60th Anniversary - The Great Trans Asia Railway Odyssey Westbound

Our Journey begins in the bustling city-state of Singapore. Meet your Tour Leader and fellow travellers this morning for a welcome meeting.

Today we head to Johor Bahru Sentral station where we board our first train on the journey to London. Connecting via Gemas we will continue to Kuala Lumpur.

We continue our journey up the Malay peninsula through lush tropical forest and plantations to the Thai border at Padang Besar where we join the overnight sleeper service to Bangkok.

With just 30 hours in Thailand's colourful & flamboyant capital today we escape the city this morning to explore the calm and cool gardens and private collections of the Prasart Museum.

Our local guide will share some of the classic highlights as well as some less well known aspects of this amazing city before joining our overnight train to Nongkhai and the Laos border.

Tree-lined boulevards blend Buddhist temples with French colonial era architecture. Our sightseeing includes the 16th century Pha That Luang and Wat Si Saket. This evening enjoy a sunset stroll along the banks of the Mekong River.

A day to further explore Vientiane from the unique Buddha Park with its multitude of Buddhist and Hindu statues, Patuaxi, often called the 'Arc de Triomphe' of Vientiane and Wat Phra Keo with its collections of Lao and Khmer works of art.

This morning we rejoin the train north to the beautiful UNESCO city of Luang Prabang. The Royal Palace Museum, Wat Mai and Wat Xiengthong highlight the history, culture and architecture of Laos. Enjoy sunset at Wat Prabath before visiting the city's famous night market .

With its headwaters from the Tibetan Plateau, the Mekong River was the main route of trade and conquest for centuries, today we cruise upstream and enjoy the tranquil countryside and visit the Pak Ou Cave monastery. This afternoon we visit the Kuang Si waterfalls.

This morning we board the train for the recently completed 750km rail link from Luang Prabang to Kunming, China.  The journey will take us through the incredible scenery of northern Laos and southern Yunnan Province.

The climate and relaxed ambience of Kunming is perfectly suited to a leisurely walk, and our sightseeing today will take us through the old alleys to Cuihu Park, with its many bridges and pagodas, and nearby the Yuantong Buddhist Temple.   

Beyond the city we visit the enchanting 'Stone Forest' - these unusual and unique karst stone formations are a highlight of Yunnan Province.

Back aboard the train enjoy some stunning scenery as we travel to Chengdu (Sichuan Province) famous for giant pandas and spicy food.

This morning we enjoy a tour of the city. Sichuan cuisine is renowned in China and internationally, we sample some of its classic dishes this evening before boarding the overnight train to Xining, Qinghai Province - high on the Tibetan Plateau (2275m).

We arrive into Xining, capital of China's Qinghai Province and a cultural crossroads of the Muslim, Tibetan and Han peoples brought together with the trade of the ancient Silk Road. We enjoy just a brief introduction to the city and province before we board our onward train to the Tibetan plateau and Lhasa.  

Across the 'roof of the world' aboard the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. At an altitude of 4000m and 5072m at its highest point - this is the world's highest railway, this remarkable engineering feat links Tibet and the city of Lhasa to the world - by train.

While it is the Potala Palace that dominates the city skyline and our sightseeing, we also visit Norbulingka Palace, the summer residence of the successive Dalai Lamas and Drepang Monastery.

Considered the most sacred temple by Tibetans, the Jokhang was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 2000. Surrounding the temple, Barkhor Square allows us to see some of the daily life and rituals of the city.  This afternoon we will visit Sera Monastery, once home to over 6000 monks, while today just 600 monks remain in residence.

We depart Lhasa and descend from the Tibetan Plateau aboard the overnight train to Lanzhou capital of Gansu Province 

Transfer to our hotel and free time to relax or explore the city.

The city's Silk Road history is reflected in the collections in the Gansu Provincial Museum, while across the Yellow River in Baitashan Park the hill-top pagoda provides excellent views to the river and city. This evening we board our overnight train to Xinjiang Province, skirting the northern fringes of the Taklamakan Desert to the city of Urumqi.

Transfer to our hotel and free time to relax or explore the city with your Tour Leader

Bound by the Tien Shan and Altai mountains to the north and the Taklamakan Desert to the south Urumqi is one of the most remote cities in the world and our gateway to Central Asia. The Xinjiang Regional Museum houses one of the most extensive collections of Silk Road artefacts.  Tonight we join the international train for Yining, close to the China/Kazakhstan border.

We cross the Tien Shan mountains through the Dzungarian Gate - through which over many centuries the Silk Road caravans and conquering armies traversed the Tien Shan mountains separating China & Central Asia. We enter into Kazakhstan and head for the Charyn Canyon region. 

