Guided group tour Moscow – Beijing on the Trans-Siberian railroad with Naadam-Festival in Mongolia

Arrival in Moscow and transfer to the hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day to get your first taste of the Russian capital. Accommodation at the hotel.

City tour of Moscow’sfamous sights including the Red Square, Basilius cathedral, GUM, Novodevichy Convent, the ancient KGB buildings, the Lenin state library and the Lomonosov Moscow State University (MGU). Visit the Kremlin – a symbol of power and might of the vast Russian lands – with it’s impressive churches and the Armoury Chamber on the Kremlin grounds which contains a unique collection of Royal Russian and international jewellery including thrones, crowns, carriages, costumes, gold and silverware, all lavishly studded with precious stones. On a sunny day, river-cruise on the Moskva with beautiful sights of the city.

Optional in the evening: visit of a ballet, concert, opera or the famous Moscow Circus (tickets on request, not included in the price). Accommodation at the hotel.

Visit the famous Arbat street, Moscow’s lively pedestrian area to do some shopping, discover the Moscow metro, famous for its palatial marble stations with mosaics, chandeliers and precious materials and marvel at the great collection of Russian fine art at Tretyakov-Gallery. In the afternoon, transfer and departure with the Trans-Siberian train from Moscow Yaroslavsky station to Yekaterinburg. Overnight on the train.

On the Trans-Siberian train passing various villages alongside countless birch- and broadleaf forests. Enough time to enjoy a cup of hot tea from the samovar, to read, talk and relax. Evening arrival in Yekaterinburg and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation at the hotel.

Today, you will discover Yekaterinburg, the capital of the Ural. You’ll be taken to the City Pond, Prospect Lenina, the Hill of Ascension and its ancient church founded in 1792, the Historic Square, the Dam, monument of founders of the city – Tatischev and Gennin, Peter’s Court, the Chapel of St. Elizabeth, the Square of the Soviet Army, the Square of the 1905 Revolution and other historical buildings. Learn about the tragic death of the last Russian tsar Nickolay II and his family at the Church of Blood at the Romanov Death Site (Ganina Yama). Lunch in a traditional Russian restaurant and taste delicious Russian food. In the evening, departure and overnight on the train.

On board of the Trans-Siberian railway train. Evening arrival in Novosibirsk and overnight stay at the hotel.

Welcome in Siberia! Novosibirsk is Russia’s third-largest city after Moscow and Saint-Petersburg, and the largest city of Siberia.First thing in the morning (after breakfast of course), you will drive to the scientific city of Akademgorodok. Akademgorodok is the only scientific city in the world, where all the branches of sciences are presented. Visit of the famous Geology Museum at Geology Research Institute and the Open-Air Train Museum (a collection of the old Trans-Siberian trains) as well as the Ob reservoir – an artificial sea.

In the afternoon, you will walk around the city of Novosibirsk, visiting all the main attractions of the city such as: Novosibirsk Railway Station (the biggest station of the Trans-Siberian Railroad), Ascension cathedral, Krasny Prospect street, Lenin Square (city center with the biggest world’s Opera House), old wooden houses on Gorkogo Str. (the oldest part of the city), St. Nicolas Chapel (the geographic center of Russia) and the river Ob’ embankment. Visit of the Local Lore (History Museum), featuring the fascinating and mystical history of Siberia. Our local guides love the city and will make you discover the culture and atmosphere of this fascinating Siberian town!

Evening at your leisure. Visit of a ballet performance or opera on request (Tickets not included). Departure before midnight and overnight on the train.

On board of the Trans-Siberian railway train.

Having crossed the Ural Mountains through forests, alongside lakes and rushing rivers, swamps and remote villages of painted wooden houses, you will arrive in Irkutsk early in the morning and transfer directly to Listvyanka, a small village on the shore of Lake Baikal. The Lake Baikal is a unique biosphere, the World’s deepest, largest (in terms of volume) and presumably oldest (25 million years) lake containing more than 20% of all running fresh-water on this earth. The threat of pollution by unregulated economic exploitation has led to the creation of the largest protected area to keep the cleanliness of its water and uniqueness of its inhabitation for future generations. The lake is 400 miles long, 40 miles wide and about 1 mile deep. Unlike other deep lakes whose bottom waters are poisoned by hydrogen sulphide and other gases, Lake Baikal’s water is saturated with oxygen from its surface to the deepest point and therefore, living organisms can be found at all levels.

You will enjoy a bath in the ‘Old Man’, as local people call the lake. Its water is amazingly transparent: Stones and fish can be seen to a depth of about 50 m and they seem so close that a first-time visitor may be tempted to reach out and pick one up. One of the secrets is that there are millions of microorganisms living in the lake whose main purpose is to clean the water of all pollutants.

On a stroll around the village you will visit the church of St. Nicolas, walk to Cherchky viewing point where you can enjoy a fabulous view on the lake and the Angara-River (if clear weather) and visit a traditional fisher-market. You will also visit the local Limnological Institute (a water watch institute) near Listvyanka.

