Trans Mongolian Express

21 days - from $4575

Itinerary:

Days 1-3. St.Petersburg  
 It is the city on the water, the "Venice of the North", standing resplendent on the delta of the Neva River. St Isaac's Cathedral, richly filled palaces and museums, wide boulevards and canals. The gilded halls of the Hermitage Museum hung with the works of Da Vinci, Rembrandt and many other great masters, and beyond the city lie the incomparable summer palaces of the Tsars at Petrodvorets. Yet for all this, St.Petersburg remains one of Europe's best kept secrets. We join the overnight express to Moscow - our epic journey is underway!
Days 4-6. Moscow  
 Moscow will amaze you, the echoing vastness of Red Square, the splendid twirled cupolas of St. Basil's across the cobblestones, and the Kremlin itself - that fabled palace-fort. We ride the palatial underground rail system, adorned with chandeliers, mosaics and baroque bas-relief and perhaps a river cruise or a magical evening at one of Moscow's great theatres or State Circus.
Days 7-9. Trans Siberian Railway  
 We join the Trans Siberian Railway booming over the steel bridges spanning Siberia's nerve system of 5,000 rivers. We pass over the Ural Mountains which divide Europe and Asia, and we cross the Irtysh and Ob rivers.& We travel through Ekaterinburg, well known for the execution of the Romanov family in 1918.
Days 10-12. Irkutsk and Lake Baikal  
 Almost in the centre of Asia, Irkutsk - 18th century churches, bright painted shutters and log houses decorated with wooden lacework. Modern administrative blocks and soaring bridges reach out across the Angara River in this beautiful town known as the "Paris of Siberia". On our walking tour you will discover the city’s wonderful historic sights. We also enjoy a full day at Lake Baikal and time to visit the village of Listvyanka with its traditional houses and beautiful wooden church and nearby Limnological Museum. To gain an insight into the traditional lives of Siberian people we also visit the Museum of Wooden Architecture.
Day 13. Trans Mongolian Railway  
 We settle into life on board, enjoying the company of our fellow passengers and a picnic in our cabin. The train arrives at Naushki, the Russian border town where formalities are completed and then continue across no-man's land to Sukhbaatar where Mongolian officials board the train for visa formalities before we continue on to Ulaanbaatar.
Day 14. Ulaanbaatar  
 Bounded by Lake Baikal to the north and the Great Wall to the south is the Mongolian Plateau and Gobi Desert. This was the homeland of the brilliant, tough, well-drilled horsemen who, for over 500 years from the 13th century, plundered and occupied lands and cities from the Yellow River to the Danube. At daybreak, classic scenes of traditional nomadic life greet us as the train winds impressively across the Mongolian Steppe and into the capital. Ulaanbaatar is a contradiction - a metropolis amid endless grass steppes, with donkeys and motorbikes, concrete apartment blocks and traditional gers.
Days 15-16. Mongolian Steppe  
 After breakfast we visit the Zaisan Memorial from which the entire city is visible. Also to the country’s largest remaining monastery, Gandan Hiid where you can mingle with Buddhist monks. In the afternoon we travel out across the grasslands through the countryside where we spend a night in a traditional Mongolian nomad tent (ger) set amongst spectacular rock formations and wild rolling hills. Among nomadic families and their grazing livestock we can explore nearby valleys or just relax and enjoy the area. We return to Ulaanbaatar for the final night in this unusual capital.
Day 17. Trans Mongolian Railway  
 A morning departure aboard the Beijing Express. We travel over the steppe-lands of northern Mongolia and to the south, the Gobi desert which until the middle of this century was the rough track across this desolate country.& This afternoon we arrive at the Mongolian border town of Dzamyn Ude. After formalities are completed we continue on to the Chinese border town of Erlian for immigration and customs formalities. Here the train's bogies are changed from a wider gauge used by Russia and Mongolia to a narrow Chinese gauge.
Days 18-20. Arrive Beijing  
 Over our three days here the 'Scheduled Sightseeing' will begin with some of the city’s greatest highlights, the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square and of course 'The Wall' stretching 10,000 Li across the distant hills.
Day 21. Depart Beijing  
 The last day has arrived too soon. The adventure is complete, the legendary rail journey that started many days ago has taken you across Asia, through lands and cultures literally worlds apart.
 

Details:

• Group Size 15 maximum, plus Tour Leader
• Accommodation Hotels - 9 nights (twin share) Mongolian Ger - 1 night (shared) Siberian Guesthouse - 2 nights (twin share)  Trains - 8 nights (4 berth) Meals 13 in total
• Breakfast (13)
• Travel by Train: Comfortable 4 berth sleepers
• There are 4 rail sectors on this journey - St.Petersburg to Moscow (1 night) - Moscow to Irkutsk (4 nights)- Irkutsk to Ulaanbaatar (2 nights) - Ulaanbaatar to Beijing (1 night) Other: For ‘Scheduled Sightseeing’ we generally use a small minibus, and for ‘City Exploring’ we use local taxis, public transport, underground metro and go on foot. 2 Berth Rail (Optional) Available for a supplementary price only when two people book and travel together
• Available on all rail sectors
• Sightseeing Scheduled Sightseeing is part of the itinerary and includes all transport, entrance fees and English speaking local guide
• St.Petersburg: City tour, Palace Square, Hermitage Museum
• Moscow: City tour, St.Basil's Cathedral, Red Square, Kremlin and Armoury Chamber
• Irkutsk (Siberia): Walking tour of city, Museum of Wooden Architecture, Limnological Museum, Lake Baikal
• Ulaanbaatar: Zaisan Memorial, National History Museum, Gandan Hiid Monastery, Terelj National Park
• Beijing: Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven, Great Wall
• City Exploring is further sightseeing outside the itinerary guideline with the Tour Leader
• Visas Required for China, Mongolia & Russia
• Adventure Center will provide all required invitation letters and full visa support including detailed visa guidelines.