Itinerary
With all tours originating in the ancient city of Beijing you are guaranteed a memorable journey through Asia, Siberia and European Russia passing breathtaking landscapes such as the Ural Mountains and the awe-inspiring Lake Baikal. For a detailed breakdown of this tour, please download our free Trans-Mongolian tour brochure which includes a day to day account of what you will see and do, along with tour prices and information regarding your accommodation.
Day 1 - Arrival in Beijing
Your tour starts in Beijing, where your transfer will be waiting for you at the airport, or train station, to take you to the 4* centrally located Super House International Hotel.
Day 2 - Beijing Excursion Day
You will have a half day city tour introducing you to the main sites of Beijing, including Tiananmen Square, Summer Palace, as well as the Pearl and Silk markets. You will be offered lunch.
Day 3 - Free Day in Beijing
You have the freedom to explore, and experience, the majesty of the Chinese capital at your leisure.
Day 4 - Depart Beijing
Pack, and prepare to check-out early in the morning before taking a transfer to the railway station, where our guide will advise, and assist, in purchasing provisions for the train if desired, accompany you to the platform, ensure that everyone is settled into their cabins and answer any last minute questions.
Day 5 - Arrival in Ulan Bator and Gorkhi Terelj National Park Excursion
After your afternoon arrival you will be transferred to the world famous Gorkhi Terelj National Park. Lunch will then be served at a local Ger camp, followed by walking in the hills, with an excursion to Turtle Rock and a meditation centre before returning to the Ger camp for an evening meal and overnight stay.
Day 6 - Mongolian Steppe Excursion and visit to the Genghis Khan Statue Complex
After breakfast you will have the opportunity to visit the famous Genghis Khan Statue Complex that includes a museum and a scenic view from the top of the statue. Additionally, you will meet a local herdsman’s family to see the fascinating daily life of Mongolia's nomads before taking the trip back to Ulan-Bator where you will stay in the centrally located, 3* NINE hotel.
Day 7 - Ulan Bator Excursion
A fantastic half day city tour, offering a guided overview to the main sites of Ulan-Bator.
Day 8 - Free Day and Departing Ulan Bator
After spending most of the day free to explore Ulan Bator, you will be provided with an afternoon transfer to the railway station to catch the train to continue your journey along the Trans-Mongolian railway. You will head onwards to Irkutsk, passing by the amazing Lake Baikal.
Day 9 - Arrival in Irkutsk and Listvyanka
Following your afternoon arrival in Irkutsk, you will be taken to your lakeside chalet accommodation in the village of Listvyanka. The day is rounded off with a traditional Baikal dinner and optional sauna experience, "Banya".
Day 10 - Free day in Listvyanka
Free day to relax, explore and experience Listvyanka and the incredible Lake Baikal.
Day 11 - Free Day in Listvyanka
Free day to relax, explore and experience Listvyanka.
Day 12 - Irkutsk Excursion
Today you will be transferred by car from Listvyanka to the 3* Angara Hotel in Irkutsk. You will enjoy an exciting 2-3 hour city tour to see some of the best sights in Irkutsk, the Polish cathedral, Russian Orthodox churches and the Decembrist’s House.
Day 13 - Depart Irkutsk
The first half of the day is free to do as you please, however, you will need to be prepared to check out at 12 noon. There will be a transfer from the hotel to the railway station later in the afternoon to catch your train for the next leg of your Trans–Siberian journey, on through Siberia and on to Moscow.
Day 14 - Heading into Eurasia
After passing through Novosibirsk, the largest city in Siberia, the train will head for the historic Yekaterinburg and the Ural Mountains, crossing the border between Asia and Europe, around 1,000 miles east of Moscow.
Day 15 - Arrival in Yekaterinburg
You will arrive in Yekaterinburg later in the evening and be provided with a transfer to take you to the 3* Grand Avenue Hotel.
Day 16 - Yekaterinburg Excursion
A half day tour, featuring some of the key landmarks that Yekaterinburg has to offer, including the Cathedral on the Blood, Ascension Hill and the Literary Quarter with a follow up visit to see the Europe/Asia border marker outside the city.
Day 17 - Free day in Yekaterinburg
You will be have a free day to explore, discover and experience everything Yekaterinburg has to offer.
Day 18 - Free Day and Departure from Yekaterinburg
You will have an early morning transfer to the railway station to continue your trip to Moscow.
Day 19 - Arrive in Moscow
In the morning you will reach your destination, the Russian Capital of Moscow, where your transfer will be waiting to pick you up.
Explore, Discover, Experience
Real Russia has drawn on years of experience in the region to create three ranges of our tours and a wide selection of options to give you maximum choice and flexibility in choosing your Trans-Siberian adventure.
