Beijing - Ulan-Bator - Irkutsk - Moscow - St. Petersburg

Tour details

Small map: Beijing - Ulan-Bator - Irkutsk - Moscow - St. Petersburg
Duration: 18 days

2011 Tour start dates: flexible

Price:
First Class: $6,359
Second Class: $5,932
* Special rates on airfares are available upon request.

Included in the price:
- Train tickets
- Accommodation at quality hotels in Moscow, Irkutsk and Ulan-Bator
  Moscow: Hotel Aerostar 4 stars, Irkutsk: Hotel Victoria 4 stars, UB: Hotel Gomez - 3 stars
- Accommodation in Mongolian Ger Camp (Nomadic Style Tourist Resort) and chalet Baikal on Lake Baikal (Listvyanka village)
- Airport transfers and all other transportation
- Professional guides and tours at each destination
- Museum entry fees
- Russian, Chinese and Mongolian visas
- Breakfasts, Lunches according to the itinerary

Not included: Airfares

*Please note: specific travel arrangements and train departure times depend on schedules of Russian, Mongolian and Chinese Railways and may be subject to change. Our travel specialist will review your program and issue a final booking confirmation 30 days prior to departure.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Beijing


Welcome to Beijing! Begin the day's activities with a visit to the Great Wall of China, often called the 8th Wonder of the World.

At 8:00 in the morning you will board the train to Ulan-Bator. If you would like to arrive in Beijing a day earlier, please ask your destination specialist about the possible extensions.

CHINA EXTENSIONS * BOOK TOGETHER AND SAVE
Travel All Russia is a member of the "Red Square Tours" Family, which enables us to offer tours beyond Russia. We offer a great selection of tours to China, which you can find on our special website: www.travelallchina.com. Or you can ask one of our tour managers about available options for Beijing.
Day 2: Ulan-Bator


In the afternoon you will arrive in Ulan-Bator, the capital of Mongolia. Take a tour of the famous Ghandan Monastery, the central Sukhabaatar Square, the Bogd Khan Museum, and the Zaisan monument at a viewpoint high above the city. Wind down with a performance of Mongolian folk music and dance with a traditional meal before returning to your hotel.
Day 3: Gorkhi National Park


An unforgettable excursion will take you to the Terelj National Park with its stone formation called “turtle” and other holy places. In the park you will meet a herder family inside their yurt before taking in a show that demonstrates two disciplines of the Mongolian National Naadaam Festival: Wrestling and Archery.

Tonight you will board the train to Irkutsk.
Day 4: Day Onboard


This day you will be travelling across the border to Siberia.
Day 5: Irkutsk


Your train arrives today in Irkutsk, the capital of East Siberia. Upon arrival you will transfer to Listvyanka Village on the shores of Lake Baikal where you will check-in to your chalet and enjoy a delicious barbecue by the world's most amazing lake.
Day 6: The Baikal Lake


10:00 Visit the Museum of Wooden Architecture with its unique wooden structures, historic houses and buildings of indigenous people, and other wondrous exhibits.
13:30 Eat lunch at a local Siberian restaurant (Sibirskaya Zaimka) before visiting a private zoo of native animals.  
15:00 Transfer back to Listvyanka village, stopping at a Shaman rock on the way.
17:30 You have the option of a local Banya sauna. It is included in the price but must be pre-booked.
19:30 You will dine this evening at the Chalet.
Day 7: The Lake Baikal


Today you have two options:

Option 1: Visit a Buryat (original people indigenous to Siberia) settlement 70 km from Irkutsk on the remote Siberian plain. Once there, you will see the local lore museum, experience a local greeting ceremony, participate in native arts and music, be “cleansed” by the local Shaman, and visit a Yurt to sample local teas and a traditional meal.

OR

Option 2: Starting with a ferry trip, this a full-day excursion around Lake Baikal will take you along the famous Circum Baikal Railroad on one of the most complicated stretches of railway in the world. The tour stops at the most picturesque places to help you absorb the nature of this unique area before taking you to the marble mining city of Sludyanka.
Day 8: Irkutsk


Irkutsk is known as the ‘Paris of Siberia’. Today's tour includes an exploration of the classic wooden architecture that has given this region’s buildings such a distinct appearance. Next you will visit the Decembrist House Museum, dedicated to the exiled aristocrats who were forced to this remote outpost after the failed revolution of 1825. 
Day 9: Altai Mountains


Altai is a gorgeous mountain range in the southern part of Siberia. It features breathtaking landscapes, rich wildlife, and untouched nature. Siberia is distant, but not desolate. In fact, your train will stop in Krasnoyarsk, a city of almost a million inhabitants, and then in Novosibirsk, the capital of Siberia, which has as many inhabitants as Atlanta.
Day 10: The Ural Mountains


The Ural Mountains divide Europe and Asia and have been the backbone of Russia's industry for more than 300 years. Take advantage of the amazing photo-ops as you pass through these world wonders. You will make a brief stop in Yekaterinburg, the capital of the region, and by the evening will reach the Great Russian Plain.
Day 11: Great European Plain


T0day you will spend on the train. After the Ural Mountains you will enter the Great European Plain, the largest mountain-free landmass in Europe.
Day 12: Moscow


Welcome to Moscow! You will be taken to your hotel by your private driver. 
Day 13: Moscow


Your morning tour of Moscow takes you to the Red Square, an iconic symbol of Russia’s former military and political might.  Here we see an eclectic mix of architecture, such as St Basil’s Cathedral with its magnificent onion-domed spires, the Kremlin with its imposing walls, and the evocative site of Lenin’s tomb.
Day 14: Moscow


Today you will take the gorgeous Moscow Subway to the Tretyakov Picture Gallery. The afternoon is yours to explore the city and in the evening you will board an overnight train to the banks of the Baltic Ocean and one of the most beautiful cities on earth, St. Petersburg.

Please note, late checkout from the hotel is not included in the price.
Day 15: St. Petersburg


Welcome to St. Petersburg, Russia’s most beautiful city! St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia until the Revolution of 1917, but remains Russia's most dynamic and amazing city. With the canals of Venice, the palaces of Paris, and the churches of Rome, you will not be disappointed by its beauty and culture.

You will have the best guides in St. Petersburg to make the most of your visit to one of the top ten travel destinations in the world. They will take you on a panoramic tour of the city with stops at the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Church of our Savior on Spilled Blood, and St. Isaac's Cathedral.
Day 16: Peterhof


Peterhof is a royal residence on the outskirts of the city, most famous for its fountain park that rivals that of Versailles. Its sprawling gardens, ornate fountains, and lavish decorations will enthrall you. Lunch at the Gallery Restaurant in Peterhof is included in the price.
Day 17: Catherine's Palace


Catherine's Palace was a gift from Peter the Great to his wife, Catherine. It is located in the town of Pushkin (also known as Tsarskoe Selo) and is most famous for its Amber Room, which was looted during World War II by the Germans during their 300 day siege of St. Petersburg. This legendary room was only recently reconstructed.
Day 18: Departure


Your driver will meet you in the hotel lobby to take you to the airport. You will be leaving an explorer, having experienced three incredible civilizations: the Russians, the Chinese, and the Mongols.

Top sights

Arrival in Beijing
Ulan-Bator
Gorkhi National Park
Day Onboard
Irkutsk
The Baikal Lake
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