Travel style: discovery journey
ITINERARY:
MOSCOW – BEIJING Day 1. Arrival in Moscow. Our English-speaking representative will meet you at the international airport. Transfer to the hotel. Your first night in Moscow.
Day 2. Start your discovery of Russia with a city tour of Moscow. Enjoy a panoramic view of the city from the Sparrow Hills observation platform, visit Poklonnaya Hills a monument in honour of a Russian victory in the Great War (or World War 1), see the famous Red Square and the Bolshoi (Big) theatre or explore modern Moscow’s busy streets and discover the rich history of this magnificent city.
Free time to explore the city by yourself. Please let us know about your wishes for entertainment or dining out.
Day 3. After breakfast we check-out from the hotel as it is our last day in Moscow. In the morning your guide will take you to the Red Square. You will see St. Basil's cathedral, the world - renowned Lenin Mausoleum and the Kremlin. Kremlin is a self-contained city with many palaces, armories, and churches, a medieval fortress that bridges the modern nation to its legendary past. You will discover the interior of the Kremlin - the former residence of the Tsars and now the residence of the Russian president. You will also visit Kremlin’s beautiful orthodox cathedrals. The Cathedral Square still retains the aura of early Tsarist Russia, where the spirits of Ivan the Terrible, Boris Godunov, and the early Romanovs loom large. You can also visit the Armoury to see a unique collection of ancient state regalia: the ceremonial vestments and coronation dress of the Tsars, gold and silverware by Russian craftsmen, and ceremonial weapons and arms (optional excursion at your request).
Lunch in the centre of Moscow – try delicious Russian cuisine in a traditional local restaurant.
Guided tour of the Moscow Underground – explore one of the masterpieces of the Soviet era created in the style Socialist Realism. . Your guide will also take you to the Old Arbat street, famous for its architectural masterpieces and souvenirs. After the guided tour you will have some free time to browse among the shops selling merchandise and enjoy various Arbat cafes or restaurants. Optional transfer to the hotel at your request.
In the late evening transfer to Yaroslavsky railway station to catch your train to Siberia.
Day 4-6. We settle into our compartments and start watching from the window as the towns, villages and the scenes of local life of Russia pass by. The Trans-Siberian railway takes us through many large and interesting Russian cities, including Nizhni Novgorod, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Omsk, Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk. We can organise a city tour in any of these cities at your request. Covering a total of 5,191 km from Moscow to Irkutsk, the capital of Eastern Siberia, the train travels across endless valleys, mountain ranges, taiga forests, rivers and the Siberian steppes.
Day 7. Arrival in Irkutsk in the morning. Our English-speaking guide will meet you at the station and bring you to the hotel. After lunch we will have a bus city tour around Irkutsk, a beautiful town known as the "Paris of Siberia". During the tour, you will see the 18th century churches, brightly painted shutters and log houses decorated with wooden lacework, as well as examples of modern Russian architecture and soaring bridges that reach out across the river Angara. In the afternoon we will visit the Regional Museum, which depicts the history of the city, Lake Baikal and the exploration of Siberia. Overnight in a hotel.
Day 8. Travel by bus to Listvyanka village, situated on the shore of Lake Baikal (70 km from Irkutsk). On our way to Listvyanka, we will stop to visit the open air Wooden Architecture Museum in Taltsy, which is located in a picturesque forest on the bank of the river Angara. It presents settlements of the local Evenks, Russians, and Buryats and gives an overview of the traditional life style in Siberia from the 17th to 19th centuries. In Listvyanka, we will have a guided tour of the Baikal Lake Museum followed by a sightseeing tour of the village, including a visit to the St. Nicolas Russian Orthodox Church. Enjoy a boat tour on Lake Baikal. In the evening we will have an opportunity to experience a real Siberian banya (sauna) - optional. Overnight in a traditional wooden house.
Day 9. Free time in the morning. Today you will have another opportunity to explore the local village and the Lake Baikal area. We can arrange any activity for you. In the evening we return to Irkutsk to commence the next part of our rail adventure. We leave the warm hospitality of the Siberian Russians and start our trip to Mongolia.
Day 10. On train. On board we quickly settle in and enjoy unforgettable views of steppes stretching from horizon to horizon.
Day 11. You will arrive in Mongolia in the morning and meet your English-speaking guide. Famous as the home of Genghis Khan, Mongolia is one of the most mystical destinations on earth. It was the homeland of the brilliant, tough, well-drilled horsemen who, for over 500 years from the 13th century, occupied lands and cities from the river Yellow to the Danube. The dramatic Mongolian landscapes are breathtaking. We will travel by bus to Terelj National Park, which is famous for its unique granite rock formations, pristine alpine scenery and diverse flora and fauna. We will have an opportunity to visit a real Nomad family and see its traditional way of living. The traditional Mongolian ger (means "home") is a sturdy wood and felt type tent. Overnight in a Ger camp (summer) or in a wooden lodge (winter).
Day 12. Transfer to Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia. The city is situated on the bank of the river Tuur, surrounded by four mountains that local people believe to be sacred. We will visit Gandan Hiid Monastery, the country’s largest remaining monastery, the Buddhist Temple, and the Museum of Natural History, where you will see real dinosaur remains as well as other archeological findings from the Mesozoic Era found in the Gobi desert. Overnight in a hotel.
Day 13. In the morning you will be transferred to the railway station to take the train to Beijing, your next destination.
Day 14. Passing the famous Great Wall, you will arrive in the fascinating and dynamic city of Beijing in the afternoon. This unique city will amaze you, appealing to all your senses – by colour and sound, smell and taste. It will leave indelible impressions of the continual contrast between the ancient history and traditions alongside the technology of the 21st century. Our representative will meet you at the railway station. Transfer to the hotel. Free time. Today we will visit the Temple of Heaven – the grandest of the four great temples located in the Beijng. Overnight in a hotel.
Day 15. After breakfast we will visit the famous Tiananmen Square, the Imperial palace and the Forbidden City which is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. Also you will visit the magnificent Summer Palace. The Palace represents an outstanding expression of the creative art of Chinese landscape garden design, incorporating the works of humankind and nature harmoniously. In the evening you will enjoy a traditional and tasty Beijing Duck Dinner. Stay overnight in a hotel.
Day 16. Trip to the Ming Tomb and the Great Wall which was built to defend the civilized world from the fierce and capable Mongol horsemen. The Wall stretches over 5,000 km across China’s mountainous northern frontier. In the evening you will have a chance to enjoy a unique acrobatic show. Stay overnight in a hotel.
Day 17. Breakfast in the hotel. Our adventure is complete, the legendary rail journey that started many days ago has taken you across Asia, through lands and cultures literally worlds apart. Now it is time to come back home. Transfer to the airport to take your plane back home.
Major Highlights of this Tour:
Optional: At your request we can organise for you one of the following activities:
- You could begin (or end) this journey with an optional St. Petersburg extension;
- On your Trans-Siberian route you could make a stop in one of the major cities of Russia and explore the life of a Russian province. To find out more information about cities on the route go here;
- Guided excursion in the Tretyakov Gallery and in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow;
- Another option in Moscow would be a visit to the large and interesting Izmailovo Park where you will find traditional wooden houses and churches as well as authentic Russian souvenirs;
- In Moscow we can organise tickets to the Circus or the City Music Hall for you or you could see a famous Russian ballet performance.
Some places you visit in this journey are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Please click here to view the UNESCO review page:
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