Trans-Siberian Adventure

This tour is tailor-made for those interested in exploring Russia and Mongolia and wanting to experience trans-Siberia train. It will start in St. Petersburg, the second largest city of Russia can be reached by flight from many world’s cities. Today, upon your arrival at the airport, our local guide and the driver will greet you on time and then transfer you to the hotel. During the rest free time of the day, you may either take a rest at the hotel to recover from jetlag or explore the surroundings on your own.

Accommodation: Courtyard St. Petersburg Vasilievsky or similar

In the morning, the guide will pick you up from the hotel and accompany you to have a stroll along the Palace Square in the very center of the city. The square is surrounded by Winter Palace, General Staff Building and Guards Corps Headquarters; and in its center, is the famous Alexander Column, which stands there firmly on its own weight reaching 600 tons. After, go on to visit St. Isaac's Cathedral, a typical neoclassical architecture; Kazan Cathedral, the largest cathedral of the city; and Nevsky Prospect, the most prosperous street of the city lined with book stores, restaurants, shopping malls, churches and former residences of celebrities. Then, we will proceed to the Admiralty, the highest building of St. Petersburg founded by Peter the Great. The building also serves as the headquarters of the Russian Navy. Afterwards, we will continue to visit the Peter and Paul Fortress which houses a number of historical monuments, such as Peter and Paul Cathedral.

In the afternoon, visit the Hermitage (Winter Palace), nestled in the north of the Palace Square. Known as one of the four greatest museums in the world and housing more than three million exhibits, the palace truly showcases and celebrates Russia's rich vibrant culture.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Courtyard St. Petersburg Vasilievsky or similar

Petrodvorets, someone call it Peterhof or Summer Palace of Peter, is an open-air museum displaying Russian sculptures, fountains and garden art. Fountains and gilded statues are the most eye-catching parts of the palace. Due to its luxurious and magnificent architecture, Peterhof is also known as "Russia's Versailles Palace". We will drive for about 30km (18.6mi) to get there from St. Petersburg downtown. After sightseeing, send you back to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Courtyard St. Petersburg Vasilievsky or similar

After breakfast, we will send you to the train station and help you get on a high speed Sapsan train to Moscow. During the 4-hour train ride, you can enjoy the charming natural scenery through the window, or have a nice talk with local passengers and learn some local folk customs. 

Upon arrival, our Moscow guide and the driver will meet you at the railway station, and then escort you to check in the hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the city on your own.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Series or similar

Moscow, as the capital and largest city of Russia, boasts numerous cultural sites and scenic attractions. Today, the guide will accompany you to discover the city's prosperity and history in depth. Firstly, we will drive by the central part of the city, to wonder at the grand Bolshoi Theatre, the flourishing Tverskaya Street, the symbolic Red Square and the surrounding Russian-style architecture, especially St. Basil's Cathedral. After, ascend Sparrow Hill where you can have a panoramic view of the cityscape.

Then comes the climax of today’s tour. The guide will lead you to visit Moscow Kremlin. It used to be the residence of the Russian Tsar and the leader of the Communist Party, and is now the workplace of the president of Russia. During the visit, you will see some important landmarks, such as Uspensky Sobor built in 15th century, Archangelsky Sobor, Blagoveschensky Sobor, and Kolokolnya Ivana Velikogo. 

After the visit to Kremlin, the guide will show you the most beautiful subway station of the city and escort you to enjoy a ride to Arbat Street. Finally, send you back to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Series or similar

Today in the late afternoon, our driver will see you off at Kazanskaya Railway Station for you to take a train bound for Yekaterinburg. Then enjoy your leisure time on board while admiring the breathtaking rustic countryside and forests.

Before leaving Moscow, you may seize the morning to visit more attractions on your own. The various museums and art galleries are good choices to know more about the country's rich and colorful culture.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: On the train - soft sleeper

Spend a delightful day on board by embracing the captivating landscape outside, consisting of serene villages, peaceful towns, farms and birch forests with streams bubbling through. The train will run all the way to the east and cross the Europe-Asia continental border to arrive in Yekaterinburg in the evening. Pack your luggage and follow the direction signs to the exit of the train station, you will see our local driver waiting for you there, who will then escort you to the hotel for overnight stay.

