Moscow to Beijing

TRANS-SIBERIAN IMPERIAL RUSSIA TRAIN ROUTE (Eastbound):

Visiting: Moscow, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Ulan Ude, Ulan Bataar, Beijing

Tour dates 2020 (15 Days) :

21 June – 05 July 2020
16 – 30 August 2020

Day 1:  – Moscow     

Welcome to Moscow.

Arrive at the international airport and you will be transferred to your hotel to check in for 1 night.  If you have booked our pre-tour to St Petersburg, we’ll collect you from the railway station.

Kremlin Walls Moscow

Day 2: – Moscow

Breakfast at the Hotel

Today we visit Moscow’s Kremlin, which is a symbol of the Russian State, one of the greatest architectural complexes in the world, a treasure house of magnificent relics and monuments of art.

After enjoying lunch in a local restaurant continue your exploration with a walk along the Arbat Street, visit to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and a sightseeing tour of Moscow’s beautiful metro stations.

Dinner this evening with your fellow travelling companions, before we board the “Imperial Russia” Train, to start your iconic journey.

Depart Moscow

Day 3:  – Kazan

Breakfast on board and arrival at Kazan Railway Station.

Enjoy a Grand City Tour of Old Kazan. The Tartar capital is situated on the picturesque banks of the Volga river.  Included is a folklore program “Tugan Avalim” a Tartar epic!  We also include a visit to Kazan’s Kremlin, where you will see the famous mosque.

Lunch today includes a master class revealing the secret of Tartar Cuisine.

Rejoin our Imperial Russia train and enjoy dinner onboard as we depart Kazan, heading East!

Day 4:  – Ekaterinburg

Breakfast onboard before we arrive in Ekaterinburg railway station.

The City Tour is dedicated to the Last Days of Last Russian Tsar. As part of the excursion, you will see the Church on Blood erected to commemorate the tragic historical event, plus the orthodox monastery with temples that are considered to be pearls of Russian construction.

We enjoy lunch in a local restaurant and later you will visit the memorial built at the boundary of two continents (the Europe and Asia).

Departure from Ekaterinburg on board the Imperial Russia train.

Dinner onboard.

Day 5:  – Novosibirsk

Breakfast onboard as we arrive in Novosibirsk.

This region has a great history and unique examples of Siberian architectural monuments and nature.

Our sightseeing tour will include the impressive Railway museum, the Ballet and Opera House, the city’s ancient streets and the Ob river esplanade. Lunch is included today

We depart from Novosibirsk and enjoy dinner onboard.

Day 6:  – On board 

Enjoy activities on board

Meals on board

Day 7:  – Irkutsk

Breakfast onboard, before our train arrives at Irkutsk railway station.

Our tour to the historical city centre includes a visit to the Decembrist House, the “wooden lace” house, also called the “House of Europe”, and some of the most beautiful and amazing streets of the city – Bolshaya Prospektnaya, today – Karl Marx street.

Before our afternoon tour we have lunch in a city restaurant.

Our visit this afternoon is to the Ethnographical museum Taltsy in a picturesque location on the right bank of the Angara River.  There is some free time at the “130 quarter” – “Irkutskaya Sloboda”, a quarter with reconstructed city buildings of the 19-20 c.

Dinner this evening is at a city restaurant, before we rejoin our train for departure from Irkutsk.

Day 8:  – Baikal

Breakfast onboard as we arrive to Port Baikal.

Our excursion today includes a ferry trip to the Listvyanka village, the closest one to Irkutsk of all the settlements on the shores of Lake Baikal. We visit the observation platform, Chersky Stone observation point with a beautiful view on the southern part of the lake and the source of the Angara River – one of the most memorable places for tourists and photographers.

We enjoy lunch in a local restaurant, before our visit to Baikal Museum, which has interesting exhibits of the flora and fauna of the lake.

In Listvyanka, our exploration includes a visit to the local fish and souvenir market before we rejoin the Imperial Russia Train.

Tonight a special picnic dinner on the shores of the lake.

Day 9:  – Ulan-Ude

Breakfast onboard, before arriving to Ulan-Ude.

Our sightseeing tour shows us this unique city, a convenient location in both strategic and economic terms on the cross-roads of Russia with China and Mongolia.

The ethnic and cultural diversity of this area results in a unique understanding of its heritage and of world religions. We will visit functioning churches: Ivolginsky Datsan, Odigitria Cathedral, Holy Trinity Church.

You will also be welcomed in a Buryat family with a warm reception in a traditional Buryat Yurt and a folklore programme. Hospitable Buryats will teach you how to cook the traditional Buryat dish pozy, how to play dice, use a bow, wear a traditional Buryat costume, assemble and disassemble a felt Ger (yurt).

We return to our Imperial train for dinner onboard and we depart Ulan Ude.

Day 10:  – Ulan Bataar

Arriving to Ulan Bator, we leave the train for 1 nights’ adventure.  After visiting the main square and Zaisan square, we travel the scenic route, by motor coach to Terelj National Park, where we arrive to the Camp. Upon arrival, some free time to settle into your traditional Ger and freshen up prior to lunch.

Lunch at the Ger camp

After lunch, we go to the famous turtle rock and to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the surrounding area, a hiking tour to the top of the overlooking hill for a splendid general view of the Terelj National Park.

We will visit a nomadic family for an introduction to the authentic lifestyle and culture of Mongolian nomads and try some traditional dairy food. Activities include disassembling and building of a small Mongolian Ger. For the energetic, optional Horse riding (not included pay locally) is available.

Dinner at the camp and enjoy the vast sunset in the wide steppe and observe the night stars, before ‘turning in’ to your traditional Mongolian Ger.

Overnight accommodation in Ger.

Day 11:  – Ulan Bataar

Breakfast at the camp, then transfer by road to Ulaanbaatar. Our sightseeing tour of the city includes Gandan monastery and Bogd Khaan winter palace museum.  We take a Mongolian BBQ style lunch before continuing our exploration to visit to the Museum of National History.. The culture of the country comes to life with a folk show and we rejoin our private charter train to enjoy dinner onboard and depart from Ulan-Bataar

Day 12: – Erlian  

Breakfast on board.
Arriving in Erlian (or Eranhot) on the Mongolian/Chinese, we say goodbye to the crew of the Imperial Russian train and change to our Chinese train for 1 night as we continue Eastwards.

Day 13:  – Beijing

After breakfast onboard, arriving at our final destination, Beijing, our tour today, visits the amazing Tian’anmen Square – this area alone can accommodate about a million people – this is the world’s largest urban area, where also you will see the national Museum of China; the House of People’s Meetings, the majestic monument to the National Heroes. The Forbidden City.
Tonight we enjoy dinner in a local Restaurant – traditional Peking duck!

Check in for 2 nights in a hotel.

Day 14:  – Beijing

Breakfast at the hotel, after which our sightseeing today will include visiting the Great Wall of China.
Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant before the afternoon excursion to the Summer Palace.
Dinner is included tonight as you say farewell to your fellow travellers on this iconic journey from West to East.

The Great Wall – China

The Great Wall – China

Day 15:   – Beijing          

Breakfast at the hotel.  Check out by 11.00hrs
Your driver will collect you for your transfer to the airport or rail station for your homeward or onward journey.