London to Aqaba, Jordan, by rail

A journey of discovery that harks back to a golden age of rail travel, when the British élite travelled across Europe and beyond in search of adventure and opportunity. Following spectacular scenery across landscapes that have witnessed some of the most turbulent events in European history, we travel to the very edge of Christendom, Constantinople itself, before crossing into the lands of the Crusades and Lawrence of Arabia.

After the break-up of her first marriage Agatha Christie booked herself a berth on the Orient Express and travelled alone across Europe to the Middle East, where she developed a passion for archaeology.

Our journey follows hers, in part at least, travelling from London across some of Europe's most varied landscapes to the Balkans, and onwards to the very heart of the Islamic world. Travelling via some of Europe's most evocative cities (Venice, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade and Sofia) before we finally reach Istanbul.

Having seen the Ottoman sights of Old Stamboul we travel into the centre of Turkey, to Cappadocia, an area famous the world over for its unique geological formations and a history which stretches back to the Hittites and beyond. Entire troglodite villages and subterranean churches are hewn out of the soft volcanic rock. Here we visit the underground city at Kaymakli, before continuing south, through areas steeped in Sufi mysticism, to the Syrian border.

Crossing into Syria we continue via Aleppo to Damascus, visiting Christian and Muslim strongholds and monastic retreats, before the famous, if unreliable, Hejaz Railway takes us to Amman in Jordan. At the extraordinary city of Petra, we marvel at one of the greatest archeological sites in the world. In Wadi Rum, an area steeped in the legend of T.E. Lawrence, we find some of the most spectacular desert scenery in the Middle East, before ending our remarkable journey at the Red Sea town of Aqaba.