Compare Luxury Rail: A journey across Russia with the Golden Eagle by Audley Travel vs Accessible Georgia - 12 Days by Travel for All

Day 1 : St Petersburg

Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to St Petersburg. Arriving into St Petersburg you'll be met by your private local guide and driver at the airport and transferred to your hotel.

Day 2 : St Petersburg

Your guide will meet you at your hotel this morning and take you on a tour of the city taking in the main streets and squares of the city as well as a visit to Peter and Paul's Fortress , set on an island on the Neva delta. You have the afternoon at leisure. We'd suggest a visit to Yusupov Palace.

Day 3 : St Petersburg

This morning your guide will meet you at your hotel and take you to the Hermitage for your private tour taking in some of the vast museums highlights. In the afternoon your have some time at leisure and is a good chance to take a cruise on the canal or visit the museum of political history.

Day 4 : Moscow

This morning you'll be met at your hotel and transferred to the station in time to take your train to Moscow.Upon your arrival into Moscow you'll be met at the station and transferred to your hotel where you'll meet your fellow Golden Eagle passengers.

Day 5 : Trans-Siberian Railway

Today you will have a tour of Moscow's Kremlin followed by the Red square and take lunch at restaurant. I the afternoon you'll be transferred to Kazansky station where on arrival you'll be greeted with Champagne and canapés.For those who have visited Moscow before or would like something a little different you also have a freedom choice option to visit the Tretyakov gallery or the space museum.

Day 6 : Trans-Siberian Railway

You arrive into Kazan this morning, the capital of Tartarstan, and take a tour of the city taking in the Kazan Kremlin including the Qolsarif Mosque and Annunciation Cathedral. You also have a private concert show the famous Russian opera singer Feodor Chaliapin. There is also time to wander the pedestrian area of the city.

Day 7 : Trans-Siberian Railway

Yekaterinburg is the border city between Europe and Asia and as such the city has a mix of cultural and architectural influences. On your city tour today you'll visit the sight the Romanov's were executed by the Bolsheviks and the church dedicated to their memory.You have a freedom of choice option today to visit the Museum of Military Machinery

Day 8 : Trans-Siberian Railway

On your city tour today you'll visit Lenin square and visit the impressive opera house, located behind the statue of Lenin.Alternatively you could visit the cities Railway museum or Mineralogical centre as part of the freedom of choice options.

Day 9 : Trans-Siberian Railway

Today will be your first full day onboard the train. You'll have the opportunity to chat to fellow passengers, take a Russian lesson given by the on board Russian expert or simply watch the scenery go by from your cabin.

Day 10 : Trans-Siberian Railway

Arriving into Irkutsk this morning you will have a city tour including an exploration of the classic wooden architecture and the Volkonsky House Museum, which is dedicated to the exiles sent to Siberia during the 1825 uprising.You then have a couple of freedom of choice options to chose from; visiting a local dacha and urban apartment to meet a local and her family or visit a local chef and prepare own lunch.

Day 11 : Trans-Siberian Railway

This morning you'll wake up on the shores of lake Baikal. After an opportunity in the morning for a swim in the lake the train connects to a steam locomotive and travels along the southern shore of the lake. In the evening the train stops at a picturesque spot of a barbecue by the lake. You have a couple of freedom of choice options today; hiking to a view point above Listvyanka or a visit to the open air wooden architecture museum, the Taltsy Museum.

Day 12 : Trans-Siberian Railway

This morning you arrive into Ulan Ude. You'll visit the city's square which hold the world largest statue of Lenin's head. You then travel out of the city to an old believers community who still practice a form of Christianity centuries old.

Day 13 : Trans-Siberian Railway

Arriving into Ulaan Bataar, the capital of Mongolia, this morning you will visit a number of the cities sights including the Gandam Monastery and venture of the city to the Chingis Khan statue. In the evening you have dinner at a restaurant over looking Sukhbaatar square.You have a couple of freedom choice options today; souvenir shopping in Ulaan Bataar or visiting Terelj National Park to experience a mini Nadaam festival and visit a local nomadic family.

Day 14 : Trans-Siberian Railway

Today is a full day onboard the train where you'll be able to practice you Russian with a Russian language lesson or sit in on a lecture on Russian history.

Day 15 : Trans-Siberian Railway

You have another full day onboard the train today as you journey along the Shilka and Amur rivers along China's remote North Easterly Boarder.

Day 16 : Trans-Siberian Railway

Your final full day onboard the train you pass most Easterly point of your journey as you pass through Khabarosk and cross the amur river. You'll have your final dinner onboard the train this evening.

Day 17 : Vladivostok

You reach the end of the trans-Siberian railway today arriving into Vladivostok, a military port on Russia eastern coast. You have a tour of the city visiting a World War 2 submarine and the Zolotoy bridge over Golden Horn bay

Day 18 : International return flight

This morning you'll be collected from your hotel and driven to the airport for your return flights. Your return flight will arrive the same day.

Day 1: Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia

Home for people with diverse cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. The name “Tbilisi” /warm/ was given to the city because of the area’s numerous sulphuric hot springs.

Meeting at Tbilisi airport

Transfer to the hotel

Breakfast at the Hotel

Spend the afternoon sightseeing, Visit Old Tbilisi :

Sameba -Trinity a magnificent cathedral erected on the top of Elia rock, the beautiful View where you can see all panoramas of all historical parts of Tbilisi

Artistic Theatre Square of The Gabriadze

The Bridge of Peace –Glass Bridge through the river see both side panorama of Tbilisi

The Asian- type coloured baths, built on hot sulphur springs – a favourite place of Tbilisi citizens and foreign guests (A. Pushkin, A. Duma, A. Tolstoy);

Visit Leselidze avenue where side by side locate Synagogue Georgian and Armenian churches and Mosque symbol religious diversity and tolerance

Georgian National Museum – you can see the sensational unique discoveries and artefacts of ancient period archaeological treasures; option

Optional welcome Dinner in a traditional Georgian restaurant with unforgettable folk music, dance and delicious Georgian cuisine or Diner in Tbilisi Funicular with beautiful park.

