monkeyshrine train journeys trans-siberian...mongolian / siberian network. day 3 train to...
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2020Trans-Mongolian Railway: Beijing to Moscow
including Mongolian Steppe, Irkutsk / Lake Baikal, Krasnoyarsk and Ekaterinburg
Polny BM6 (UIKE) | 19 days
Trans-Siberian Train JourneysMonkeyshrine
Trans-Siberian Adventures
Tour Introduction This tour includes the most important highlights within three weeks. The stopovers are spread out, which means the train journeys are overnight or two days. Leaving Beijing you will travel past the Great Wall and cross into Mongolia. A four day round trip to explore the old capital Karakorum, Lake Ugii and spot the wild horses in Hustei. Head to Russia to hike around Lake Baikal and Listvyanka. Stay a night in Irkutsk before continuing to central Siberia to visit Stolby National park outside Krasnoyarsk. Ekaterinburg and the Ural Mountains which is the geographical border between Europe and Asia, also the last resting place of the Romanov’s.
RouteBeijing — Ulaanbaatar — Irkutsk (Lake Baikal) — Krasnoyarsk — Ekaterinburg — Moscow. With an optional tour extension to St Petersburg.
DatesAll year round with departure dates from Beijing depending on a seasonal timetable. The best time to travel is from mid May to early October to enjoy the warmest weather. Train #23 departs from Beijing at 07:27 and arrives in Ulaanbaatar at 14:35:
-Until 26 May 2020, the Chinese train leaves every Tuesdays. -From 6 June 2020 (possibly 30 May) onwards, service is switched to the Mongolian train leaving on Saturdays. -An extra summer train is expected to be added from late June departing Tuesdays.
It is also possible to depart on the weekly Wednesday train #3; this train runs between Beijing and Moscow and is generally available for shorter routes.
Tours | Hotels | TrainsFive train journeys, mostly for one day or one night (one journey is 2 nights). Fully guided and inclusive tours of: UB and Gun Galuut in Mongolia; Irkutsk city and Lake Baikal National Park; Krasnoyarsk city and Stolby National Park; Ekaterinburg city, Nevyansk and Byngi village; as well as a city tour of Moscow. Accommodation in 3* hotels, guest house and traditional Mongolian ger.
Code: PO-BM6 (UIKE) from € 3,160
Trans-Mongolian Railway: Beijing to Moscow
19 day itinerary with tours in Mongolia, Irkutsk / Lake Baikal, Krasnoyarsk, Ekaterinburg
Tour Includes√ Monkey info pack, local support, visa invitation documents√ Train tickets in standard second class four berth cabins, with option to upgrade to first class√ Beijing: 1 night 4* hotel, transfer to train√ Mongolia: arrival and departure station transfers; 1 night centrally located 3* hotel√ Mongolia: 3-night trip to Karakorum, Ugii Lake and Hustai National Park, transfers, guide, excursions√ 3 nights ger camp with full board√ Lake Baikal: 2 nights guesthouse, guided hike and transfers√ Irkutsk: 1 night 3* wooden hotel, guided city walking tour√ Krasnoyarsk: 2 nights 3* hotel, station transfers, guided city tour. Day trip hiking with experienced guide through Stolby National Park√ Ekaterinburg: 2 nights 3* hotel, station transfers, guided city walking tour. Full day excursion to the city of Nevyansk, lunch at Byngi village√ Moscow: arrival transfer, 1 night 3* hotel, guided city walking tour√ Meals as listed in the itinerary (B – breakfast | L – lunch | D – dinner)
Tour StylePolny [полный] is a Russian word which means “complete, full, total, entire, overall, absolute”. Polny packages are fixed date, small group tours with well designed stopover tours at a range of popular destinations along the route, with English speaking guides, 3* standard accommodation and all transfers included.
Cover Photo: Mongolian musicians. ADS, 2015.
