17-day Trans-mongolian Railway Tour From Moscow

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Moscow. Transfer to the Hotel

Pass By: Moscow, Moscow, Central Russia
Our driver will be waiting for you at the pick-up point ready to transfer you to your hotel. No activities are planned for the arrival day.

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in a central 3* hotel: Ibis Bakhrushina 3* or similar.

Day 2: Exploring Moscow. Red Square, St. Basil’s, Lenin Mausoleum

Stop At: Red Square, Moscow 109012 Russia
Our guide will accompany us to the Red Square.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Saint Basil's Cathedral, Red Square 2, Moscow 109012 Russia
You'll be able to admire the colourful domes of St Basil's Cathedral
Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Lenin's Mausoleum, Red Square, Moscow 613310 Russia
Visit to Lenin's Mausoleum and the burial place of Soviet leaders at the Kremlin wall.
Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: GUM, Red Square, 3 Metro Ploshchad Revolyutsii, Moscow 109012 Russia
No visit to Moscow would be complete without the chance to shop at the nearby GUM department store.
Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Moscow, Moscow, Central Russia
You will enjoy the major landmarks of Moscow during our guided panoramic city tour.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Vorobievy Hills, Vorobievy Hills, Moscow, Central Russia
Visit to the observation platform for a panoramic view over the capital.
Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Novodevichye Cemetery, Luzhnetskiy dr., 2, Moscow 119048 Russia
Visit to the Novodevichy Cemetery.
Duration: 30 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in a central 3* hotel: Ibis Bakhrushina 3* or similar.

Day 3: Kremlin & Armoury. Departure to Yekaterinburg

Stop At: Moscow Kremlin, Moscow 103132 Russia
Once the residence of the Tsars and now the base for the Russian president, the Kremlin is a fascinating place to explore. You can almost feel the ghosts of Tsarist Russia in Cathedral Square.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Armoury Chamber, Dvortsovaya St., 1R, Moscow 103073 Russia
Inside the Armoury Museum, marvel at such treasures as Faberge's fabulously decorated eggs, the chalice of Yuri Dolgorukiy and weaponry dating back centuries.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Moscow Metro, Moscow Russia
We'll head underground to explore some of Moscow's beautiful metro stations. Decorated with marble, mosaic, stained glass and bronze sculptures, you'll agree they're more like museums than part of a transit system.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight train – 2 class (compartment for 4 people). Upgrade options available.

Day 4: Arrival in Yekaterinburg. Transfer to the Hotel

Pass By: Yekaterinburg, Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Urals District
Our driver will be waiting for you at the pick-up point ready to transfer you to your hotel. No activities are planned for the arrival day.

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in a 4* hotel: Novotel Yekaterinburg Center 4* or similar.

Day 5: Ganina Yama & Cathedral on the Blood. Europe-Asia Border. Departure to Siberia

Stop At: Ganina Yama Monastery, Ganina Yama Tract, Yekaterinburg 624090 Russia
Our guided sightseeing programme in Yekaterinburg includes a moving visit to the Memorial Cathedral on the Blood in the name of all Saints, which was built on the site of the execution of the last Russian Tsar Nikolay II and his family. From there, we'll take you to Ganina Pit, an orthodox monastery where the imperial remains were initially interred and to seven wooden churches in the heart of a centuries-old pine forest.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: The Obelisk on the Border Between Europe and Asia, Moskovskiy trakt 17 km, 2, Yekaterinburg Russia
Finally we make an excursion to an obelisk marking the boundary between Europe and Asia where traditionally tourists drink champagne. En route, we pause at the memorial honouring the victims of Stalin’s repressions of the 1930s to 1950s.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight train – 2 class (compartment for 4 people). Upgrade options available.

Day 6: Onboard

Pass By: Siberia, Russia
We continue our train journey.

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight train – 2 class (compartment for 4 people). Upgrade options available.

Day 7: Onboard

Pass By: Siberian District, Siberian District
Onboard. We continue our train journey.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight train – 2 class (compartment for 4 people). Upgrade options available.

Day 8: Arrival in Irkutsk. Transfer to Listvyanka village and Lake Baikal

Stop At: Lake Baikal, Lake Baikal, Siberian District
Following our early morning arrival in Irkutsk our guide will meet you at the train for your transfer to Listvyanka village on the shores of Lake Baikal (appr. 70 km). There you will have free time, during which you can visit the Baikal Lake Museum, see the St Nicolas Russian Orthodox Church, visit the market or take a boat trip on the lake itself. No guided activities are planned for this day.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in a 4* hotel: Hotel Mayak 4* or similar.

Day 9: Wooden Architecture Museum in Taltsy. Exploring Irkutsk

Stop At: Taltsy Museum, Baykalsky highway 47km, Taltsy 664518 Russia
We make a stop at Taltsy to see the open air Wooden Architecture Museum located in the heart of the forest on the banks of the Angara River. There you'll learn about village life, see the interiors of a Russian fort, a Shaman yurt and a 15th century watchtower, as well as glimpse at the lifestyle of the Buryat and Evenk people.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Irkutsk, Irkutsk, Irkutsk Oblast, Siberian District
Panoramic city tour. Back in Irkutsk, known as the Paris of Siberia, we enjoy a guided city tour which will reveal the rustic but beautiful timber cottages with their wooden fretwork.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in a 3* hotel: Hotel Angara 3* or similar.

