Day 1. Winter in Red Square

It’s a beautiful winter’s day in Moscow, where you transfer from the airport to your high-end hotel in the city centre. That evening, you take a stroll on a guided tour through the city and feast your eyes on the stunning lights of Red Square. Overnight: Hotel Intercontinental Tverskaya (or similar). Meals included: Dinner (D)

Day 2. Moscow: Modern Metropolis

Your second day in Moscow starts off with a panoramic city tour, where you experience this metropolis from end to end—enjoying its mix of traditional golden domes and modern skyscrapers. You have lunch in a Russian history-themed restaurant. Later you board your private train and depart from the impressive backdrop of one of Moscow’s major stations. On board you enjoy a delicious welcome dinner. Overnight on board. Meals included: Breakfast (B), lunch (L) and dinner (D)

Day 3. Suzdal, City of the Golden Ring

After breakfast, you arrive in Vladimir where you take a bus to Suzdal, one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in Russia’s Golden Ring—a group of historic towns. Around noon, you return to your private train and travel east through the vast plains of old Russia, crossing the Volga and Kama Rivers before climbing the Ural Mountains—usually covered in massive deposits of snow this time of year, creating a magical wintertime landscape. Back on board you enjoy talks about the Cossack conquest of Siberia, Russian life in winter, and the last of the Tsars. Overnight: On board (BLD)

Day 4. Yekaterinburg, Last Home of the Tsars

Today you stop in Yekaterinburg, the historical capital of the Urals, where Tsar Nicholas II and his family were assassinated in 1918. A short city tour includes the beautifully restored city centre, as well as the Church on Blood, built in 2003 as a memorial to the murder of the Tsar and his family. Later you board your private train once again and continue through the vast steppes pf Western Siberia. Overnight: On board (BLD)

Day 5. Endless Siberia

Your private train, by now your home away from home, continues through the endless Siberian wilderness and its snowy, sunny birch forests. Later in the dining car, you become familiar with the lesser known Russian eating and drinking customs with a delicious vodka tasting, which includes classic Russian snacks. Overnight: On board (BLD)

Day 6. Krasnoyarsk, Siberia’s Most Beautiful City

In the morning, you reach Krasnoyarsk. During an informative city tour, you learn about the city’s captivating history. As you stroll through the city’s old and new streets, which illustrate how the city has grown and changed over the years. You walk through Peace Square, the city’s oldest square. You enjoy views of the Yenisei River, and visit the Paraskeva Pyatnitsa Chapel, a symbol of the city. Back on board your train continues on to Irkutsk. Overnight: On board (BLD)

Day 7. Irkutsk

Today you reach Irkutsk, one of the largest cities of Eastern Siberia. On a guided city tour, you see the Okhlopkov Drama Theatre, the new memorial to Tsar Alexander III and the photogenic market hall. You also see typical wooden Siberian houses and visit one of the largest monasteries in Eastern Siberia. Overnight: Hotel Irkutsk (or similar) (BLD)

Day 8. Lake Baikal

Today you visit a local family for a delicious Russian dinner and have the chance to enjoy a banya, a traditional Russian sauna. Also on the agenda is a visit to the Baikal Museum, which showcases the area’s ecosystem. In the evening, your private train departs from Irkutsk. Overnight: On board (BLD)

Day 9. Lake Baikal

Today your private train arrives at the original track of the Trans-Siberian Railroad. For several hours, you travel along the coast of the lake and have the opportunity to take a walk on its frozen surface. Overnight: On board (BLD)

Day 10. Ulan-Ude

Your journey continues through the gorgeous, snow-covered Selenga Valley and the wild solitude of Eastern Siberia’s mountainous steppes. Your train stops for a time in Ulan-Ude, where you enjoy a city tour then continue on to the Russia–Mongolia border, where border formalities are painlessly conducted on board. Overnight: On board (BLD)

Day 11. Ulan Bator and the Mongolian Alps

During breakfast on board, you watch the taiga mountain landscapes of northern Mongolia and its scattered nomad settlements from your window. In the morning, you reach Ulan Bator, where porters are already waiting to help with your luggage, and head to your centrally located mid-range hotel. On this first night in Ulan Bator, you also have the chance to spend the night in a heated yurt—bookable in advance—amid majestic and unspoiled natural surroundings, a truly unique experience! In the afternoon, you visit the Mongolian National History Museum. If you choose to spend the night in the hotel, you have the opportunity to watch a Mongolian folk performance, featuring throat singing, national costumes, dances, and the horsehead fiddle—the morin khuur—a symbol of the Mongolian nation. Tickets are €14/$15, to be paid on site. If you decide to spend the night in a heated yurt, you can enjoy Mongolian folk tales by the campfire. Overnight: Hotel Bayangol (or similar) (BLD)

Day 12. Ulan Bator

Today you see the Gandan Monastery and the otherworldly Choijin Lama Temple—a unique example of Buddhist architecture, featuring dramatic illustrations of the torments of hell that await practitioners who stray from the path of righteousness. In the afternoon, you visit with a cattle breeder family at the edge of the city. Overnight: Hotel Bayangol (or similar) (BLD)

Day 13. A Winter’s Tale Ending

Today is the last day of your winter’s tale on the Trans-Siberian Railroad. On your way to the airport, you reflect on your magical wintertime journey through Russia and Mongolia and all the great memories you have made. (B)

Beijing Extension

If you would like your winter’s tale to continue on from Ulan Bator, you can board the regular train to Beijing on the morning of the thirteenth day. The Chinese train from Ulan Bator to Beijing takes you across the vast Gobi Desert over the course of about 35 hours. An experience guide accompanies you to assist, for example, with arranging meals on the train. Overnight: On board (BLD)

Day 14. Hello, Beijing!

In the afternoon, your train pulls into Beijing, where you transfer to your high-end hotel. After making yourself comfortable, you have time to explore China’s fascinating capital on your own. Overnight: Capital Hotel (or similar) (BD)

Day 15 The Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Peking Duck

Today you enjoy a thorough guided tour of the legendary Forbidden City and a sightseeing tour that includes the Temple of Heaven. That evening, you dine well at one of Beijing’s highly regarded restaurants for the city’s most famous dish—Peking Duck. Overnight: Capital Hotel (or similar) (BD)

Day 16. Goodbye, Beijing!

It’s been sixteen days through a winter wonderland on the Zarengold private train, and now your journey has come to an end. The sights you have seen and things you have learned will stay with you forever. After breakfast, you transfer to the airport from your hotel for your flight home. (B)