The Silk Road by Private Train

The Princes of Muscovy traded precious furs – sable, ermine and fox – for the silks of China that reached their borders on the backs of swaying camels along the old Silk Road.  Today you can make the epic journey between Beijing and Moscow on a comfortable private train instead of, as in the old days, hazarding the wild deserts and fierce tribes of Central Asia with a caravan of well-armed merchants.  The Silk Road route operates from Beijing to Moscow and vice versa.

Days 1-4: Beijing

Arriving in Beijing, transfer to a premier hotel for a three-night stay. Take in classic Beijing, including the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. Visit the Great Wall at Badaling and the Ming Tombs. Board the Shangri-La Express, to begin the 6,200-mile journey to Moscow.

Days 5-6: Xi’an, Lanzhou

Inspect the armies of Terra Cotta Warriors guarding the grave of an emperor since 200 BC. Time permitting, visit Shaanxi Provincial Museum, the Great Mosque, Drum and Bell Towers and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Visit Lanzhou, where the Silk Road crossed the Yellow River. In the Provincial Museum here we find the famous Flying Horse, a symbol of the area.

Day 7: Dunhuang

Explore the Mogao Thousand Buddha Caves, containing almost 500 frescoed grottoes carved between 700 and 1,700 years ago. Visit the sand dunes, where the more adventurous can take a camel ride to Crescent Moon Lake.

Days 8-9: Jiayuguan, Turpan, Urumqi

Explore Jiayuguan’s treasure, a fortress built in 1372 to guard the westernmost pass through the Great Wall. Visit Turpan, the hottest city in China. Pause in Urumqi and, time permitting, visit the Provincial Museum.

Days 10-11: Kazakhstan, Almaty

After arriving in the town of Alashankou, cross the Kazakh border and transfer to the waiting Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express private train. In Almaty, tour the former Kazakh capital, including a visit to the 170-foot wooden Zenkov Cathedral and lunch in a Kazakh mountain yurt.

Days 12-14: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara

Visit Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, a modern city rebuilt in the Soviet style after an earthquake in 1966.  Spend the day admiring the Bibi Khanum Mosque, Ulug Bek Observatory and Registan Square in Samarkand, Tamerlane’s beautiful capital.  Awaken to Uzbekistan’s largest oasis city, Bukhara. The highlight today is the mud-brick Ark, the fortified residence of the Emirs of Bukhara.

Days 15-17: Ashkabad, Merv, Khiva

Arrive in the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashkabad, and take a tour of this modern city.  Cross the Kara Kum Desert overnight, and visit the ancient ruins of Merv, capital of the Seljuk Turks. Back in Uzbekistan, admire Khiva, among the most important trade centers on the Silk Road.

Days 18-19: Kara Kum Desert, Volgograd

The train heads through Kazakhstan’s Kara Kum Desert and crosses into Russia. On the banks of the River Volga, Stalingrad, as the city was known in Soviet times, was the scene of one of the most important battles of World War II.

Days 20-21: Moscow

Check into a five star hotel. After visiting Red Square and the Kremlin, toast the journey at a farewell dinner. A morning tour of the burgeoning Russian capital brings the journey to an end, with transfers to the airport in the afternoon.

This trip also operates in reverse along the same route, from Moscow to Beijing.

Trip Details

Eastbound: From Moscow to Beijing Length of Trip: 21 Days 2008 Dates: April 10-30, 2008   October 13-November 2 5 nights hotels, 10 nights onboard the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express, 5 nights onboard the Shangri-La Express. Westbound: From Beijing to Moscow Length of Trip: 21 Days 2008 Dates: October 16-November 5 4 nights hotels, 6 nights onboard the Shangri-La Express, 10 nights onboard the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express. 2008 Land Tour Cost Per Person:   Silver Class, twin share $15,995 Silver Class, single $21,995 Gold Class, twin share $19,995 Gold Class, single $27,995

MIR Signature Features

• Meet travelers from around the globe and converse while sampling traditional Russian and classic Asian cuisine
• Marvel at Russia's tribute to the fallen heroes of World War II in Volgograd
• Take in Central Asia's vibrant bazaars in legendary Samarkand and Bukhara
• Journey to the mystical waters of Tianchi (Heavenly) Lake in remote Western China
• Follow in the footsteps of explorers through the desert sands of the Gobi to the Great Wall of China

Map

Day-by-Day Itinerary
Silk Road Eastbound

Day-by-Day Itinerary
Silk Road Westbound

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