Lake Baikal | Trans-siberian Railway | Russia
FROM: USD $5,695 pp

TRANS-SIBERIAN JOURNEY - BEIJING TO MOSCOW: The Big Rail Tripper, an epic rail journey from Beijing to Moscow, offering exciting stopovers at all of our en route destinations including Ulaan Baatar, Buddhist Ulan Ude, Irkutsk, breathtaking Lake Baikal and Yekaterinburg, in the shadow of the Ural Mountains.

Inclusions
Itinerary
Prices & Dates

Trip Highlights

Independently explore China's capital or book a Beijing city tour including a visit the legendary Great Wall of China
Discover the unique beauty of Mongolia, with endless steppe, rugged mountains and nomadic tribes people.
In Eastern Siberia discover Ulan Ude, the charming Buryat capital with its fascinating Mongol-Buddhist culture
Spend two nights in Yekaterinburg, City of the Romanovs and gateway to the beautiful Ural Mountains
Travel from Beijing to Moscow, along the Trans-Mongolian and Trans-Siberian Railway lines, taking in incredible views of Gobi Desert, Lake Baikal and the Ural Mountains
Explore Ulaan Baatar, set on the banks of the Tuul River. With the option to spend two nights in a traditional Mongolian ger, camping in beautiful Terelj National Park
Visit Irkutsk, a former Cossack garrison & trading centre, with the option to spend two nights in Listvyanka on the shore of beautiful Lake Baikal
End your adventure in Moscow and consider extending your stay to explore Russia's captivating capital

Included

11 breakfasts
2 nights 3 star hotel in Ulaan Baatar
3 nights 3 star hotel in Irkutsk
Return rail station transfers in Ulaan Baatar, Ulan Ude, Irkutsk and Yekaterinburg
Train journey: Beijing - Moscow
Transfer to Beijing train station (not platform) on day 3
2 nights 3 star hotel in Beijing
1 night 3 star hotel in Ulan Ude
3 nights 3 star hotel in Yekaterinburg
6 nights on board train (2nd class, 4 berth sleeper cabin)
Beijing airport arrival transfer on day 1

Not Included

Flights and visas
This journey is semi-independent and is unescorted. It is not a group departure and you will not have a tour guide.
No meals aboard the train

Itinerary

Days 1-2

Beijing

Beijing. Arrive into Beijing for the start of your epic adventure. Arrival transfer from Beijing airport to your hotel. The remains of days 1 and 2 are free for you to explore the sights of Beijing. On day 2 there is the option to embark on a Beijing sighseeing tour. On the tour walk a section of the behemouth Great Wall at Badaling and back in Beijing, visit Tiananmen Square and the vast Forbidden City, a centre of power for five centuries and seat of the emperors.
Overnight: Beijing  |  Breakfast x 1

Day 3

Mongolia

Beijing - Ulaan Baatar. Transfer to Beijing rail station this morning to catch the train bound for Ulaan Baatar, the capital of Mongolia. Leaving Beijing behind, the train enters the flat, dry and sparsely populated landscape of the Gobi desert before travelling north through landscapes of uninterrupted steppe, with the occasional nomad, camel and ger dotting the landscape.
Overnight: Train  |  Breakfast

Days 4-5

Ulaan Baatar

Ulaan Baatar. After crossing the border into Outer Mongolia in the early hours of the morning on day 4, you'll arrive into Ulaan Baatar in the afternoon and transfer to your hotel.

Mongolia is a country of unspoilt natural beauty, with endless steppe, nomadic tribes people, stunning Terelj National Park, double-humped (Bactrian) camels and wild Przewalski horses. Enjoy free time exploring the capital, highlights include the National History Museum, Bogd Khan’s winter palace, the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet and Sukhbataar Square. Alternatively book an optional two night excursion to Terelj National Park.

Terelj National Park & ger camp: Upon arrival on day 4, enjoy lunch before travelling to nearby Terelj National Park, stopping to visit Turtle Rock and a nomadic family en route. With scenic alpine surrounds this protected area is host to diverse flora and fauna and famous for its unique granite rock formations. Spend two nights camping out in a Mongolian ger on the steppe.
Overnight: Ulaan Baatar  |  Breakfast x 1

Day 6

Train to Ulan Ude

Ulaan Baatar - Ulan Ude. Transfer to the station for the afternoon departure of your train to Ulan Ude in Russia. In the evening the train will reach the Mongolia border point at Sukhe-Batorcross and after inevitable customs and immigration formalities and delays, you will cross the border into Russia after midnight (day 7).
Overnight: Train  |  Breakfast

