Trans-Siberian East-West: Vladivostok - Mongolia - Baikal - Yekaterinburg - Moscow (TS-30)

You’ll board your overnight flight this evening for the Russian port city of Vladivostok. Settle back in your seat as you fly across ten time zones, a reminder of the vast size of this enchanting country.

On arrival in Vladivostok, you’ll be met by our representative for your transfer to the hotel. Overnight: hotel.

This morning you’ll embark on a tour of the city of Vladivostok. Key sights include the century-old Vladivostok Fortress, whose construction was halted as a result of the First World War and the October Revolution, and the Monument to the Fighters for Soviet Power in the Far East. You’ll see the Intercession Church and Catholic Church. From the Korabelnaya Naberezhnaya (the Warship Embankment) you'll learn more about the history of the Russian Fleet. After a visit to the interesting Submarine Museum, where you’ll have the chance to board a Soviet C-56 submarine, we’ll take you to the train station to board a different mode of transport - your first train, bound for Ulan Ude. Overnight: train.

It’s time to alight in Ulan Ude, the Russian city close to the Mongolian border where you pick up the Trans-Mongolian heading south. For now, you’ll transfer to the hotel where we’ve arranged a short orientation meeting with a local guide to familiarise you with the city. Overnight: hotel.

This morning you’ll enjoy some free time which we suggest you use to explore the compact city center on foot. The city is known throughout Russia for the statue of Lenin. This enormous bronze head is the largest of the Soviet leader ever cast, measuring almost 8 meters tall and weighing in at 42 tons. It was erected in 1970 to coincide with the centenary of Lenin’s birth. Later, transfer to the railway station where you’ll pick up your connection to Ulan Bator, the Mongolian capital. Overnight: train.

You’ll arrive in Ulan Bator to find a driver waiting for you to take you to Terelj National Park. A short distance from the city you’ll find a huge statue of Genghis Khan (also known as Chinggis Khaan), the largest equestrian statue in the world. Visitors can climb inside the horse upon which the formidable warrior Emperor sits, peering out from its head to take in the panoramic views across the Mongolian countryside. Moving on, we reach the gorgeous Alpine landscapes of Terelj National Park, famed for its granite rock formations. There, we will visit Turtle Rock and hike to Aryabal Monastery. There’ll be an opportunity to visit a nomad family so you can learn how to milk a cow and prepare dairy products. Overnight: typical felt tent known as a ger (summer), traditional wooden lodge (winter).

We’ll leave the incredible Mongolian countryside behind today and take you back to Ulan Bator. We’ve included a city tour of the capital during which you’ll pay a visit to the National History Museum to get a flavor of the country’s unique culture and view archaeological finds excavated from the Gobi Desert and dinosaur remains. Other stops include the sprawling Gandan Hiid Monastery and Sukhebaatar Square which is the hub of activity in the capital. Overnight: hotel.

Today you’ll enjoy free time in Ulan Bator. You may wish to stay in the city to shop for supplies and souvenirs or perhaps, if you’re keen to see more of the Mongolian countryside, you might arrange a day excursion to hike in the Bogd Khaan Mountain National Park or perhaps set out in search of Mongolian wild horses in their natural habitat in Khustai National Park, an idyllic place west of the capital. Overnight: hotel.

Today, you’ll transfer to the station where you’ll jump on a train bound for Irkutsk. This elegant city is the jumping off point for side trips to Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake. Settle in for this overnight service which will see you cross the border back to Russia. Overnight: train.

After several days in the train, Baikal's expansive waters are just the tonic. We'll make an included transfer from Irkutsk railway station to the little village of Listvyanka which perches on the lakeshore. There, you'll have plenty of free time to spend as you please, for example by taking a boat trip out on this, the world's deepest freshwater lake. Overnight: hotel.

Today we provide another opportunity for Baikal relaxation and sightseeing. Occupy your time as you please, perhaps with a visit to the St. Nicolas Russian Orthodox Church or the Baikal Lake Museum where you will learn Siberian traditions, history, flora and fauna of the lake. Overnight: hotel.

Our guide will meet you at your accommodation and transfer to Irkutsk via the open air Wooden Architecture Museum. Located in a picturesque forest in the bank of the River Angara in Taltsy, you'll be able to browse the wooden houses and tents once typical of this area. You can learn about the lifestyles of the local Buryat and Evenk people, go inside a Russian fort and a 15th Century watchtower and see a shaman's yurt. We'll finish up the day with a city tour of beautiful Irkutsk before boarding the train that will take us all the way to Yekaterinburg. Overnight: train.

It's a two-day trip across Siberia to Yekaterinburg but on arrival our driver will meet you at the carriage with a Go Russia sign board. Transfer to the hotel this evening and settle in. Overnight: hotel.

Yekaterinburg is infamous as the site of the execution of the last Russian Tsar Nikolay II and his family. We shall pay our respects with a visit to the Memorial Cathedral on the Blood in the name of all Saints, which was built on the execution site itself. We'll continue to Ganina Pit, an orthodox monastery constructed where the remains were originally interred and also visit seven wooden churches in the heart of a centuries-old pine forest. Lastly, given our proximity, we won't want to miss the opportunity of seeing the obelisk that marks the boundary between Europe and Asia. Overnight: hotel.

Our driver will meet you at the hotel lobby, ready to transfer to the railway station. Our fast train departs after breakfast and carries us to our final destination, Moscow. Overnight: train.

After our overnight train journey, we arrive in Moscow the following morning where our driver will be waiting to transfer us to the hotel. Later, we'll wander through the streets of the Russian capital at a leisurely walking pace, our tour leading us to such sights as the world-famous KGB center of the Soviet epoch in Lubyanka Square and Teatralnaya Square where we'll find the Bolshoi Theatre. Continuing through the heart of Moscow's shopping and restaurant district, we will reach Red Square. This iconic square is where we can see St Basil's Cathedral with its colorful domes, GUM department store, Kazan Cathedral and the Kremlin towers. Lenin is also interred here and you can get up close to his embalmed body in the Mausoleum standing at the foot of the Kremlin's walls. Overnight: hotel.

Our final day of sightseeing will be spent inside the Kremlin. It's now the base of the Russian president but was once the Tsar's home. The cathedrals of the Kremlin will delight with their long history but it's the Armoury Museum that's the real treasure - quite literally, as it contains not only weaponry but also such exhibits as the chalice of Yuri Dolgorukiy, the helm and armour of Boris Godunov, collection of over fifty Faberge eggs, as well as golden and silver works of applied art by Russian, European and Oriental masters. Lastly today, we'll take a ride on the Moscow Underground, almost a museum in itself with eclectic decoration including marble, mosaic, stained glass and bronze sculpture. Overnight: hotel.

Transfer to the airport. Our driver will meet you with a Go Russia sign board at the hotel lobby.