Moscow
Moscow is unlike any other city on Earth, it is diverse and vibrant, an adventure waiting to happen!
Welcome to the gorgeous capital of Russia - Moscow! Your driver meets you at the airport and transfers you to your centrally located hotel for check-in.
The rest of the day is free so you can relax in your cozy room, dine in one of the nearby restaurants or start exploring the charming city center on your own.
- Optional tour: Visit to the Tretyakov Gallery & Moscow Subway
Note: You can extend your journey to Saint Petersburg. Contact your travel specialist for more information.
No meals included.
This day is dedicated to the exploration of one of the most outstanding Moscow icons - the Kremlin and the heart of Moscow - the Red Square.
Following breakfast, you meet your guide at the hotel lobby and walk to the Kremlin territory where you have a chance to explore the gems hidden behind the Kremlin walls such as the Cathedral Square and the Assumption and Annunciation cathedrals.
Then you visit the famous Armoury Chamber that houses a unique collection of crown jewels, stunning coronation finery, hand-forged armor and weapons, royal carriages and sleighs, and world-famous Fabergé eggs.
After a break for lunch, you have a wonderful city tour around the most magnificent Moscow landmarks. During the tour, you take a walk at the beautiful Red Square, go inside the colorful St. Basil's Cathedral, see the spectacular Cathedral of Christ the Savior and enjoy one of the best city views at Sparrow Hills.
After the tour, you are transferred to your hotel and have the rest of the day free.
Breakfast is included.
Enjoy the authentic experience of traveling on a regular Russian train along the Trans-Siberian Railway from the capital of Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod. Travel as the locals do in either a 1st or 2nd class train cabin and take in the views of the Russian countryside.
Nizhny Novgorod
If you are still wondering, whether Nizhny Novgorod travel would be something you'd like to experience, let us help you - it would. This colorful Russian city full of cultural heritage might exceed your expectations since it has something to offer for everyone.
In the morning you check out from the hotel, and your driver transfers you to the railway station where you board a high-speed train that takes you to Nizhny Novgorod in just 4 hours.
Upon arrival, you meet your guide at the train station and go on a fantastic panoramic city tour around the most famous attractions of Nizhny Novgorod. During the tour, you stroll through a pedestrian Bolshaya Pokrovskaya street, see the beautiful Stroganovskaya Church, explore the ancient Annunciation Cathedral, enjoy fantastic city views from the Volga slope and visit the famous Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin.
After the tour, you are transferred to your centrally located hotel for overnight. The rest of the day is free.
Breakfast is included.
Perm
At the junction of the Yegoshikha and Kama Rivers lays Perm, one of the most culturally diverse cities in Russia.
Today early in the morning you check out from the hotel. Your guide and driver transfer you to the train station where you board the train to continue your journey. In the evening your train arrives in Perm - a major rail junction connecting Siberia and the Far East with the European part of the country.
Upon arrival, your driver meets you at the train station and transfers you to your centrally located hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is free for you to relax in your cozy room or start exploring the city center on your own.
Breakfast box, meal on board are included.
Following breakfast, you have morning at leisure. Later you check out and prepare for an exciting day trip to explore the Kungur ice caves, located in the outskirts of Perm. Known since time immemorial, the caves encompass the remains of ancient settlements dating back to VII-IX centuries.
Upon arrival to Kungur you have a brief city tour around the major sites of the area. Your tour then continues to the mysterious and ancient Kungur ice caves located in the Ice Mountain.
Please, note: Average temperature inside the cave is +5C. Ice crystals can be seen at the entrance and exit from the cave any time of the year. The best time to see the crystals is from February to June.
The caves represent a system of labyrinths and are famous for their unique grottos. There are about 70 underground lakes of different sizes in the caves, exact number depending on the time of year. During your tour exploration you pass the large excursion ring traveling 1300 meters underground.
After the tour you are transferred to Kungur train station and continue your journey to the capital of Ural. In the evening you arrive to Yekaterinburg and have transfer to your hotel for check-in.
Breakfast and a meal on board are included.
Ekaterinburg
Ekaterinburg is a key-city to endless and rich Siberia and "a window overlooking Asia". Resting in the Ural region, Ekaterinburg is a thriving city where East meets West.
Following breakfast you have morning at leisure.
