Classic Big Trans-Siberian - Moscow to Beijing - uVisitRussia
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Classic Big Trans-Siberian - Moscow to Beijing

We appreciate not everyone has endless time to devote to travelling so that’s why we created our Classic Big Trans-Siberian.

It ticks essential boxes for the time-strapped by combining two of the “must see” destinations – Siberia’s epic Lake Baikal and the vast, welcoming and enchanting expanses of Mongolia – with a year-round choice of departures. You choose. From balmy summer days spent swimming, trekking or picnicking at the largest freshwater lake on the planet to husky dog sledding and snow mobiling in winter, this is the trip for those who don’t want a schedule to any way limit their horizons on the world’s greatest railway journey.

Type: Small Group Tours
Duration: 15 days

Itinerary Hide all details

Day 1: Arrival in Moscow

“S Priezdom” Welcome to Moscow. Our driver will be there to meet you from whichever flight, train or boat you arrive. You’ll then be transferred to the Panorama 3★ Hotel. (We can obtain rates for superior hotels ask a member of the reservations team for details.) Your complimentary InfoPack is full of ideas for getting the most out of your free time.

Day 2: Around Moscow

After breakfast one of our local experts will meet you at your hotel in the lobby for a three hour walking and familiarisation tour, to introduce the city (and its public transport system) and to get your sightseeing off to a flying start. The rest of the day’s your own.

Day 3: Departing Moscow

Transfer to Yaroslavsky Station where you will board the Irkutsk bound train.

Day 4: DAY 04-06: On board the Trans-Siberian

The dining car is the heart of social life on the train. It functions as bar, lounge, and take-out snack store, as well as a café serving reasonably-priced meals. It is a great place to meet fellow travellers and locals alike, sharing your experiences of your journey so far with a few drinks, which no doubt will include some Vodka – and maybe smoked salmon and caviar too!

Day 7: Arrival in Irkutsk

Arrival in Irkutsk, transfer to U Ozera 3★ Hotel situated in Listvyanka Village (70km) travelling by road through the forest. The Hotel is set just 50 metres from the shores of Lake Baikal.

Day 8: Choose one activity from the list

It’s all included in the trip price! You’ll need to inform us of your choice before commencing your journey, so that we can have the right staff on hand for when you arrive.

(A) Siberian trek
(B) Circum Baikal picnic
(C) Taltsy wooden museum
(D) Port Baikal excursion
(E) Snowmobile trip
(F) Siberian Dog sledding

Day 9: Return to Irkutsk

After breakfast transfer back to Irkutsk city. Check-into The Angara 3★ Hotel. The Angara Hotel is located on the Kirov Square, in the heart of Irkutsk city. Our local staff will provide a map and some recommendations of interesting places to visit. Some of our top suggestions (please check opening times/days before setting off) Decembrist Museum, Volkonsky House and The Epiphany Cathedral.

Day 10: Departing Irkutsk

Early morning transfer to the station where you will board the Ulaanbaatar bound train.

Day 11: Arrival in Ulaanbaatar

Arrival in Ulaanbaatar. Transfer from the station to a hotel with a chance to shower and have breakfast. This morning you will depart for your city tour, this includes visiting the Gandan Buddhist Lamasery (monastery) and several temples located there. Then depart Ulaanbaatar for the 55km journey to Elstei Ger Lodge. (Alternative Ger Camps available , some with en-suite facilities and Queen size beds – talk to us about upgrade costs). With a scheduled stop at the enormous monument to Genghis Khan along the way. It may not be quite traditional in style (since it’s made of stainless steel) but it’s an astounding edifice and a testament to Genghis’s place in Mongolian culture. Taking the elevator to top of this 10 metre high monument you visit the exhibition hall from where you will have an excellent panoramic view over the complex area and the scenery beyond. On arrival to Elstei you will be served lunch, and then time to enjoy your surroundings. ​

Day 12: Elstei Ger Lodge

​With no specific activities planned you can choose to chill out, read, go walking on the Steppe, or (for a small payment made directly to them locally) you can go horse riding with local nomad horsemen. (May-Sept). Elstei staff will also offer Mongolian archery, ankle bone games, and the opportunity to visit a nomad family nearby. A relaxed evening in the bar after supper where you can chat with the local guides and other travellers. It’s also worth watching the sunset, as it’s not called the land of the endless skies for nothing.