Days 7-8

Ulan Ude

Ulan Ude - Irkutsk. Early morning arrival into Ulan Ude and transfer to your hotel. Days 7 and 8 are free for you to independently explore the city or take an optional Ulan Ude city tour. Thanks to its proximity to Mongolia and China, the indigenous people of the region, the Buryats, clung on to their Tibetan-Buddhist faith through the Communist era. The guided city tour visits Ivolginsky Datsan - a centre of Buddhist culture and the open air Ethnographic Museum dedicated to the lives of local people and architecture through the ages. On day 8 there's a late evening transfer to the rail station for your train to Irkutsk.
Overnight: Overnight (1) - Ulan Ude, (1) - train  |  Breakfast x 1

Days 9-11

Irkutsk & Optional Lake Baikal

Irkutsk. Morning arrival into Irkutsk, a town with the Asiatic influences of nearby Mongolia and China, and curious architecture, which is a legacy of Siberia’s exiled aristocrats. Spend the next three days at leisure exploring the town. Or choose one of the following optional excursions:

Listvyanka and Lake Baikal: Spend two relaxing days in the village of Listvyanka by beautiful Lake Baikal, where you can independently explore or opt to also add-on our Lake Baikal Discovery package to include guided sightseeing.

Irkutsk Summer Trek & Camp: Enjoy an overnight trekking excursion through the scenic taiga of the Primorsky Mountain to Lake Baikal, camping overnight in a picturesque bay.
Overnight: Irkutsk  |  Breakfast x 2

Days 12-13

Journey to Siberia

Irkutsk - Yekaterinburg. Spend day 12 at leisure in Irkutsk before your late afternoon transfer to the train station for your onward journey to Yekaterinburg across the tracts of Siberia.
Overnight: Train  |  Breakfast x 1

Days 14-16

Yekaterinburg

Yekaterinburg. Late on the evening of day 14 the train pulls into Yekaterinburg. Transfer to your accommodation and spend the next two days at leisure exploring the city. On day 15 there is an optional city tour, which takes in the new monastery that marks the site of the Romanov family’s execution in 1918 and Ganina Yama - a beautiful monastic complex built on the site where their bodies were discarded and later found. The tour also takes you to the Europe/Asia border where you can stand with a foot in each continent!

On day 16 there is the option to test your dog sledding skills in the winter or enjoy a summertime visit to Tavatui Lake and village in the Ural Mountains.
Overnight: Yekaterinburg  |  Breakfast x 2

Day 17

Journey to Moscow

Yekaterinburg. Early morning transfer to the train station for your overnight journey to Moscow, Russia's capital.
Overnight: Train  |  Breakfast

Day 18

Moscow

Moscow - This morning, the train reaches Moscow which marks the end of your epic Trans-Siberian adventure. Extend your stay to explore the capital.

SPECIAL NOTE: Schedules dictate a morning arrival in Moscow on day 18, however we recommend that you to stay at least one night in Moscow to avoid the risk of missing your onward international flight in case of delays.

Bolt-on a 4 day Baltic Express

Bolt-on a 4 day Baltic Express and visit the northern city of St Petersburg - city of the tsars, home of the incredible Hermitage Collection at the Winter Palace, the beautiful Church on Spilled Blood and the lavish Tsarskoe Selo and Peterhof palace.

In Brief

Range
Trip Type
Starts
Beijing
Ends
Moscow
Departs
Mondays
Hotel Rating
3 star (4 star available on request)
Tour Guide
For optional touring
Meals
Breakfast: 11
Visiting
Beijing, Irkutsk , Yekaterinburg
Countries
Click to play videoBeijing cityscape with a view of the sprawling Forbidden City palace complex from above
The church-studded cityscape of Irkutsk in Russia's Eastern Siberia
The skyline of Yekaterinburg with the golden domes of the Byzantine-style Church on the Blood

Tour Add-ons

Enhance your trip with these amazing added extras and add-ons

Hermitage | St Petersburg | Russia
USD $ 665 / 4 days
Ulan Ude City | Trans-siberian Railway |  Russia
USD $ 365
Flowers on Peschanoe Lake | Trans-siberian Railway |  Russia
USD $ 415 / Yekaterinburg
Khaski dog sledding in Yekaterinburg  | Trans-siberian Railway | Russia
USD $ 575 / Yekaterinburg
Trekking along Lake Baikal  | Trans-siberian Railway | Russia
USD $ 310 / Lake Baikal
Driving on frozen Lake Baikal  | Trans-siberian Railway |  Russia
USD $ 425 / Lake Baikal
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