This tour is in the Discover Range - designed for flexibility the Discover range includes trains, transport and quality 3* and 4* accommodation, along with a selection of half day tours and expert guides.
To view this tour in the other ranges, then please select from the options shown below, or, if you are ready to start your adventure with Real Russia, then simply press “Request Tour” and we will get started!
Includes
All our tours include:
- Domestic and/ or international rail tickets
- Transfers for all departures and arrivals at each city
- A transfer with a personal guide to accompany you to the train on the start of your journey
- Russian letter of invitation and visa support documents for China and Mongolia
- Breakfast at all hotels, homestays and other accommodation
This tour includes:
- Total Duration: 19 Days
- Nights on the train: 6
- Key Destinations: Beijing (3), Ulan Bator (3), Irkutsk (4), Yekaterinburg (3), Moscow
- Excursions with a local guide: 3 half day: Ulan Bator, Yekaterinburg and Irkutsk city tours. 3 full day: Beijing city tour, Ghorkhi Park, Genghis Khan Statue Complex and Nomad Life in Ulan Bator
- Accommodation: Centrally located comfortable 3* hotels close to the heart of the city
- Meals: Breakfast at all Hotels, plus a dinner at Listvyanka / Baikal and other meals, which are dependent on your preferred excursions. These are indicated in each route itinerary
This tour does not include:
- In tour spending money (all accommodation, excursions, transfers and other tour elements are fully paid prior to departure)
- Flights or other travel arrangements prior to tour joining point
- Meals, unless specified in the itinerary
{C}
Explore, Discover, Experience
Real Russia has drawn on years of experience in the region to create three ranges of our tours and a wide selection of options to give you maximum choice and flexibility in choosing your Trans-Siberian adventure.
This tour is in the Discover Range - designed for flexibility the Discover range includes trains, transport and quality 3* and 4* accommodation, along with a selection of half day tours and expert guides.
To view this tour in the other ranges, then please select from the options shown below, or, if you are ready to start your adventure with Real Russia, then simply press “Request Tour” and we will get started!
Overview
Your tour starts in the ancient city of Beijing, China's new capital. On route to Moscow enjoy the ever changing scenery as you travel past the Great Wall, northwards through the breathtaking Gobi Desert to arrive at the Mongolian Capital of Ulan-Bator. After four days "on the ground" you head off to Irkutsk deep in Siberia, home of the world famous Lake Baikal for a three day stopover before you head west through the vast steppes and forests of Eurasia, to the historic city of Yekaterinburg on the border of Europe and Asian in the Ural Mountains, after a two day visit, its an overnight train ride into European Russia before finally arriving in Moscow. With our trusted 3* hotel accommodation, full in-tour transfers and complete guided excursions, you can relax and submerge yourself into the total experience.
Tour dates 2021
| Jan |
Feb |
March |
April |
May |
June |
July |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| 3 |
7 |
7 |
4 |
2 |
6 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
7 |
5 |
| 10 |
14 |
14 |
11 |
9 |
13 |
11 |
8 |
12 |
10 |
14 |
12 |
| 17 |
21 |
21 |
18 |
16 |
20 |
18 |
15 |
19 |
17 |
21 |
19 |
| 24 |
28 |
28 |
25 |
23 |
27 |
25 |
22 |
26 |
24 |
28 |
26 |
| 31 |
|
|
|
30 |
|
|
29 |
|
31 |
|
|
Prices (Based on 2020 rates)
| |
Second Class |
|
First Class |
| No. of people |
£ |
€ |
$ |
|
£ |
€ |
$ |
| 1 |
£4,710.00 |
€5,210.00 |
$5,665.00 |
|
£5,360.00 |
€5,920.00 |
$6,445.00 |
| 2 |
£3,255.00 |
€3,600.00 |
$3,925.00 |
|
£3,905.00 |
€4,310.00 |
$4,705.00 |
| 3 |
£3,255.00 |
€3,595.00 |
$3,920.00 |
|
£3,905.00 |
€4,310.00 |
$4,700.00 |
| 4 |
£3,015.00 |
€3,335.00 |
$3,640.00 |
|
£3,665.00 |
€4,050.00 |
$4,420.00 |
| 5 |
£3,085.00 |
€3,415.00 |
$3,725.00 |
|
£3,735.00 |
€4,130.00 |
$4,510.00 |
| 6+ |
£2,930.00 |
€3,245.00 |
$3,545.00 |
|
£3,580.00 |
€3,960.00 |
$4,325.00 |
Between October and December first class trains are not available between Ulan Bator and Irkutsk. As a replacement, we will book a second class compartment per two people to retain the privacy of first class travel.