Trip Highlights
» Trans-Mongolian train journey, travelling 7,622 km from Beijing to Moscow across two continents.» Remarkable scenery including the Great Wall, Gobi, Mongolian Open Steppe, the wide expanse of Siberia, countless rural villages and, of course, magical Lake Baikal.» Stay in a comfortable traditional Mongolian ger, explore the open steppe on the way to Karakorum, visit the home of a nomadic family and spot the wild horses in Hustei, while enjoying the warm and friendly hospitality of our local guides.» Explore Ulaanbaatar with a guided city tour, while learning how important Buddhism is to the Mongolian peoples. » Stay 2 nights at Lake Baikal in Listvyanka and sample healthy local Siberian food.» Hike in Baikal National park with a picnic on the shore of Lake Baikal.» See the famous rock formations while hiking the Stolby National Reserve near Krasnoyarsk. » Discover sprawling Ekaterinburg, then a full day excursion to the city of Nevyansk.» Comfortable and centrally located 3* hotel in Moscow, with orientation city tour of this fascinating capital.
Ger roof. ADS, 2014
Mongolian Goats. ADS, 2014
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Day 1 Arrival to Beijing
Staying one night at the centrally located 4* Pentahotel. We can book additional accommodation and tours in Beijing, as well as domestic train tickets around China in advance of your Trans-Mongolian train journey.
Day 2Beijing | Train
Early morning transfer for the start of your Trans-Mongolian adventure. Depart on train #23 at 07:27. (B)The train meanders through the Yanshan mountains north of Beijing and past the Great Wall, before arriving at the Chinese border town of Erlian.The Chinese – Mongolian border crossing takes around five hours for immigration and customs procedures and for changing the bogies to accommodate the different gauge railway lines between China and the rest of the Trans-Mongolian / Siberian network.
Day 3Train to Ulaanbaatar
Wake up to the Gobi and cross central Mongoliansteppe. Arrive to Ulaanbaatar (locally called UB) early afternoon around 14:35. Meet your driver on the station platform for a transfer to your centrally located 3* hotel. Free evening to explore Ulaanbaatar on your own.
Day to Day Itinerary
Day 4Central Mongolia tour - Elsen Tasarkhai dunes and Karakorum
Meet your guide at hotel after breakfast (suggested start time: 8am). Travel west of UB (approx. 260km) to Elsen Tasarkhai, known as the ‘mini-Gobi’ sand dunes. Enjoy a picnic lunch or at a local ger camp. Opportunity to ride a camel or horse.Travel on to Karakorum (85km). Staying overnight at local hotel, guesthouse, or tourist ger camp. (L|D)
Day 5Ugii Lake
Morning in Karakorum, once the capital of the great Mongol Empire. Visit Erdene Zuu monastery, and the Karakorum history museum.Travel to Ugii Lake (65km). Enjoy lunch at ger camp before exploring the fabulous lake environs at your leisure (boating on the lake can be arranged). Staying overnight at tourist ger camp. (B|L|D)
Trans-Mongolian Railway
Gun Galuut. Matt Somerville, 2016
Genghis Khan Monument. ADS, 2015
Day 6Hustai National Park
Travel (250km) to Hustai National Park. Introduction to the national park’s work in re-introducing the wild Takhi horses, a subspecies of the Przewalski. Lunch in the park. Spend the afternoon searching for the horse within the national park.Travel from the park (70km) to spend the evening and overnight at a local nomadic family ger. (B|L|D)
Day 7Ulaanbaatar / Train to Irkutsk
Spend the early morning with the local family, learning about nomadic life. Finish the tour with your return to Ulaanbaatar (55km).Afternoon transfer to train station. Depart on train #305 at 15:22. (B)
Day 8Arrival Irkutsk | Listvyanka
Cross the Mongolian - Russian border in the middle of the night, stopping in Sukhebaatar
(Mongolia) and Naushki (Russia) for immigration and customs formalities. Travel along the southern shore of Lake Baikal before arriving in Irkutsk at 15:13 and meet your guide/driver on the platform. Transfer to Listvyanka, the main village on the shore of Lake Baikal (70km from Irkutsk). Staying two nights at a comfortable guesthouse. Guided tour of Limnological Museum (time permitting).