Day 10: Departure to Mongolia

Pass By: Mongolia, Mongolia
Transferring to the railway station, we leave the warm hospitality of the Siberian Russians and start our trip to Mongolia by comfortable train.

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight train – 2 class (compartment for 4 people). Upgrade options available.

Day 11: Arrival in Mongolia. Enjoy Terelj National Park

Stop At: Genghis Khan Statue Complex, Tsonjin Boldog, Ulaanbaatar Mongolia
Our guide will meet you at the railway station for your transfer to Terelj National Park. Soon after leaving the Mongolian capital we find ourselves at the gleaming 40 metre tall statue of Chinggis Khaan (Genghis Khan) on horseback, currently the largest equestrian statue in the world. Visitors climbing to the horse's head are rewarded with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Gorkhi Terelj National Park, Gorkhi Terelj National Park, Tov Province
Upon reaching Terelj National Park, famous for its granite rock formations and pristine alpine scenery, we will visit the famous Turtle Rock and also hike to Aryabal Monastery. We will have an opportunity to visit a nomad family and explore their traditional way of life by learning how to milk a cow and prepare dairy products. In summer we stay overnight in a traditional Mongolian ger - a traditional sturdy wood and felt type tent. In winter we stay in a wooden lodge.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in a Terelj Lodge Ger Camp.

Day 12: Ulan Bator City Tour. National History Museum

Stop At: Ulaanbaatar, Ulaanbaatar
Panoramic city tour. Our driver will collect you from your accommodation and transfer you to Ulan Bator where you'll enjoy a city tour. We will visit Gandan Hiid Monastery, the country’s largest remaining monastery, Sukhebaatar Square.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: National History Museum, Juulchin Street-1, Ulaanbaatar 210146 Mongolia
We will also pay a visit to the National History Museum where your guide will teach you about Mongolia's rich cultural heritage.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in a 4* hotel: Hotel Platinum Ulan-Bator 4* or similar.

Day 13: Departure to China

Pass By: Mongolia, Mongolia
Our driver will meet you with a sign board at the lobby of the hotel to transfer you to the railway station for your overnight train to Beijing.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight train – 2 class (compartment for 4 people). Upgrade options available.

Day 14: Arrival in China. Exploring Old Beijing (Hutong Area)

Stop At: Hutong Tour, No.9, Zhonglou, Dongcheng District No.9, Zhonglou, Dongcheng District, 100009, Beijing, Beijing 100009 China
On arrival in Beijing, our driver will be waiting for you with a sign board at the station to transfer you to the hotel. Beijing is a modern city, but we will begin by visiting one of its oldest neighbourhoods, a hutong by Shichahai Lake. Hutong, a description dating back to the 13th century Yuan dynasty, means a city area with narrow streets or alleys. Few of these fascinating areas remain, a casualty of China's rapid economic development. Leaving the hutong, we will continue by rickshaw to Shichahai Lake and the Drum Tower in the heart of old Beijing. Enjoy fantastic views of the lake, and the former princes' houses and well preserved courtyards which surround it. You can also take an optional boat trip on the lake. Your evening is free to continue to explore China's vibrant capital city at your own pace.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in a 4* hotel: Hotel Qianmen’s Jianguo Beijing 4* or similar.

Day 15: Tiananmen Square. Forbidden City & Summer Palace

Stop At: Tiananmen Square (Tiananmen Guangchang), West Changan Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100006 China
Guided visit of the Tiananmen Square. Located in the centre of Beijing, at 440 000 square metres, Tiananmen is the largest city square in the world. It is culturally significant and also the site of several key events in Chinese history, most recently in 1989 when government troops stopped pro-democracy protesters there.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Forbidden City-The Palace Museum, No.4 Jingshanqian Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100009 China
Visit to the Forbidden City. To the north of the square lies the Forbidden City, the Imperial Palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties, which we shall explore on a guided tour.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Summer Palace (Yiheyuan), No.19 Xinjian Gongmen Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100080 China
Visit to Summer Palace. Later we will make our way to the magnificent Summer Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in a 4* hotel: Hotel Qianmen’s Jianguo Beijing 4* or similar.

Day 16: Badaling Great Wall. Visit to the Olympic Green

Stop At: The Great Wall at Badaling, Badaling, Yanqing District, Beijing 102112 China
Today we make our way 44 miles north of Beijing to Badaling, the most accessible stretch of the Great Wall of China and also the best preserved, where we take a guided tour.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Olympic Park, North of Beisihuanzhong road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101 China
Visit to the Olympic Green
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in a 4* hotel: Hotel Qianmen’s Jianguo Beijing 4* or similar.

Day 17: Departure for the Airport

Pass By: Beijing, Beijing
Today marks the end of your tour. Our driver will be waiting for you at the hotel lobby ready to transfer you to the airport or any other departure point. No activities are planned for the departure day.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.