Day-By-Day Program:
Day 1 WED Welcome to Moscow
Arrive in Moscow. You will be met and transferred to your hotel ***(*). Check-in for a 2 nights’ stay (D)
Day 2 THU Moscow, Sightseeing
Breakfast at hotel. Panoramic city tour of Moscow featuring the most noteworthy landmarks such as the historic Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Bolshoi theatre, Tverskaya Street and much more. Drive to Sparrow Hills for city’s breathtaking views with Moscow State University, Luzhniki Sports complex and New Maidens' Convent (B)
Day 3 FRI Moscow, Sightseeing | Train to Irkutsk
Visit the heart of Moscow, the almighty Kremlin. For most of eight centuries - it has been, at the very heart of Moscow - the seat of power of the grand princes, czars and most recently, presidents, as well as an important religious and spiritual site.
For Westerners, the adjacent Red Square, especially the bulbous, multi-colored domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral, have been an image synonymous with the Soviet Union and Russian state since the advent of television.
Also visit the world-class Czars treasury collection known as the Armoury museum, the oldest and the richest museum in the Kremlin. In the evening transfer to rail station to board your train to Irkutsk, into the heart of Siberia, dep 11.25 pm (B)
Day 4-6 SAT-MON In Transit | Aboard a Trans-Siberian train
Day 7 TUE Irkutsk & Lake Baikal
Arrive in Irkutsk, at 6.14 am. Breakfast and a city tour of Irkutsk, a former Cossack outpost in the middle of Siberia, often called the Pearl of Siberia. After a good intro to the city, you will be transferred direct to Listvyanka settlement on the shores of the legendary Lake Baikal. En route stop at Taltsy village for lunch and visit an open-air museum of wooden architecture. Overnight at the Legend of Baikal Hotel *** (B,L)
Day 8 WED Lake Baikal | Train to Ulaanbaatar
A walking tour of Listvyanka and Lake Baikal shoreline. Transfer to Irkutsk rail station for train #362 for Ulaanbaatar, at 9.50 pm (B)
Day 9 THU In Transit
Relax on the train and enjoy the ever changing scenery. Communicate with the locals, play chess or write your diary. Or just enjoy doing nothing
Day 10 FRI Ulaanbaatar & Terelj National Park
Arrive in Ulaan Baatar, the capital of Mongolia, at 6.10 am. Transfer to Terelij National Park. Explore the Turtle rock formation, enjoy pristine beauty of the surroundings. Engage in outdoor activities, visit a local nomadic family. Overnight in a traditional Mongolian ger (B,L,D)
Day 11 SAT Ulaanbaatar, Sightseeing
Return to the capital, check-in at the Edelweiss Hotel. City tour of Ulaanbaatar including the Natural History Museum, Gandan monastery, Bogd Khan Winter Palace, Zaisan Hill and Sukhebaatar Square. Lunch at a local restaurant. Overnight at Khabu Hotel *** (B,L)
Day 12 SUN Train to Beijing
Transfer to Ulaanbaatar rail station to board train No 4 to Beijing, dep 7.15 am
Day 13 MON Arrive in Beijing
Arrive in Beijing at 11.40 am local time. Transfer to the Beijing Novotel Xin Qiao Hotel ****
Day 14 Tue Beijing, Sightseeing
Day 15 Wed See You Again
After breakfast your tour ends (B)