Your home is a typical Siberian wooden chalet near the lake where local food will be prepared by your host. A Russian steam bath invites to experience a typical Russian sauna (sauna optional, not included).

The morning is at your leisure or take a boat tour on Lake Baikal to enjoy the lake from a different perspective (included if 4 or more participants). You will leave Listvyanka around midday and visit the Wooden Architecture Museum of Tsaltsy on the way back to Irkutsk, where typically old churches, shaman houses and a fortress have been rebuilt in original style. Irkutsk is also called ‘Paris’ of Siberia for its pulsing street life and people’s elegant clothes. Still a major trade center for furs, Irkutsk enjoys today a certain economic wealth. Short but hot summers and very cold winters, however, make life here a real challenge. During a city tour of Irkutsk, your guide will tell you about the development of the Siberian city evolution and shows the most interesting sights and peculiar features of one of the most beautiful cities in Russia. You will see beautiful Russian Orthodox churches, a Polish Cathedral (the only Siberian Gothic-style building), many wooden houses or cabins that are decorated with “wooden laces” (hand-made carvings) as well as modern constructions of the 20th century and visit the Decembrist House, a fascinating museum displaying the life of the Trubetskoy and Volkonsky family. Evening at your leisure. Accommodation at the hotel.

Early morning transfer to the train station, heading to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. The landscape gradually changes from wide forests and rivers to a uniform steppe, where the great Khans have been riding their horses. Overnight on the train.

After arrival in Ulaanbaatar, direct transfer to Terelj National Park. Your local guide will introduce you to the Nomadic way of life of still many Mongolians today. On a jeep, you will travel to a Mountain Camp in a remote area at Terelj National Park, one of the most beautiful landscapes of the world, where you will sleep in gers (traditional Mongolian yurt). Visit of Turtle rock and Buddhist Hanging Temple. You can explore the surroundings on a ride on horseback through the grasslands. You will also visit a Mongolian family living in gers at their summer/winter place, where you can taste local meals.

Transfer back to Ulaanbaatar in the afternoon. On the way visit of 40m high Ghengis Khan statue and it’s interesting museum. Back in the city, settle into your hotel and enjoy a free evening. Accommodation at the hotel.

You will explore the historic city with your guide from Ulaanbaatar and visit the palace of Bogdo Khan, the Gandan abbey, and the national history museum. Enjoy a Mongolian cultural performance including the famous throat-singing in the evening. Accommodation at the hotel.

The Naadam Festival runs each year from July 11th to 13th and is a major Mongolian holiday which celebrates the independence of the country. It is a wonderful time to experience the culture and people of this amazing land. On this special day today, watch the military parade at Ghengis Khan Square before following the crowd to the National Stadium where you will attend the opening ceremony. A colorful event that features marches and music from soldiers, monks and athletes before the real fun begins.

After the opening ceremony, watch the competitions in the three traditional Mongolian sports of wrestling, horse racing and archery. There’s also plenty to see and to do outside: Food, music, crafts and real party atmosphere.

Accommodation at the hotel.

Transfer to the train station. The train leaves again early in the morning towards the Chinese border through the Gobi Desert. Jaw-dropping landscapes will keep your eyes glued to the window. Erlyan, the border town, is nothing more than a military post. Since the Chinese railway operates on Standard Gauge and Russia/Mongolia on a narrower Five Foot Gauge, the boogies of all wagons are changed while hydraulic lifts raise the carriages. Before you reach Beijing you’ll see rice paddies and the Great Wall of China. Overnight on the train.

Arrival in Beijing early afternoon. Beijing is the final destination of your railway journey that has led you across two continents. It is home to millions of small shops and street traders, the place to shop for souvenirs and bargains, and the last opportunity to taste the delicious Chinese food in all its variations. Your local guide will pick you up at the train station. Today’s excursion will take you to the Temple of Heaven. Built in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty, the Temple of Heaven is a complex of Taoist buildings where emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties visited for annual ceremonies of pray for good harvests. You’ll then visit the* Houhai Hutong, one the most popular old town quarters in Beijing*. The alleys give a wonderful glimpse into yesterday’s world, the old way of life and traditional Beijing culture, and highlight the dramatic changes the rest of Beijing has undergone. Accommodation at the hotel.

After breakfast, you will visit the Forbidden City and the famous Tiananmen Square. The afternoon excursion will lead you to one of the most powerful symbols of ancient Chinese civilization – the Great Wall of China, stretching 6,350 km. It took more than one million people and ten years to build the Great Wall of China, designed as a defensive structure. In 1987 it was added to the list of UNESCO world heritage sites. You will visit the less crowded Mutianyu section. A cable car takes you to a good section (avoiding a very steep climb), where you can walk along the wall, through the watch towers and enjoy superb views as it snakes across the hills and mountains. You can return by cable car, walk down or walk along the wall for about an hour to descend by chairlift. Wear good walking shoes and protection from the weather. In the evening, farewell dinner (Beijing duck dinner). Accommodation at the hotel.

Transfer to the airport. See you next time!