Trans Siberian Express 2014

Moscow – Beijing (go east)

Trans Siberian Express 2014

Russia – Mongolia – China (go east)

Moscow – Kazan – Yekaterinburg – Novosibirsk – Irkutsk – Circum Baikal Rail Road - Ulan-Ude – Ulan-Bator – Erlian – Beijing

Day 1 - Moscow Arrival

Welcome to Moscow. Your tour guide accompanies you airport to your hotel.

Day 2 - Moscow

Breakfast at the Hotel. Grand city tour. Lunch. Visit to the Moscow Kremlin which is a symbol of the Russian State, one of the greatest architectural complex in the world, a treasure house of magnificent relics and monuments of art. Walk along the Arbat Street. The Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Sightseeing tour of Moscow metro station. Welcome to the “Imperial Russia” Train. Depart from Moscow.

Day 3 - Kazan

Arriving in Kazan Railway Station. Grand City Tour “Old Kazan”. The Tartar capital is situated on the picturesque banks of the Volga. Within folklore program “Tugan Avalim”  you will enjoy Tartar epic. Kazan sightseeing (Kremlin). Lunch including a master class revealing the secret of Tartar Cuisine. Depart from Kazan.

Day 4 - Yekaterinburg

Train arrives in Yekaterinburg railway station. City tour dedicated to the Last Days of Last Russian Tsar. As part of the excursion you will see the Church on Blood erected to commemorate a tragic historical event, the orthodox monastery with temples that are considered to be pearls of Russian construction. Lunch. You will visit the memorial built at the boundary of two continents ( the Europe and Asia).Departure from Yekaterinburg.

Day 5 - Novosibirsk

The next stop on Trans Siberian thoroughfare is Novosibirsk. You will reach a region with great history and unique Siberian architectural monuments and nature. Sightseeing tour: Railway museum , Ballet and Opera House, ancient street, Ob river esplanade. Lunch. City tour continued. Departure from Novosibirsk.

  Day 6 - on board

When the tourists are aboard the train they will be able to admire the magnificent nature of Russian Siberia, they will have the unique opportunity to learn the Russian language and songs, to take part in different competitions with small funny prizes and to listen to some interesting and informative lectures about our life, history, culture and traditions.
 

Day 7 - Irkutsk and Lake Baikal

In the morning arrival in Irkutsk, one of the oldest Siberian cities that is situated in the Eastern Siberia on a picturesque bank of the Angara River. Irkutsk was founded as a small settlement in 1661 and soon got the status of a city. At the end of the 17th century Irkutsk turned into the most important transit point on trade routes from Russia to China and Mongolia. Meeting with local guide. Tour to the historical city center including a visit to the Decembrist House, the “ wooden lace” house, also called the “House of Europe”, the most beautiful and amazing streets of the city- Bolshaya Prospektnaya, today – Karl Marx street. Lunch at a city restaurant. Free time at the “130 quarter” – “Irkutskaya Sloboda”, a quarter with reconstructed city building of the 19-20c. Visit to the Ethnographical museum Taltsy which is located in a picturesque place on the right bank of the Angara River. Dinner at a city restaurant.  Departure from Irkutsk.

Day 8 - Circum Baikal Line and Lake Baikal

Trans Siberian Express will present you with amazing trip of this day – Circum Baikal Line which used to be a part of Tran Siberian Railroad which join two great branches – Eastern and Western rail lines, disconnected by Baikal Lake. It was called the "Golden Buckle of Russia’s steel belt" due to the transcendental cost of the construction. The shoreline landscape which high rocky cliffs and walls made a great difficulty for construction of this railroad mostly represent. For the whole length of Circum-Baikal Line (less than 100 km) 39 tunnels were built, with a total length of 8994 meters. For the present moment this part of Trans Siberian Line is not included into general railroad line and it became an open-air museum. There is not much traffic on this railroad, only few local and excursion trains. The road starts from the dead end in Port Baikal (small settlement across Listvyanka village), goes along the picturesque southern shore of Baikal Lake and joins the main Trans Siberian Line in Sludyanka village.
Lake Baikal being invariably called “Pearl of Siberia” is a unique natural phenomenon not only of the Asia continent but also of the Planet. It’s the deepest (1620 m) Lake in the world and is estimated to contain one-fifth of all the Earth’s fresh surface water. Vegetative organisms and animal species are 60% endemic. Ferry trip to the Listvyanka village , the closest one to Irkutsk of all the settlements on the shores of Lake  Baikal. Lunch on the form of a picnic. Platform observation, Chersky Stone observation point with beautiful view on the southern part of the lake and the source of the Angara River is one of the most favorite places for tourists and photographers.  Visit to Baikal Museum which displays the flora and fauna of the lake. Listvyanka sightseeing. Visit to local fish and souvenir market.