Day 13: Return to Ulaanbaatar

Around 10am you make the return trip to Ulaanbaatar, named the coldest capital in the world during the winter months. Check into the Bayangol 3★ Hotel. This is a great centrally located property and facilities include 5 restaurants fitness centre, sauna and a minimarket. The balance of today is free to explore more of the city. You can choose to return to the Gandan Monastery (which you’ll have already visited when you were in the capital last time), or visit the Choijin Lama museum . It`s easy to pick up some snack food for the train in one of the many supermarkets.
In the evening a wide range of restaurants are available to suit any pocket or maybe go to see a Folklore concert?

Day 14: Departing Ulaanbaatar

Early morning transfer to the station where you will board the Beijing bound train.

Day 15: Arrival in Beijing

Don’t oversleep today as it’s possibly some of the most spectacular scenery of the entire route, as you leave the desert scenery behind and pass by mountains and rice paddy fields. Arriving into Beijing Central Station at the end of your Trans-Siberian journey.

What's included

Full On No Frills

Train

  • 4-berth rail for completejourney (pre-assigned berths)
  • option to upgrade to 2-berth

Moscow

  • transfer on arrival to your hotel
  • 2 nights 3* hotel, breakfast
  • 3 hour personalised walkingtour with local expert
  • transfer to the station ondeparture

Irkutsk
Siberian Village

  • all transportation
  • 2 nights 3* hotel, ListvyankaVillage, breakfast
  • 1 night 3* hotel, Irkutsk City,breakfast
  • excursion option

Ulaanbaatar

  • all transportation
  • 2 nights Elstei Ger Lodge(tourist Lodge), all meals
  • 1 night 3* hotel, breakfast
  • City tour of Ulaanbaatar

 

Train

  • 4-berth rail for completejourney (pre-assigned berths)
  • option to upgrade to 2-berth

Moscow

  • transfer on arrival to your hotel
  • 2 nights 1* hotel, breakfastIrkutsk (city based stay)
  • transfer on arrival
  • 3 nights hostel
  • transfer to the station ondeparture

Ulaanbaatar (city based stay)

  • transfer on arrival to your hotel
  • 3 nights 1* hostel, breakfast
  • transfer to the station ondeparture

 

 

 

 

 

Additional expenses

1 person

2 people

3+ people

Full On

Extra Day 16 days: $3162 $2524 $2406
Extra night from Moscow midweek
$106 $60 $60
Extra night from Moscow weekend
$79 $53 $53
2-berth upgrades Moscow - Beijing $750 $750 $750

No Frills

Extra Day 16 days: $1808 $1538 $1499
Extra night from Moscow midweek $66 $53 $53
Extra night from Moscow weekend $53 $40 $40
2-berth upgrades Moscow - Beijing $750 $750 $750
Additional info

Extras

The journey you have chosen has some “extras” that are necessary and then “extras” that will enhance your trip. We cannot re-iterate too much that we pride ourselves on making the trip you have chosen the best it can be – so if we don’t mention something you want, ask us and we’ll try our best to make it happen! In return, we try to inform you about any great “extras” along the way, so that you have the chance to try them if you want! Visas are a necessary extra and needed for all the countries you travel through and the current costs and what is needed can be found under Visas.

Upgrading to 2- berth compartment

Upgrading to 2- berth compartment on the train is also an option, you will see under Prices. This service is becoming more popular every year and not helped by the train operators only confirming this request 30 days or less prior to your departure. We have however devised a workaround for this that’s proving very reliable. We request a 2-berth at the time of booking but if this comes back not possible we block out a 4-berth compartment for 2 person occupancy. The standard of these cabins remains the same, and you get the extra space and privacy one way or the other.

Start Dates "2018 – 16 Days":

  • November 08, 22
  • December 06, 20

Start Dates "2019 – 16 Days":

  • January 03, 17, 31
  • February 14, 28
  • March 14, 28
  • April 11, 25
  • May 09, 23
  • June 07, 14, 21, 28
  • July 05, 12, 19, 26
  • August 02, 09, 16, 23, 30
  • September 06, 13, 20, 27
  • October 04, 11, 18, 25
  • November 01, 08, 15, 22, 29
  • December 06, 13, 20, 27

Price

Price packagePrice per person
1 person (full on)

Price per person

Book now
1 person (no frills)

Price per person

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2 people (full on)

Price per person

Book now
2 people (no frills)

Price per person

Book now
3+ people (full on)

Price per person

Book now
3+ people (no frills)

Price per person

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Visa

Russian visa support (Russian visa invitation letter) is included.

