The Trans-Siberian Travel Company

What The Trans-Siberian Travel Company does

The Trans-Siberian Travel Company (trading as Headseast Ltd, UK private limited company) is an independent, family-owned tour operator founded in 2008 by Chris Stanley, who spent 11 years in Beijing working on Russia, Mongolia, and China travel before returning to the UK after the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The company specializes exclusively in Trans-Siberian and Trans-Mongolian railway journeys, designing and reselling multi-day rail packages that bundle train tickets, accommodation, excursions, transfers, and local guides across Russia, Mongolia, and China, with extensions into Central Asia and the Silk Road. Its core product portfolio includes scheduled rail tours along multiple Trans-Siberian, Trans-Mongolian, and Trans-Manchurian routes (with various origin/destination combinations from Moscow, St Petersburg, Vladivostok, Beijing, and Ulaanbaatar), three luxury/private train experiences (Golden Eagle, Tsars Gold, Imperial Russia), and add-on modules such as Winter Tours, Baikal Amur Mainline (BAM) Tours, Honeymoon Tours, and Tailor-Made Itineraries. Each booking is delivered with a bespoke 200+ page Trip Guidebook.

The company operates without a proprietary technology platform; its offering is high-touch, consultative service delivered by a small in-house team of specialist consultants (Senior Travel Consultant Gregg Hannam, Travel Consultant Chris Plumb, and Admin & Booking staff Fan Fan Zhang). Revenue is generated entirely through direct-to-consumer sales of custom-priced tour packages via the company website (thetranssiberiantravelcompany.com), email ([email protected]), and phone (+44 020 8816 8925), with a typical booking flow involving a 20% per-person deposit plus balance due 60-90 days before departure. Customers are affluent individual travelers and private groups booking complex, high-value, multi-country itineraries. The business holds UK travel industry credentials (ATOL license 10287, ABTA membership Y1699) and recommends CIBT VisaCentral for visa processing. Sister brands under the Headseast Ltd umbrella include The China Travel Company, The Luxury Train Travel Company, and The Latin America Travel Company, extending the group's footprint beyond Trans-Siberian rail into adjacent geographies and verticals.

Name

The Trans-Siberian Travel Company

Legal name

Headseast Ltd

Website

https://thetranssiberiantravelcompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Trans-Siberian Travel Company is an independent UK tour operator that designs and sells custom-priced Trans-Siberian, Trans-Mongolian, and luxury rail tour packages across Russia, Mongolia, and China for affluent individual travelers and private groups via direct consultative sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Rail Tour Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Rail Journey Package Tour Operators (THAKADAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Multi-Activity & Expedition Packages (Guided Adventure Trips) (THAJABAL)

Keywords

• Rail tour packages
• Trans-Siberian holidays
• Luxury train tours
• Multi-country rail journeys
• Tailor-made travel

Headquarters

HQ city

Hornchurch

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tour Package Sales: The company generates revenue by designing and selling complete Trans-Siberian rail tour packages that include train tickets, accommodation, excursions, transfers, and guides across Russia, Mongolia, and China. Revenue is earned through package pricing with deposits (20% per person) and final balance payments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Trans-Siberian Travel Company designs and sells complete multi-country rail tour packages along the Trans-Siberian, Trans-Mongolian, and Trans-Manchurian routes spanning Russia, Mongolia, and China. Packages include train tickets, accommodation, excursions, transfers, and experienced local guides, supplemented by private luxury train experiences (Golden Eagle, Imperial Russia, Tsars Gold) and tailor-made itineraries. Each booking is supported by a 200+ page personalized Trip Guidebook delivered before departure.

Product overview

The Trans-Siberian Travel Company is a travel tour operator, not a software platform. It offers a portfolio of guided rail tour services centered on Trans-Siberian, Trans-Mongolian, and Trans-Mancholian routes spanning Russia, Mongolia, and China. The core offerings include multi-day rail tours from various starting cities (Moscow, St Petersburg, Vladivostok, Beijing, Ulaanbaatar), private luxury train experiences (Golden Eagle, Imperial Russia, Tsars Gold), and specialized tour add-ons (Winter Tours, BAM Tours, Tailor Made Tours, Honeymoon Tours). The company also operates sister brands—The China Travel Company for China-focused travel, The Luxury Train Travel Company for global luxury rail experiences, and The Latin America Travel Company for South and Central American destinations. All tours include personalized 200+ page Trip Guidebooks, with additional services including visa assistance through CIBT VisaCentral, travel insurance, and client content web pages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trans-Siberian Rail Tours Guided multi-day rail tours along the Trans-Siberian, Trans-Mongolian, and Trans-Manchurian routes spanning Russia, Mongolia, and China, with multiple starting cities (Moscow, St Petersburg, Vladivostok, Beijing, Ulaanbaatar) and stops at key destinations. For individual travelers seeking 'trip of a lifetime' rail experiences.
• Golden Eagle Luxury Train Luxury private train experience on the original Trans-Siberian route from Moscow to Vladivostok with ensuite cabins and a maximum of 100 passengers. For affluent travelers seeking high-end rail journeys.
• Imperial Russia Private Train Private train service on the Moscow to Vladivostok route at a standard between Tsars Gold and Golden Eagle, offering Moscow to Beijing routes, winter Arctic trips, and Silk Road tours. For travelers seeking mid-to-upper tier private train experiences.
• Tsars Gold Private Train Private tourist train on the Trans-Mongolian route from Moscow to Beijing and vice versa with selected summer, autumn, and winter departure dates. For travelers seeking group private train experiences on the Trans-Mongolian route.
• Tailor Made Tours Custom-designed itineraries allowing clients to create unique Trans-Siberian experiences with additional stops, specific hotels, specialist tours, and personalized routes. For travelers wanting bespoke rail journeys.
• Winter Tours Trans-Siberian tours during winter months offering snow-covered scenery, reduced crowds, and unique winter experiences across Russia, Mongolia, and China. For travelers preferring off-season scenic trips.
• Baikal Amur Mainline (BAM) Tours Tours along the BAM railway, a 4,324 km route running north of the Trans-Siberian line from Tayshet to Sovietskaya Gavan, offering remote Siberian scenery and Soviet-style experiences. For adventurous travelers seeking lesser-traveled rail routes.
• Honeymoon Tours Specialized romantic tours designed for honeymoons along the Trans-Siberian railway, emphasizing a trip-of-a-lifetime experience with attention to detail. For couples celebrating honeymoons.
• China Tours Bespoke tours in China designed to fit before or after train trips, including Tibet, Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, and extensive travel throughout the country. For travelers adding China extensions to their rail journeys.
• Mongolia Tours Tours in Mongolia including standard 2-3 night stops and longer adventure tours by jeep with internal flights, featuring ger camp stays on the Mongolian steppe. For travelers extending their trip into Mongolia.
• Central Asia and Silk Road Tours Tours through Central Asia and the Silk Road linking China and Russia through destinations including Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan. For travelers interested in Silk Road heritage destinations.
• Private Group Tours Exclusive tours for private groups customized to specific interests and requirements, including special occasions, celebrations, and themed travel experiences. For private groups seeking tailored shared travel experiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20+ years of experience arranging Trans-Siberian railway tours
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CIBT VisaCentralsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRecommended visa service provider for clients. CIBT VisaCentral offers professional visa processing services for UK and international clients requiring Russian, Mongolian, and Chinese visas for their Trans-Siberian trips.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/headseast-131175456313
• Xx.com/headseast
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-trans-siberian-travel-company

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Trans-Siberian Travel Company