After lunch you enjoy a guided sightseeing tour around the most remarkable city landmarks. During the tour you take a walk through the historical city center, visit Ural Craftsman Lane where you can buy some traditional hand-made souvenirs, see the magnificent architectural ensemble of the Rastorguev - Haritonov’s House and take a trip to the famous Europe-Asia monument where you can happily experience being at two places at once putting one foot in Europe and the other in Asia.
The second part of your tour is dedicated to the last days of the Russian Imperial Family. You visit the Church on Blood built on the site of the notorious Ipatiev House, where the last Russian Emperor, Nicolas II, and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918.
The last stop for today is the first burial place of the tsar’s family - the Monastery Complex “Ganina Yama” that now consists of seven chapels - one for each member of the royal family.
After the tour your driver takes you to the train station where you board a train running to Novosibirsk. You spend this night on board the train.
Breakfast and a meal on board are included.
Set in the heart of the city, the charming Four Elements Hotel welcomes all guests with open arms. It promises excellent service and comfortable rooms, equipped with modern amenities, including spacious Suite Dreams beds, ergonomic desks, 37-inch TVs, air conditioning, and free Wi-Fi.
Novosibirsk
Established in 1893, Novosibirsk has once held the crown of the fastest growing city in the world and has been rapidly developing ever since.
Today your train reaches a region with a rich history and unique Siberian style and nature, as your train arrives in Novosibirsk - a city that proves that Siberia may be distant, but is indeed not desolate.
Upon arrival in the evening, your driver meets you at the railway station and transfers you to your centrally located hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is at your leisure.
No meals included.
Following breakfast you have morning at leisure. In the afternoon you check out, have time for lunch and prepare for a guided tour around the most interesting attractions of Novosibirsk. Together with your private guide you explore the central Lenin Square, the Opera and Ballet Theater, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the Ob River embankment.
You are then invited to a particular place that surely enriches your Trans-Siberian experience - the Novosibirsk Open-Air Museum of Railway Technology. The museum is located nearly 30 minutes ride from the city, right next to the local train station where constantly going trains seem to make the museum "come alive". During the tour you explore an amazing collection of trains and engines covering different historical periods. For example, you see the Tsarsky vagon - the one Tsar Nikolay II used to travel in. Some cars are possible to climb aboard!
Please note: the museum is closed on Mondays
After the tour you are transferred to Novosibirsk railway station to continue your journey.
Breakfast and a meal on board are included.
DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton is set in a quiet district of Novosibirsk city center, close to its main highlights. The hotel boasts well-fitted air-conditioned rooms, an on-site beauty salon, a fitness center, and even shops. Guests of DoubleTree Hotel Novosibirsk are welcome to dine at the a la carte Paris Restaurant.
Krasnoyarsk
While traveling across Russia, don't forget to stop at Krasnoyarsk which is an important junction of the Trans-Siberian Railway by the Yenisey River.
In the morning you arrive in Krasnoyarsk, the largest economic, industrial and educational center of Central and Eastern Siberia. Your driver meets you at the train station and takes you to your centrally located hotel for early check-in.
After having some rest and time for lunch, you enjoy a guided sightseeing tour around the most famous city landmarks. You start exploration with Mira Square with a monument to Сommander Rezanov on it, take a walk along the old city streets and visit the Praskeva Pyatnitsa Chapel situated on the top of Karaulnaya Mountain. The chapel is considered a symbol of the city, and one of its buildings decorates 10-rouble banknote.
You then head for Tsar Fish observation point located near Sliznevo village. The statue of a sturgeon commemorates one of the most significant storybook of a famous Russian author V. Astafyev. From the high of 300-metres (984 ft) Sliznevsky Byk cliff you are able to enjoy the breathtaking view on Yenisey river landscape.
After the tour you return to your hotel and have the rest of the evening free.
Breakfast is included.
This morning is free for you to continue discovering the main attractions of Krasnoyarsk on your own. Ask your travel specialist about available options.
In the afternoon you are transferred to the railway station where you board a train running to Irkutsk. You spend this night on board the train.
Breakfast and meal on board are included.
Listvyanka Village
Tucked beneath the rolling wooded hills that surround Lake Baikal, Listvyanka is a culturally rich and relaxing place.
Upon arrival, you are transferred right to the Lake Baikal shore and check in to your hotel.
