Beijing to St Petersburg - Overland Trip
2 ½ weeks: Beijing to St Petersburg (IMT-AABS)
Intro
The Trans-Mongolian is one of the great train journeys of the world. Leaving from Beijing, the Trans-Mongolian crosses northern China and the steppes of Mongolia, then over the border into Russia. Crossing the vast landmass of Siberia you join the route of the Trans-Siberian, all the way to Moscow, and then on to Russia\'s window on the west, the elegant city of St Petersburg.Maximum Group Size
18Fully Escorted
By Imaginative Traveller tour leaderTransport
Trans-Mongolian train, bus, metro & taxiActivities
Optional hiking and horse ridingAccommodation
7 nights on board the train, 6-7 nights simple hotels (shared facilities in some cases), 2-3 nights homestay, 2 nights Mongolian ger.The exact itinerary for days 7-12 will depend on the train schedule. This is notoriously prone to change so please be flexible.
Itineraries
Day 1,BEIJINGArrive and transfer to hotel.
Day 2,TRAINBoard the Trans-Mongolian train and head north through China and over the border into Mongolia. We will see a part of the Great Wall on the way.
Day 3,ULAAN BAATARArrive in the Mongolian capital in the early afternoon and head out into the rolling grasslands that start right on the edge of the city. We spend the night in a traditional ger (a round felt nomad’s tent). (D)
Day 4,GER CAMPA full day in the Mongolian grasslands with options for hiking or horse riding. There may also be the chance to visit a local nomadic family. (BLD)
Day 5,ULAAN BAATARHead back to Ulaan Baatar to board the evening train to Irkutsk. (B)
Day 6,TRAINOur train heads through Northern Mongolia, following the Selenge River through mile after mile of grasslands and over the border into Siberia.
Day 7 to Day 10,IRKUTSK - LAKE BAIKAL - EKATERINBURGArrive in the early morning of day 7 in Irkutsk, capital of Siberia and a pleasant laid back town. We then head straight out to the stunningly beautiful Lake Baikal which defies all statistics - approximately 25 million years old and at least 1.5km deep! We stay with local families in Listvyanka, a traditional wooden Siberian village on the shores of the lake. Later we head back to Irkutsk and board the train bound for Ekaterinburg. During this stretch of our journey we cross the vast wilderness of Siberia. (BLD - at Lake Baikal only; no meals in other places)
Day 11 to Day 12,EKATERINBURGArrive in Ekaterinburg and transfer to our hotel. We have plenty of free time to explore the city that is famous for being the place where the last Tsar and his family were murdered by communists. It is a pleasant town that dates back to the 18th century.
Day 13,EKATERINBURG - TRAINWe board the morning train, continuing over the Volga, Danilov and Vytka rivers as well as the Ural Mountains. (B)
Day 14,MOSCOWArrive in Moscow and transfer to our hotel.
Day 15,MOSCOWA full free day in Moscow. Explore Russia’s vibrant capital with its huge communist buildings, the oniondomed St Basil’s Cathedral and Lenin’s Tomb or perhaps make a trip out to the monasteries of Sergiev Posad, the heart of Russian Orthodox Christianity. (B)
Day 16,MOSCOW - TRAINA day to further explore Moscow before we take an overnight train to St Petersburg. (B)
Day 17,ST PETERSBURGArrive and transfer to our hotel. There is plenty of time today to start exploring the contrasts between this very European city and the heavily Soviet Moscow.
Day 18,ST PETERSBURGA full day to visit the numerous sights such as the world famous Hermitage and the palaces and gardens of Pushkin and Pavlovsk. Alternatively you could head for Petrodvorets, a spectacular palace built by Peter the Great and famed for its avenue of fountains. (B)
Day 19,ST PETERSBURGTour ends. (B)
Last updated: 20th October 2009
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