Our most popular itinerary features Moscow, the Baikal Express to Irktusk, a 2-night stay in a Siberian log-cabin with village hosts, a night in historic Irktusk, a day in the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar, and a 2-day visit to a Mongolian Tour-Camp with accommodation in traditional Mongolian "ger" framed felt-tents.

Start Day:

Fri (odd-dated)

Duration:

15 days

Visas:

Rus, Mon & Chi

Day	Itinerary download a printable file of this itinerary (opens and prints on any Windows-95/98 computer)	Accom
1 Fri	Arrival to Moscow independently (or from one of our St Petersburg itineraries) Car to accommodation, Local Rep assists with check-in, balance of day free. Overnight at Hotel Mayak (or Family Stay - your choice, same price - FS includes Bkfst and Supper)	Htl Mayak or Family Stay
2	Buddy Assistance* for your first day in Moscow, to get your sightseeing off to a flying start. Overnight.	Htl Mayak or Family Stay
3	Morning free in Moscow, lunchtime departure by car to Yaroslavsky Stn, depart to Siberia on the Baikal Express	train
4	... on board the Baikal Express, via Ekaterinburg...	train
5	... on board the Baikal Express, via Omsk (am) and Novosibirsk (eve)...	train
6	... on board the Baikal Express, via Krasnoyarsk...	train
7	Mid-morning arrival to Irkutsk. Car to Listvyanka Village. Lunch and guided walking along the shores of Lake Baikal, including a visit to the Baikal Lake Museum (about the world's largest lake). Siberian Sauna, supper, and overnight. Siberian Trek Option! Switch your Irkutsk/Baikal stopover for a 3-day Siberian Trek! No extra charge!	Siberian Village Stay
8	Bkfst. Trip by ferry to Port Baikal. SUMMER: guided light trekking (your speed) along the Circum-Baikal route, lakeside picnic. WINTER: light walking, lunch indoors in the warm with a local family. Return to village (by ferry). Visit to the village wooden church (Russian Orthodox). Supper and overnight.	Siberian Village Stay
9	Car back to Irkutsk city. Arrival at Family Stay (nb this is a family stay in an apartment building - not a log cabin, but it has modern plumbing :-) Free time (optional excursions of the city are available - Irkutsk is one of Siberia's older settlements from C17th, and has lots to see.) Don't miss the Decembrist's Museum. (own lunch). Evening entertainment (content varies according to season). Supper and overnight.	Irkutsk Family Stay HB
10	Bkfst. Car return to Irkutsk Station, morning departure to Ulaanbaatar on Train #6, Ulaanbaatar Express.	train
11	Border formalities during the night. Continue (without restaurant car for the final section) to Ulaanbaatar, arrival morning. Car to Hotel for shower and bkfst. Depart UB by car to Elstei Ger Camp (approx one hour from the city). Afternoon free to explore at the Ger Camp, supper. Accom in a traditional Mongolian Ger.	Elstei Ger Camp
12	Bkfst. Lunch (incl). Free afternoon to go walking, horse-riding (not included, but local nomads come-by the camp daily, they charge only a few dollars - take your own hard hat!!), supper, and overnight gazing at the stars! (Mongolia is one of the world's least-polluted countries - views of the sky here are better than most places on earth!)	Elstei Ger Camp
13	Bkfst, morning free on the Steppe, lunch (incl). Car return to Ulaanbaatar, free time, accom at 2* Hotel, supper, overnight.	2* Hotel, UB
14	Car transfer to station, morning departure to Beijing by Train #24. Across the Southern Gobi Region to the Mongolian frontier. Midnight border crossing into Chinese Inner Mongolia. on through the night...	train
15	Across paddy-fields and through mountain ranges, and past the Great Wall of China. Arrival in Beijing mid-afternoon (scheduled). [In our opinion, this is the most stunning section of scenery on the whole trip!] End of itinerary (or link onwards on one of our China itineraries?)	-

* if you have arrived from St Petersburg, we will normally offer this to you on the preceding day since you arrive early-morning. If you are flying from Europe, there are almost no flights which arrive until mid/late afternoon, because of the flying time + the time-zone change (typical arrival times on Day 1 from London would be approx 16:00, regardless of which airline you fly.)

Want to add extra nights in Moscow? Nothing easier, but because the depart-day of the Trans-Sib is fixed, your extra days have to come before "Day 1". Click here for details.

Trip Price valid to February 28 2001	all prices are subject to change without notice
For the above itinerary inclusive of the travel services specified based on 2nd-Class/4-berth rail travel, accomodation, Russian Visa Admin:
Per Person based on ONE PASSENGER travelling alone. Choice (in Moscow) of (H) Hotel Accommodation incl bkfst, or (FS) Family Stay Accomodation incl Bkfst & Supper daily.	GBP 995 pp
Per Person based on TWO PASSENGERS travelling together. Choice (in Moscow) of (H) Hotel Accommodation incl bkfst, or (FS) Family Stay Accomodation incl Bkfst & Supper daily.	GBP 860 pp
This itinerary can be upgraded to 1-Cl/2-berth Rail Travel - supplement = GBP 180 pp IRKUTSK HOTEL UPGRADE OPTION. You can opt to have Hotel Accommodation (Hotel Angara, superior 2*, city-centre location) - upgrade price = GBP30pp/1-person, or GBP25pp/2-passengers.	-

All our prices are in British Pounds

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