Spanning five natural time zones and over 3.7 million square miles, China is either the third or fourth-largest country in the world by geographical size depending on how water boundaries are calculated.
While in the past it has also been one of the world’s most closed-off nations to foreign visitors, recent efforts to increase tourist numbers by the Chinese government have scrapped many past visa requirements and made it significantly easier for European and North American travelers to come for short visits to explore the country.
Along with vibrant metropolises such as Shanghai and Beijing, travelers interested in China also come in to see the country’s vast natural landscapes: everything from the colorful lakes of Jiuzhaigou National Park to the sandstone pillars of Zhangjiajie forest and national limestone karst peaks along Guilin’s Li River.
Golden Eagle Luxury Trains returns to China with new Silk Road Express tours
The sprawling nature of the country makes China perfectly positioned for both high-speed and leisurely train journeys; China Railway, commonly shortened to CR, operates the country’s massive high-speed rail network while branches of the state train operator offer historically iconic high-end tourist train journeys such as the China Orient Express and New Oriental Express.
British train journey operator Golden Eagle Luxury Trains has also held a historic presence in the country through ultra-luxury passenger train journeys like the Silk Road Express. Amid the travel restrictions and border closures around the covid-19 pandemic, Golden Eagle stopped running its Chinese opulent train journeys in 2019 but is now returning with a number of reimagined routes.
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The Golden Eagle Silk Road Express is a 10-car sleeper train in which each of the nine cabins and two suites are decked out in wooden paneling and design inspired by old Chinese imperial court regal grandeur as well as panoramic windows from which travelers can view the Chinese countryside roll by.
The trains are also equipped with equally opulent piano bar and observation cars as well as two restaurants in which passengers can eat while viewing the scenery and socializing with other guests.
Golden Eagle Luxury Trains
“Remarkable destinations, immersive cultural experiences and exceptional hospitality”
With its rail network in China also connecting neighboring countries such as Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Golden Eagle designed a number of routes that will take passengers across various famous destinations and landscapes in Asia.
The inaugural route, the Undiscovered Horizons of China, will take off on September 12 for a 12-day trip ending in the Tibetan city of Lhasa. The longest, the The Grand Silk Road, begins in Beijing and takes 25 days of rail travel across Asia to reach the Uzbekistan capital of Tashkent.
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Prices for the shorter itineraries begin at the “this is definitely luxury” $19,000 USD per person while Golden Eagle said that bookings skyrocketed just days after the company opened them up.
“The response has been extraordinary, with every 2026 departure sold out and 2027 already nearing capacity,” Golden Eagle Product Development Director James Masterson said of the company’s China routes. “These journeys combine remarkable destinations, immersive cultural experiences and the exceptional hospitality for which Golden Eagle is known.”
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