Day 9Listvyanka | Lake Baikal
A moderate hiking excursion that takes you into the hills surrounding Listvyanka and along the cliffs overlooking Lake Baikal. The hike is normally conducted by Sasha or one of his guides, who speak basic English and have developed many tracks as self-appointed park managers of the area. They will instruct you on the different fauna, flora and habitats of the area. Altogether, a fantastic way to experience the natural beauty of Listvyanka and Lake Baikal. (B|L)
Day 10Irkutsk
Free morning before transfer to Irkutsk. Staying at a boutique hotel in a district showcasing the wooden architecture of the city.Enjoy a guided city walking tour (2 hrs), including Karl Marx Street, the Church of the Transfiguration, the Epiphany Cathedral and the former Polish Cathedral.Irkutsk is an important staging post on the Trans-Siberian Railway and during the walking tour you will see how the railway influenced and developed this city. Irkutsk has an old centre very easy to navigate on foot with lovely Siberian wooden architecture and an amazing history of fires and rebuilding. (B)
Day 11Irkutsk | Train to Krasnoyarsk
Free day before late afternoon transfer to station. Depart at 16:11 on train #69 to Krasnoyarsk. (B)
Driving across the Mongolian steppe. Andy Pike, June 2013
Lake Baikal by DJI drone. ADS, 2015Wooden House, Irkutsk
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Day 12Krasnoyarsk
Morning arrival into Krasnoyarsk at 09:35. Meet guide on platform and transfer to a centrally located Metelitsa 3* hotel, staying two nights. Enjoy a 4 hrs afternoon guided city tour by car, including downtown Mira Prospekt, the Chapel of Saint Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, Communal Bridge, Victory Memorial, and the local Ethnographic Museum, learning some fascinating stories along the way.
Day 13Krasnoyarsk | Stolby Nature Reserve
This is a full day excursion to the beautiful countryside of Siberia, and a strenuous but exhilarating day. (There are alternative options if you prefer a more relaxed tour). Crossing the Yenisei River you head out to Stolby Nature reserve and hike 4km to the first outcrop of Stolby rocks. There are a number of
Day 16Ekaterinburg | Nevyansk
Full day excursion to the city of Nevyansk (80km), the one time capital of the Demidov dynasty, a very successful family of factory owners. The trip includes a visit to the famous and recently restored Nevyansk “leaning tower”, and the Transfiguration Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral, plus the traditional craft center and famous Nevyansk icons. You will stop at Byngi village on the return trip for lunch. (B|L)
peaks offering views throughout the reserve and how many you visit will depend on your level of fitness, time and the weather. Enjoy a picnic lunch during the outing. Return to city for free evening. (B|L)
Day 14Krasnoyarsk | Train
Free morning before transfer to the train station and departure at 10:23 on the train #69 to Ekaterinburg. (B)
Day 15Train | Ekaterinburg
Spend the day relaxing in your comfortable cabin, enjoying the view of the Siberian taiga forest. You will pass cities such as Novosibirsk and Omsk on the ‘mid Siberian railway’, which was built between 1893 and 1898. Arrive to Ekaterinburg late evening around 22:48 and transfer to the 3* Chekhov hotel where you will stay for 2 nights.
Krasnoyarsk Folklore Group. ADS, 2015
Summer hiking in Stolby National Park. Hannah Bedard, Aug 2014
Socialising in cabin, Anne Dudte, January 2013
Ekaterinburg, ADS
Wheels of Steam Loco. ADS, [email protected] www.monkeyshrine.com
[email protected], view of Kremlin. ADS, September 2009
Day 17Ekaterinburg | Train to Moscow
Guided city walking tour before transfer to station. Depart from Ekaterinburg on train #29 or #37 at 14:12 to Moscow. (B)
Day 18Train to Moscow | Moscow
Afternoon arrival around 14:13 at Moscow Yaroslavsky station and the end of your Trans-Siberian train journey. Meet driver on station platform. Transfer to centrally located 3* hotel, staying one night. (B)
Day 19Moscow | Tour extension
Meet your guide after breakfast and enjoy a great orientation tour of Moscow city center. All our guides have their own personal itineraries and will visit many of the main sites, including: Tverskaya street and its important buildings, Manezhnaya square, Marshal Zhukov monument, Lubyanka (former KGB building), Aleksandrovsky Gardens and of course the Red Square, St. Basil ‘s Cathedral and the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. (B)
Moscow is world class in terms of attractions and we recommend to spend at least 3 days in Moscow and we have a number of city tours and tour extensions in the city, before moving on to St Petersburg or onward connections to Europe.
Alexander Horse Fountains Moscow. Bill Birmingham, July 2011
Corridor on Chinese train - first class.
Moscow, Saint Basil’s Cathedral.
St. Petersburg, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.
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Monkeyshrine Trans-Siberian ToursMonkeyshrine
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