DAY 1 NEW YORK - AMSTERDAM
Evening departure from John F. Kennedy to Amsterdam on KLM.

DAY 2 AMSTERDAM
Arrival at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Accomodations at the Victoria Hotel.

DAY 3 AMSTERDAM
Canal cruise in Amsterdam, and other activities.

DAY 4 AMSTERDAM
Visit to Madame Tussaud and Diamant Factory.

DAY 5 AMSTERDAM - OSLO
Afternoon KLM flight from Amsterdam to Copenhagen. Before continuing to Oslo by nighttrain you will have ample time to visit the Tivoli Gardens opposite Copenhagen’s main railway station. Later, on its way to Norway, the entire train will be put onto the ferry between the Danish port of Helsingor and the Swedish port of Helsingborg.

DAY 6 OSLO - TRONDHEIM - FAUSKE
Early arrival in Oslo, and on to Trondheim with spectacular views of the Norwegian landscape. In Trondheim (the former capital of Norway), you will have several hours to explore. The train to Fauske will leave just after midnight. While dozing off for a good night’s sleep in a double bedroom, you’ll pass the Arctic Circle.

DAY 7 FAUSKE - NARVIK
From Fauske the journey will continue by bus to the port of Narvik for one night in the Grand Hotel.

DAY 8 NARVIK - STOCKHOLM
After breakfast you will have the time to explore Narvik. The night train for the Swedish capital of Stockholm will leave early in the afternoon.

DAY 9 STOCKHOLM - HELSINKI
After a short stop in “the city built on 14 islands”, you can take the shuttlebus to the airport and have a comfortable flight with Scandinavian Airlines to Helsinki. This is where West meets East and it is clearly visible in the fascinating architecture. Transportation to the Ramada Presidentii Hotel is provided.

DAY 10 HELSINKI - ST. PETERSBURG
The great railway experience will continue after breakfast aboard the famous “Sibelius”. Around 14.00 hours, you will arrive in St. Petersburg. Inspired by the Dutch, Tsar Peter the Great built this city some 300 years ago. The many 17th and 18th century palaces and monuments are yours to visit. Accomodations are at the Ladoga Deson Hotel.

DAY 11 ST. PETERSBURG - MOSCOW
After breakfast, a full city tour is offered, with visits to the Hermitage and the Peter and Paul Fortress. Departure at midnight to board the renowned night train, the “Krasnaya Strela” (Red Arrow) which will take you to Moscow in approximately 8 hours.

DAY 12-14 MOSCOW
Arrive in Moscow and check into the Ukraine Hotel. An afternoon city tour will include the Kremlin and Red Square.

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DAY 13-18 MOSCOW - ULAN BATOR
After breakfast there will be plenty of time to further explore Moscow and wander around the famous shopping street Arbat. At the end of the day you will depart from Jaroslavski Station where the “Trans Mongolia Express” is waiting to take you on an unforgettable journey..

  First Class cabins for two have been reserved for you. Meals are available in a separate dining car. The scenery will change from rural to hundreds of kilometers of Russian Taiga. A white obelisk at Pervoralsk will mark the border between Europe and Asia. After Irkutsk you will reach the world’s largest lake, the beautiful Lake Baikal. After Naushki you will enter Mongolia and view the Gobi Desert, nomad tents scattered on its plains.

DAY 18 ULAN BATOR
Arrive in Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia with 600,000 inhabitants. Check-in, lunch, and then you’ll visit the Gandan Monastery, built in 1840 and the most important Buddhist Lama shrine in the country. Later, explore at your own leisure. Dinner and overnight accommodations are at the Chingis Khaan Hotel.

DAY 19 ULAN BATOR
After breakfast, a tour of the city, including the National Historical Museum and the Bogd Khan Summer Palace where the last Mongolian king resided in the beginning of the 20th century. Lunch, dinner and overnight accomodations.

DAY 20 ULAN BATOR - BEIJING
Have an early breakfast and depart depart at 9:30 a.m. for Beijing (Peking), a 30 hour ride. In Erlian, you will witness the changing of the bogies due to a different standard in China. On your way to Beijing you will pass the city of Datong, where parts of the Great Wall can be seen.

DAY 21 BEIJING
Upon arrival late in the afternoon in Beijing, you will be escorted to the Tianlun Dynasty Hotel. The rest of the day is for you to explore this fascinating metropolis.

