Arrive at Moscow Airport, where you are met and transferred to the luxurious Four Seasons Moscow (or similar) for a two-night stay. Located in downtown Moscow, within walking distance of Red Square and the Bolshoi Theatre, guests will discover a classic and sophisticated ambiance within this luxury hotel.
This evening you are invited to a Champagne drinks reception with the opportunity to meet your fellow travelers before our exclusive Welcome Dinner. Specially selected international wines are included with dinner, as with all meals during the tour
This afternoon, enjoy a private folk performance at Kantele House in the city before we visit by hydrofoil the tiny island of Kizhi on Lake Onega to explore its Open-air Museum of wooden Architecture.
Marvel at the wooden Church of the Transfiguration (the church of 22 wooden domes) built in 1714 without the use of a single nail which has survived the challenges of Russian winters and revolution
DAY 8, MURMANSK | RUSSIA
We will continue to Murmansk, a city halfway between Moscow and the North Pole, and 120 miles north of the Arctic Circle. As the main city of the Kola Peninsula, it started as a tiny settlement and Arctic trading post. In 1916, under pressure from the British to establish a support port, Murmansk was founded.
Thanks to the influence of the Gulf Stream, the port is ice-free year-round. Here we learn about the perilous missions of the many Arctic convoys, hunted continually by the German Navy, which sailed from the United Kingdom, Iceland and North America to Murmansk in World War Two to deliver essential supplies to the Soviet Union. As Murmansk is homeport of Russia's nuclear-powered icebreaker, we make a scheduled visit to the Nuclear Icebreaker Museum Ship
DAY 9, NIKEL MURMANSK | RUSSIA
Early morning we will arrive at Nikel, on the border with Norway. The station is close to the Nikel smelting plant which in part has caused the devastation to the surrounding countryside that will have been evident for the 20 miles before our arrival. An eerie place but has been one of the highlights of our previous tours. Steam Locomotives: P36 class
DAY 10 KEM FOR SOLOVETSKY ISLAND
After arriving early morning into Kem we transfer to a small boat bound for Solovetsky Monastery on Solovetsky Island in the White Sea. The Island is also infamous for its ‘Special Purpose Camp’ set up by Stalin and is the location used as the basis for Solzhenitzyn’s Gulag Archipelago. Steam Locomotives: P36 class
DAY 11, ARCHANGELSK | RUSSIA
We spend the morning touring Archangel, a town located on the banks of the White Sea that was the chief seaport of medieval Russia. On our city tour we will have the opportunity to visit the British and American Arctic Convoy War Graves and the Wooden Architecture Museum.
We re-join our train for a scenic lunch as the Golden Eagle is hauled by two SO class locomotives along the branch line to Karpogory. Steam Locomotives: SO class
DAY 12, ON BOARD | RUSSIA
Today we relax on board as our train follows the Northern Dvina River to the city of Severodvinsk, hauled by two P36 locomotives. Enjoy the remote landscapes unfold from your window or you may like to attend one of our absorbing lectures in the Bar Lounge Car Steam Locomotives: P36 class
DAY 13, VOLOGDA & YAROSLAVL | RUSSIA
This morning we arrive in Vologda which is particularly known for its beautiful Kremlin, whose landmark buildings include the 16th-century St. Sophia Cathedral and its gilded bell tower. We return to the train for lunch whilst our P36 steam locomotives haul us to the next location Yaroslavl for a short city tour. Yaroslavl is the largest and oldest (founded 1010) city on the Golden Ring, a fact underscored by its place of honour on the Russian 1000-rouble note (including the 15-domed church of John the Baptist on the back). Embraced by two rivers, the mighty Volga and the smaller Kotorosl, Yaroslavl’s centre is dotted with onion domes like no other place in Russia.
This evening we enjoy our farewell dinner on board
DAY 14, MOSCOW | RUSSIA
This morning we return to Moscow where we spend one night at the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel in the heart of Moscow.
Today we visit Red Square, an iconic symbol of Russia's former political and economic might with its eclectic mix of fascinating architecture, such as the splendid St. Basil's Cathedral with its mesmerizing multi-colored domes and spires, the beautiful facade of the world-famous GUM Department store, and the sombre site of Lenin's Mausoleum. Continue Moscow sightseeing with a tour of Moscow's Metro system, known for its exceptional cleanliness, unique décor and the effectiveness unsurpassed anywhere in the world
DAY 15, DEPART MOSCOW | RUSSIA
Breakfast at hotel and transfer to airport for a departing flight
