Trans-Siberian Monkeyshrine Trans-Siberian Train Journeys Adventures 2019 Trans-Mongolian Railway: Beijing to Moscow including Mongolian Steppe, Ulan-Ude, Irkutsk / Lake Baikal, Krasnoyarsk, Ekaterinburg, Kazan Polny BM8 (UUIKEK) 23 days
Trans-Mongolian Railway: Beijing to Moscow 23 day itinerary with tours in Mongolia, Ulan-Ude, Irkutsk / Lake Baikal, Krasnoyarsk, Ekaterinburg, Kazan Code: PO-BM8 (UUIKEK) from 4,060 Tour Introduction This tour has eight stops (all the highlights) which means the train journeys are overnight or two days. Leaving Beijing you will travel past the Great Wall, cross into Mongolia and roam the Open Steppe. Head to Russia and explore Buryat religion in Ulan-Ude, head to the other side of Baikal and to a small fishing community at Bolshoe Goloustnoe. Stay a night in Irkutsk before continuing to central Siberia to visit Stolby National park outside Krasnoyarsk. Ekaterinburg and the Ural Mountains which is the geographical border between Europe and Asia, also the last resting place of the Romanov s. Visit Kazan, the capital of Tartarstan, and a mix of Muslim and Catholic religions. Route Beijing Ulaanbaatar Ulan-Ude Irkutsk (Lake Baikal) Krasnoyarsk Ekaterinburg Kazan Moscow. With an optional tour extension to St Petersburg. Dates All year round with departure dates from Beijing depending on a seasonal timetable. The best time to travel is from mid May to early October to enjoy the warmest weather. Train #23 departures from Beijing 7:27am to Ulaanbaatar arr. 2:30pm: -Until May 2019, the Mongolian train leaves on Saturdays. -From early June 2019 onwards, the Chinese train leaves on Tuesdays. -An extra summer train is expected to be added from mid-june, departing on Mondays. It is also possible to depart on the weekly Wednesday train #3; this train runs between Beijing and Moscow and is generally available for shorter routes. Tours Hotels Trains Eight train journeys, mostly for one day or one night (one journey is 2 nights). Fully guided and inclusive tours of: Karakorum, Ugii Lake and Hustei National Park, Ulan-Ude Buryat Culture and Monastery; Irkutsk city and Lake Baikal National Park; Krasnoyarsk city and Stolby National Park; Ekaterinburg city, Nevyansk and Byngi village; Kazan city centre; as well as a city tour of Moscow. Accommodation in 3* hotels or homestay / traditional ger. Cover Photo: Ulan-Ude market. TW Qiu, August 2014 Tour Style Polny [полный] is a Russian word which means complete, full, total, entire, overall, absolute. Polny packages are fixed date, small group tours with well designed stopover tours at a range of popular destinations along the route, with English speaking guides, 3* standard accommodation and all transfers included. Tour Includes Monkey info pack, local support, visa invitation documents Train tickets in standard second class four berth cabins, with option to upgrade to first class Beijing: 1 night 3* hotel, transfer to train Mongolia: 5-day trip to Karakorum, Ugii Lake and Hustei National Park, transfers, guide, excursions, 4 nights hotel/ger camp with full board Ulaanbaatar: 1 night 3* hotel, all transfers Ulan-Ude: 2 nights local accommodation Ulan-Ude, 1 day fully inclusive tour, transfers, guide, excursions and city tour, all meals including special local lunches Lake Baikal: tour to Bolshoe Goloustnoe village, 2 nights homestay, all meals, guide and transfers. Irkutsk: 1 night 3* wooden hotel, guided city walking tour, all transfers Krasnoyarsk: 2 nights 3* hotel, all transfers, guided city tour. Day trip hiking with experienced guide through Stolby National Park Ekaterinburg: 2 nights 3* hotel, all transfers, guided city walking tour. Full day excursion to the city of Nevyansk (80km), lunch at Byngi village Kazan Tartarstan: 1 night 3* hotel, return station transfers, full day guided city walking tour Moscow: arrival transfer, 1 night 3* hotel, guided city walking tour Meals as listed in the itinerary (B breakfast L lunch D dinner)