DAY 22 BEIJING
Lots of sightseeing after breakfast: you will be amazed by the Great Wall which was built to protect the Chinese Empire against the Nomads from the north. After lunch you will visit the Mausoleum of Ming Emperors who ruled China between the 14th and 17th century. The Tomb Complex is reached via the Holy Road, lined with rows of stone sculptures of soldiers, civil servants and mythological animals.

DAY 23 - 25 BEIJING - GUANGZHOU
Breakfast, followed by a visit to the Summerpalace, rebuilt in 1888 by the Empress widow Ci Xi. After lunch, the afternoon is reserved for the Forbidden City, the former residence of Emperors and strictly off limits for ordinary souls. Thousands of breathtaking art treasures are displayed within the red walls. At the end of the day you will be taken to the station. The “Peking-Kanton Express” will leave at 19.45 for a 3 day journey full of contrasts, all the way to the south of China: the great city of “Guangzhou” (Kanton).

DAY 25 GUANGZHOU - HONG KONG
Depart Guangzhou aboard another train which will bring you to the bustling city of Hong Kong. Upon arrival in Hong Kong, you will be transferred to the Omni Prince Hotel in Kowloon, near the Star Ferry. You will have time to visit this world famous shopping paradise.

DAY 26 HONG KONG
A morning excursion around Hong Kong will show you Hong Kong Island, Repulse Bay, Aberdeen harbor sampans, junks and Victoria Peak which offers a breathtaking view of the city from 550 meters.

DAY 27 HONG KONG - PERTH
Before leaving Hong Kong, there will be time for last minute shopping. Then on to Perth, Australia, by air. The Novotel Langley will be reserved for the night.

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DAY 28 - 31 PERTH - SYDNEY
The journey from Perth to Sydney aboard the “Indian Pacific” is 4000 kilometers and 4 days long. You will travel in a First Class Luxury carriage that includes all meals. Right across the Australian outback and over the Nullabor Plain you will travel on the world’s longest piece of straight railway...not a single bend for 478 km.

DAY 31 SYDNEY
Around 9 a.m. you will arrive in Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, and the host of the Olympic Games in the year 2000. You will stay in the Premier Menzies Hotel. The rest of the day is for your own leisure.

DAY 32 SYDNEY
This day you will get acquainted with the main attractions of this former penal colony. Included are a harbor lunch cruise, visit to the Sydney Opera House, Chinatown, Harbor Bridge, Kings Cross, the famous Bondi surfer’s beach and the Victorian quarter of Paddington.

DAY 33 SYDNEY - LOS ANGELES
Around lunchtime, you will make a memorable flight across the time zone back to North America. After a 13 hour flight, you will arrive in Los Angeles the same day - early in the morning! Your hotel will be in Hollywood, the world of film stars, glamour and wealth.

DAY 34 LOS ANGELES - SEATTLE
An early rise for departure from Los Angeles at 9:30 a.m. on the “Coast Starlight”. On board one of the most popular National Railway Company (Amtrak) trains, you will discover the fascinating west coast between Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. The Pacific Ocean as a background, fertile valleys and incredible mountain ranges offer lots of great scenery. All meals are included and accommodations are reserved in luxury bedrooms on the ground floor of this double deck Superliner.

DAY 35 SEATTLE - VANCOUVER
As soon as you arrive in Seattle, a connection coach transfer will take you to Vancouver for a late check in at the Century Plaza Hotel.

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DAY 36 VANCOUVER
You will have nearly two days to enjoy Vancouver, which is truly one of the most beautiful cities in the world. You should visit the English Bay and Gastown, or take the ferry to Vancouver Island, where the inhabitants are proud of their colonial heritage.

DAY 37 - 40 VANCOUVER - TORONTO
Tonight you will board “The Canadian” to start the 4,500 km ride. From the comfort of your Panorama car you will see the best that Canada has to offer; from the rugged and spectacular Rockies, to green forests and tranquil lakes, to the vast plains...this will undoubtedly be the absolute highlight of your around the world experience. All meals are included
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DAY 40 TORONTO
Arrival in Toronto close to midnight. Overnight in the Quality Hotel Midtown.

DAY 41 TORONTO - NEW YORK
One last stretch by train...12 hours from Toronto to New York aboard the “Maple Leaf”.