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highway to moscow - 13 days

Tour Information
Starts: Beijing
Ends: Moscow
Prices and Departures: Click Here
Breakfast: 7, Lunch: 4 , Dinner: 5
Hotel Rating: 3 , Mongolian ger camp, homestay
Local tour guide: Yes

CLASSIC ITINERARY
Day 1: Beijing
Welcome to Beijing! Arrival transfer from Beijing airport to hotel. Overnight - Beijing

Day 2: Beijing - breakfast
Stretching 6700 km from the Bohai Gulf in China’s east to Jiayuguan in the west, the Great Wall is a symbol of Chinese genius. Driving beyond Beijing to Badaling, enjoy a walk on a section of the Great Wall. Some parts of the walk are very steep, but the views are fantastic. Back in Bejing, enjoy a walk on Tiananmen Square, the largest public square in the world and where Chairman Mao proclaimed the People’s Republic in 1949. The square plays hosts to Chairman Mao’s great mausoleum, various stoic monuments and humankind out strolling, flying kites and eating ice creams. Dissecting it from the Forbidden City is Chang’an Avenue, the main centre thoroughfare. Staring out across the square, from above the Gate of Heavenly Peace is the famous technicolour portrait of Mao. It is through these gates that you’ll enter the Forbidden City and enjoy a guided tour. Built between 1406 and 1420, it served as the imperial palace for the Ming and Qing dynasties and is said to contain 9999 rooms. Residence of the emperors and focal point of the empire, entry was forbidden to all, except those on imperial business until 1911, when the last emperor, Puyi was overthrown. Lunch and overnight - Beijing

Day 3: Beijing - Ulaan Baatar - breakfast
Early this morning, an included transfer to Beijing rail station for the train to Ulaan Baatar - capital of Mongolia. Overnight - train

Days 4 & 5: Ulaan Baatar (Outer Mongolia) - Terelj NP
Mid-afternoon arrival (subject to border formalities & inevitable delays) and transfer to nearby Terelj National Park. En route, visit a nomad family. It doesn’t get much more exotic than Mongolia. Located in the landlocked plateau between Russian Siberia and the plains of northern China, Mongolia is a land of endless steppe, towering mountains, pristine lakes, rivers and desert. Once dominated by ancient warriors led by Genghis Khan and more recently under the thumb of Soviet oppression, today’s Mongolia is a destination that deserves to be on the hit list of all Trans-Sib travellers. Elevated and protected Terelj National Park offers stunning alpine scenery, is host to diverse flora and fauna, and is famous for it’s unique granite rock formations. Opportunities for outdoor pursuits abound. Hike, horse ride (at additional cost), rock climb, the choice is yours. The Mongolian ger is a sturdy wood and felt type tent. Ger means ‘home’ and it’s home during our stay on the steppe. Overnight (2) - ger camp. All meals included.

*Please note: Due to extreme weather, clients undertaking a classic adventure during the winter will be accommodated in permanent accommodation and not Mongolian gers.

Day 6: Terelj NP - Ulaan Baatar - Irkutsk & Lake Baikal - breakfast
Leaving Terelj NP, a transfer back to the capital - Ulaan Baatar via a food store in anticipation of the onward afternoon departure to Irkutsk in Russia. During the journey, the train will cross the border into Russia, bringing with it inevitable customs and immigration formalities and delays. Overnight - train

Day 7: Irkutsk & Lake Baikal
Afternoon arrival in Irkutsk - a town with Asiatic influences of nearby Mongolia and China and curious architecture - a legacy of Siberia’s aristocratic exiles. Transfer to nearby Listvyanka. Offering stunning views of Baikal - Siberia’s inland sea, Listvyanka is our year-round base. Enjoy a guided walk along the shores, including a visit to the Baikal Lake museum. Siberian banya (sauna), supper & overnight - homestay

Days 8 & 9: Irkutsk & Lake Baikal
Choose one of the exciting options available (see box below). Inc. breakfast & other meals!

The following options are offered to passengers undertaking our classic adventure while at Lake Baikal.

Select 1 option that best interest you for days 8 & 9 and inform on the go at time of booking.

Option 1 – Year-round fun

Day 8 - Boat to Port Baikal
Boat to Port Baikal. Summer - trekking on Circum-Baikal route and picnic. Winter - frozen lake walking & lunch. Return to Listvyanka. Siberian banya (sauna), supper & overnight – Homestay.

Day 9 - Return to Irkutsk
Return to Irkutsk. Lunch, supper and overnight - homestay.

Fitness level - medium.

Option 2 – Summer trek & camp

Day 8 - Trekking through the stunning taiga – forest of the surrounding Primorsky Mountain to nearby bay on the shores of Lake Baikal.
Camp overnight. All meals.

Day 9 - Trekking back to Listvyanka, lunch stop enroute. Collection of large luggage at homestay. Return to Irkutsk. Supper & overnight - Homestay.

Fitness level - good to high.

Option 3 – Summer lake diving (PADI cert. required)

Day 8 - Canyons, caves, vertical drops, an abundance of marine life & incredible visibility to approximately 40m! Dive the abyss. 2 dives with all necessary equipment. Lunch. supper & overnight – homestay.

Day 9 - Trekking back to Irkutsk, lunch stop en route. Collection of large luggage at homestay. Return to Irkutsk. Supper & overnight - homestay.

Fitness level - good to high.

Option 4 – Winter ski Baikal

Day 8 - Guided cross-country skiing (3 hours) in the Taiga forest or on the frozen expanse of Lake Baikal. Siberian banya (sauna), supper & overnight - homestay.

Day 9 - Return to Irkutsk via Taltsy - Museum of wooden architecture. Enjoy also a short Troika ride. Lunch, dinner & overnight - homestay.

Fitness level - high.

*If choosing option 2:

Day 7 - Arrive & transfer to homestay. Free time, supper.
Day 8 - Transfer to Listvyanka. Commence programme.
Day 9 - Per programme.

Days 10 - 12: Irkutsk - Moscow - breakfast
Late afternoon transfer to the rail station for the onward journey to Moscow across tracts of Siberia and the Ural Mountains. Overnight (3) - train

Day 13 (Tue): Moscow
Late-afternoon, the train reaches Moscow. See ‘what you get’ for content of costsaver adventure.

NOTES:
Mongolian ger stay - applicable to ‘classic’ adventures

Schedules dictate a late afternoon arrival in Moscow on day 13. We strongly urge you to stay at least one night in Moscow to avoid the risk of missing your onward international flight. Hey - why not stay a few days in Moscow, anyway?

Flights, visas and entrance fees not included. No meals aboard the train. Click here for visa information.

Homestays - Our homestays vary, you may be staying with a local family, couple or single person. In some cases the home owner may actually move out so that you have the house to yourself. The local homes we use are generally very simple and basic with shared bathroom facilities. Please note that if you are travelling in a larger group it may be necessary for you to stay in separate houses because most homes are small and only have room for one or two guests.

On the go is a specialist operator of cultural overland adventures by Trans-Siberian train from Moscow to Beijing and vice versa. Fun and informative, from the express route of some 7 days to an 18 day journey studded with awesome stops at Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk and Lake Baikal, Ulan Ude in Eastern Buryatia and Ulaan Baatar in Mongolia plus the original route all the way to Vladivostok, on the go offer 2 types of Trans-Siberian train packages with a range of inclusions to suit all pockets. A 2-night stay is included at the departure city of Moscow or Beijing, and accommodation offered at stops ranges from home stays or hotel stays to Mongolian gers at Terelj National Park. Catch a ride on the greatest train of all – the Trans-Siberian.