Meals: No meals
Accommodation: Demidov Plaza Hotel

After breakfast, we will travel out of the city by private vehicle to the town of Nevyansk, to get a good insight into the history and culture of the Urals region. The first stop will be the 58-meter-high (189 feet) Leaning Tower. Then, our local guide will lead you to a craft center at Tavolgi Village to appreciate folk artifacts particular to Russia. Afterwards, step into the 300-year-old Kunara and Byngi villages for an authentic taste of local rural life. At the end of the day, transfer you back to the accommodation in Yekaterinburg.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Demidov Plaza Hotel

After breakfast, the guide will escort you to visit the historical monuments in Yekaterinburg by walk, including Central Square, Revolution Square, Church on the Blood, Chapel in Honor of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth and Nun Barbara, Hill of Ascension, Square of the Red Army and the Ural Museum of Mineralogy, which will last for 3 hours or so. After that we will drive to the Romanovs Secret Grave, where you can learn about the collapse of the House of Romanov, the rulers of Romanov Dynasty in Russia history. Then we will go to the Europe-Asia border for a view of the frontier landscape, and after that pay a visit to a private Museum of Arms in Verkhnyaya Pyshma and see Russian tanks, bombs, aircrafts and cannons. 

This evening, our guide will see you off at Yekaterinburg Railway Station, so you can continue the train ride to Irkutsk.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: On the train - soft sleeper

While the train runs along the trans-Siberian railway, you may sit by the window to take in the landscapes of marshes and forests, between which you could also catch a sight of some small villages and farms at times. The train will also pass by some large cities so you can also capture the urban landscapes. It is quite a delightful way to see the country. 

Meals: No meals
Accommodation: On the train - soft sleeper

The train will pull in Irkutsk in the morning. On arrival, our local guide will pick you up and lead you to the village Bolshoe Goloustnoe, on the southern shore of Lake Baikal. After checking into a guesthouse, we will go to visit a local church. Then, stroll along the lakefront of Baikal, venture into the forest and climb up a hill for a better view of the lake.

Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Guest House Nabaimar

After having breakfast in the hotel, drive to Olkhon Island primitive with natural beauty. Here you can enjoy the panoramic view of the Lake Baikal, trace rare wildlife, and appreciate virgin forests. The guide will also accompany you to visit Buryat village on the island to learn about their life styles and traditions. You will see their traditional houses, furniture, clothes, and also taste the Buryat's traditional dairy products. When today’s sightseeing ends, transfer you back to the guesthouse in Bolshoe Goloustnoe. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Guest House Nabaimar

In the morning, drive for about 6.5 hours to return back to Irkutsk. On the way, we will stopover to have lunch. When passing by picturesque points, you can also ask for photography stops. Arriving in Irkutsk, continue to visit some attractions in the city center, including Kirov Park, War Memorial, the graceful churches along the Angara River (Church of Our Savior, Epiphany Cathedral, Polish Roman Catholic Church), the statue of Alexander III, Karl Marx Street, and Drama Theater. At the end, we will conclude today’s visit at wooden district 130 where you will see nice wooden houses and attractive souvenir shops, before sending you to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Victoria Hotel

Checking out of the hotel, we will send you to the railway station and see you getting on the train bound for Ulaanbaatar. During the journey, you will have ample of time to enjoy the most stunning steppe landscape. 

Around lunch time, the train will arrive at Naushki on the Russia-Mongolia border, where you need to handle the immigration formalities. The train will stop at the border for about 2-4 hours, for the procedure of custom clearance and security check. Mongolian border inspection staff will collect all passengers' passports and then return it to you after checking. The customs officials will also come up to seal the entry form. Please keep it safe with you as it is needed when you leave the country. 
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: On the train - soft sleeper

The train will arrive in Ulaanbaatar in the early morning. Pack your luggage and get off to explore the country on your own. If you need us to arrange your trip in Mongolia, please contact our travel consultant for details. We will be very glad to serve you. Here is the tour of Essence of Mongolia for your reference.