Laing, who is now chairman of the operator, set up the business in 1989 and will be leading the trip on the Trans-Siberian Golden Eagle train in June 2019.

He will be joined on the trip by his wife Katya Galitzine, who is a writer and historian as well as being a descendent of Russian empress Catherine the Great. She will also be acting as a lecturer on the tour.

Galitzine is the daughter of Prince George Galitzine who fled from Russia as a boy in 1919 following the country’s revolution.

Travelling through Russia’s Altai mountains was one of the inspirations for Laing’s decision to set up Steppes - initially from a farm office outside Cirencester with just three people. He has also continued to be a regular visitor to Russia over the past 30 years.

Laing said: "In 2005, I rode a motorbike 8,500 miles from London to Vladivostok on a road which crossed the tracks of the Trans-Siberian right across this vast land.

"The sheer distance gave us little time for sightseeing and as I sped past Kremlins, churches, idyllic villages, lakes and huge rivers, I made a promise to myself that I would revisit this fascinating area at a more leisurely pace. This Trans-Siberian adventure will fulfil that dream."

The trip runs from June 2-16, 2019 and includes travel on the Golden Eagle train plus sightseeing in Moscow, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Lake Baikal and Vladivostok on the Pacific coast.

The 15-day tour is priced from £12,895 per person based on two guests sharing a private cabin, excluding flights.

Justin Wateridge, current managing director of Steppes Travel, was the recipient of the 2018 ttgluxury Travel Awards Contribution to Luxury award.