Below is a selection of recent testimonials received from Real Russia customers …
"The whole tour was absolutely amazing ..."
Ben
"Everything was perfect, the guides, the hotels, the tours and the trains. The trip was beyond our expectations. I will happily recommend you to anyone. Thank you!!!"
Cynthia and Craig
"I just wanted to say that your thoughtfulness and attention to detail made for just a wonderful holiday. We have sung your praises so many times ..."
Barbara & Jan-Erik
"I don't see how you could do better. I couldn't recommend you more highly."
Jane
"I just wanted to thank you for your excellent services! Everything went brilliant and we enjoyed the Transiberian/Mongolian railway a lot. We will recommend you everywhere."
Michal
"Now that our Russian adventure has come to an end we want to let you know how much we enjoyed the tour. Your excellent planning and arrangements really resulted in a trip that more than met our expectations. It was truly the trip of a lifetime."
Alan and Gail
"The trip has been wonderful It has exceeded our expectations! You have done a wonderful job, congratulations to you and Real Russia!"
Cinthia and Craig
"We had a fantastic trip through Russia, Mongolia and China. It simply can't be described in words :-) It's one of those life changing experiences."
Guro and Thomas
"We had an amazing journey and loved every minute of it. Your organization of the tour was excellent and everything went to plan. The trip was made very interesting by the informative and very pleasant guides we had in the major cities – they looked after us very well, were always on the platform to meet us and ensured we got the next train. That certainly took the worry out of the trip. The way the tour was organized allowed us plenty of free time after we had the introduction to the city. All the hotels were good, the Imperia Park in St Petersburg was excellent for friendliness and location (away from the main tourist area but near the underground). The hotel in Moscow was also in an interesting location and suited us very well (although quite a walk to the underground) and gave us a flavour of soviet style hotels.
Our time in Yekaterinburg was most enjoyable, the hotel was excellent and our tour guide an amazing and informative man who ensured we got the best from his city. Lake Baikal and Irkutsk were cold, sunny but again very interesting – the Circum-Baikal railway was a definite highlight of the trip – it was a lovely day and the al fresco lunch with pine nut vodka will stay with us for a long time. Ulan Bator was a very different experience, despite the dreadful driving conditions we had an excellent guide and most importantly a very careful driver. The Ger camp was set in an amazing valley away from the main camps and was quite delightful – and the visit to a local herdsman was memorable.
I could continue to write about our trip for several hours but I am sure you can see that we had a wonderful time. We would like to thank Real Russia for their excellent organization, from the original enquiries, the visa service, hotels, train tickets and the partner guides in the various cities. All of these things ensured that we had a trouble free experience and we would highly recommend Real Russia for anyone thinking about travel in Russia. If you require any more detailed feedback we would be happy to do so.
Once again, many many thanks for helping us to go on this trip."
Andrea and Maurice
"Nick and I have just got back to the UK after a fantastic two-week adventure on the Trans-Siberian and Trans-Mongolian routes, and I just wanted to write to you to register our big, big thanks!
You, and all the team at Real Russia, have done just the best job for us. You've been terrific from the start when we had lots of options and lots of changes of mind, and you were wonderfully patient and advised us very well. Once the itinerary was finalised you did briliantly with all the tickets and visas on time, everything clearly described, and all 100 per cent ready to go.
All the arrangements worked out perfectly. We've been delighted. You and Real Russia deserve all credit for a wonderful job and, again, many many thanks!
All best wishes"
John and Nick
For other testimonials – see our Testimonials page
Tours Overview Brochure
Trans-Siberian Rail Route Brochures
Trans-Russian
- Travelling the length of Russia
- Trans-Siberian Express:
10 days Moscow to Vladivostock direct
- Classic Trans-Siberian:
13 days Moscow to Vladivostok via Irkutsk and Lake Baikal
- Vladivostok Voyager:
16 days Moscow to Vladivostok via Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk and Lake Baikal
Trans-Manchurian
- Travelling through Russia and China
- Beijing Express:
10 days Moscow to Beijing through Manchuria
- Siberian Eye:
14 days Moscow to Beijing via Irkutsk, Lake Baikal and Manchuria
Trans-Mongolian
- Travelling through Russia, Mongolia and China
- Trans-Mongolian Express:
9 days Moscow to Beijing direct
- Three Capitals:
13 days Moscow to Beijing via Ulan-Bator
- Classic Trans-Mongolian:
17 days Moscow to Beijing via Irkutsk, Lake Baikal and Ulan-Bator
- Real Eurasian:
19 days Moscow to Beijing via Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Lake Baikal and Ulan-Bator