The centuries have been kind to the former capital of the Russian Empire – St Petersburg looks as grand today as when Peter the Great laid the foundation stones in 1703. From his cabin on Petrogradskaya Storona, the Russian emperor invited Europe's leading architects to fill the streets with extravagant palaces and elegant Baroque cathedrals. 

Today, the historic centre is preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage site, along with the grand palaces of the Romanovs at Peterhof, Pushkin and Pavlovsk.

Moscow is an enigmatic city with a rich history and vibrant culture. Politics, science, history, architecture, and business all meet here in this Russian capital, bursting with life. In this fascinating city, the ancient and the modern exist side by side. 

In addition to the famous sites of the Red Square, the Kremlin, and the imposing nine domes of St. Basil's Cathedral, Moscow boasts an emerging art and music scene, and plenty of galleries and cafes, full of Moscow's cultured crowd. 

The dining scene is equally vivacious , with everything from elegant haute cuisine to family friendly establishments.

As one of the six ancient cities in China, Beijing has been the heart and soul of politics and society throughout its long history. Consequently, there is an unparalleled wealth of discovery to delight and intrigue travellers as they explore the city's ancient past and exciting modern development. Now it has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, with about 140 million Chinese tourists and 4.4 million international visitors in a year.

Day 4: Yekaterinburg - Overnight aboard Transsiberian
Free morning. The visit will start at 12:00. Visit of the Monastery-Tomb of the Romanovs. The visit to the Romanov Monastery immerses you in the famous story of the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his family. The assassination of the Romanovs is an important part of Russian history and cannot be ignored by people who love the history of the Russian Federation and Yekaterinburg. Then excursion to the monument marking the border between Europe and Asia. Lunch during the visit. Departure at the end of the day for the station. Night on board the train. Breakfast + lunch + dinner included.

Days 5 to 6: On board the Trans-Siberian
Days and nights aboard the train.

Day 7: Irkutsk - Listvyanka (Lake Baikal)
Arrival in Irkutsk and drive to Listvyanka, a village on Lake Baikal. Discovery of the village with its wooden houses and the Saint-Nicolas church. Visit the Lake Baikal Museum, dedicated to fauna and flora. Boat trip on the lake (depending on weather conditions), then walk to the harbor and the fish market. Lunch during visits. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. Lunch + dinner included.

Day 8: Listvianka - Irkutsk
Return to Irkutsk, on the road, stop to visit the Talsty Museum of Wooden Outdoor Architecture. Continue to Irkutsk and discovery of the capital of Eastern Siberia: Walk in the ancient city classified as World Heritage by Unesco, with its famous houses with wooden architecture. The quay of the Angara River with the monument to Tsar Alexander III, the initiator of the construction of the Trans-Siberian, the Church of St. Savior, the central market. Visit the Volkonsky House, a nice mansion transformed into a museum. Lunch during visits. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. Breakfast + lunch + dinner included.

Day 9: Irkutsk - Night on the train
Morning transfer to the train station for departure to Ulaanbaatar. Journey along the Selenga River across the steppe. Passage from the Russian-Mongolian border to Naushki. Night on board.

Days 10: Ulan Bator
Arrival in Ulaanbaatar early in the morning. Welcome and transfer to the camp of yurts at the foot of Mount Khentii, in the heart of a wild region with views composed of steppes and valleys. Walk in nature to discover the local nomadic life. Lunch dinner. Night in a yurt in summer (approximately from April 15th to September 20th). Return to Ulaanbaatar for overnight at the hotel in Winter. Breakfast + lunch + dinner included.

Day 11: Ulan Bator
Departure for the visit of the Buddhist monastery of Gandan, one of the most beautiful in the country. Afternoon orientation tour in the Mongolian capital. Lunch dinner. Night at the hotel. Breakfast + lunch + dinner included.

Day 12: Ulan Bator - Overnight on Transmongolien
Early morning transfer to the train station for the departure of the train to Beijing. Crossing the central Aimak and then the border province of Dorngov, through the East Gobi Desert. Passage through the cities of Choi, Sainshand and Zamiin Uud on the Mongolian border. Stop at Erlian, Sino-Mongolian border, for customs formalities and train axle change. Night on board.

