Tour Details
  • Starts in: Moscow / Ends in: Beijing
  • Departs: Fridays - year round
  • No local payment required
  • Breakfast:9, Lunch: 3, Dinner: 6
  • Hotel Rating: 3 star (+ Mongolian Ger camp)
  • Tour Guide: Yes - for stopover arrangements
Experiences
In search of inspiration?
Check out our range of unusual travel experiences on offer

Eastern Empires - 15 days

Travel from Moscow to Beijing via Yekaterinburg in the foothills of the Ural Mountains on the Europe/Asia border and Ulaan Baatar in Mongolia, soaking up the incredible sights along the way!

Classic Adventure Itinerary
Day 1: Moscow
Friday. Welcome to Moscow! Arrival transfer from Moscow Sheremetyevo or Domodedovo airport to our hotel. Overnight - Moscow
Day 2: Red Square
The capital that spawned dozens of spy novels. Catch the Metro to Red Square, from where you’ll enjoy a guided walk. You’ll spot Moscow’s bastion of power, the gold onion-domed Kremlin, GUM department store and more. Rest of day free. Lenin’s fascinating granite mausoleum located in Red Square is a Mecca for the curious and worth a look. Overnight - Moscow (B)
Eastern Empires - 15 days Go Guide : :Check out the go guide for details of the tour, info on visas, climate, money, what to bring and more!
on the go tours passengers with their rucksacks, waiting to board a Trans-Siberian train
Day 3: Moscow
Moscow - Yekaterinburg. A free day for you to explore the capital. Perhaps jump aboard the Stalinist era metro and see the beautifully decorated stations. Tonight - included transfer to rail station for train departure. Overnight - train (B)
Day 4: Yekaterinburg
Crossing the Ural Mountains, you'll become adept at passing through the jolting spaces between the train wagons with tracks visible through the floor as you head to the Dinner wagon or out to stretch your legs. Tonight, the train pulls into Yekaterinburg. Transfer to accommodation. Overnight - homestay (D)
Church of the Saviour on-the-Spilled-Blood (Khram Spas na Krovi) in Yekaterinburg
Day 5: Ganina Yama
Founded in 1723 to exploit the mineral riches of the surrounding Urals and Siberia, historically or perhaps infamously, it was here in Yekaterinburg, in the cellar of a house, that Tsar Nicholas II and his family were executed on the morning of July 17, 1918. Although the house no longer exists, a tour of the city takes in the beautiful new monastery that marks the site, along with Ganina Yama - the monastic complex set in the taiga forest outside the city, where the family's remains were unceremoniously dumped and later found. You'll also head out to the Europe/Asia border marker - where you can stand with a foot on either side of the boundary marker! Spend the rest of the day at leisure. Overnight - homestay (B, D)
Day 6: Optional activity
Today you can choose one of the optional activities available. This evening enjoy dinner and relaxation at the homestay before transferring to the train station shortly after midnight. Lunch, dinner and overnight - train Overnight - train (B, L, D)
Two girls in Terelj National Park, with a Mongolian Ger in the background
Days 7 - 9: Train - Lake Baikal
Yekaterinburg - Ulaan Baatar. The train departs in the very early hours in the morning to Ulaan Baatar. Settle in as the train heads east across Siberia, skirting along the shores of Lake Baikal and pushing closer to the Mongolian border. Overnight - train (B:1)
Days 10 - 11: Terelj National Park
Ulaan Baatar - Terelj NP - Morning arrival and transfer to centre (subject to border formalities and inevitable delays) to refresh before the drive to Terelj. One of the most elevated countries in the world, Mongolia is sandwiched between Russian Siberia and the plains of northern China. Best known to the world as a remote, sparse land where Genghis Khan held sway over the once far-reaching Mongolian empire, today's Mongolia after decades of suppression under the Soviets, is emerging as a unique travel destination on the Trans-Siberian. The Mongolian ger is a sturdy wood and felt-type tent. Ger means home and it is home during our stay on the steppe.

*Please note: Due to extreme weather, clients undertaking a classic adventure during the winter will be accommodated in permanent accommodation and not Mongolian gers. Overnight - Mongolian ger camp (B:1, L:2, D:2)
A Mongolian man on a hill with his horse
Days 12 - 13: Ulaan Baatar
Terelj NP - Ulaan Baatar. Transfer to Ulaan Baatar via a visit to a nomadic family. Otherwise known as UB to ex-pats, you've 2 nights to enjoy Ulaan Baatar your way! Laid-back and provincial, Ulaan Baatar is set in the rolling foothills of the Bogd Mountain range, on the banks of the Tuul River. Overnight - Ulaan Baatar (B:2, D:1)
Day 14: Train
Ulaan Baatar - Beijing. Morning transfer to rail station for train to Beijing. Overnight - train (B)
Day 15: Beijing
Friday. Beijing. On the final leg of our momentous journey we pass through Shaanxi province as we head to the nations capital. Arrival scheduled for mid-afternoon into Beijing.

See the 'Costsaver' tab above, for the content of our Costsaver journey

Hotels: In Russia on the go use 3 star accommodation as classified by the Russian Ministry of Tourism. However, please be aware that the 3 star standards throughout Russia vary greatly and cannot be compared to hotels of a similar standard in Western Europe or, and in particular, the United States.

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 home 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.

Train schedules: Chinese and Mongolian Railways do change their schedules from time to time, which could alter the itinerary. Please check with us at time of booking.

Choose your Adventure
Make the most of your time in Yekaterinburg by choosing one of our optional activities that most appeals to you. Please specify your preference at time of booking.

Please note that optional activities are only available on Classic Adventures not Costsaver.