After some rest you enjoy a guided tour around Listvyanka Village. During the tour you visit the Baikal Limnological Museum and Aquarium that houses an interesting display of the unique flora and fauna of the lake.
Then you take a chair-lift to the nearby viewpoint to take some magnificent panoramic pictures of Baikal, view the Chersky Rock and visit the 19th century wooden St. Nicolas church and spend some time at a local fish market where you see a great variety of fish and different ways of cooking it.
After the tour you return to your hotel and have the rest of the day free.
Breakfast is included.
After breakfast, you take a day trip to the open-air museum of wooden architecture located in Taltsy Village.
This reconstructed Siberian village consists of a number of buildings that were threatened with flooding when the Irkutsk Dam was constructed on the Angara River. All the buildings at the Taltsy museum were rescued from the rising waters and brought here to serve as models of Irkutsk regional architecture.
After the tour, you return to your hotel and have the rest of the day free.
Breakfast is included.
Enjoy your short car ride with a trusted driver from the petite town, standing on the shores of Lake Baikal to the heart of Siberia, Irkutsk. Along the way, you enjoy the countryside views and pass numerous beautiful riverside areas.
Irkutsk
Irkutsk - the former residence of exiled artists and nobles is a real architectural and cultural treat.
After breakfast, you check out from your hotel and say "Good-bye" to Lake Baikal! Your driver takes you to Irkutsk for a guided tour around the most remarkable city's attractions.
You first walk along Angara River embankment - the most popular meeting place among the locals - to an eternal flame and the monument to explorer Yakov Pohabov, the founder of the city. You proceed to the only Catholic Cathedral in Irkutsk, the beautiful Polish Roman Church, located in the historical part of Irkutsk.
You are then driven to one of the main monasteries in Siberia - Sigh Monastery is also known as the Znamensky Monastery. You also explore the Kazan Church, which with its Byzantine-style decorations looks like a fairy tower, and Block 130, the historical zone with many colorful wooden houses and buildings constructed in the 17th century.
After the tour, you are transferred to centrally located hotel, and the rest of the day is free for you to explore the city on your own.
Breakfast is included.
Ulan-Ude
Ulan-Ude was founded in 1666 and due to its location on trade routes between Russia, China and Mongolia it developed into a prosperous trading town.
Early in the morning you check out from the hotel and are transferred to the train station to board your train and continue your journey.
In the afternoon you arrive in Ulan Ude - the capital city of the Republic of Buryatia. Upon arrival, your guide meets you at the railway station and takes you to your centrally located hotel for check-in.
The rest of the day is free for you to start exploring Ulan Ude on your own.
Breakfast and a meal on board are included.
Today after breakfast you check out, meet your guide and driver and take a tour around the most interesting city landmarks.
You enjoy the views from Rinpoche Bagsha Datsan rising high above the city, see the world’s largest head statue of Lenin, take a walk at Lenin Street abundant in former merchant houses, explore Soviet Square and admire at beautiful Odigitria Cathedral.
You then head for Ivolginsky Buddhist monastery complex, considered as the center of Buddhism in Russia. Located 40 km from Ulan-Ude in the picturesque valley of the Ivolga River, the complex is home to the Buddhist institute Dashi Choinkhorlin, translated from Tibetan as “the land of happy learning”. Here monks, the future lamas, study oriental and Tibetan culture, medicine, Old Mongolian and Tibetan languages and philosophy of Buddhism. During the tour you make a sacred circle (“goroo”) around the territory, enter the temples, see the altar with many golden statues of Buddha, Buddhist stupas, Buddhist books, tankas and even the sacred Bodhi tree.
After the tour you return to Ulan Ude, have a break for lunch (lunch not included) and take a transfer to the train station. At the station you board a train running to Khabarovsk.
Breakfast and a meal on board are included.
You spend this day on board your train enjoying fantastic sceneries passing by your window and a company of your fellow travelers from all over the world.
No meals included.
Khabarovsk
Standing on the banks of the Amur River, Khabarovsk is one of the most significant and beautiful cities of Russia's Far East.
This evening your train arrives in Khabarovsk. Your guide meets you at the railway station and transfers you to your centrally located hotel for check-in.
The rest of the day is free for you to take a good rest after a long train journey or start exploring the historical city center on your own.
No meals included.
After breakfast you have free time to explore city on your own or relax in your comfortable room. In the afternoon you check out and have free time for lunch.