Note: There is a dining car on the Ulaanbaatar train to the border between Mongolia and China (07: 30-17: 30) but there is no restaurant diner on the border until Beijing! It is therefore preferable that you prepare yourself in advance. Breakfast included.

Day 13: Beijing
Wake up in the countryside of the Chinese countryside. Arrival in Beijing in the afternoon. Welcome to the station. Departure for the Great Wall, UNESCO World Heritage monument, the largest architectural structure ever built by humanity in length, surface and mass. Walk on the wall and return to Beijing. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. Note: Upon arrival at Beijing Railway Station the guide will greet you at the last exit of the station, as guides can not access the platform. Dinner included.

Day 14: Beijing
Free day or optional excursion. Lunch and dinner free. Night at the hotel. Breakfast included.

Day 15: Beijing - Europe
Transfer to the airport for your flight back to Europe. Breakfast included.

Please note: The order of the tour and tours may be changed for technical reasons, without altering the content of the program.

Day 1: UK - St. Petersburg
Welcome to the airport of St. Petersburg and transfer to the hotel. Night at the hotel.

Day 2: St. Petersburg
Departure for a panoramic tour of the city, Vasilevsky Island, St. Isaac's Square and the Decembrists (statue of Peter the Great), the Palace Square, Nevsky Prospekt, the banks of the Neva and its channels. Visit the fortress Peter and Paul and its Collegiate, which contains the tombs of the Tsars of Peter the Great to Nicholas II. Lunch during visits. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. Breakfast + lunch + dinner included.

Day 3: St. Petersburg - Overnight on the train
Breakfast. Free day without meals. Transfer to the train station according to the train schedule. Night on the train. Breakfast included.

Day 4: Moscow
Arrival in Moscow. Transfer from the train station to the hotel. Free day without meals. Overnight at the hotel in Moscow.

Day 5: Moscow
Panoramic tour of the historic district of the Russian capital, the famous Red Square, the Cathedral Basil the Blessed, the Bolshoi (external views). Visit the Novodevichy Convent or Bogoroditse - Smolensky monastery with its cemetery housing the tombs of personalities. This day will also be the opportunity to see the glitzy metro of Moscow with its most beautiful stations. Lunch during visits. Transfer to the station. Night on board the train. Breakfast + lunch included.

Day 6: On board the Trans-Siberian - Ekaterinburg
Arrival in Ekaterinburg, capital of the Urals at the end of the day. Reception and transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel in Yekaterinburg.

Day 7: Yekaterinburg - On board the train 
Free morning. The visit will start at 12:00. Visit of the Monastery-Tomb of the Romanovs. The visit to the Romanov Monastery immerses you in the famous story of the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his family. The assassination of the Romanovs is an important part of Russian history and can not be ignored by people who love the history of the Russian Federation and Yekaterinburg. Then excursion to the monument marking the border between Europe and Asia. Lunch during the visit. Departure at the end of the day for the station. Night on board the train. Breakfast + lunch + dinner included.

Days 8 and 9: On board the Trans-Siberian
Days and nights aboard the train. No meals included.

Day 10: Irkutsk - Lake Baikal - Listvyanka
Arrival in Irkutsk and drive to Listvianka, a village on Lake Baikal. Discovery of the village with its wooden houses and the Saint-Nicolas church. Visit the Lake Baikal Museum, dedicated to fauna and flora. Boat trip on the lake (depending on weather conditions), then walk to the harbour and the fish market. Lunch during visits. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. Lunch + dinner included.

Day 11: Listvianka - Irkutsk
Return to Irkutsk, on the road, stop to visit the Talsty Museum of Wooden Outdoor Architecture. Continue to Irkutsk and discovery of the capital of Eastern Siberia: Walk in the ancient city classified as World Heritage by Unesco, with its famous houses with wooden architecture. The quay of the Angara River with the monument to Tsar Alexander III, the initiator of the construction of the Trans-Siberian, the Church of St. Savior, the central market. Visit the Volkonsky House, a beautiful private mansion transformed into a museum. Lunch during visits. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. Breakfast + lunch + dinner included.

