Ride the Trans-Siberian Express

2020

Fellow Travellers:

Join us on an EXCITING adventure riding the TRANS-SIBERIAN EXPRESS! That’s right, you heard correctly, join us on what promises to be an amazing adventure across Russia-Siberia-Mongolia-China!

Proposed escorted dates: SEPT 2020
Package available for individual departures on Wednesdays, subject to availability.

PRICING: $7,872.00 per person sharing double accommodations; subject to change if 2020 published prices change. Minimum 6 passengers; limited space available; max 14 passengers. Single supplement: $823 subject to availability. Some train sectors you may have to share double stateroom, will be advised when train schedule becomes available. PRICE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

Price includes:
Round trip airfare from/to New York, City or Los Angeles (fare subject to change anytime). Other cities available, please inquire with us;
Transfers airport–hotel / hotel-airport or train station–hotel / hotel–train station;
Train tickets 1st (2-berth compartment) or 2nd class (4-berth compartment);*
- * single compartment in the train is subject to availability and on request.
Russian visa invitation (single entry);
Bilingual guide for all programs (Russian/English);
Accommodation hotel 3* or 4*, DBL, B&B;
Excursions according to programs;
Entrance tickets to museums;

Below, please find the Itinerary for this amazing trip!

Day 1: Depart US

Day 2: Arr. Moscow, meet and transfer to hotel, morning to rest; Panoramic City Tour. Our guide will escort you on a route that includes Vorobyevi Hills where you will get an incredible view of the city from an observation point, you will proceed to Moscow State University which is an example of architecture from the time of Stalin and one of Russia’s leading schools of
higher education, then on to Novodevichiy Convent, the Diplomatic Village, Victory Park, the Triumphal Arch, Kutuzovsky Prospect and much more.

Day 3: Moscow, the capital of Russian Federation, is the starting point of your great Trans Siberian journey. On the way to the hotel, you will have the opportunity to get your first glimpse of this truly unique city.

Day 4: After breakfast at the hotel morning excursion to visit the Kremlin (territory and Cathedrals). Afternoon transfer to train station for overnight train to Yekaterinburg.

Day 5: It takes 26 hours to get to the city of Yekaterinburg in the heart of the Ural Mountains and the beginning of Siberia, about 1600 km from Moscow. Almost all the cities along the way date back to 11-13th centuries. The first city where the train will stop is Vladimir, one of the cities comprising the Golden Ring, famous for its history and beautiful gold-domed churches. The next city is Nizhny Novgorod with its stunning Kremlin settled on the bank of the majestic Volga river.
During the night you will cross the Vyatka River, the town Kotelnich, Balyezino and arrive at the foot of the Ural Mountains. In the morning, the train will stop in the city of Perm, an old Russian city known as a city of ballet and literature. After another 6 hours you will arrive in Yekaterinburg. Upon evening arrival in Yekaterinburg our representatives will meet you at the train station and transfer to your hotel.

Day 6: After a good breakfast, you will start your first excursion which explores the last days of the Romanovs and is combined with a city tour. The excursion will acquaint you with the history of the Romanov family in Yekaterinburg and detail their tragic death. You will visit the Monastery dedicated to the family of the last Tsar. After viewing the Monastery and the neighboring wooden churches, you will go on to see the main historical sites of Yekaterinburg: The Historical skver (park), the wooden dam of the city’s first plant, the old city embankment, and a monument of Lenin. The tour will also take you to places connected to the first President of Russia – Boris Yeltsin. After the excursion, you will be taken back to the hotel and have free time to walk around the city.
In the afternoon you will be taken to the railway station to continue your journey through Russia. Departure to Novosibirsk at night.

Day 7: Your train arrives at the largest train station along the Trans-Siberian Railroad, our representative will meet you with a car or minibus and help you check in at your hotel. On the way to the hotel, you will have an opportunity to get your first look at this mighty Russian city. Novosibirsk is the third largest city in Russia after Moscow and St. Petersburg and the largest Siberian city.

Day 8: After breakfast, you will leave for your tour to Akademgorodok, a city built entirely for scientists and their families. The tour will take you to the Geology Museum, the Open-Air Train Museum exhibiting a collection of old Trans-Siberian trains. You will then continue into Novosibirsk again and be taken on a panoramic city tour to see Krasny Prospect, Alexander Cathedral and Lenin Square which features the vast Opera House. You will also visit the oldest part of the city, Gorkogo Street with its old wooden houses, the tiny St. Nicolas Chapel marking the very center of Russia, and the Ob river embankment. After your excursion, you will have free time before going to the station. Our representatives can help you find a good local restaurant (optional) where you can sample genuine Siberian cuisine. Then, on to the train station to continue your journey to Irkutsk.