Sights included in program

Moscow : The Kremlin
The Moscow Kremlin, the beautiful and ancient ensemble stands high on the hill towering over the left bank of the Moskva river. The Kremlin has always been perceived as a symbol of power and might of the Russian state, the national idea expressed in stone. It is the oldest part of the city, its political, historic and cultural centre, and the seat of the country's highest bodies of power. The Kremlin contains unique specimens of Russian metal cas... Read more
Moscow : Red Square
The famous Red Square is located in the heart of Moscow. Of course, no trip to Russia would be complete without a visit to Red Square, perhaps Russia's most well known place, and possibly the most famous city square in the world. It is Russia’s most recognizable landmark and is usually tourists first stop in Moscow. It is surrounded by Saint Basil’s Cathedral, the State History Museum, Lenin’s Mausoleum and the Kremlin. Visitors... Read more
The Bolshoi Theatre is a symbol of Russia for all time. It is one of the leading ballet and opera companies in the world. It was awarded this honor due to the major contribution it made to the history of the Russian performing arts. This history is on-going and today Bolshoi Theatre artists continue to contribute to it many bright pages. The Bolshoi building, which for many years now has been regarded as one of Moscow's main sights, was opened on... Read more
The St. Basil’s Cathedral Moscow just that this fascinating church at the heart of Moscow, is an exemplary work of art, which touchingly and glamorously traces back the history of Russia in an encompassing and solemn manner, that no other tourist attraction can ever surpass. It is an interesting milestone and a great leaping step towards world tourism and the interesting pieces of history in its courageous, attractive and worth reading whol... Read more
The State Tretyakov Gallery is the national treasury of Russian fine art and one of the greatest museums in the world. It possesses a unique collection of Russian art which includes masterpieces which span a period of a thousand years. The Gallery's collection consists entirely of Russian art and artists who have made а contribution to the history of Russian art or been closely connected with it. Nowadays it contains more than 170,000 works by Ru... Read more
Moscow : Moscow Circus
Moscow is often described as the world's circus capital, and the Moscow State Circus is internationally renowned for the skill and inventiveness of its acrobats and clowns. In fact, when it's at home, the Moscow State Circus is two separate circuses, the Big State Circus on Prospekt Vernadskogo, and the Old Circus or Nikulin Circus on Tsvetnoi Bulvar. Unlike the touring version, the circus in Moscow includes a number... Read more
One of the richest world collections of fine arts from the time immemorial to nowadays is treasured in the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts that is favorably situated in the very center of Moscow, close to the Kremlin and Red Square. Nowadays it is the second, after the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, largest museum of foreign art in Russia. The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts  Museum originates from the Cabinet of Fine Arts and Antiquities, es... Read more
A true adornment of Irkutsk is the Epiphany Cathedral. This church looks quite unusually. It is colorful and ornate and does not resemble classic orthodox churches. The matter concerns its decoration: the church’s façade and its tholobate are decorated with pictures of the saints in whole-length. Besides, the church is fancy decorated with ornamented tiles, and brightly painted like Russian popular prints. The influence of old-Russia... Read more
Irkutsk is recognized as the Decembrists' center of Russia. Museums were opened (in 1970 and 1985, respectively) in houses where the families of Sergei Trubetskoy and Sergey Volkonsky had lived. You'll find here genuine things that belonged to the Decembrists and replicas of lost things such as pieces of furniture, tableware, stoves, musical instruments, ancient chandeliers, embroidery, books, sheet music, and pictures and photographs. On certain... Read more
Baikal : Irkutsk
An unique old city, Irkutsk was known as «Paris of Siberia» in the middle of the 19th century. It plays a remarkable role in the Russian history and it's not accidentally called the city-museum. Irkutsk saves many ancient monuments, romantic look, church cupola's lighting upon the blue current of Angara River. This incredible city is called the midst of the Earth, since it's equidistant from the three world's oceans: the Arctic, the P... Read more
Listvyanka is perhaps one of the oldest Russian settlements on the shore of the great Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world. It is a charming village dotted with traditional Siberian wooden houses, with a main road that runs right along the shore of fantastic lake, making it the perfect base to explore this picturesque region. This old-style Siberian village is one of the most visited places in Siberia. Everything about it impresses our imag... Read more
