siberian Railway.

You´ll have all the time you need to enjoy the lake, its views and photogenic villages. You can also consider taking a dive or a boat trip. Dinner consists, weather permitting, of a picnic on the shore of Lake Baikal.

On day 9 you´ll arrive in the popular and historic Irkutsk, one of the largest cities in Siberia. An excursion will take you to the statue of Alexander III, the colorful market, the theater and the Irkutsk Regional Historical Museum. You´ll spend the night in hotel Irkutsk (or similar).

Day 10 and 11: Siberia and Novosibirsk

On the 10th day of the journey the train swings its way through the Siberian landscape. You pass forests, winding rivers, rocky banks. Meanwhile, you can learn about local customs and enjoy typical Russian snacks.

The next day you arrive around noon in the largest city of Siberia: Novosibirsk. In Russia, bread is associated with hospitality and salt with friendship. You will be welcomed in Novosibirsk, in the heart of Siberia. Here you´ll get a city tour including a visit to the magical river Ob. Overnight stay in the train.

Day 12 and 13: Yekaterinburg and Kazan

Today you arrive in Yekaterinburg, the city where the last Russian Tsar Nikolay II and his family were murdered in 1918. You´ll visit the Redeemer Cathedral, which reminds you of this event. You´ll also get acquainted with the meticulously preserved old town center. Back on the train you´ll leave Asia to enter Europe.

On day 13 you´ll reach Kazan, the capital of the Tatars. You´ll make an excursion along the traditional Russian architecture and the local Kremlin. The troubled past of Tatars, Cossacks and Russians among themselves is clearly visible here. In the course of the evening the Tsar gold continues the journey to the west. Overnight stay in the train.

Day 14 and 15: Moscow

Around noon on day 14 you´ll arrive in the Russian capital, the dynamic city of Moscow. Here you leave the Tsar gold. You´ll visit the Kremlin and the beautiful surrounding cathedrals. After dinner you´ll stroll through the impressive Red Square and visit famous metro stations during the excursion 'Moscow by Night'. You´ll stay at the InterContinental Tverskaya hotel (or similar).

On the last day of your impressive trip you´ll make a tour through the city, to the colorful Basilius Cathedral and the beautifully restored Church of Christ the Savior. You´ll also pass the infamous former headquarters of the KGB, the Russian White House and Lomonossov University. You´ll then be taken to the airport for your flight back home and this unforgettable journey will come to an end.