On a tight time frame? Then this is the trip for you – and it operates year-round for even greater flexibility. And just because you’re on a schedule, it doesn’t mean you have to limit your Trans-Siberian horizons. This is a rich itinerary with Mongolia magnificently bookmarked each end by Beijing and Moscow. Two of the world’s great cities, magnificent Mongolian countryside (as well as a chance to go horse riding with nomads) and, of course, stunning vistas and scenery from the comfort of your train cabin. This trip offers the opportunity to end your journey in St. Petersburg, where you will see the contrast between the imperial splendour and the soviet simplicity that existed both then and now.
On arrival in Beijing you make your own way to the hotel – any taxi driver will quickly find the address. The convenient location of the hotel positions you to get the most of this legendary Imperial city. The hotel is in the heart of the golden area of the capital, surrounded by major business centres, tourist attractions and only minutes away from the Wangfujing Street, Tiannamen Square and the Forbidden City.
Own transfer to Beijing Central Station where you will board the Ulaanbaatar bound train.
Afternoon arrival in Ulaanbaatar. Our driver and guide will meet you at the end of the platform and will be holding a meeting- board with your name on. Check into the Bayangol 3★ Hotel. This is a great centrally located property and facilities include 5 restaurants fitness centre, sauna and a minimarket. You will have a chance to freshen up before departing for your city tour. The balance of today is free to explore more of the city. You can visit the Gandan Monastery or the Choijin Lama museum. It`s easy to pick up some snack food for the train in one of the many supermarkets. In the evening a wide range of restaurants are available to suit any pocket or maybe go to see a Folklore concert?
After breakfast depart for Elstei Ger Lodge (55km) which includes a scheduled stop at the enormous monument to Genghis Khan along the way. It may not be quite traditional in style (since it’s made of stainless steel) but it’s an astounding edifice and a testament to Genghis’s place in Mongolian culture. Taking the elevator to the top of this 10 metre high monument you visit the exhibition hall from where you will have an excellent panoramic view over the complex area and the scenery beyond. On arrival to Elstei you will be served lunch, and then time to enjoy your surroundings. With no specific activities planned you can choose to chill out, read, go walking on the Steppe, or (for a small payment made directly to them locally) you can go horse riding with local nomad horsemen. (May-Sept). Elstei staff will also offer Mongolian archery, ankle bone games, and the opportunity to visit a nomad family nearby. A relaxed evening in the bar after supper where you can chat
with the local guides and other travellers. It’s also worth watching the sunset, as it’s not called the land of the endless skies for nothing.
After breakfast make the return trip to Ulaanbaatar. Transfer to the station where you will board the Moscow bound train.
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 Moscow. Your driver will meet you at the end of the platform and you will travel by private car to the Panorama 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, to introduce the city (and its public transport system) and to get your sightseeing off to a flying start. The rest of the day’s your own.
A full day to continue your sightseeing. Own transfer this evening to Leningradsky Station where you will board the St. Petersburg bound train.
Early morning arrival in St. Petersburg. Our driver will be there to meet you at the end of the platform, and will be holding a meeting-board with your name on. 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.) Around 10am your guide will meet you at the hotel and introduce you to the city’s highlights – a good basis for starting your own explorations. Although the public transport (used on today’s excursion) is similar to Moscow’s, there are a few quirks that your guide will show you. After lunchtime you’re on your own to explore further.
Free day for you to pack in the best of the rest! Perhaps you have pre-booked one of our city based excursions for today. Some of our top suggestions (please check opening times/days before setting off) The Hermitage Collection – Winter Palace. The canals and waterways of the “Northern Venice”. The Russian Museum of Fine Art. The Peter & Paul Fortress-and the Tombs of the Tsars inside the Fortress Cathedral. The Church on the Spilt Blood, nearby the Souvenir Bazaar.
You will need to check out of your room by 12 noon. Own transport to the airport or station on departure.
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.
What’s included | |
1. Full On Train > 4-berth rail for complete journey (pre-assigned berths) > option to upgrade to 2-berth Beijing > 1 night 4★ hotel Ulaanbaatar > all transportation > 1 nights Elstei Ger Lodge, all meals > 1 night 3★ hotel, breakfast > City tour of Ulaanbaatar Moscow > transfer on arrival to your hotel > 2 nights 3★ hotel, breakfast > 3 hour personalised walking tour with local expert St. Petersburg > transfer on arrival to your hotel > 2 nights 3★ hotel, breakfast > 3 hour personalised walking tour with local expert | 2. No Frills Train> 4-berth rail for complete journey (pre-assigned berths) > option to upgrade to 2-berth Beijing > 1 night 1★ hotel Ulaanbaatar – (city based stay) > transfer on arrival to your hotel > 2 nights hostel, breakfast > transfer to the station on departure Moscow > transfer on arrival to your hotel > 2 nights 1★ hotel, breakfast St. Petersburg > transfer on arrival to your hotel > 2 nights 1★ hotel, breakfast > 3 hour personalised walking tour with local expert |
View Prices & Book | View Prices & Book |
2018 – 14 DaysJuly 06, 13, 20, 27 August 03, 10, 17, 24, 31 September 07, 14, 21, 28 October 05, 12, 19, 26 November 02, 09, 16, 23, 30 December 07, 14, 21, 28 | |
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Hi ladies,
We’re settling back in after our big adventure. What a time we had! Would recommend and would do it again 🙂
Sorry it’s taken me too long to get in touch to thank you for everything. But thank you!! For your help setting things up and for being reactive throughout our many email trails over the last few months. It made everything so much simpler for us.