On our way to Almaty we visit the clear waters of Issyk Lake and Charyn Canyon. Part of Charyn National Park the canyon stretches 154 kilometres and is upto 300m in depth. Its many weathered and colourful rock formations are said to be as impressive as those of the Grand Canyon. Onwards to Kazakstan's largest city and  former capital, Almaty is a surprisingly green and relaxed town. 

We explore the city; Panfilov Park, Zenkov Cathedral, State Museum - and ride the cable car to Kok Tobe for panoramic views of the city and surrounding Alatau mountains. This evening we board the overnight train to Taraz.

Founded by the Sogdians over 2000 years ago, Taraz is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia and was an important trading centre along the Silk Road. We visit the Central History Museum and the mausoleums of some of the significant rulers of Taraz: Karakhan; the Mongul ruler Dautbek Shamansur;  the mysterious Tekturmas and the beautiful noble woman Aisha Bibi: a monument to love and source of many Kazakh legends. 

An ancient and holy city, Turkistan is known as the 'spiritual capital of the Turkic world' and home of the UNESCO World Heritage site commissioned by Tamerlane as a mausoleum for the 11thC Sufi Sheikh, Khoja Akhmet Yassawi. Soaring almost 40m and capped by the largest turquoise tiled dome in Central Asia it is one of the best-preserved buildings of the Timurid period. 

A further day in Turkistan before we board the overnight train to Aralsk.

The receding Aral Sea has left once thriving ports marooned in the steppe and Aralsk's Old Harbour, museum and surrounding lake-bed lay witness to the environmental tragedy. We travel across the steppe to the Syr-Darya river and the Kokaral Dam built to try and save the Northern (Small) Aral Sea from further depletion.
 
 

Beyond the city we visit Tastubek on the lake shore and meet some of the fishermen still relying on the diminishing lake for their livelihood. This evening we board and overnight train to Aktau.
 

Set up as a workers town for the port and petrochemical industry all addresses in Aktau consist of just 3 numbers; City Block Number/Building Number/Apartment Number.  We enjoy an afternoon at leisure. 
 
 

Aktau is our gateway to the unique geological formations of the Mangyshlak Peninsular with its multi coloured rock strata, canyons and strange geological formations such as the Valley of Balls and Sherkala Mountain. Here too the unique 10thC underground mosque of Shakpak-Ata.  
 
 

An early morning flight takes us across the Caspian Sea to the port town of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. After a morning at leisure we start to explore the city in the afternoon with our local guide. Discover the incredible ancient and modern architecture as well as the old walled city. 

Today we explore the Gobustan and Absheron peninsulas discovering 'mud volcanoes', Zoroastrian Fire Temples, ancient petroglyphs -  and Roman legionnaires graffiti! 

Today we make our way to Sheki travelling through beautiful landscapes. Sheki is one of the most ancient cities of Azerbaijan and is rightly called the architectural reserve of the country.  The Palace of Sheki Khans is a rare and stunning example of combining the national and palace architecture traditions.  We also visit the workshop of a shabaka maker, a style of window making that has been used inAzerbaijan since the 11th-12th centuries. Tiny glass pieces are assembled by the master with wood elements that fix each other without glue or nails. 

Today we cross the border to our next country of Georgia. We start to sample the incredible food and wine of Georgia.We explore Telavi and learn about the traditional wine making of Georgia below ground in qvevri. We enjoy lunch with a local family and take part in a bread baking and churchkhela making master class.
 

We reach the capital, Tbilisi, full of colourful houses in the Old Town. We discover the history and influences that have shaped the city and its architecture, and ride the cable car to the ancient fortress of Narikala offering panoramic views across the city. 
 
 

Beyond the city we discover the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Georgia's ancient capital, Mtskheta, where Christianity was proclaimed the state religion in the 4th century. We continue along the Georgian Military highway deep into the Caucasus Mountains where we ascend to the Gergeti Trinity Church (2170m) enjoying spectacular views of the surrounding peaks of the High Caucasus. 

Today we journey across the border to Armenia and journey to the idyllic town of Dilijan. We visit Haghpat Monastery nestled in a forested area and sample Haghpat local tea with pastries at Fialetovo village.

Leaving Dilijan we visit the Areni wine region which produces some of Aremnia's finest wines. Our sightseeing includes Khor Virap Monastery with its incredible vistas across the Aras river valley towards Mount Ararat; Noravank Monastery and Selim Caravanserai, built  to protect the Silk Road caravans that crossed the Selim Pass (2410m). We descend to Lake Sevan and the village of Noratus, one of the oldest settlements in Armenia and home to some ancient khachkars (headstones).  

