Looking for an around-the-world adventure without taking off? A new rail journey will roll travellers around the world in 100 days – if you can splash over £100,000 on a ticket.
Adventures by Rail, a new small group tour operator, is offering up to 12 passengers a mammoth adventure through Europe, Asia and into North America.
The flagship “Around the World by Train in 100 Days” journey weaves iconic rail routes such as Japan’s Shinkansen bullet train and Istanbul’s Orient Express-inspired track.
Bookings are now open for the flight-free journey around the world, departing London on 17 March 2026.
The trip will visit 14 countries, including France, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Japan, Canada and the USA.
However, it comes at a high price. The tour will set rail fans back £112,900 per person with a discounted rate for couples priced at £89,950 per person based on two people sharing.
Included in the price is a dedicated Adventures By Train tour leader, all accommodation, meals as specified, all transport, guided sightseeing tours and all entry fees.
According to Adventures by Train, the journey is an escorted small group tour and “solo-traveller friendly”.
Tour highlights include Turkish marbling workshops, front-row seats at a classical music concert in Vienna, a private viewing at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, and traditional tea ceremonies in Japan.
There’s also Michelin-starred dining on the menu in New York, Shanghai and Vienna and Unesco World Heritage Sites to visit, from Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia to China’s Terracotta Warriors in Xian.
Among a selection of luxury accommodations, travellers will stay in the Pera Palace in Istanbul, The Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai and The Langham New York Fifth Avenue.
The company will allocate $100 (£78) per person per hotel stay to cover the cost of laundry, with guests advised to “travel light”.
As well as the rails, two luxury cruises feature in the 100-day journey – a 23-day sailing from Tokyo to Vancouver aboard the Viking Venus and a seven-night Atlantic crossing from New York City to Southampton aboard the Queen Mary 2.
There are also two sea crossings. Travellers will find private cabins for both a journey from Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan and an overnight ferry from Shanghai to Osaka.
“This is not your typical holiday. This is your bucket list,” says the tour operator.
Jim Louth, director of Adventures by Train, said: “The launch of Adventures by Train is the result of many years spent fine-tuning the very best rail journeys globally. Our new Around the World in 100 days trip provides the perfect mix of world-class rail travel with hand-picked immersive experiences in optimum comfort.”
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