It’s definitely not a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience – we will do it again in a few years, trying a different route and some different stops along the way. It’s simply too big a deal not to have another go!
I can give you specific feedback on trains, hotels, destinations, if it interests or helps you. (In short, Mongolia was incredibly beautiful, Tomsk lovely, Moscow even better than I imagined. The train standards were a bit of a mixed bag – the Russian ones good, the Chinese and Mongolian ones not so. There are a few things I’d highly recommend, such as a couple of our hotels)
Your ticketing was seamless, and I’ve already recommended your booking services to a friend planning to travel in the summer.
So yeah, we’ve had a super time. Pretty serious come-down now!
Carrie
Carrie Milne
I came back home last Wednesday evening, after a total of five weeks and about 7000 miles of railway track!
Just wanted to send you a message with a big THANK YOU for all your help, and with your incredible patience and flexibility when I was changing my mind and my plans.
And when I was panicking about things, like passport and visa. 🙂
Everything went well, it was a fantastic experience. The train tickets were all delivered on time to my accommodation. In Beijing, I figured out how to take public transport to Mutyanu to visit the Great Wall – absolutely amazing feeling to really be there! In Ulan Batar, I stayed at Zaya Hostel, super accommodation and very helpful, done a nice day trip to the Chenggis Khan statue and the National Park. In Irkutsk, I looked around in the city and also took a public minibus to go to Listvyanka, where I went for a dog sledding trip, really really nice. I’ve seen the lowest temperature of my entire trip in Irkutsk: minus 35!! After that, Alex was a fantastic guide and great company on my trip to the gulag museum and the ice caves. In Moscow also enough to see and do. After my days in Moscow, where your itinerary and service was finished, I booked myself an additional small pile of train tickets. I went to Kiev (stayed four days, well worth the extra stop!), then “station hopped” home without any more sightseeing stops: Kiev, Warsaw, Berlin, Cologne, Brussels, Eurotunnel to London, Cardiff, Fishguard…
Big big thank you once again. Is there anywhere I can leave a review for other people to read? Maybe on your Facebook page?
Best regards, spassiba!!
Saskia van Schip
Stanton E. Samenow
We just wanted to say huge thanks to you – and to Jo and to Jackie – for all your help.
You provide a truly great service – very efficient and helping us to get a really good sense in advance of what to expect. It was a great trip which we really enjoyed.
I’ve already recommended you to a number of friends and colleagues.
The Moscow-Beijing route that we travelled uses Chinese rolling stock. And so all the carriage attendants were male and Chinese – not quite what we were expecting but they were very pleasant and helpful nonetheless!
Thank you again to all of you,
Ian & Phil
Ian Costain & Philip Hickley
I just wanted to say thanks for organizing the Trans-Siberian Rail Trip trip for me. I just arrived in Moscow and have been having a great time. Everything went incredibly smoothly. I appreciate your help planning everything. I ran into another of your clients along the way, they said the same thing.
Now, time to explore!
Regards,
Quinton
Quinton Wall
Hello Russia Experience,We are now in Shanghai. We had the most amazing time on the Trans-Siberian, what a great experience. The level of service and professionalism we had form yourselves continued through the whole trip. In particular the teams in Yekaterinburg and Ulaanbaatar were absolutely brilliant. I can’t believe the three weeks are over however we have memories to last forever. I would have loved to spend more time in Mongolia, so we might come back again for another adventure.I will recommend you to all our friends and I write a travel blog and have given you a good mention.Thank you so much,Chris and Jane.
Christopher Freeman & Jane Henbest
Dear JackieJust wanted to say a big thank you to everyone. I had an absolutely amazing time. Everything went to plan, all the picks ups were on time and the guides were fantastic. A wonderful experience!Judith Downes
Judith Downes
Just a quick note to say we’ve arrived home safely and had an absolutely fantastic time, the whole trip ran like a dream, the transfers and guides were superb, it was a great experience.
Thank you so much for your recommendations, the Golden Apple and the Khan resort (especially!!) were both brilliant.
Best wishes,
Damien & Sali Walsh
Mr & Mrs Walsh
Now that we have finished our journey across Asia, we wanted to email to thank you and your colleagues for the excellent arrangements which went without a hitch. It was a most wonderful and inspiring journey which was made the more enjoyable by knowing that we would be met and guided when it was crucial, but left also left to our own devices to explore places when it was prudent to do so.
In each place, your agents were most helpful, but we especially wanted to single out your Mongolian partners who went out of their way to make us welcome and explain to us a great deal about the country and its customs.