Trip Highlights Camels in the Gobi. Octavio Mendoza, July 2008» Trans-Mongolian train journey, travelling 7,621 km from Beijing to Moscow across two continents.» Remarkable scenery including the Great Wall, Gobi, Mongolian Open Steppe, the wide expanse of Siberia, countless rural villages and, of course, magical Lake Baikal.» Stay in a comfortable traditional Mongolian ger, hike or ride a horse across the open steppe, visit the home of a nomadic family and the monument to Genghis Khan, while enjoying quality food and the warm and friendly hospitality of our local guides.» Explore Ulaanbaatar with a guided city tour, while learning how important Buddhism is to the Mongolian peoples.» Visit the capital of Buryata, Ulan-Ude, with its Buddhist temples.» Stay 2 nights at Lake Baikal in a remote fishing village and sample healthy local Siberian food.» Find the traditional old wooden buildings sinking away in Irkutsk.» See the famous rock formations while hiking the Stolby National Reserve near Krasnoyarsk.» Discover sprawling Ekaterinburg, the a full day excursion to the city of Nevyansk.» Comfortable and centrally located 3* hotel in Moscow, with orientation city tour of this fascinating capital. Fresh water at Bolshoe Goloustnoe. Sara Enkh, Aug 2013
Day to Day Itinerary Day 1 Arrival to Beijing Staying one night at a centrally located 3* hotel. We can book additional accommodation and tours in Beijing, as well as domestic train tickets around China in advance of your Trans- Mongolian train journey. Day 2 Beijing Train Early morning transfer to Beijing Main Railway Station for the start of your Trans-Mongolian adventure. The train departs at 07:27 and meanders through the Yanshan mountains north of Beijing and across the Great Wall, before arriving at the Chinese border town of Erlian. (B) The Chinese Mongolian border crossing takes around five hours for immigration and customs procedures and for changing the bogies to accommodate the different gauge railway lines between China and the rest of the Trans- Mongolian / Siberian network. Day 3 Train to Ulaanbaatar Wake up to the Gobi and cross central Mongolian steppe. Arrive to Ulaanbaatar (locally called UB) early afternoon around 14:30 and meet your driver on the station platform for a transfer to 3* Hotel Nine. Free time to explore Ulaanbaatar. Trans-Mongolian Railway Day 4 Central Mongolia / Elsen Tasarkhai Meet your guide at hotel after breakfast at 08:00. Travel west of UB (260km) to Elsen Tasarkhai, known as the mini-gobi sand dunes. Enjoy a picnic lunch or at a local ger camp. Opportunity to ride a camel or horse. Travel on to Karakorum (85km). Staying overnight at local hotel, guesthouse or tourist ger camp. (B L D) Day 5 Karakorum Visit Erdene Zuu monastery, and the Karakorum history museum. Lake Ugii. Matt Somerville, 2016 Travel (130km) to the beautiful area of the Tsetserleg hot springs. Hike or horse ride with your guide or at your leisure, and when the day is done, relax in the soothing hot springs. Staying overnight at tourist ger camp. (B L D) Day 6 Ugii Lake Travel to Ugii Lake, either directly (120km) on back-country roads, or (190km) via Karakorum. Enjoy lunch at ger camp before exploring the fabulous lake environs at your leisure (boating on the lake can be arranged). Staying overnight at tourist ger camp. (B L D) Day 7 Hustai National Park Travel (250km) to Hustai National Park. Introduction to the national park s work in reintroducing the wild Takhi horses, a subspecies of the Przewalski. Lunch in the park. Spend the afternoon searching for the horse within the national park. Continue on from the park (70km) to spend the evening and overnight at a local nomadic family ger. (B L D)