Day 12: Irkutsk - On board the train
Morning transfer to the train station for departure to Ulaanbaatar. Journey along the Selenga River across the steppe. Passage from the Russian-Mongolian border to Naushki. Night on board. No meals included.

Day 13: Ulaanbaatar
Arrival in Ulaanbaatar early in the morning. Welcome and transfer to the camp of yurts at the foot of Mount Khentii, in the heart of a wild region with views composed of steppes and valleys. Walk in nature to discover the local nomadic life. Lunch dinner. Night in a yurt in summer (approximately from April 15th to September 20th). Return to Ulaanbaatar for overnight at the hotel in Winter. Breakfast + lunch + dinner included.

Day 14: Ulaanbaatar
Departure for the visit of the Buddhist monastery of Gandan, one of the most beautiful in the country. Afternoon orientation tour in the Mongolian capital. Lunch dinner. Night at the hotel. Breakfast + lunch + dinner included.

Day 15: Ulan Bator - Aboard the Trans-Siberian
Morning transfer to the station for the departure of the train to Beijing. Crossing the central Aimak and then the border province of Dorngov, through the East Gobi Desert. Passage through the cities of Choi, Sainshand and Zamiin Uud on the Mongolian border. Stop at Erlian, Sino-Mongolian border, for customs formalities and train axle change. Night on board. Note: There is a dining car on the Ulaanbaatar train to the border between Mongolia and China (07: 30-17: 30) but there is no restaurant diner on the border until Beijing! It is therefore preferable that you prepare yourself in advance. Breakfast included.

Day 16: Beijing
Wake up in the countryside of the Chinese countryside. Arrival in Beijing in the afternoon. Welcome to the station. Departure for the Great Wall, UNESCO World Heritage monument, the largest architectural structure ever built by humanity in length, surface and mass. Walk on the wall and return to Beijing. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Note: Upon arrival at Beijing Railway Station the guide will greet you at the last exit of the station, as guides can not access the platform. Dinner included.

Day 17: Beijing
Free day or optional excursion. Lunch and dinner free. Night at the hotel. Breakfast included.

Day 18: Beijing - UK
Transfers to the airport. Return flight. Breakfast included.

The Trans-Siberian is not a luxury train, on it tourists from around the world rub shoulders with Russians, Mongolians & Chinese locals. Compartments include 2 or 4 berths & are a cosy little hideaway from which you can watch the inspiring countryside whizz past.  With a table & wardrobe, you'll have everything you'll need to traverse the great unknown.  Toilets are located at either end of the car.

The train stops fairly regularly, every 4 hours, sometimes minutes, sometimes half an hour. During longer stops, you will have the opportunity to go down on the platform for some fresh air and stretch your legs. This is also the opportunity to buy some food.

Restaurant Cars
All long-haul trains feature a dining car which features large panoramic windows that provide amazing vistas whilst passengers enjoy traditional cuisine.

You will be staying on the following trains:
- Train: 060 (or similar)
- Train: 070 (or similar)
- Train: 360 (or similar)
- Trans Mongolia (or similar)

These prices are based on a 4 person shared cabin of your choice (with another couple). Upgrade to a private cabin for 2 for an additional fee at the next stage of the booking process.

Our members will stay at the below hotels in Standard Rooms: 

St Petersburg: Karelinn Hotel 4* or similar
Moscow: Raikin Plaza 4 * or similar
Yekaterinburg: Park Inn By Radisson 4* or similar
Irkutsk: Marx Hotel 4* or similar
Listvyanka: Usadba Demidova (Boutique Hotel 3*) or similar
Ulaanbaatar: Ramada Hotel 4*, (1 night in a yurt in summer period) or similar
Beijing: Beijing Dong Fong 4* or similar