So, all in all, a great trip which we would recommend without hesitation: just the right blend of adventure and comfort! Thank you to all concerned.
With best wishes,
Robert & Louise
Robert & Louise
Arakere,Nagaraj Keshavamurthy
Here are some personal highlights from our trip.
I was struck by the dearth of caucasians in China and Mongolia. Some days the only non-orientals were ourselves! Great to be immersed in another culture like that.
In every big city Stephan and I did an urban run. What a great way to see a city at the street level and the people and all the energy as we ran anywhere from 3 kilometers to 10 kilometers at a go. You can imagine what it was like to run along Tianamen Square or around the Kremlin.
One extra exciting run was at Ekaterineburg. The train had a 29 minute stop and the location of the Ipatiav House where the Romanov’s were murdered was 1.5 kilometers from the train station. We had to book it off the train, through the station, onto the main boulevard and down to the huge cathedral now on that a site. Take a few pictures and hustle back with a minute to spare before the train took off!
The friends we made in wagon 6 on our trek across Siberia. There were many Brits, Canadians, and Aussies. Because we were all on the Trans-Sib/Mongolian, everyone had a sense of adventure. We were among kindred spirits. We shared stories, adventures, food, and vodka. And lots of conversation about about the Brexit vote and the results of Euro 16 football matches.
Quality time for father and son with hours together in our compartment to talk, read, share and grow closer. Stephan speaks ChInese so he was a huge asset in China as well.
A happy home away from home-coming as Sarah and Johan met us in Moscow. Good food and museums. My favorite museum is the Tretyakov and it was such a treat to view the works of Repin, Perov, Shishkin, and Lamonsov.
The Mongolian steppes. The vistas were incredible and the time spent there, as well as sleeping in a ger was so memorable.
Thank you again for your service and care for our trip. We loved it and I am so grateful for your professional wisdom and handling of the details. You are the best and can highly recommend you to all.
Blessings abound,
Joel
The Quie Family
The Havards travelled April 2016
Not sure if you meant it when you said you wanted some feedback but here goes. I’m on the penultimate day as we arrive in Vladivostok tomorrow. I must say I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Nothing like what I expected but it has been a great experience and although I wouldn’t repeat it I would certainly redo it. Siberia was much less sparse than I expected and the towns were much more modern than I had expected. It’s very much a tourist trip for tourists so I could imagine some people being disappointed if they were expecting purely a culture or a geographical trip. The organisation is outstanding,service is excellent, food is very good and the facilities far above what I could have imagined. The trip itself is a curious mixture of culture,cuisine,cities,concerts,folklore,geography, history ( lectures from a professor of Russian history), entertainment,adventure and I’m sure I forgot something.
Really wonderful. Thanks for your help in giving me this experience,
Sincerely John
John (travelled Golden Eagle Imperial Class)
Howard and Alison Brett
Nicholas Mayman & Wendy Wise
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
Since the end of the train trip we have been in Moscow for five days and are currently finishing up a visit to beautiful St Petersburg. Tomorrow we head to Copenhagen as we continue our three month journey.
Thanks again for all that you did on our behalf.
Geoffrey Slaff
Geoffrey Slaff
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, the 1st 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
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
Marilyn Thomas
Kind regards
Paul Pennington
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
Kind regards,
Lynda Warren
Jessica & Nanae Warren-Hart
Bernadette & Joseph Skinner
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 From
Beijing: +£90
Moscow midweek: +£80
Moscow weekend: +£60
St. Petersburg: +£65
2-Berth UpgradesBeijing - Moscow +£300
Moscow - St. Petersburg +£75
Seasonal supplementMay - Sept +£60
Extra Night From
Beijing: +£45
Moscow midweek: +£45
Moscow weekend: +£40
St. Petersburg: +£35
2-Berth UpgradesBeijing - Moscow +£300
Moscow - St. Petersburg +£75
Seasonal supplementMay - Sept +£60
Extra Night From
Beijing: +£45
Moscow midweek: +£45
Moscow weekend: +£40
St. Petersburg: +£35
2-Berth UpgradesBeijing - Moscow +£300
Moscow - St. Petersburg +£75
Seasonal supplementMay - Sept +£60
Extra Night From
Beijing: +£50
Moscow +£60
St. Petersburg: +£35
2-Berth UpgradesBeijing - Moscow +£300
Moscow - St. Petersburg +£75
Seasonal supplementMay - Sept +£60
Extra Night From
Beijing: +£30
Moscow: +£40
St. Petersburg: +£25
2-Berth UpgradesBeijing - Moscow +£300
Moscow - St. Petersburg +£75
Seasonal supplementMay - Sept +£60
Extra Night From
Beijing: +£30
Moscow: +£40
St. Petersburg: +£25
2-Berth UpgradesBeijing - Moscow +£300
Moscow - St. Petersburg +£75
Seasonal supplementMay - Sept +£60
Prices for 2019 are available please contact us for details and also early bird discounts for bookings made for 2019 before 30 September 2018.
Your payment is protected: everything is held in a trust account until you've completed your trip.