“Naadam” is the biggest holiday of the Mongolian calendar – the annual festival of three “manly sports” (wrestling, archery and horsemanship)
“S Priezdom” Welcome to St. Petersburg. Our driver will be there to meet you from whichever flight, train or boat you arrive. You’ll then be transferred to the Vesta 3★ Hotel. (We can obtain rates for superior hotels ask a member of the reservations team for details.) Your complimentary InfoPack is full of ideas for getting the most out of your free time.
After breakfast one of our local experts will meet you at your hotel in the lobby for a three hour walking and familiarisation tour. The rest of the day is your own.
A full day for you to pack in the best of the rest. Own transfer this evening to Moskovsky Station where you will board the Moscow bound train.
Early morning arrival in Moscow. You’ll then be transferred to the Panorama 3★ Hotel. (We can obtain rates for superior hotels ask a member of the reservations team for details.) One of our local expert staff will meet you at the hotel around 10am to take you on a three hour walking tour round the highlights – you’ll use public transport around the centre to avoid the traffic jams and get the hang of the system for when you come to use it independently. Our staffers are full of ideas for this walk but are flexible about other ideas if you have your own. Your walk ends in the city centre around lunchtime. The rest of the day’s your own.
This morning you can continue sightseeing the Lenin Mausoleum is only open in the mornings, and getting there early (it’s in Red Square) helps beat the queues. If you haven’t pre-booked any of our range of city excursions the rest of the day is your own to explore further. Some of our top suggestions (please check opening times/days before setting off) would include visiting the Moscow Kremlin, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum, or a boat trip along the Mosvka River?
Transfer to Yaroslavsky Station where you will board the Irkutsk bound train.
On board The Trans-Sib… the dining car is the heart of social life on the train. It functions as bar, lounge, and take-out snack store, as well as a café serving reasonably-priced meals. It is a great place to meet fellow travellers and locals alike, sharing your experiences of your journey so far with a few drinks, which no doubt will include some Vodka – and maybe smoked salmon and caviar too!
Arrival in Irkutsk, transfer to U Ozera 3★ Hotel situated in Listvyanka Village (70km) travelling by road through the forest. The Hotel is set just 50 metres from the shores of Lake Baikal.
Choose one activity from the list, it’s all included in the trip price! You’ll need to inform us of your choice before commencing your journey, so that we can have the right staff on hand for when you arrive.
(A) Siberian trek
(B) Circum Baikal picnic
(C) Taltsy wooden museum
(D) Port Baikal excursion
The journey you have chosen has some “extras” that are necessary and then “extras” that will enhance your trip. We cannot re-iterate too much that at Russia Experience we pride ourselves on making the trip you have chosen the best it can be – so if we don’t mention something you want, ask us and we’ll try our best to make it happen! In return, we try to inform you about any great “extras” along the way, so that you have the chance to try them if you want! Visas are a necessary extra and needed for all the countries you travel through and the current costs and what is needed can be found under Visas.
Upgrading to 2- berth compartment on the train is also an option, you will see under Prices. This service is becoming more popular every year and not helped by the train operators only confirming this request 30 days or less prior to your departure. We have however devised a workaround for this that’s proving very reliable. We request a 2-berth at the time of booking but if this comes back not possible we block out a 4-berth compartment for 2 person occupancy. The standard of these cabins remains the same, and you get the extra space and privacy one way or the other.
We have a range of services for passengers wanting to stay or continue their journey into China at the start or end of their journey.
This tour is full on. Here is what you get.Train
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2016 – 22 DaysComing soon
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Wanted to say a huge thank you for all the help you guys gave me with the trip and the visas! and the patience you had with all my questions!!!!
I had the best time and met some awesome people 😊 you guys are the best and I would definitely recommend using your company to friends and anyone that asks really!
The guides I had were all amazing and the accommodation was pretty sweet too!!
Thanks so much!
Jenna Thompson
Jenna Thompson October 2015
All services – transits, hotels, on-train facilities and guides
were punctual and efficient.
We had no problems in meeting/being met by taxi drivers.
Hotels were expecting us as paid-for guests.
Guides were pleasant, knowledgeable and had good English.
On-train we were surprised at being offered all we wanted.
Indeed, the whole package was sound and recommendable.
We were pleasantly surprised with unexpected on-train facilities.
Apparently, the1st class, two-berth, on-train service includes
one cooked meal daily and complementary daily supply of
tea, coffee and chocolate. Boiling water for beverages is
available all day and night in each car.
