Tsar's Gold: Mongolia to Moscow - Private Trans-Siberian Rail Journeys

Your Itinerary

DAY 1

Welcome to Ulan Bator

DAY

1

Arrival in Ulan Bator and transport to your hotel.

Overnight: Ramada Hotel (or similar)

DAY 2

Ulan Bator: City of Temples

DAY

2

After a hearty breakfast, you meet with your fellow travelers. During your city tour, you see the impressive Gandan Buddhist Monastery and the eclectic Choijin Lama Temple. In the evening, you have an opportunity to attend a traditional Mongolian performance (bookable on location), which includes Buddhist chants, horsehead fiddle playing, national costumes, and dances.

For your overnight stay, you can alternatively spend the night in a traditional yurt (supplement of $40/€35, bookable only in advance) in the beautiful landscape of the Mongolian Alps. This is a rare experience and a dream come true for nature lovers.

Overnight: Ramada Hotel (or similar) (BLD)

DAY 3

To the Mongolian Alps

DAY

3

After breakfast you visit the Gandan Monastery, where it is possible to observe a Buddhist religious ceremony. Your bus then takes you to the Mongolian Alps, located some 90 minutes east of Ulan Bator, with their majestic scenery and stunning rock formations. After a picnic lunch in a yurt camp, you watch a Mongolian horseback riding demonstration and a traditional wrestling match.

Overnight: On board (BLD)

DAY 4

Ulan Ude

DAY

4

Today, you say goodbye to the picturesque Mongolian steppes. You travel through the valley of Mongolia’s largest river, the Selenga. You soon arrive in Ulan Ude, where your train joins the main route of the Trans-Siberian Railroad, and your tour guide leads you on an informative city tour.

Overnight: On board (BLD)

DAY 5

Lake Baikal

DAY

5

Today, you spend the day exploring the remarkable natural surroundings of Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake and largest freshwater lake by volume. In the morning, your private train takes you alongside the lakes shores, on the old route of the Trans-Siberian Railroad. During two extended photo stops, you have the chance to explore the lake’s scenic environment. A short boat excursion from Port Baikal takes you out onto the lake. Now is your chance to take a swim if you wish, after which you visit a picturesque Baikal village. Dinner is a Baikal-style picnic on the lake shore with a view of this incredible natural scenery (weather permitting).

Overnight: On board (BLD)

DAY 6

Irkutsk

DAY

6

In the morning, you arrive in Irkutsk, once the capital of Eastern Siberia in Tsarist times. Here you move into your centrally located hotel, safely leaving your large baggage on your private train. During your city tour, you see the Okhlopkov Drama Theater, the Tsar Alexander III memorial, and the photogenic market hall. Around noon you pay a worthwhile visit to an open-air museum with a focus on the daily life of historical Siberia.

Overnight: Hotel Irkutsk (or similar) (BLD)

DAY 7

Trans-Siberia

DAY

7

After breakfast, your private train passes through the diverse landscapes of eastern Siberia. Fun, informative talks on board inform you about the region, and a vodka tasting with typical Russian snacks and red caviar is an opportunity to experience first-hand traditional Russian celebratory toasts and customs.

Overnight: On board (BLD)

DAY 8

Novosibirsk

DAY

8

Around noon, your private train arrives in Novosibirsk, the largest city in Siberia, where you are greeted with a traditional welcome of bread and salt. Later, you embark on a tour of the city, which contains many remnants from the Soviet era, and have the opportunity to view the mighty Ob River, the central market and the opera house.

Overnight: On board (BLD)

DAY 9

Yekaterinburg

DAY

9

Your private train stops in the afternoon in Yekaterinburg, the administrative center of the Ural Federal District and the Sverdlovsk Oblast. The city is famous for the 1918 assassination of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. Your tour guide takes you to see the Church of All Saints, completed in 2003 on the site of the Tsar’s murder commemorating that tragic historic event. Later, you visit the Yekaterinburg obelisk, which marks the border between Europe and Asia. After taking in all the city’s sights, you board your private train once again. As you enjoy a delicious dinner, stunning Ural landscapes pass by your dining car window.

Overnight: On board (BLD)

DAY 10

Kazan

DAY

10

After breakfast, you reach Kazan, the capital of Tartarstan, on the banks of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers. On your city tour, you see Tatar mosques and the most famous Russian Orthodox cathedral. You also take a tour of Kazan’s Kremlin, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you learn about the turbulent history of the relationship between the Tatars, the Cossacks, and the Russians. Afterward you enjoy typical regional lunch in a city restaurant.

Overnight: On board (BLD)

DAY 11

Welcome to Moscow

DAY

11

Around noon, you arrive in the Russian capital of Moscow—a thriving, prosperous city—and are accompanied to your first rate hotel. At noon, you visit the Kremlin grounds, where you have the opportunity to view several of the buildings’ interiors, including the magnificent St. Basil’s cathedral. After dinner, you discover the city’s magic during an hour-long City of Lights tour, including a stop at Red Square and a ride on the Moscow metro, known as a Palace of the People, because of its lavishly adorned train stations.

Overnight: InterContinental Tverskaya (or similar) (BLD)

DAY 12

The Way Home

DAY

12

After an ample breakfast at your hotel, your tour of the city takes you to the reconstructed Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Lomonosov University, the Novodevichy Convent, and Red Square with its colorful St. Basil’s Cathedral, as well as to the notorious former KGB headquarters, and the White House. That afternoon marks the end of your memorable journey and the time has come to head to the airport. We accompany you to the airport and bid you bon voyage. (B)

Tsar’s Gold

Mongolia to Moscow

Your Itinerary

Details

Rates Include

Specials for Bolshoi guests

Not Included

Entry Requirements

Dates & Prices