Day 9: This part of Trans Siberian route is considered to be the most beautiful. The trip will take almost the whole day. The train will cross over many rivers including the Kam, Chuna, Lya, Oka, Yenisey and Angara. The most important being the Yenisey, with the city of Krasnoyarsk spread along its picturesque bank.

Day 10: Your train arrives in Irkutsk where our representatives will meet and take you to Lake Baikal, the largest body of fresh water in the world. On the way from Irkutsk, we will stop at the Ethnographical museum “Taltsy” consisting of examples of Siberian wooden houses from the past centuries.
We will also make a stop to see the lake from the “Cherskiy Peak” observation point. On arrival to a hotel we will have lunch (optional). We will also visit the Limnological museum, where exhibits of the unique fauna and flora that surround the lake are displayed. There is also an aquarium where you can see different species of local fish and the Baikal nerpa – the earth’s only fresh water seal. And we will visit the functioning St. Nicolas the Miracle-Worker Orthodox Church.

Day 11: After breakfast you will travel by comfortable car or minibus to Irkutsk where you will be taken on a city tour. The tour includes a visit to the Cathedral of the Holy Sign (Znamensky Cathedral). Apart from ornate and rich iconostasis, the cathedral is famous for its graveyard where you will see the graves of the Decembrists Mukhanov, Beschasnov, Trubetskaya and the Russian Columbus Shelekhov. We will then proceed to the Museum of the Decembrists.

Day 12: Your train to Ulan Bator leaves early in the morning. This day you will stay in the train which runs along the lake’s shore. The views of the lake and the surrounding nature are breathtaking. Later in the day you will cross the Russian-Mongolian border.

Day 13: Morning arrival in Ulan Bator. After breakfast at the hotel, you will transfer to the National Park “Terelj” (110km) which is situated in a picturesque mountain valley. We will stop at Ovoo, a pile of stones built as a landmark for worship near the mountain pass. On arrival, you will have lunch. The resort offers a wide range of optional activities (paid separately on the spot) including; archery, horse cart riding and trekking. Dinner will be served in a ger-café and you will spend the night in a ger (the traditional Mongolian nomadic house) in the middle of the endless step.

Day 14: Day spent in Terelj National Park, continue learning about the Mongolian people.

Day 15: After breakfast transfer to Chinggis Khaan statue complex; transfer to Ulan Bator, accommodation in hotel.

Day 16: Once back in the capital, you will start off on a city tour. We will visit the heart of Ulan Bator – Sukhbaatar square with its statue of Sukhbaatar, the national hero in the center. We will then drive to Gandan Monastery. We will have lunch and then visit the Natural History Museum, the oldest public museum in Mongolia. After the museum, you will have some free time to shop in a real Mongolian department store. Dinner is at a local restaurant. You will spend this night in your hotel.

Day 17: After an early breakfast, you will transfer to the railway station to take train to Beijing at 08.10. The entire day will be spent on the train, admiring the scenery of valleys and mountains.

Day 18: On arrival to Beijing you will be met at the railway station by our Chinese representatives and transfer to your hotel by car or minibus. In the evening you will have free time for walking along the city streets and admire the surroundings. We plan to visit the Forbidden City this afternoon, it lies in the very heart of Beijing.

Day 19: Today you will see the main highlights of Beijing. After breakfast at the hotel, we will head off to one of the most powerful symbols of ancient Chinese civilization – the Great Wall, stretching 6,350 km (,3,969 mls). After time at the wall, we will stop for lunch at a local restaurant.
The second part of the excursion will take you to the Ming Tombs. The tombs are located about 31 miles north of Beijing over an area of 25 square miles. Two of the tombs, Changling and the most famous, Dingling, an underground palace, are open to the public.

Day 20: After breakfast at hotel, take morning bullet train to Xi’an and meet with our local guide for transfer to visit The City Wall. Constructed in the center of Xi’an City, the City Wall of Xi’an is one of the oldest and best-preserved among the few Chinese city walls. Initially built in the Tang Dynasty, the City Wall was repaired and enlarged as the present one in the early Ming Dynasty.

Day 21: After breakfast at hotel, transfer to visit Terra Cotta Army Warriors, most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China. Life size terracotta figures of warriors and horses arranged in battle formations are the star features at the museum. They are replicas of what the imperial guard should look like in those days of pomp and vigor. Afternoon transfer to train station for bullet train to Beijing, meet and transfer to airport for flight back home.
End of services.

NOTE: Daily time for events or order in which services will be provided may change according to local circumstances, weather or forces beyond our control. Our representatives and coordinators will do all possible to provide all services being described in Itinerary.