Day 02 : Tbilisi – Telavi – Kvareli --- Kakheti region

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Tbilisi - Telavi. - Kvareli ---Kakheti region

Breakfast at the hotel

Drive along the “Wine Route”, through the beautiful landscape of vineyards and wine-producing villages.

Town Telavi. Administrative and cultural centre of the region. The town sits on a hilltop above the Alazani valley with the Caucasus Mountains in the background. Telavi hosted The International Festival of classical music;

The Royal castle, the pantheon and the Persian-style Palace of King Erekle II (XVIII c.)

Lunch in Nadikvari Park – View of Caucasus Mountains.

Gremi castle – museum the royal capital city, the Royal Tower Ensemble. Historically, one of the important trading centres of this region.

Visit Wine Corporation “KHAREBA” wine degustation.

Overnight in Kvareli

Day 03: Kvareli – Sighnaghi- Tbilisi

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Sighnaghi Town of love is built on the right bank of Alazani River, on a higher hill. Royal fortified town with narrow streets surrounded by the defensive walls with 23 towers.  Here was   a place where the Georgian King used to join the army before the battle.

Dinner   the most delicious dishes are cooked with local, natural, fresh, seasonal product

Sighnaghi Historical-Ethnographic Museum where extraordinary ethnographic,      archaeological and medieval materials are kept.( expectable only first floor)

The defensive wall surrounding Sighnaghi. Because of the wall’s high location the beautiful view of Alazani Valley is well visible.

Gala dinner in Tbilisi

Overnight in Tbilisi

Day 04: Tbilisi-Borjomi-Aspindza

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Mtsketa – Town-museum. The ancient capital of Georgia. Known as “Hole Place”, is considered as the second” Jerusalem”. Situated on a plain at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers, the ancient trade silk route ran here.

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral – The biggest Christian temple in Georgia. A sacred place, where the Christ’s robe is kept. UNESCO World Heritage site.

Town Borjomi – Borjomi mineral water park .A synonym for healthy, pure mineral water

Day 05: Aspindza - Vardzia

Meals: Breakfast

Vardzia (Georgian Petra) rock- cut town complex founded (12-13th cc) Golden Age period during the reign of Queen Tamar. There is – well fortified monastery with 600 apartments, 28 wine-houses, churches, library, storeroom of medicines, important political, cultural, educational and spiritual centre of the country.

Vardzia is not adapted, it is rock- cut down, but surround is very good view  and outside you can see all panoramas of these rocks town)

Overnight in Aspindza

Day 06: Aspindza - Tskaltubo

Meals: Breakfast

Rabat castle, the former  largest slave bazaar till XVIII c. –  The site of ethical and religious diversity,  historical symbol of Georgian tolerance, where you can see Georgian, Armenian and Moslem  buildings of public worship standing next to each other. Within the 7 hectare castle complex there is a church, a Mosque, a Minaret and a Synagogue.

Tskaltubo is little town a spa resort that is famous for its radon-carbonate mineral springs. This unique gift of nature was not without reason called the “Living Water”. Today, modern installations give us the opportunity to treat, prevent and improve body tone.

Overnight in Tskaltubo

Day 07: Tskaltubo

Meals: Breakfast

Breakfast at the Hotel

Free Time.  Spa Capsule: hydro massage (optional)

 Day 08: Tskaltubo- Batumi

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Breakfast at the Hotel

Batumi – one of the oldest sea-side cities in Georgia was inhabited from as early as the third century BC. Having all the resources necessary for the resort cities, at present days Batumi became the distinguished tourist center at the Black Sea cost. Batumi is always green and sparkling.

Sightseeing:

“Old Batumi” Small, white, mostly 2-3-storied 150 years old, buildings are decorated with mythical creatures with a lot of open cafes with  aromatic hot black coffee prepared on the heated sand.

PIAZZA Batumi is one of the most beautiful squares in whole Georgia is distinguished by its painting, as well as by its exquisite mosaics and stained glass windows. Piazza Square has already become the venue of numerous entertaining and cultural events.

Dinner plus an evening Batumi laser show and dancing fountains then overnight in Batumi

Day 09: Batumi

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Batumi

Visit Gonio fortress – Roman fortification in Adjara, on the Black sea, 15 km south of Batumi, at the mouth of the Chorokhi River. The village sits 4 km north of the Turkish border.

Visit Batumi Delphinium – you can swim and take pictures with Dolphins (option);

Batumi Seaside Boulevard.

Overnight in Batumi

Day 10: Batumi – Tskaltubo

Meals: Breakfast

Sightseeing

Batumi Botanic Garden is a unique place famous for its unique flora. It has a beautiful view on black sea and Caucasus Mountain.

Overnight in Tskaltubo

Day 11: Tskaltubo- Tbilisi

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Kutaisi   One of the most beautiful and ancient cities in West Georgia – Emeriti region. Kutaisi has contributed much to the process of Georgian unification. According to the legend Kutaisi was the final destination of the Argonauts.

Bagrati 10- 11th cc. Situated on the top of the hill, it was an ancient citadel, a royal palace and one of the most important castles from 6th to 17th c. nowadays it’s distinguished for its elegant proportions, grand size, facade composition, ornaments and relief carvings and included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site,

Rest and Lunch in Village Ubisa

Overnight in Tbilisi

Day 12: Departure

Meals: Breakfast

Transfers to the airport included