Following lunch you meet your private guide and driver in the hotel lobby and set off on a tour of Khabarovsk. You start sightseeing from the Monument to Nikolay Muravyov-Amursky, a Russian general, statesman and diplomat. Continue to Amur Cliff which offers exciting views on the Amur River and hills. The river had a special historical significance as a route much used by the Russians when exploring and opening up eastern Russia. Nowadays it forms a part of the Chinese–Russian border.
You then make a riverside walk along picturesque Nevelsky Embankment, witness the Spaso-Transfiguration Cathedral, the third tallest church in Russia, and see the eternal flame memorial.
Finally you ride across Khabarovsk Bridge. The railway bridge over the Amur River is the longest, at 1.6 km (5,250 ft), on the Trans Siberian Railway. The bridge, as well as Muravyov-Amursky Monument, is famous for being depicted on a 5000-ruble banknote.
After the tour you have free time for dinner. In the evening you are transferred to the train station where you board a train that takes you to your final destination - Vladivostok.
- Optional tour: Amur River boat ride
Breakfast and a meal on board are included.
Vladivostok
Described as "Russia's San Francisco", Vladivostok is literally closer to the west coast of the US than it is to Moscow.
After traveling through 8 time zones and covering around 6,600 miles (10,600 km) along the epic Trans-Siberian route, early in the morning your train finally arrives in Vladivostok - one of the most significant Russian ports located on the western shores of the Sea of Japan.
Upon arrival you meet your guide at the train station and enjoy an exciting sightseeing tour around the most interesting city attractions. You start with exploring the Vladivostok Railway Station that is the terminus of the Trans-Siberian railroad.
You then drive across the Russky Bridge, the world's longest cable-stayed bridge, to reach Russky Island. An integral part of the Vladivostok's history, the island attracts numerous tourists with charming Primorye nature, dozens of picturesque bays, majestic coastal rocks and a number of unique military fortifications. While being on the island, you have a great chance to visit one of them - «Novosiltsevskaya battery» fortification. Beautiful panoramic view of the bridge opens from there.
Next you drive to the Eagle's Nest observation point to get a magnificent bird’s-eye view over the city and Golden Horn Bay. The highlight of your tour is visit to Submarine S-56 which successfully fought against a fascist’s fleet during WWII.
After the tour you are transferred to your hotel for check-in and have the rest of the day free.
Breakfast is included.
This is the final day of your Epic Trans-Siberian train tour! Following breakfast you check out from the hotel and your guide transfers you to the airport for your flight back home. We wish you a safe flight and hope to work on your future trips!
Breakfast is included.
Being a luxurious property in Vladivostok, Lotte Hotel offers amazing opportunities for a comfortable and memorable stay. The range of Lotte Hotel's services includes such modern facilities as free WiFi, a business center, top-notch spa-center with a large swimming pool, 2 restaurants, a bar and more.
What's Included
- Accommodation at remarkable hotels in Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, Ekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Listvyanka Village, Irkutsk, Ulan Ude, Khabarovsk and Vladivostok;
- Breakfasts at the hotels;
- Other meals according to the itinerary;
- Economy class high-speed "Lastochka" train tickets from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorord;
- 1st or 2nd class train tickets on all other legs of the trip;
- Airport transfers with private drivers and all transportation according to the itinerary;
- Rich sightseeing tours according to the itinerary with professional English-speaking guides;
- Full Russian visa processing service for US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens and visa support service (invitation) for customers from all other countries;
- Support line during the trip.
Note: we include 1 vehicle for your arrival and departure transfers. If multiple vehicles are required additional transfer costs will apply.
Please note: If we are not able to get 1st class train tickets, a whole 2nd class compartment (4 berths for 2 people's use) will be booked instead.
Not included: international flights, other meals not mentioned in the program, optional tours and services, all personal expenses.
Tour Highlights
- Professional local guides
- Guided sightseeing tours of Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, Ekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Listvyanka Village, Irkutsk, Ulan Ude, Khabarovsk and Vladivostok
- Exploring Kungur Ice Caves
- Trip to Lake Baikal
- Included Russian visa processing
What To Know
- The currency used in Russia is the Russian Ruble. Although debit cards are widely accepted, it is good to have some cash on you for minor purchases.
- Make sure to pack comfortable walking shoes as you'll spend many hours exploring major Russian sights on foot.