Day 9 - 10- Ulan-Ude

This day we arrive in Ulan-Ude – the capital of the Buryat Republic of the Russian Federation. It’s situated at the junction of the Selenga and the Uda Rivers, on a crossroad of trading routes leading from China and Mongolia to Russia and Europe. The settlement of Nizhnyudinsk (former name of Ulan-Ude) was founded in 1666 as a winter outpost of the Russian Cossacks. Buryatia is a unique land with its wild and virgin nature, endless steppes, alpine meadows and taiga, Buddhist temples, nomad’s tents and shamans. During excursion you can visit Ivolginsky Datsan (Buddhist Monastery) that is the center of Buddhism in Russia and also the village with old-orthodox inhabitants. Sightseeing tour of this unique city, a conversation in both strategic and economics  ways on the cross- roads of Russia with China and Mongolia. Ethnic and culture diversity of this area offers a unique understanding of its heritage of the world’s religions. Visit functional churches: datsan “Khambyn Khure” at Verkhnaya Berezovka, women datsan “Zungun Darzhaling?, Odigitria cathedral , Holy Trinity Church. You will be welcomed in a Buryat family. Excursion program , reception in a traditional Buryat Yurt and a folklore program. Hospitable Buryats will teach you how to cook the traditional Buryat dish posy , how to play dice, use a bow, wear a traditional Buryat costume, assemble a felt yurt.

Days 11 – 12 -Ulan-Bator

In the morning the train arrives in Ulan-Bator – the capital of Mongolia. Visiting the well-known Buddhist Minastery Ganda, where the famous 26.5 meter high golden statue of Migjid Janraisig the bodhisattva of Avalokitescara is located. Visiting the Zaisan Memorial. From the top of the Memorial you can observe the panoramic view of the whole Ulan Bator and river Tola. An excursion to the Park of Buddha – Center of cultural and religious heritage of Zanabazar. Visiting the Palace – museum of Bogd Khan Uul , you will be to see 8124 exhibits, among them portraits of all Bigd Khas living from the 17 till 20 century. Also you will see the sandalwood had presented to the first Bogd Khan Zanbazar by the fifth Dalai Lama. You will see the Sukhbaatar Square one of the largest in the World. Supper in one the Restaurants. Visiting the Museum of National History ( Museum of History of Nature) with inspection of samples of minerals and precious stomes, flore and fauna of Hangai and Gobi of different times, stuffed rare animals- wild  Przhewalski horses, havrgaevs- wild camels, wold kulans , ect. Visiting the State Museum of History of Mongolia, where archaeological materials. Photographs and diagrams paleontological and excavation sites are presented. Coins, weapons, national clothes household items. Religious cult objects, bronze statuettes. Folkloric show. Departing Ulan Bator.

Next day, Camping ( accommodation at traditional Mongolian yurts).

Day 13 - Erlian

In the morning you will arrive at the Mongolian border village of Zamyn-Uud and after a quick passport and customs check in the Chinese border town of Erlian. All passport and custom formalities will again take place in the train; you may just stay in your compartment and watch the procedure. In Erlian railway station the Russian railway gauge system (“broad gauge” 1520 mm wide) meets the China railway gauge system (“standard gauge” 1435 mm wide). The Trans Siberian Express therefore terminates in Erlian. The connecting Chinese train will be waiting on the same platform. While service staff transfers your luggage to the Chinese train, you will enjoy a rickshaw tour to the local market and a sumptuous Chinese welcome lunch. In the afternoon the Chinese train will pass through Gobi desert.
Accommodation onboard the Chinese train.

Day 14 - Beijing

In the morning the train arrives in Beijing – the capital of China – with its ancient history it has always been of great interest to people all over the world. Emperors and khans always ruled this Forbidden City, unreachable for ordinary people. Transfer to the Hotel. Visiting of the Great Chinese Wall. Supper at the Restaurant. Visiting Tian’anmen Square – this area can fit about a million people, this is the world’s largest urban area, where the national Museum of China, the House of People’s Meetings, the majestic monument to the National Heroes and the mausoleum of Mao Zedong. Visiting the Imperial Palace Gugun ( The Forbidden City) , the main Palace complex of the Chinese Empereros from the XV to the beginning of XX century, where the Celestial Empire was ruled by 24 Emperors of Ming and Qing dynasty. Visit the Temple of Heaven – a place, where Chinese Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasty annually staged the rituals of sacrifice to the Sky. Dinner at the Restaurant.

Day 15 - Beijing

Breakfast at the Hotel. Visiting the Park of Nationalities of China, where the architecture, domestic institutions and the exhibits that reflect the way of life of large and small ethnic groups of China. Visiting the national stadium “ Bird’s Nest”. Visiting the Park “ World in miniature”, where 100 outstanding architectural monuments of 50 different countries are reproduced in miniature. Supper in the Restaurant. Visiting the Beijing Oceanarium the largest in the World, where more than 1000 species if sea animals and 50 000 species of sea fishes are established. Visiting the Beijing Zoo which is included in 10 largest Zoo of the World, where you can see 5000 different animals. Transfer to the airport. Farewell this is the end of your Trip.

Day 16 - Beijing Departure

Morning leisure in Beijing. Airport group or individual transfer will be provided by our service team to connect with your flight departing Beijing.