Trans-Mongolian Tours: St Petersburg-Beijing
We now offer this extended version of our popular Moscow - Beijing tour. This
tour begins in St Petersburg, includes a city tour of Moscow and is priced at
£1149.
For tour upgrade please see information at the bottom of the page.
Departure day is Thursdays all year round.
Day 1:
Arrive in St Petersburg and check into your accommodation.
Day 2:
Free day in St Petersburg. We recommend visiting the Hermitage, home to the largest art collection in the world. Inside are art pieces from the 13th to 20th centuries, including works by Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Leonardo Da Vinci, Renoir, Raphael, Picasso and many more.
Day 3:
Free day around St Petersburg. Go for a stroll along Nevsky Prospekt and visit the Church of the Saviour on Blood, St Isaacs Cathedral and Dostoevsky's apartment.
In the late evening head to Moskovsky station for your overnight train to Moscow.
Day 4:
Arrive in Moscow at 9.30 am and head straight to your accommodation. Just five minutes walk away is the Old Arbat, Moscow's main tourist street. Walk along the pedestrianised route which leads directly to Red Square and the Kremlin. Option of a fully guided 3 hour tour of the Kremlin tour.
Day 5:
After breakfast be ready for a city bus tour at 10.30 which will take you on a circular route of all Moscow's main sites.
Our English speaking guide will give you a running commentary along the way of the history of sites including Bolshoy Theatre, Red Square, St. Basil's Cathedral, Tretiakov Gallery, Bolotnaya Ploschad, Christ Cathedral the Saviour, New Tretiakov Gallery, Gorky Park, Sparrow Hills, Moscow State University, Victory Park, Borodino Panorama, Triumphal Arch, Novodevichy Convent, Novodevichy Cemetery, White House, New and Old Arbat Streets, the Kremlin, Alexander Gardens, Manege and Okhotny Ryad Mall.
Day 6:
Head to Moscow Yaroslav station at midday and leave aboard the 13:35 train.
Leave Moscow's suburbs towards Vladimir and view the golden spires and domes of the Assumption Cathedral before glimpsing the Bogolyubovo 12th century monastery complex.
Head east to Nizhny Novgorod.
Day 7:
Relax on board the train as you travel further Eastwards towards Yekaterinburg through the verdant rolling foothill landscapes of the Ural Mountains.
Day 8:
Relax on board the train and make the most of the restaurant car as you head towards Omsk and pass the 2102km point which officially marks the border of Siberia.
Give your legs a stretch at each stop and buy food from the many sellers on the platforms.
Day 9:
Onwards towards Krasnoyarsk as you pass through the busiest section of railway in the world.
Freight trains, mainly full of coal heading towards the Ural smelting works from the Kubas Basin. Further along you will cross one of the worlds longest rivers on the 870m long Ob River bridge.
Day 10:
Arrive in Irkutsk at 9.36. Transfer to your hostel and spend the day at leisure around Irkutsk.
Maybe go for a leisurely stroll and take in the beautiful wooden buildings before visiting the Church of the Saviour, the Znamensky monastery and Irkutsk Museum.
Later, head to the market to pick up some supplies then head out for a tradition Siberian meal at one of the cities many restaurants before continuing onto a bar or club later.
Day 11:
Our driver will pick you up at 9.00 and drive you to Irkutsk station where you
will transfer onto a bus and head north 250 km along the Primorsky Mountains on Baikal's western shore towards Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world at 1673m.
We have a coffee stop en route before arriving at the Olkhon Island ferry around lunch time. After a short stroll around the ferry stop we make the crossing to Olkhon Island, 71km long and 14.5km wide; making it the largest lake island in the world.
Olkhon is populated primarily by the Buryati people who are of Mongolian descent and whose Buddhist practices coexist with their shamanism. Upon arrival you are transferred to your accommodation at a fishermans family guesthouse.
After lunch group members can explore the village and visit the museum of Local Lore. A walking excursion can be done through the village to the Cape of Burkhan to see the famous Crag of Shaman (Rock Temple) which was generally regarded as one of the 9 sanctuaries of Asia. Return to dine on home-cooked grayling, a local Baikal speciality before spending the rest of the evening at leisure.
Day 12:
In the morning depart by Russian military jeep to explore Olkhon Island and classic Lake Baikal vistas.
Head north and make your first stop at Sagaan-Khushun Cape, a beatiful cliff covered in red lichen. Then head forward to the coastal sand dunes and stretches of beach along the way, including the 200m high cliffs of Khoboy Cape at the northern tip of the island.
After a picnic-lunch (Baikal omul fish-soup), cooked on an open fire in Uzuri bay you will return to Khuzir village. Experience a traditional Russian banya (sauna) before being served a traditional 3 course Olkhon dinner. Again spend the rest of the evening at leisure.
