Duration: 16 days / 15 nights
Itinerary: Moscow – Irkutsk – Listvyanka / Baikal Lake – Ulan-Bator – Terelj National park – Beijing
Season: All year, best time from May till October, groups leave every Sunday
Highlights: Kremlin in Moscow, Bolshoi theatre, Trans-siberian train experience, Lake Baikal, Mongolian Nomadic family visit, train ride through the Gobi desert and near the Great wall, Beijing forbidden city.
| Program | Prices & Services | Booking & Enquiry |
|---|
Travel program day by day
Day 1
Arrive in Moscow and meet your guide at the airport. Transfer to the hotel. Take the rest of the day to explore Moscow and get a first taste of Russia. In the evening, see the famous Bolshoi ballet, a concert, an opera or the famous Moscow Circus. Tickets on request.
Day 2
Guided city tour of Moscow’s most famous sights including the Red Square, the Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral, the GUM department store, the Pushkin Museum or Novodevichy Convent. Do some shopping in Moscow’s pedestrian Arbat Street in the afternoon. In the evening, transfer to Yaroslavsky train station and take off to Irkutsk on the Trans-Siberian Railway with a regular fast train (1st class with comfortable 2 bed compartments, 2nd class with 4-bed compartments).
Day 3
Watch Vladimir, Nizhni Novgorod, (formerly Gorky), Perm, Yeketarinburg, Tyumen, Omsk, Novosibirsk and endless forests fly by your window and soak up the Trans-Siberian Railway atmosphere. Get snacks from the local vendors at one of the many stops or enjoy a meal in the train’s dining car.
Day 4
On board of the trans-siberian railway train.
Day 5
On board of the trans-siberian railway train.
Day 6
87 hours and 5191 km later, arrive in Irkutsk. Transfer to the village of Listvyanka. Settle in and relax before taking off on our tour around Listvyanka, a traditional Siberian village on the shores of Lake Baikal. Visit of the Lake Baikal Observatory and the Limnological Museum where you can learn everything about the flora, the fauna and the unique history of the world’s deepest freshwater lake. Take a dip in the Baikal, or go for a stroll. Check out the market where you can taste Omoul, smoked fish typical to the area, some Russian ravioli known as “Pelmeny”, or if you are up to it, have a caviar sandwich. Visit St. Nicholas Church and take short walk to a lookout point above the nascent Angara River. You’ll sleep in a traditional wooden Baikal chalet where you can treat yourself to a Russian banya (sauna). If you are traveling during the winter, you might want to sleep in a cozy tent on frozen Lake Baikal.
Day 7
Mid-day transfer to Irkutsk and a visit the Museum of Wooden Architecture, an open-air museum that brings back Russian village life in the 16th – 19th centuries. In Irkutsk you will be taken for our City Tour to see the city’s main highlights, such as the Russian Orthodox Church, the Polish Church (the only Gothic building in Siberia), the Decembrist’s Memorial Complex or the Irkutsk Regional Museum. After the tour, take some time to shop or wander around the beautiful city of Irkutsk and its local market.
Day 8
The day is yours to enjoy the city of Irkutsk, the so-called Paris of Siberia. Departure to Ulan-Bator in the evening.
Day 9
Enjoy the view as the train hugs the shore of Lake Baikal and crosses Ulan-Ude and the Republic of Buryatia to reach the Russian-Mongolian border. After adventures at the customs, prepare yourself for a new country and a new culture.
Day 10
Arrival in Ulan-Bator, the capital of Mongolia, and transfer to your hotel. We’ll take you sightseeing through the city, with stops at Sukhbaatar Square, the Bogdo Khan Palace, the former home of the first Mongolian Dalai Lama, the Zaisan Memorial with its panoramic views, the Buddhist Ganden and Choizhin Monasteries, and the Natural Science Museum with its famous dinosaur skeletons. In the evening, enjoy Mongolian theatre and performances. Accommodation at the hotel.
Day 11
Departure for a two-day trip to the Terelj National Park, home to goats and yaks that hungrily munch away on the edelweiss growing on the alpine pastures. On the way you’ll have a chance to meet a Mongolian nomadic family and taste their horse-milk beer and other dairy products. Accommodation with full board in a modern Yurt with a shower and warm water, Mongolian gercamp ! Horse riding and other Mongolian activities are available at Terelj for those interested.
Day 12
Visit Turtle Rock and the Buddhist Hanging Temple. In the afternoon return to Ulan-Bator where you’ll have time to shop for Cashmere wool souvenirs. Accommodation in the hotel.
Day 13 (Thursday)
In the morning catch the train to Beijing. Jaw-dropping landscapes in the Gobi desert will keep your eyes glued to the window. You will have to stop at the border station at Erenhot to change boogies to adapt to the narrower train tracks used in China. Before you reach Beijing you’ll see rice paddies and ride right by the Great Wall of China. Accommodation on the train.
Day 14
Arrival in Beijing in the afternoon, and transfer to your hotel.
Day 15
We’ll take you on a guided sightseeing tour through Beijing and bring you to the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, and a Chinese market. In the evening enjoy a spectacular Kung Fu show and get full on Peking Duck. Accommodation in the hotel.
Day 16
Transfer at the Airport and flight back home.
Prices per person (may vary by season)
| Group size | 2 travelers | 3-4 travelers |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd class (4-berth-Sleeper) | 2490€ | 2290€ |
- Train 1st. class (2-berth-Sleeper) sup. : 450€
- Hotel Single sup. : 350€
Included:
- Visa invitations and documentation to get the visa for Russia, Mongolia, and China
- All transfers
- Accommodation in 3+ star hotels in double rooms with shower/bath incl. breakfast
- Full board at lake Baikal and Terelj
- Train tickets (1st or 2nd class)
- Local guides and guided tours including all entry tickets in Moscow, Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Ulan Bator and Beijing
Not included:
- International flights: Depending your itinerary and departure city, we will be happy to assist you to find the best flight tickets to reach your destination and return.
- Visa consular fee: visit the website of your local consulates for details (ca 150€)
- Meals unless mentioned
- Tips
- Personal expenses
Contact for reservation
Contact us if you would like to join us on this exiting tour. You can enquire on details or book this tour by pressing the buttons below.
Further trans-siberian tour examples:
