You will have the opportunity to visit its principal military attractions, including a visit to a preserved Wold War Two submarine. You will also be taken to one of the largest suspension bridges in the world over the Golden Horn Bay, which opened in 2012 for the APEC conference in the city.

Following a champagne reception at Vladivostok Railway Station you will board the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express. After settling into your cabins we enjoy dinner in the restaurant car as our rail adventure westwards begins.

During your time here, you visit the memorial to Yerofey Pavlovich Khabarov, the Far East explorer after whom the city is named, as well as the impressive World War Two memorial to fallen soldiers.

In addition to this, time will be spent at the Regional Museum where you will have the opportunity to learn about the indigenous culture and natural history of Khabarovsk and the surrounding region through a rich collection of well-preserved artefacts.

Your time in Ulaanbaatar will begin at the Tibetan-style Gandan Monastery, one of the most important Buddhist Monasteries in Mongolia, home to a community of over 500 monks. The full name, Gandantegchinlen, translates as ‘the great place of complete joy’.

Visiting Chinggis Square (formerly Sukhbaatar Square) you will have the opportunity to gaze upon the central monument to Genghis Khan, probably the most famous, and certainly the most feared and revered, Mongol.

Once you have had time in the square, you will be driven out of the city to Gorkhi-Terelj National Park to enjoy the breath-taking scenery, visit a traditional Ger and meet a nomadic family to see how they live, or try your hand at horse riding; an intrinsic part of Mongolian life across the steppe.

Ulaanbaatar’s ‘Freedom of Choice’ option allows you to stay in the city, giving you the option to follow up Chinggis Square up with a trip to the National Museum to learn about the tumultuous, fascinating and eye-opening history of Mongolia. There will also be time to visit the Bogd Khan Winter Palace Museum, the residence of the last Mongolian emperor built around the turn of the century. Any time remaining will be free to explore the city some more, or purchase souvenirs.

To cap it all off, you will be performed for by contortionists and traditional Mongolian throat singers. A truly unique vocal style.

You will be taken on a tour of the Old Believers’ Village, and have the opportunity to learn more about the culture and history of these deeply religious people. Following this you will be treated to a concert featuring local traditions and folk singing.

Weather permitting, the train will stop in an extremely picturesque part of the coastline for some fantastic photo opportunities. For those brave enough, there will also be the opportunity to take a quick swim in the crystal clear waters.

Towards the end of the Trans-Baikal line, the tour will board a boat towards Listvyanka, a small Baikal settlement, in order to visit the Lake Baikal Museum and Aquarium, giving you the opportunity to get acquainted with the flora and fauna of the Baikal region.

Before leaving, everyone will have the opportunity to enjoy a delicious barbeque by the lake, including freshly smoked omul fish, a species endemic to Lake Baikal and a local specialty.

As part of Golden Eagle’s Freedom of Choice excursion programme you can choose to go hiking up Chersky Mount or you can choose to take the chair lift, which offers spectacular and panoramic hillside views of the lake below.

You could learn to cook some traditional Russian dishes with a local chef and prepare your own lunch with our Freedom of Choice option. If you would rather gain an insight into the day to day lives of an average Russian family, you might wish to visit to a traditional Russian Dacha (summer house).

You could take a city tour, taking in Lenin Square and its Soviet-era statue of this iconic political leader, where you will find the imposing, and beautiful, Opera House. It is one of the largest opera houses in the world, and hosts two permanent opera and ballet companies.

Time permitting, south of the city we will visit Novosibirsk’s excellent Railway Museum. Here you will find a collection of locomotives and rolling stock from the 1800’s up until the present day. Of particular interest are the collection of carriages that were in use by the Tsars themselves. Alternatively, as part of our Freedom of Choice programme choose to visit the Mineralogical Centre with its fine display of Siberian minerals.

Our primary tour will take you to the site of the execution, now the Church on Blood in Honour of All Saints Resplendent in the Russian Land. The tour will offer an insight into the turmoil that surrounded the Russian Revolution. You get to visit the obelisk marking the geographical border, where celebrations take place with a glass of champagne, while standing with one foot in Europe and the other in Asia.

Time permitting, our Freedom of Choice programme features either a visit to the recently opened Museum of Military Machinery. The museum houses an amazing collection of different types of military hardware including tanks, aircraft, boats and even armoured trains. Alternatively, we will make a short stop at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Centre, recently opened in Yekaterinburg, which is dedicated to the contemporary political history of Russia and its first president.

To top off your day, in memory of one of Russia’s most famous opera singers, born in Kazan, Feodor Chaliapin, you will be invited to a private concert of some of his music. You will also have time to wander through the main pedestrian area of Kazan and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the city.

If you have been to Moscow before we offer included Freedom of Choice touring where we show you other sights of Moscow such as the famous State Tretyakov Gallery (National Museum of Fine Art) or the Space Museum.

Lunch will be served in Café Pushkin, a legendary Moscow restaurant serving traditional Russian cuisine with décor reminiscent of an early 19th century mansion. An essential part of any visit to Moscow is a tour of the opulent and unique Moscow metro stations. Here, you will find showpieces of Socialist art furnished with statues, frescoes and mosaics, unsurpassed anywhere in the world.

Your final night will be spent at the five-star Four Seasons Hotel Moscow. Located in the heart of Moscow, it is a short five minute walk to Red Square or the Bolshoi Theatre.