Big Ticket - 19 days

FROM USD $3,569

Bolshoi (Russian for BIG). Go large on our sensational big ticket from Moscow all the way to Beijing. It's the journey that offers a stunning smorgasbord of all our en route destinations including Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk (for Lake Baikal), Ulan Ude and Ulaan Baatar!

Days 1 - 2: Moscow
Moscow. Welcome to Russia’s vibrant capital city. Arrival transfer from Moscow Sheremetyevo or Domodedovo airport to your hotel. The remains of days 1 and 2 are free for you to explore the sights of Moscow. On day 2 there is the option to travel to the legendary Red Square by Metro for a guided walking tour; see the brightly coloured St Basil’s Cathedral, the impressive GUM department store and Lenin’s Mausoleum. If open you can pay your respects to Lenin himself! Rest of the day is free - consider a visit to the mighty Kremlin. Overnight - Moscow (B:1)
Day 3: Moscow
Moscow - Yekaterinburg. Explore the city independently today. This afternoon transfer to rail station to board the train to Yekaterinburg. Overnight - Train (B)
Big Ticket - 19 days Go Guide : :Check out the go guide for details of the tour, info on visas, climate, money, what to bring and more!
The Chapel of Saint Great Martyr in Yekaterinburg
Days 4 - 5: Yekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg. On the evening of day 4 the train pulls into Yekaterinburg. Transfer to accommodation. On day 5 there is an optional city tour, which takes in the new monastery that marks the site of the Romanov family’s execution in 1918 and Ganina Yama - a beautiful monastic complex built on the site where their bodies were discarded and later found. The tour also takes you to the Europe/Asia border where you can stand with a foot in each continent! Overnight - Yekaterinburg - Homestay (B:1, D:2)
Day 6: Optional Activity
Yekaterinburg. Today you can choose one of the optional activities detailed or spend the day at leisure. This evening enjoy dinner and relaxation at the homestay, before transferring to the train station in the very early hours of the morning. Overnight - Train (B)
A green and red Trans-Siberian train
Days 7 - 8: Train
Yekaterinburg - Irkutsk. The train departs in the very early hours of the morning on day 7 for your onward journey to Irkutsk. Overnight - Train (B:1)
People on the banks of Lake Baikal in Siberia
Days 9 - 11: Train to Irkutsk & Optional Lake Baikal
Irkutsk. Morning arrival into Irkutsk, a town with the Asiatic influences of nearby Mongolia and China and curious architecture - a legacy of Siberia. Or choose one of the following optional excursions:

Listvyanka and Lake Baikal: Spend two relaxing days in the village of Listvyanka by beautiful Lake Baikal and perhaps choose one of the optional activities.

Irkutsk Summer Trek & Camp: Enjoy an overnight trekking excursion through the scenic taiga of the Primorsky Mountain to Lake Baikal, camping overnight in a picturesque bay. Overnight - Irkutsk (B:2)
Days 12 - 14: Train to Ulan Ude
Irkutsk - Ulan Ude - breakfast. Spend day 12 at leisure in Irkutsk before your evening departure for the overnight train to Ulan Ude. Very early the following morning arrive and transfer to homestay. The day is free for you to independently explore the city or take an optional Ulan Ude city tour. Thanks to its proximity to Mongolia and China, the indigenous people of the region, the Buryats, clung on to their Tibetan-Buddhist faith through the Communist era. The guided city tour visits Ivolginsky Datsan - a centre of Buddhist culture and the open air Ethnographic Museum dedicated to the lives of local people and architecture through the ages.

On day 14, breakfast, then free time until mid afternoon. Transfer to rail station for the train to Ulaan Baatar. Overnight - (1) - Ulan Ude, (2) - Train (B:1, D:1)
A Mongolian boy in a fur hat, on a horse
Days 15 - 17: Mongolia
Ulaan Baatar. Morning arrival (subject to border formalities and inevitable delays) into Outer Mongolia after crossing the border in the very early hours of day 15, transfer to your hotel in Ulaan Baatar. Mongolia is a country of unspoilt natural beauty, with endless steppe, nomadic tribes people, stunning Terelj National Park, double-humped (Bactrian) camels and wild Przewalski horses. Due to its high elevation, located 1350 metres above sea level Ulaan Baatar is the coldest national capital in the world, so make sure you wrap up warm! Enjoy free time exploring the National History Museum, Bogd Khan’s winter palace, the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet and Sukhbataar Square. Spend the following 3 days at leisure or book an optional two night excursion to Terelj National Park:

Optional Terelj National Park & ger camp: Upon arrival on day 15 transfer to nearby Terelj National Park, stopping for lunch and visiting Turtle Rock en route. With scenic alpine surrounds this protected area is host to diverse flora and fauna and famous for its unique granite rock formations. Spend two nights camping out in a Mongolian ger on the steppe. On day 17 transfer back to Ulaan Baatar stopping to visit a nomadic family en route. Overnight - Ulaan Baatar (B:2)
Practice Tai Chi on the medieval Old City Wall in Xi'an on one of our China Tours
Days 18 - 19: Train to Beijing
Ulaan Baatar - Beijing. Morning transfer to rail station for your onward train journey through endless steppe and the Gobi Desert before crossing the border into China. Day 18 is the final leg of your Big Ticket, passing through Shaanxi province en route to the capital. Afternoon arrival into Beijng signals the end of your epic Trans-Siberian journey. (B:1)

Choose your adventure

Make the most of your time in Irkutsk and Lake Baikal, by choosing one of our optional excursions that most appeals to you. Please specify your preference at time of booking.



Tour Details
  • Starts in: Moscow / Ends in: Beijing
  • Departs: Mondays - year round
  • No local payment required
  • Breakfast:11, Lunch: 0, Dinner: 3
  • Hotel Rating: 3 star
  • Tour Guide: Yes - for stopover arrangements
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