2021 Rail Journeys of a Difference


A 16-day Trans-Mongolian train journey to Beijing, now with

a stopover in Yekaterinburg, a thriving capital

of the Ural Mountains,

border divide between Europe and Asia

Yekaterinburg's history is closely associated with the final days of Russia's last Romanov Czar Nicholas II and his family, rise of Boris Yeltsin and other crucial pages of country's turbulent history  

 Guaranteed Departures, Year round

Itinerary Overview:

Day 1     Arrive Moscow
Day 2     In Moscow, sightseeing
Day 3     PM train to Yekaterinburg
Day 4     PM arrive Yekaterinburg 
Day 5     Yekaterinburg, sightseeing; PM train to Irkutsk 
Day 6-8  On board train to Irkutsk
Day 8     AM arrive Irkutsk & transfer to Listvyanka on Lake Baikal
Day 9     Sightseeing, in Listvyanka. Return to Irkutsk for overnight 
Day 10   AM train to Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia
Day 11   AM arrive Ulaan Baatar. Activities at Terelj National Park. Overnight in traditional ger 
Day 12   Terelj Nat'l Park and to Ulaan Baatar 
Day 13   Ulaan Baatar, Sightseeing
Day 14   AM depart Ulaanbaatar by train to Beijing
Day 15   AM arrive Beijing
Day 16   Depart Beijing

Day-By-Day Program:  

Day 1   SUN               Welcome to Moscow
Arrive in Moscow. You will be met and transferred to your hotel **** in central Moscow. Check-in for a 2 nights’ stay (D)

Day 2   MON           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 Olympic Sports arena and New Maidens' Convent (B)

Day 3    TUE           Moscow, Sightseeing | Train to Yekaterinburg 
Today visit the heart of Moscow, the Almighty Kremlin, the territory behind the fortified red walls.

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 center of the whole Russia.

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.

During your Kremlin Grounds tour . Today tour the very heart of the city and of the whole of Russia – the Kremlin, with its historic churches, the Belfry, Czar’s Cannon and Czar’s Bell. You will go inside the Assumption Cathedral, the principal church of Russia, which vaults witnessed the crucial events that shaped this country. In the afternoon, transfer to rail station to board your train to Yekaterinburg, dep 13.50 (B)

Day 4      WED          Arrive in Yekaterinburg
Arrive in Yekaterinburg by train at 19.20 local time. You will be met and transferred to the Park Inn Hotel (or similar) for an overnight      

Day 5      THU      Yekaterinburg, Sightseeing & train to Irkutsk 
Today your City Highlights tour will introduce you to the most noteworthy landmarks of Yekaterinburg, the capital of the Ural Mountains, Russia's fourth largest city. And, geographically, known as the Great Divide as it marks the border between Europe and Asia. You will drive to the obelisk marking this geographical border where you will stand with one foot in Europe and the other in Asia.
Also visit the Mineralogical Museum as the city is famous as a treasure trove of minerals and precious stones.
You will also visit sights associated with the exile and the last days of Romanov dynasty czar Nicholas II and his family.       
In the evening transfer to rail station to board your train to Irkutsk, departs at 21.49 

Day 6-7    FRI-SAT      On Board train to Irkutsk
You have two full days to relax on board as the train travels through endless Siberia. Enjoy the ever-changing panoramas of natural beauty, as your train speeds through huge spans of land, taiga forest, mighty rivers, into the heart of Siberia. Make new friends or catch up on your reading list

Day 8       SUN              Irkutsk & Lake Baikal
Arrive Irkutsk at 6.20 am local time, a major city in the middle of Siberia, the closest to Lake Baikal, Siberia's main attraction and unique phenomenon. Lunch upon arrival. Meet your local English-speaking guide and leave for a City tour of Irkutsk. 

Your City Highlights tour takes in the most significant sites of Irkutsk. One of them being the classic wooden architecture with its intricately carved lace-like decorations that has given many of this region’s buildings such a distinctive and unique appearance. 

After a good intro to the city, you will be transferred direct to Listvyanka settlement right on the shores of the legendary Lake Baikal. En route stop at Taltsy village to visit an open-air museum of wooden architecture. Overnight at the Legend of Baikal Hotel *** (L,D) 

Day 09    MON               Lake Baikal Sightseeing
Breakfast at hotel. A walking tour of Listvyanka, Lake Baikal shoreline and the Baikal Museum. Free time. In the evening return to Irkutsk for an overnight (B)

Day 10     TUE                Train to Ulaanbaatar 

Morning transfer to Irkutsk rail station for your train to Ulaanbaatar, dep at 8 am local time. 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 (B)

Day 11     WED              Ulaanbaatar & Terelj National Park
Arrive in Ulaan Baatar, the capital of Mongolia, at 6.50 am. Breakfast and transfer to Terelij National Park. Enjoy pristine beauty of the surroundings, explore the Turtle rock, engage in outdoor activities, visit a local nomadic family. Overnight in a traditional Mongolian ger (B,L,D)

Day 12    THU               Terelj - Ulaanbaatar
In the afternoon return to the capital, check-in at the Khabu Hotel *** or similar for a 2 nights' stay (B)

Day 13    FRI                Ulaanbaatar, Sightseeing

City tour of Ulaanbaatar featuring Gandan Buddhist Monastery, Bogd Khan Winter Palace, Zaisan Hill and Sukhebaatar Square. Overnight at hotel (B) 

Day 14   SAT               Train to Beijing
Transfer to Ulaanbaatar rail station to board train No 4 to Beijing, dep 07.30 am 

Day 15   SUN             Arrive Beijing
Arrive in Beijing at 2pm local time. Transfer to the Beijing Novotel Xin Quiao Hotel **** or similar

Day 16   MON              Depart Beijing 
After breakfast your tour ends (B)  

 Dates & Prices, 2021: