Trans-Manchurian Express: Moscow - Beijing (TS-18)

Our driver will meet you in airport arrivals at Moscow to take you to your hotel. Look for the sign board bearing the Go Russia name.

The Russian capital is blessed with a huge variety of sightseeing, much of it within a compact central area. Thus we begin our exploration on foot with a walking tour that takes you past the former KGB HQ in Lubyanka Square, the Bolshoi Ballet's home in Teatralnaya Square and the shops and restaurants of Tverskaya Street. From there it's a short walk to Red Square. Gone are the days of stern-faced Communist officials watching military parades; these days the square is a place for having fun. In this plaza, there's not one but two cathedrals - you'll instantly recognise the coloured domes of 16th Century St Basil's - plus the famous GUM department store. Lenin's final resting place is here too. You'll find his embalmed body on display in a granite mausoleum at the foot of the Kremlin Wall. Our day ends with a trip underground to see the splendid Moscow Metro. No ordinary transit system, its stations are adorned with marble, mosaics, stained glass panels and bronze sculptures. It's a remarkable place, almost an art museum in its own right. Back at the hotel, our driver will collect you to transfer you to the railway station.

Our driver will meet you at the railway station in Beijing bearing a sign board and transfer you to the hotel. After settling in and freshening up, we begin our sightseeing in Tiananmen Square. Located in the centre of Beijing, Tiananmen is the largest city square in the world boasting an area of 440,000 square metres. Besides its cultural significance it was also the site of the terrible events in 1989 when the government troops stopped pro-democracy protesters there. On the northern side of the square stands the Forbidden City. UNESCO recognise this as a significant place; it houses the largest collection of ancient wooden structures in the world. It was the Imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Afterwards, we will take a ride out of the centre to see the magnificent Summer Palace. With its landscaped gardens and lake setting, it's popular with locals and tourists alike.

One of the wonders of the world, and another of China's UNESCO World Heritage Sites, walking the Great Wall of China should be on everyone's bucket list. You'll do so at Badaling, which not only is conveniently located less than fifty miles from the Chinese capital, it's also been extensively restored.

Our driver will meet you at the hotel with a sign board and take you to the airport for your flight home.