The ultimate post-grad trip for generations: clutch your Eurail pass and see where your craziness and curiosity lead you across Europe. Without question, it’s still an epic trip, but a familiar one … and the world is getting smaller. This year, flip the script and book a berth in South America. Perhaps India?
Below—provided by On The Go Tours, an adventure travel company—here are a few destinations you might have never thought to explore by train.
1. Machu Picchu
Photo by John Kershner/Dreamstime
The Machu Picchu by Train trip takes you on a stunning ride from from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes before pushing on to Machu Picchu. Two nights in the Amazon gives you time to explore the Peruvian rainforest. This is an ideal trip for those eager to explore the region by different means than the Inca Trail (which requires a sometimes difficult-to-obtain permit).
2. Russia
Photo by Maxim Petrichuk/Dreamstime
Destination Vladivostok is a 19-day trans-Siberian journey that will take you from Moscow to Vladivostock on Russia’s Pacific coast. Ride the rails for a scenic (i.e. views of the Siberian forest and Gobi desert) 9288 kilometers and stop in Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk to visit Lake Baikal and Ulan Ude to see Eastern Russia’s Buddhist temples.
3. Russia and China
Photo by Alexandr Rutin/Dreamstime
The Red Express will whir you from Moscow to Beijing in a quick 9 days if you prefer to spend extra time exploring Russia and China’s capital cities. You’ll still get views of the Siberian forest, Gobi desert, and Lake Baikal, but you’ll also be landing yourself in Beijing (not at all a bad place to be) at the end of this classic trans-Siberian, Manchurian and Mongolian route.
4. India and Sri Lanka
Photo by Tenaman/Dreamstime
The Delhi to Colombo trip is for the adventure-seeking. The 15-day trip takes you through India’s Golden Triangle where you can see the Taj Mahal in Agra and explore the pink city of Jaipur. Then you’ll be moving on to Sri Lanka to visit ancient ruins, see the wildlife of Udawalawe National Park (home to the nation’s largest herd of Asian elephants) and discover Colombo (known for its Ceylon tea).
5. Japan
Photo by Wayne0216/Dreamstime
See Tokyo before it hosts the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics. The Tokyo to Takayama adventure gives you time to sightsee in Tokyo and Kyoto (where you can partake in a Japanese tea ceremony and tour Gion, the Geisha district). The trip also will take you to the mountains in Takayama, the UNESCO listed Homeji Castle and Hiroshima. Make your trip authentic and stay in a ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn), where you can bathe in natural hot springs.
Madison Gable is a freelance writer based out of Athens, Georgia.