Bedding – linen sleeping bag and two pillows – is free.
On the older railway stock, on train 8, don’t expect to wash
anything except hands and your plastic crockery and cutlery.
Toilet paper is always availably, though not always paper towels,
and the waste bins are emptied regularly.
At Irtkusk the local office manager is like no other manager.
His appearance is that of a 1960s hippy – long hair tied into
a pony-tail, short trousers, back-pack – but he is delightfully
lucid, speaks excellent English, is clearly well-connected, is
light hearted and very effective. The world needs more of
his equal.
The fresh water and very clear Lake Baikal is a treasure:
It’s 636 km long, about 1650 m deep and has many species
found nowhere else. No wonder it has internationally
recognised status for scientific interest. The Baikal
museum and aquarium is truly worth a visit.
Thanks for organising a most enjoyable and interesting
tour.
Yours aye,
Ian Fraser
Our home stay hostess, Olga, was a delight. Loved the visits to villages.
Now to read and reread Russian novels! Mongolia nomad stay was more challenging than we expected but in retrospect was a good experience. Family and guide were great.
Marilyn Thomas
Kind regards
Paul Pennington
Dermot Carlin
We have had an amazing time. Everything was so well organised, we always felt looked after without feeling stifled or rushed about as you might on a fully managed/guided tour. We had plenty of time to do our own thing and the trips were always in very small groups (if not only the three of us!). The local guides at each location were fantastic. All really helpful and knowledgeable and ready to do that little bit extra (special thanks to the amazing Ulziimaa in Ulaanbataar!). As you may have guessed at an early stage I can be a bit of a nervous traveller but you reassured us at every step and everything was so well planned and organised, we really had nothing to worry about at all. I appreciate hugely the fact that every email and question I had was responded to and answered within minutes/hours, even when we were in China. I will (and already have done) unreservedly recommend you and your company to anyone considering travelling through Russia, Mongolia and China.
A truly amazing experience…thank you.
Alanna, Ralph and Nathan
Karen & Jacques Grivel
Thanks for all your troubles and for a wonderful experience.
Best regards,
Carlos Ossenbach Sauter
Carols Ossenbach Sauter
Bernadette & Joseph Skinner
All excellent and situated conveniently close to the city centres and the main attractions. Staff very helpful even to the extent of supplying breakfast boxes on those mornings we left early.
City Walks.
These added a whole new dimension to the tours as the guides were first rate and very well informed. We also found that they were happy to talk of present and past regimes which served to add colour to the situation and they were also well versed in the local customs. Without the guides the experience would not have been quite so rewarding.
Options.
Not to be missed. Picnic at Lake Baikal and the trip to the Great Wall. Excellent guides and very well organised .
As promised we were always met as arranged . The drivers went out of their way to ensure that we were on time for our trains and they also made sure that we were safely on board before leaving. We were also lucky in meeting three others on the “experience” in Moscow who we were with until Beijing and so we had others to turn to when we were confused. ( Often at my age )
All in all it was a fantastic experience and one that I would not have wanted to miss at any cost. You have made two old men very happy.
My one and only complaint about the trip is that I have absolutely nothing about which to complain.
My thanks to you and all involved.
Brian Marchant & Brian Quance
We thoroughly enjoyed the hike round Lake Baikal (although the distances were a lot further than in the itinerary!!!!), and the walking guide Anton was both knowledgeable and chilled out, a great balance!
Mongolia was also an excellent experience, with the family stay being the highlight! Our guide Naki had endless information and was forever cheerful! A big thank you to him too!
The whole experience for us both was a very positive one and we will be sure to recommend your company to family and friends!!
Once again, thank you to all the drivers, guides and yourself for an excellent service!
Amanda and Duncan
Amanda Moran & Duncan Balderson
Extra Night
St. Petersburg: +£35
Moscow midweek: +£40
Moscow weekend: +£35
2-Berth UpgradesSt. Petersburg - Moscow +£75
Moscow - Beijing +£495
Seasonal supplementMay - Sept +£60
Extra Night
St. Petersburg: +£35
Moscow midweek: +£40
Moscow weekend: +£35
2-Berth UpgradesSt. Petersburg - Moscow +£75
Moscow - Beijing +£495
Seasonal supplementMay - Sept +£60
Your money is held in a trust account until you've completed your trip.