13 days / 12 nights from £5,345 pp
MOSCOW – MINSK – KIEV - LVOV – KISHINEV – ODESSA – SEVASTOPOL - BALACLAVA - BAKHCHISARAI - FEODOSYA - SUDAK - YALTA

The Crimean Express is an exciting journey from Moscow to the Black Sea, full of historic sights a long the way.  Enjoy fine dining and comfort on board the luxurious Golden Eagle train.

The Train:  The Golden Eagle will serve as your luxurious home over this exciting journey. The 12 new fully en-suite sleeping cars feature state of the art amenities. Gold Class cabins have everything from power showers and under floor heating to a DVD/CD player, LCD screen and individual air conditioning – and at 77sq ft (7 sq m) they are among the largest rail cabins anywhere in the world. Fully en-suite, the bathrooms contain a separate shower cubicle. Silver Class cabins are more compact at 60sq ft (5.5 sq m) and have similar facilities with a fully en-suite wet room. 

The Golden Eagle features two beautifully appointed restaurant cars, where the chefs serve carefully-prepared meals using only the finest local ingredients. Whether it be the world-renowned ‘Borsch’, caviar or Omul – a fish unique to Lake Baikal – they offer a culinary experience representing the very best of Russia. Meals are complimented by wines from around the world, as well as – naturally – vodka.

The social heart of the train is the bar car, a great place to relax and settle into the unhurried pace of life on board. Unwind in comfortable surroundings and watch the world go by as you get to know your fellow passengers… the bar stays open until the last person leaves.

2011 Departures

Southbound - April 20 – May 2

Northbound - April 26 - May 10

The price is as follows:

Package price is:

• Heritage Class - £5,345 pp, single supplement of £2,000
• Silver Class - £7,645 pp, single supplement of £3,400
• Gold Class - £9,645 pp, single supplement of £3,700

Package includes:

• Flights from London - Moscow and Kiev - London on British Midland and Sevastopal - Kiev on Aerosvit Ukrainian airline (we can arrange flights from other UK airports upon request).
• Return airport transfers
• Hotel Accommodation (as per the itinerary)
• Cabin on board
• Off train excursions
• Experienced tour guides
• 3 meals per day
• Wine, soft drinks, tea & coffee with lunch & dinner *
• Tour manager
• Doctor on board
• All gratuities

*Please note that Gold Class passengers receive drinks included at all times (not only with meals) from the standard bar list

Optional - Add St. Petersburg for as little as £600 pp There is a possibility to include St. Petersburg as a pre-tour add-on to the Southbound journey or a post-tour extension to the Northbound journey.

Note that visas for Russia and Belarus are required.  We can assist with the application process, but the tour does not include fees.

Crimean Express  - Detailed Itinerary (the Northbound itinerary follows the same route, simply starting in Yalta)

Day 1: Moscow, Russia - Arrive at Moscow airport, where you are met and transferred to a luxurious five-star hotel located in the heart of this vibrant city for a one-night stay.  We enjoy a welcome dinner at our hotel, whilst you meet your fellow travellers and, together, look forward to the 9 day voyage that lies ahead.

Day 2: Moscow - Our city tour of Moscow principally takes us to Red Square, an iconic symbol of Russia’s former military and political might. Here we see an eclectic mix of fascinating architecture, such as the ornate St Basil’s Cathedral with its magnificent onion-domed spires, the grandeur of The Kremlin and the sombre and evocative site of Lenin’s tomb. In the late afternoon, we board the Golden Eagle and after settling into our modern, stylish cabins, we enjoy dinner in one of the beautifully designed restaurant cars as our journey begins. 

Day 3: Minsk, Belarus   We spend the morning in Minsk, capital of Belarus and enjoy a tour of this city which saw fierce fighting during World War II. In the afternoon we return to the train and begin our journey toward the Ukraine.

Day 4: Kiev, Ukraine - Our tour of this ancient city includes the beautifully restored Monestary of Caves, Lavra Complex, which has the highest bell tower in the former USSR, the huge Mother Ukraina WWII monumnent and museum, a stroll along Khreshcharyk Street, Saint Sophia's Cathedral and Independence Square.

Day 5: Lvov, Ukraine - Breakfast is early prior to our arrival in Lvov, capital of the Western Ukraine and an ancient city that has seen many rulers. Named ‘Lemberg’ during Polish/Austrian rule, and again briefly during Nazi occupation, the old city, with its winding streets has survived almost untouched. Our city tour includes lunch before we reboard our train and head south.

Day 6: Kishinev, Moldova - Passing over the Moldovan border during the night, we arrive at lunchtime in the capital city of Kishinev. Our afternoon tour of the city includes a visit to a local winery.

Day 7: Odessa, Ukraine - With its tree-lined Primorsky Boulevard featuring street cafes on the embankment and Potemkin Steps, we arrive in the elegant city of Odessa at lunchtime. This Black Sea city was immortalised in Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 film ‘Battleship Potemkin’. Nearby is the impressive Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Day 8: Balaclava, Crimea - Today we arrive in Sevastopol, which is home to the Russian Black Sea fleet and is a town steeped in the history of the Crimean War and World War II, on both occasions being under siege for almost a year.  We visit Balaclabva and the Diorama depicting the World War II battle and from where there is a fine view of the valley where the Charge of the Light Brigade took place.  The valley is now covered in neat rows of vines and in the middle is a white stone memorial to the unknown Charge

Day 9: Sevastopol, Ukraine - Our tour includes the Old Town, the Panorama (a 360-degree painting and montage depicting the siege of Sevastopol during the Crimean War) and Khersones, reputed to be the most complete ancient Greek settlement in existence, and only opened to foreigners a few years ago. In the afternoon we leave Sevastopol and travel by train to the Bahkchisurai where we visit the 16th century Hansaray (or Khan's Palace) Uspensky Cave Monestary.  This evening we spend our final night on board the Golden Eagle.

Day 10 Feodosiya and Sudak - After breakfast we arrive at the seaside resort of Feodosiya where we visit the Aivazovksy Gallery beofre taking the spectacularly scenic coastal road to Yalta, stopping off at Sudak, a popular beachside resort on the Crimean peninsula with a well preserved and imposing Genoese Fortress.  We arrive early evening at the Hotel Oreanda in Yalta for a 3 night stay.  

Day 11: Yalta - Today there is a guided tour of Yalta, including Chekhov's House and the botanical gardens, followed by a lunch at the Swallow's Nest, a fairy-tale castle, breathtakingly perched high above the sea.  The restaurant is a world famous location and many world leaders have eaten here.  In the afternoon we take a scenic cruise along the picturesque coastline before visiting the Massandra Palace and Imperial Winer, touring the cellars (they have bottles dating back to 1775 and many bottles from the Tsars personal collection).

Day 12: Yalta - This morning we visit Alupka Palace, which was built for Count Mikhail Vorontsov former special envoy to the United Kingdom and friend of the Marlborough Family.  The Palace is a strange, but attractive combination of a Scotish castle with Arabian additions.  Churchill stayed here during the Yalta conference of February 1945.  In the afternoon we enjoy a pricate tour of the Tsar's Summer Palace at Livadia and the site of the Yalta conference between Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill.  A champagne reception in the grounds will e followed by a concert of chamber music and dinner in the restaurant attached to the palace.

Day 13: Yalta - Airport transfers to Simferopol Airport for your departure flight.