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If you’ve ever romanticised the idea of slow travel – the kind where the journey is very much the point – this one’s worth bookmarking. In 2026, a brand-new luxury rail route is launching across one of the world’s most storied landscapes: the ancient Silk Road.
What was the Silk Road?
The Silk Road was a vast network of trade routes linking East Asia to the Mediterranean for over a thousand years. Beyond silk and spices, it was a conduit for culture, religion, technology and ideas, shaping civilisations from China to Central Asia and beyond.
What is the Golden Eagle Silk Road Express?
Launched by Golden Eagle Luxury Trains, the Golden Eagle Silk Road Express is a new private touring train designed to revive that legendary route – minus the ox carts. Expect en-suite cabins, fine dining, live piano music in the bar and an observation carriage decked out in plush sofas and polished wood. It marks the company’s return to China and Central Asia for the first time since 2019.
What’s the route and itinerary like?
The headline journey is the 22-day Grand Silk Road, travelling from Beijing to Tashkent via Xi’an, Dunhuang, Kashgar, Samarkand and more, crossing China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. You’ll visit UNESCO-listed sites, ancient cities and dramatic landscapes – from the Gobi Desert to Lake Issyk-Kul – before retreating back to your five-star “hotel on rails”.
Shorter options are also available, including a 12-day Ancient China by Private Train and a 13-day China & Tibet Rail Discovery.
What’s included – and how do you book?
The tour covers hotel stays in Beijing and Almaty, 18 nights across two luxury trains, all meals and drinks, guided excursions, onboard medical support and even gratuities. Departures are scheduled from 21 September to 12 October 2026, with prices available on request.
For more details and the full itinerary, visit Golden Eagle Luxury Trains’ website.