Trans Siberian with 4 days on Lake Baikal & 4 days in Ulan-Bator (16 days)

Day 1: Arrival to Moscow

Arrival to Moscow. We will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. This day is reserved for rest as you will be tired after the flight. However, if you prefer to see something on the first day, we recommend you our driving tour of Moscow.

Day 2: Moscow

This day is reserved for an in-depth exploration of Russia's capital. There will be a quick orientation meeting in the morning and after it, we will take you to famous Red Square and the Kremlin. You will have lunch on a picturesque Old Arbat Street and in the afternoon we will visit Moscow Exhibition Center.

Day 3: Departing Moscow

This is a free day and you are free to choose what parts of Moscow to explore. Please ask your tour manager about available options. In the evening, at 19:00 we will proceed to the train station and board the train for Beijing (departs at 21:35).

Day 4: The Urals

This day our train will cross the Ural Mountains, which divide Europe and Asia. The Urals have been the backbone of Russia's industrial production for over 300 years.

Day 5: Into Siberia

Having left the Urals behind, our train will be crossing the Great Eurasian Plateau towards Siberia. Siberia is distant, but not desolate. In fact, we will visit Novosibirsk, the capital of Siberia, which has almost as many inhabitants as Atlanta. Novosibirsk is an important scientific center and even Microsoft maintains offices here.

Day 6: Altai

Altai is a gorgeous mountain range in the southern part of Siberia. It features breathtaking landscapes, rich wildlife and untouched nature.

Day 7: Irkutsk

09:07 Arrive in Irkutsk, met by guide and driver and visit a local eatery for a hot breakfast.
10:30 One and half hour “Round up” city tour of Irkutsk by car taking in the most interesting sights and peculiar features of Irkutsk including its beautiful Russian Orthodox churches, the Polish Cathedral (the only Siberian Gothic-style building), it wooden houses decorated with "wooden laces" (hand-made carvings) as well as modern constructions of the 20  century and the Decembrists' House.
12:00 Transfer to Listvyanka village on lake Baikal.
13:00 Check-in to Chalet and free time.
18:00 Evening barbecue at the Chalet.

Day 8: Baikal

Listvyanka

10:00 Visit to the Museum of Wooden Architecture containing unique wooden structures donated from all over Russia and historic houses and buildings of the indigenous people saved from a valley flooded during the construction of a Soviet dam.
13:30 Lunch at a local Siberian restaurant (Sibirskaya Zaimka) to try local Siberian food and visit its private zoo of
native animals. 
15:00 Transfer back to Listvyanka village stopping at Shaman rock on-route.
17:30 Optional sauna in a village “Banya” – included in price but must be pre-booked.
19:30 Evening meal at the Chalet.

Day 9: Baikal Day 2

10:00 Visit to a Buryat (original people indigenous to Siberia) settlement 70 km from Irkutsk on the remote Siberian plane, including; visiting the local lore museum, experience the local greeting ceremony, local arts, crafts and music, meet the Shaman and be “cleansed” and visit a Yurt to sample local teas and join in a traditional meal.
19:00 Tour ends back at a hotel in Irkutsk.

OR

10:00 Starting with a ferry trip to Port Bikal this is a full day trip around Lake Baikal by the famous Circum Baikal Railroad on one of the most complicated stretches of railways in the world that includes 39 tunnels totaling 7 km in its 86 km length. The tour stops at some the most picturesque places on-route to experience the nature of this unique area and at the marble mining city of Sludyanka before rejoining the Trans-Siberian to
arrive at Irkutsk.

21:40 Transfer to hotel in Irkutsk.

Day 10: Irkutsk

A free day to explore Irkutsk,
relax or book an optional
short tour.

Day 11: Into Mongolia

Day on the train, through Irkutsk and the past the awesome raw nature of Lake Baikal onto the mountains the border Mongolia. Leaving the last Russian major city at Ulan-Ude, a midnight crossing into Mongolia and onwards to Ulan-Bator.

Day 12: Arrive Ulan-Bator and Gorkhi Terelj National Park

07:30 Transfer from railway station to a hotel to take a shower, freshen up and have a hot breakfast.

10:00 Transfer to national park.

12:00 Lunch at a local Ger camp followed by walking in the hills, an excursion to Turtle rock and a meditation centre and finally to return to the Ger camp for an evening meal and overnight stay

Day 13: Visiting the nomads

After breakfast free time to enjoy the local area. After lunch a visit to a local herdsman’s family to experience the daily life of nomadic people before being transferred to Ulaanbaatar to check in a hotel at around 17:00 p.m.

Day 14: Full day tour of Ulan-Bator

10:00 Full day city tour including the Gandan Monastery and the incredible national history museum.
13:00 Lunch at local restaurants – cost not included.
15:00 Time for shopping at art, antique and cashmere shops before visiting Zaisan Hill to view the city panorama
18:00 Performance of the Mongolian folk music and dance and traditional meal.
19:30 Tour ends at hotel.

Day 15: Ulan-Bator - free day

A free day to explore Ulaanbaatar on your own, relax or take an optional tour and in the evening join one of the parties at one of the many night clubs, bars and restaurants which seem to be never ending.

Day 16: Departure from Ulan-Bator, the Gobi desert

07:00 Check out and transfer to the train station.
08:05 Train departs leaving the city, crossing the arid Gobi desert, changing the trains bogies at the Chinese border
and on into China.

Day 17: Arrive in Beijing

Throughout the morning and afternoon, passing through rural China and mountainous river valleys, past the incredible Great Wall of China to finally arrive in the stunning Beijing at 14:30 where this part of the journey ends – and the next begins!

CHINA EXTENSIONS * BOOK TOGETHER AND SAVE
Travel All Russia is a member of "Red Square Tours" Family, which enables us to offer tours beyond Russia. We offer a great selection of tours in China, which you can find at our special website: www.travelallchina.com. Or, you can just ask one of out tour managers about available options for Beijing.