The vibrant capital city of Yerevan awaits. We enjoy city tour;  Yerevan is a wonderful walking city with wide tree-lined boulevards, pavement cafes, elegant boutiques and abundant public artworks; the open-air Cascade sculpture garden, art gallery and staircase leads us to Freedom Square, home of Yerevan's grand Opera Theatre. Northern Avenue, a new pedestrian thouroughfare leads to Republic Square with its imposing Soviet-era neoclassical buildings. One of Yerevan's highlights is the Matenadaran, home to over 17,000 ancient Armenian manuscripts. Beyond the city we will visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Geghard, a rock-hewn monastery dating from the 4thC and the pagan temple of Garni built in the 1stC in the Greco-Roman, pre-dating Armenia's adoption of Christianity as the state religion in 303. We enjoy a traditional Armenian lunch at the house of a local villager. Returning to Yerevan we visit the 'Ararat' factory for an optional degustation of Armenian brandies.

A free morning to enjoy the city with its tree lined boulevards, parks and public art & sculpture before joining the overnight train to Batumi, Georgia's summer playground on the Black Sea. 

Once a strategic Roman port, today Batumi is a hedonistic Black Sea resort town and the southern gateway to the Caucasus. We visit the beautiful Batumi Botanical Gardens, set on 108 sub-tropical hectares along the Black Sea coast. 

The 300km section by road today is the only significant road section on the whole journey from Singapore to London, yet there is a railway line linking Tbilisi with Kars - it is just not yet open to passenger trains. Freight only. This afternoon an optional excursion to Ani, the ruined medieval Armenian city founded in the 5th century and now a significant UNESCO heritage site.

We join the Dogu Express this morning for the scenic journey across the eastern Anatolian Plateau to Turkey's capital, Ankara.

Without the  the tourist crowds of Istanbul, Ankara offers a more relaxed and authentic Turkish experience. Our sightseeing inludes the citadel and Roman ruins, the Museuem of Anatolian Civilisations and Anitkabir - the mausoleam to Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic  who declared Ankara its capital in 1923. We enjoy discovering the city with our local guide. 

For our final train service across the Asian continent we boad the high speed train to Istanbul, the eternal crossroads for East to West and our gateway to Europe and our final leg of this remarkable journey.  

And at last to Europe - well, at least at the crossroads between East & West. With only 36 hours before we board our train to Bulgaria we join our local guide to discover the classic sights of Istanbul: Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern and the Grand Bazaar. 

Our sightseeing today will take in some of the most elegant buildings of the Ottoman period; the Spice Bazaar (1660), Rustem Pasha Mosque (1562), Dolmabahce Palace - once the main administrative centre of the Ottman Empire and the Navy Museum showcasing many Ottoman naval artefacts and vessels.This evening we join the overnight train to Veliko Tarnovo - Bulgaria's historic and cultural capital.

Sited on 3 hills and the Yantra River this charming town rose to strategic and cultural importance during the Middle Ages. Its unique architecture displayed in the many palaces and  mansions, churches and  cathedrals.

Enjoy a morning stroll through the beautiful old town before joining the train to  Bucharest, Romania.

We discover the wonderful and eclectic architectural mix of Bucarest's old town; the Stavropoleos Monastery and the imposing 1100 room Soviet-era Palace of the Parliament. This evening we join the overnight train to Budapest, Hungary.

We take the funicular up Castle Hill to Buda's Old Town and Trinity Square, home to 13th-century Matthias Church and the Fishermen’s Bastion with sweeping views over Budapest.

Our sightseeing continues with a cruise on the Danube River offering the best vantage point for many of the city's landmarks.

We join our train to Vienna, Austria with a free afternoon to explore this beautiful city.  

Our city tour reveals the rich history, cultural influences and elegant architecture of Vienna. The Schonbrunn Palace of the Imperial Hapsburg dynasty highlights the wealth and opulance of the city. 

A free day to further discover Vienna with your Tour Leader. This evening we join the overnight train to Paris.

Join your tour leader for a walking and metro tour taking in the city's landmarks and the Sunday Bastille market. And being the first Sunday of the month many museums have free entry including the Louvre, Orsay and Piccasso. This evening we will enjoy our farewell dinner to celebrate our remarkable overland adventure from Singapore to London.  

Some free time to enjoy an early morning stroll down the Champs Elysees or perhaps explore a different part of the city before boarding our final train: the Eurostar from Paris Gare du Nord to London St Pancras. Our incredible journey complete.
Tour ends on arrival at St Pancras Station, London.