Day 8 Ulaanbaatar Train to border Early morning with the local family and return to Ulaanbaatar. Afternoon transfer to train station for departure on train #305 at 15:22 to Ulan-Ude. The northern plains of Mongolia are very flat and the train travels along the meandering Orkhon river up to the border. Custom and immigration procedures are carried out on board the train before you head into Siberian Russia. Cross the Mongolian Russian border in the middle of night, stopping in Sukhebaatar (Mongolia) and Naushki (Russia) for immigration and customs formalities. (B) Pull into Ulan-Ude around 06:20 and transfer to your 3* hotel for early check-in 2 nights. As the capital of Russia s Buryatia republic, Ulan- Ude has a unique mix of the Buryat and Russian people and their culture of Orthodox and Buddhist religions and Soviet industrial planning. The highlight of a stopover in Ulan-Ude is the Ivolginsk Datsan monastery, situated 35km outside of Ulan-Ude. This is the centre of Buddhism in Russia and an important pilgrimage site. View the teaching areas where students study Philosophy, Tantrism, or Buddhist art and Tibetan language, monks living quarters, and various temples and the impressive Itygel Khambin Datsan. Continue on to a traditional Old Believers village. The Old Believers separated from the Russian Orthodox Church as Protestant religion and were exiled to Siberia in the 18th century. You will see their church and a small museum and visit a local home for a traditional lunch with organic local food. Return to Ulan-Ude in the evening. (B L) Day 10 Ulan-Ude Atsagatski Datsan You will visit the photogenic Atsagatski Datsan around one hour from Ulan-Ude and learn how Buddhism plays such an important role in the life of the local Buryat people. The monastery was completely destroyed in the 1930 s and was rebuilt during the rebirth of Buddhism in the area. It is a center for Tibetan Medicine. The local village was founded in the 19th century and keeps the traditions and customs of the Buryat people. You will have lunch with a local family in traditional dress before returning to Ulan-Ude. (B L) Driving across the Mongolian steppe. Andy Pike, June 2013 Day 9 Train Arrive Ulan-Ude Ivolginsk Datsan The night is spent on the train as it meanders through the southern plains of Siberia, following the Selenge river to Ulan-Ude. Wooden House, Ulan Ude. Chris Ley, Sep 2003 Ivolginsk Datsan, Ulan Ude. Chris Ley, Sep 2003 Day 11 Train to Irkutsk Morning transfer and departure on train #69 at 07:47, your first Russian train on the Trans-Siberian line. You will spend most of the day gazing out of the window as you pass the Southern shores of Lake Baikal. (B)
Lake Baikal by DJI drone. ADS, 2015 Arrival in Irkutsk around 16:00. Meet guide and driver on platform and transfer to 3* hotel in Irkutsk. You will stay for one night in a lovely boutique hotel in a fashionable district of traditional wooden buildings, with plenty of shops, restaurants and evening entertainment options. Irkutsk is an important staging post on the Trans- Siberian Railway and during the walking tour you will see how the railway influenced and developed this city. Irkutsk has an old centre very easy to navigate on foot with lovely Siberian wooden architecture and an amazing history of fires and rebuilding. (B) Day 12 Bolshoe Goloustnoe Meet your guide at the hotel after breakfast. Enjoy a guided tour of the main sites in the city centre, including: Karl Marx Street, the Church of the Transfiguration, the Epiphany Cathedral and the former Polish Cathedral. Transfer (110km) to the small traditional village of Bolshoe Goloustnoe on the shore of Lake Baikal. Staying two nights in a comfortable guesthouse. All meals are provided by the guesthouse hosts. Your guide will stay in Bolshoe Goloustnoe for your two day visit, and be on hand to show you around the village and offer suggestions for your time in the area. (B L D) Bolshoe Goloustnoe Lodge. Sara Enkh, August 2013 Day 13 Lake Baikal Bolshoe Goloustnoe Your guide will provide recommendations on how you might spend your day exploring the area and relaxing by the lake shore. (B L D) Day 14 Lake Baikal Irkutsk Train to Krasnoyarsk Breakfast and free morning begore return to Irkutsk. Enjoy a guided city walking tour (2 hrs), including Karl Marx Street, the Church of the Transfiguration, the Epiphany Cathedral and the former Polish Cathedral. Late afternoon transfer to railway station. Depart to Krasnoyarsk in the early evening. (B) Irkutsk skyline. Andy Pike, Aug 2013 Day 15 Krasnoyarsk Morning arrival into Krasnoyarsk around 10:00. Meet guide on platform and transfer to a centrally located 3* Metelitsa hotel, staying two nights. Guided city tour by car (3 hrs), including downtown Mira Prospekt, the Chapel of Saint Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, Communal Bridge, Victory Memorial, and the local Ethnographic Museum, learning some fascinating stories along the way. Lake Baikal sunset. ADS, 2015