Baikal Limnological museum is located at the beginning of Listvyanka, beautiful old-style Siberian village, on the shore of fabulous Lake Baikal. The museum is engaged in collecting and storage the materials and analysis of the information bound with the lake.The unique exhibits tell about the origin and the history of the lake, its fantastic flora and fauna, geological structure, climate and tectonics of Pribaikalye. All scientific activities of... Read more
Taltsy Museum of Wooden Architecture is an unique storage of history and culture of the peoples of Eastern Siberia. This incredible open-air museum consists of several fabulous exhibit areas which hold interesting ethnographical collections and show life of the Siberians. The variety of amazing Siberian wooden izbas, churches, living houses and Buryat wooden yurts were brought together from different parts of Siberia. The museum is conveniently l... Read more
St. Nicholas Orthodox Church is one of the few preserved architectural monuments in Listvyanka. The building dates from the middle of the century before last. Such buildings in Russia were called the "octagon on the quadrangle". A wooden two-tiered church with belfries is very beautiful and majestic. St. Nicholas Church has its own interesting story. Read more
Baikal : Port Baikal
Port Baikal is located on the left bank of the Angara source, at the foot of the Baranchik Cape. The settlement is the end of the Circum-Baikal Railway. Port Baikal is the original settlement, it is located on the shore of Lake Baikal, and on the bank of the Angara river. All buildings fit in a narrow strip along the coast railway, which, in fact, is the main street of the village. Read more
1/7th of the World : Baikal
Lake Baikal in Siberia is listed as a Unesco World Heritage site and was also voted as one of Russia's Seven Wonders. It's not hard to see why. Baikal is one of those rare spots on the earth where nature has still remained genuine and untouched. The magnificent landscapes – the lake is surrounded by high mountain chains - and the unique clarity of the crystal-clear water, which runs into a darkness teeming with fish. Siberians believe that ... Read more
1/7th of the World : Beijing
Beijing, formerly romanized as Peking, is the capital of the People's Republic of China, the world's second most populous city proper, and most populous capital city. The city, located in northern China, is governed as a direct-controlled municipality under the national government with 16 urban, suburban, and rural districts. Beijing Municipality is surrounded by Hebei Province with the exception of neighboring Tianjin Municipality to the southea... Read more
1/7th of the World : Ulaanbaatar
If Mongolia's yin is its pristine countryside, then Ulaanbaatar conforms nicely to its yang. Located in north central Mongolia, fabulous Ulaanbaatar is the cultural, industrial, and financial heart of the country. The city was founded in 1639 as a movable (nomadic) Buddhist monastic centre, and in the twentieth century, Ulaanbaatar grew into a major manufacturing centre. Mostly described, as sunny, peaceful and open, Ulaanbaatar is a city of cont... Read more
Explore : Moscow
Moscow can be an overwhelming experience for visitors - there's just so much to see in this vast and vibrant city, from the truly sublime to the ever-so-slightly ridiculous. Moscow has been one of the world's ballet capitals for almost two centuries. It is home to the Bolshoi Ballet, founded in the late 18th century and based at the Bolshoi Theatre. It is called the "world capital of museums". It's no surprise, considering that there are over a ... Read more
In 2008, a gigantic statue of Genghis Khan riding on horseback was erected on the bank of the Tuul River at Tsonjin Boldog, 54 km east of the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar, where according to legend, he found a golden whip. The statue is 40 meters tall and wrapped in 250 tons of gleaming stainless steel. It stands on top of the Genghis Khan Statue Complex, a visitor center that itself is 10 meters tall, with 36 columns representing the 36 khans f... Read more
US$ 1429
per person, based on 2-people group
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Price for persons:

Our flexible payment options allow you to pay 20% of a deposit first and the remaining 80% in 14 days prior to your tour date - payment can be done both online or over the phone. This gives you the peace of mind knowing your spaces are booked on the tours and that you do not miss out on making the most of your time in Russia.

Also you get the best, top-rated and most experienced and knowledgeable hand-picked tour guide appointed on a priority basis.
In our experience, exceptional travel experiences are almost always delivered by exceptional people. With that in mind, we utilize a comprehensive approach to select and employ the best tour guides only. Multilingual and well travelled, each possesses deep insight into the diverse attractions and cultural patterns throughout the region. With us guides undergo a rigorous selection process, achieving outstanding knowledge of local culture and language. Rest assured that the best tour guides only will be working on the tours to give you excellent opportunity to explore the best of the sights during both short and long-term stay in Russia.

Speak to an expert
Call us now

+1 (888) 845-8877

Speak to an expert
Call us now

+1 (888) 845-8877

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