Guided Trans-Siberian group trip from Moscow to Vladivostok

Arrival in Moscow, transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is at your disposal to get your first taste of the Russian capital. In the evening, visit of a ballet, concert, opera or the famous Moscow Circus, tickets on request. Hotel accommodation.

City tour of Moscow’s famous sights including the Red Square, Basilius cathedral, GUM Shopping centre, Novodevichy Convent, the ancient KGB buildings, the Lenin state library and the Lomonosov Moscow State University. Visit the Kremlin – a symbol of power and might of the vast Russian lands – with its impressive churches and the Armoury Chamber 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. Transfer to the railway station in the evening and departure to Kazan. Overnight on board of the train.

Arrival in Kazan. City tour including the most famous sights of Kazan: Kazan Kremlin, Old Tatar Sloboda, a Tatar village Tugan Avylym in the city centre, the oldest mosque Marjani, Kamal theatre, the mysterious lake Kaban, Kazan Millennium Park, Liberty Square, the Kazan University, Kazanka river embankment, offering unique views of the coast of the Kazan Riviera, Peter and Paul Cathedral, the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Kazan. You will see the Spassky tower, leaning tower Syuyumbike, and government buildings, visit the Kul-Sharif Mosque and the Cathedral of the Annunciation. In the evening train to Yekaterinburg. Overnight on board of the train.

Arrival in Yekaterinburg, Transfer to the hotel. Today, you will discover Yekaterinburg, the third largest city of Russia. 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. Hotel accommodation.

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). Taste delicious Russian food in a traditional restaurant for lunch. Departure to Novosibirsk. Overnight on board of the train.

On the Trans-Siberian train. Arrival in Novosibirsk. Enjoy a concert or ballet or opera in the evening (optional, not included). Hotel accommodation.

Welcome to Siberia! Novosibirsk is Russia’s third-largest city after Moscow and Saint-Petersburg, and the largest city of Siberia. First, your guide will drive you to the scientific city of Akademgorodok. It 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 centre with the biggest world’s Opera House), old wooden houses on Gorkogo Str. (the oldest part of the city), St. Nicolas Chapel (the geographic centre of Russia) and the river Ob’ embankment. Visit of the indoor Trans-Siberian Museum. Our local guides love the city and will make you discover the culture and atmosphere of this fascinating Siberian town! Departure to Krasnoyarsk. Overnight on board of the train.

Arrival in Krasnoyarsk. Sightseeing excursion including Mira square with outstanding view of Yenissey river and the monument to Andrew Dubenskoy. You will visit the Troitskoe cemetery with the old church, the memorial complex “Pobeda” and the Karaulnaya Mountain where Paraskeva Pjatnitsy’s chapel (1855) is located. Further, you will also visit Blagoveshchensk temple, Pokrovsky cathedral and the Catholic church. After all those cultural activities, you’ll drive to the famous Stolby nature reserve, enjoying an excursion to the central group of rocks and fantastic scenery. Hotel accommodation.

Free time in the morning, transfer to the train station and train departure to Irkutsk. Overnight on board of the train.

Having crossed the forests, beside 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. You can enjoy a bath in the ‘Old Man’, as local people call the lake, if you’re brave enough to dive into the cold water. 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. A visit to the Limnologic Institute will reveal many of the lakes mysteries. On a stroll around the village, visit the church of St. Nicolas and a traditional fisher-market, walk to Chersky viewing point where you can enjoy a fabulous view on the lake and the Angara River if the weather is clear. Your home is a typical Siberian wooden chalet close to the lake where local food will be prepared by your host. A Russian steam bath invites to experience a typical Russian sauna (optional, not included).

In the morning, free time to hike around or you’ll have the opportunity to experience the lake from another perspective during a 1-hour boat trip (optional). Drive along the shore and enjoy the sight of raw nature. 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. During a city tour in 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 elaborate 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. Rest of the evening at your leisure. Hotel accommodation.

Departure to Ulan-Ude alongside Lake Baikal with fabulous views of the endless water-scenery during the daylight train ride. Arrival in Ulan-Ude early in the evening. Hotel accommodation.

City tour including Lenin’s Head on the main square, one of the largest in the world. It is one of the city’s symbols and one of the most popular post card objects. Visit of the Buryat State Opera and Ballet Theatre, a theatre with a great repertoire of superb shows. Recently performed ballets and operas include Faust, Swan Lake, Carmen, Barber of Seville, 1001 Nights and Madame Butterfly. Have a look at the Cathedral of Hodigitria, an old Russian church and the first stone building in the region and the Great Merchants’ Rows, an architectural monument of the early 19th century decorated with wood and stone carvings, a beautiful example of Russian classicism. Escape the city to the countryside and visit Ivolginsky Datsan, one of the most sacred Buddhist temples in Russia. In the evening, take the train to Khabarovsk.

You’ll pass the whole day aboard the Trans-Siberian train. Enjoy the magnificent landscapes of Russian Far-East. Overnight on board of the train.

Arrival in Khabarovsk. Transfer to your hotel. Hotel accommodation.

City tour of Khabarovsk and visit of a v*illage of the Nanai people* on the Amour river bank. You’ll also visit the 2000 year old rock carvings and petroglyphs on a boat trip on the Amur River. Return to Khabarovsk and departure to Vladivostok. Overnight on board of the train.

Arrival in Vladivostok. Transfer to the hotel. After breakfast, you’ll be taken on a guided tour of the city and be shown all of its main attractions: the Vladivostok Railway Station – the final stop of the Trans-Siberian Railroad, the S-56 submarine on the harbour embankment where the city was first founded in 1860, the city’s main square and the Karabelnaya Neberejnaya Memorial Complex. Walk up to the highest point of the city, a perfect vantage point known as the Eagle’s Nest Mount. Hotel accommodation.

Transfer to the airport. Until next time!