Logs stored for winter at Bolshoe Goloustnoe
Day 16 Krasnoyarsk Stolby Nature Reserve This is a full day excursion to the beautiful countryside of Siberia, and a strenuous but exhilarating day. [there are alternative options if you prefer a more relaxed tour]. Crossing the Yenisei River you head out to Stolby Nature reserve and hike 4km to the first outcrop of Stolby rocks. There are a number of peaks offering views throughout the reserve and how many you visit will depend on your level of fitness, time and the weather. Enjoy a picnic lunch during the outing. Return to city late afternoon. (B L) Day 18 Train Ekaterinburg Spend the morning relaxing in your comfortable cabin, enjoying the view of the Siberian taiga forest. You will pass cities such as Novosibirsk and Omsk on the mid Siberian railway, which was built between 1893 and 1898. Arrive to Ekaterinburg around 21:55 and transfer to 3* Chekhov Hotel where you will stay for 2 nights. Get ready by 15:00 for a guided walking city tour that will take about 3 hours. Cathedral, plus the traditional craft center and famous Nevyansk icons. You will stop at Byngi village on the return trip for lunch. (B L) Ekaterinburg, ADS Day 20 Train Kazan Transfer to railway station after breakfast for 10:12 departure on train #15/59. Evening arrival in Kazan around 21:25. Meet driver and transfer to a comfortable 3* hotel in the city centre of Kazan, staying one night. (B) Summer hiking in Stolby National Park. Hannah Bedard, Aug 2014 Day 17 Krasnoyarsk Train Breakfast and morning transfer to the railway station for departure on train #69 at 10:44 to Ekaterinburg. (B) Ob. Socialising in cabin, Anne Dudte, January 2013 Day 19 Ekaterinburg Nevyansk Full day excursion to the city of Nevyansk (80km), the one time capital of the Demidov dynasty, a very successful family of factory owners. The trip includes a visit to the famous and recently restored Nevyansk leaning tower, and the Transfiguration Spaso-Preobrazhensky Kazan Mosque. Matt Somerville, Feb 2012
Day 21 Kazan Train to Moscow Full day guided city tour, visiting: the Kremlin, Vozdvizhenskaya Church, Peter and Pavel Church, Kremlyevskaya and Bauman streets and Anniversary Park. Evening transfer to railway station and board local train #15/59 departing at 22:15 for the overnight journey to Moscow. (B) buildings, Manezhnaya square, Marshal Zhukov monument, Lubyanka (former KGB building), Aleksandrovsky Gardens and of course the Red Square, St. Basil Cathedral and the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. You have a free afternoon to continue your exploration of this exciting and vibrant city and delve into the long and turbulent history of Russia. Moscow, St Basil s Cathedral. Kazan by night. Ramdas Iyer, Feb 2013 Day 22 Train Moscow Morning arrival around 09:30 at Moscow Kazanskaya station and the end of your Trans- Siberian train journey. Meet driver on station platform. Transfer to centrally located 3* hotel, staying one night. Freshen up before afternoon guided city tour. Enjoy a great 3 hour orientation tour of Moscow city center. All our guides have their own personal itineraries and will visit many of the main sites, including: Tverskaya street and its important Alexander Horse Fountains Moscow. ADS, September 2009 Day 23 Moscow Tour extension Moscow is world class in terms of attractions and we recommend to spend at least 3 days in Moscow and we have a number of city tours and tour extensions in the city, before moving on to St Petersburg or onward connections to Europe. (B) St. Petersburg, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.
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