Day 13:
After a farewell breakfast in the guesthouse, you will be picked up in an Istana minibus and driven onwards to the ferry-station.
Cross the strait to the mainland and drive to Irkutsk. There is an en route stop for lunch in the Buryat village of Bayandai. Arrival in Irkutsk around 16.00. A few hours at your leisure before heading to the train station for the
22.15 train to Ulan Bator, travelling around part of the lower edge of Lake Baikal.
Day 14:
On board the train, passing through the semi autonomous region of Buryatia and the shores of Goose Lake.
Arrive at the Russian border town of Naushki ready for your crossing into Mongolia. After passports are checked you enter Mongolia and witness a rapid change of scenery with the pine and birch forests making way for the beautiful green pastures of the Selenge River basin.
Day 15:
Arrive in Ulan Bator at 6.10. Transfer to your hostel and the rest of the day can be spent at your leisure around the capital.
Maybe visit Sukhbaatar Square, Nairamdal Park, the Gandantegchinlen Khiid temple and National Museum of Mongolian History before heading for dinner at any one of a wide range of restaurants.
We recommend you try a traditional Mongolian barbecue. In the evening you could visit the Tumen Ekh Ensemble Palace to view contortionists, dancers, opera singers and the bizarre Mongolian throat singers! Spent the rest of the night around one of the cities many bars.
Day 16:
Our driver picks you up in the morning and drives you to Terelj National Park, 50 miles northeast of Ulan Bator. Enter the park and immediately feel the cool alpine air and view the magnificent mountain scenery.
You will be taken to see and possibly buy goods from local artists, view hawks and eagles and even camels! You then transfer from the minibus onto horseback* and a journey into the valleys past streams and through winding mountain paths. The horses are then tied up as you begin a mountain hike up to Ariyapala Temple crossing a rope bridge along the way.
After ascending the steps to the temple you will have the chance to meditate or simply sit back and admire the amazing views.
You then return to your horses and head back to Turtle Rock and the Ger Camp where you will spend the night.
The camp is set in the spectacular Gorkhi River valley. Settle down in your Ger then meet the farmer and his family who own the camp.
Spend the rest of the afternoon taking leisurely strolls on green meadows carpeted with edelweiss and a variety of other wildflowers; view incredible rock formations against a backdrop of pine-covered mountains; and stroll along the banks of a mountain stream.
Return to your camp and relax for the evening. Dinner cooked on a stove inside your Ger and eat it
outside under a huge starlit sky. When the temperature drops head inside the Ger and light up your stove to keep you warm during the night!
Day 17:
After breakfast we head to the Chinggis Khan complex outside Ulan Bator. Option
of going inside the huge statue ($10) before returning to your accommodation in
Ulan Bator with the afternoon spent at leisure. Maybe visit the National Modern Art Gallery, the Museum of National History and the Winter Palace of Bogd Khaan.
Visit the huge State Department Store before eating dinner at one of the cities many restaurants and maybe spend the evening watching the ballet at the State Opera & Ballet Theatre or a live rock or jazz band at River Sounds.
Day 18:
Arise early for your transfer to the station where you can order breakfast before the
7.15 train to Beijing arrives. head south through hundreds of miles of the Gobi desert, as far as your eyes can see.
Have dinner in the extravagant Chinese buffet car before arriving at the border around 21.00.
Day 19:
Travel through incredible Chinese countryside, crossing the Great Wall of China
and finally arriving in Beijing at 14.04.
This is where your tour ends. However for help booking onwards journeys within Beijing and the rest of China please contact us.
* We can arrange alternative activities for anyone not keen on horse riding
Included in the price:
- Russian visa invitation
- Russian visa registration
- 2nd class train tickets
- quality dorm accommodation in St Petersburg, Moscow, Irkutsk and UB hostels
- 2 hour Moscow bus tour
- transport to Olkhon island, private accommodation, meals and jeep tour
- transport to Terelj National Park with guides, Ger accommodation, horseriding and meals
- transfers from Irkutsk and UB stations
There is a £129 surcharge for sole travellers if travelling on a date when there are no other tours booked
Tour upgrade:
- private rooms in St Petersburg, Moscow, Irkutsk and Ulan Bator £129p/p
- transfer in St Petersburg or Moscow £12 p/p
- 3 hour guided tour of the Kremlin £35 p/p
For an extra £549 we can upgrade you to private cabins on each
train. First class cabins from St Petersburg to Moscow and UB to Beijing with
private second class from Moscow to Irkutsk and Irkutsk to UB.
* For anyone looking to reduce the price even further, we also offer a lower budget Trans Mongolian tour, travelling in third class on the Moscow-Irkutsk leg for
£1049.
Please note you are not accompanied by a guide at all times and on the train with this tour. The guides will pick you up at each station and take you on the tours to Lake Baikal and Terelj National Park.