Trans-Mongolian Rail Road with stop in Irkutsk

Period: all year round 2011

Dates: any dates you prefer

Itinerary: Moscow – Irkutsk – Ulan Bator - Beijing

Person number in a group: from 2 persons

  

Arrival in Moscow. Meeting by local guide, transfer to the hotel «Vega».

 

Breakfast. City tour of Moscow with visit to the Kremlin and its Cathedrals. You`ll start excursion at the Red Square to visit Moscow Kremlin, the mausoleum of Lenin, Saint Basil`s Cathedral, Annunciation Cathedral. Visit to the Novodevichy Convent and its cemetery - a remarkable example of XVI century`s architecture, it is one of the most beautiful Moscow Convent. There are graves of Gogol, Stanislavski, Bulgagov, Chekhov and other Russian celebrities at this cemetery. Return to the hotel. Free time.

 

Breakfast. Excursion to the Kolomenskoye village, an ancient and favourite residence of Russian Tsars and Princes. Peter the Great was born and spent his childhood here. Now it is a museum in the open air located in Podmoskovie (not far from Moscow). At the territory of this museum you`ll see the Ascension church of XVI century built in Russian style of old time, the Kazanskaya church of XVII century – a summer residence of Aleksey Romanov. Free time in the city center. Transfer to the railway station.

21.25 Departure by train n° 2 to Irkutsk in the compartment of 1 st or 2 d class

 

All days in the train crossing the beautiful landscapes: the deep forests of Western Russia, the mountains of the Ural, the Siberian taiga, different Russian regions with its small towns and villages.

 

06.45 Arrival in Irkutsk. Meeting by local guide and transfer to the hotel «Viktoria ». Breakfast at hotel restaurant and rest in your rooms. City tour of Irkutsk. More then 300 years Irkutsk is located at the south of lake Baikal and peoples living this city are proud of this situation. Irkutsk has a historical and cultural heritage. Because of its property Irkutsk is called «Siberian Paris». About 600 thousands of inhabitants live in Irkutsk. It is an administrative, industrial, economic and scientific center with 10 thousands of enterprises, a branch of Scientific Academy, big chain of Institutes, Universities, libraries, historical, architectural, archaeological monuments, museums, theatres. During city tour you`ll see Kirov Square (main square of the city), Lenin monument, embankment of the Angara river, the only one river flows from lake Baikal, Znamensky Monastery, Lenin and Karl Marks main streets of Irkutsk where you`ll see many ancient wooden buildings with handmade decorations. Check in at the hotel. Excursion to the Decembirst`s museum, Volkonsky house to see things of Decembrists and learn about their life in Siberia. Return to the hotel.

 

Breakfast. Full day excursion to Listvianka village, to the lake Baikal, the deepest lake of the world, situated 70 km from Irkutsk. On the road visit to the museum of wooden architecture Taltsy in the open air to learn about the life style of Siberian who lived in different epochs, you`ll visit also a real buryat ger in this museum. Arrival in Listvianka village, stop at the observation platform to see the famous Shaman Rock and listen to the beautiful legend about lake Baikal and his daughter – the Angara river. Lunch at local restaurant `Last Century` to taste lake Baikal fish – omul. After lunch excursion to the Baikal museum where exhibits reflect the history of the lake, its flora and fauna, geological structure and climate of Pribaikalie. Visit to the Mountain Chersky by chair lift where on the top you can admire the beautiful view to the south part of lake Baikal and source of Angara river. Walking tour at the village Krestovka with visit to the Saint Nicolas church. Accommodation at hotel «Mayak» located on the lake Baikal shore.

 

Transfer to Irkutsk (70 km), transfer to buryat village Ust Orda (70 km from Irkutsk). Arrival at Ust Orda village, lunch to taste some traditional meals of buryat peoples at the restaurant `ger`. Then visit to the local Lore museum to learn about life style of buryats. You`ll have a meeting with real shaman who lives in this village, he`ll speak with you and  show some buryat rituals. Very happy and full of good emotions you will come back to Irkoutsk. 21.50 Departure by train n° 362  to Ulan Bator in  the compartment of 1 st or 2 d class (time on the road is 34,20 hours and distance is 1113 km). 

 

All day is in the train. Meals are not included. This day you`ll cross the border between Russia and Mongolia. Mongolia is a country of Chingis Khan which managed to join nomads and form Mongolian State.

 

07.05 Arrival in Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia, the biggest World Empire. Meeting by local guide and transfer to the National Parc Terelj located in the picturesque valley, 85 km from Ulan Bator. This park was created in 1993 and occupy territory of 286 thousands of hectares. On the road you`ll see rock formations of mesozoic era as a turtle or as a human head. Arrival at the camp, accommodation at Mongolian ger for 2 – 4 persons. Breakfast and time for leisure. Visit to the nomad family to taste some dairy products. Walking tour by horses or by camels at the camp territory. Dinner and overnight at the camp.

 

Breakfast. Transfer to Ulan Bator, accommodation at hotel «Edelveiss». City tour of Ulan Bator. During city tour you`ll see Sukhe Bator main city place, Bogdy Khan museum to see things of mongol`s everyday life, Nature museums which keeps collection of stuffed animals, birds and 2 skeletons of dinosaurs taken from Gobi desert. You`ll have a lunch at city restaurant to taste some traditional dishes of Mongolian cuisine. Then you`ll visit Gandan Monastery, a Buddhist center of Mongolia where you`ll see old lamas who read their prayers. You`ll climb to the Zaisan Mountain to see beautiful view on Ulan Bator. Return to the hotel. Dinner and free time.

Breakfast. Transfer to the railway station.

08.10 Departure by train n° 23 to Beijing in the compartment of 1 st or 2 d class (time on the road is 31,14 hours and distance is 1356 km). During this trip you`ll have a possibility to see Mongolian deserts. Passage of the border between Mongolia and China.

 

14.31 Arrival in Beijing. Meeting by local guide and transfer to the hotel «Inn Huaqiao Beijing ». Accommodation. Free time.

 

Breakfast. City tour of Beijing. You`ll visit the biggest Square in all over the world, the Tianmen Place with monument of National People located in the middle of this place. At the north you`ll find a city main avenue Chang`an and Tianmen Arch which is easy recognizable because of Mao Zedoung portrait. Crossing this Arch you`ll enter the Prohibited City, it is a complex of imperious palace that was founded by the third emperor of dynasty Ming, Yong Le. After chinese lunch at Chinese restaurant you will have excursion in the Sky Temple, the biggest Temple in China.

 

Breakfast. Excursion to the Great Chinese Wall and Ming tombs with Chinese lunch. Great Chinese Wall is a symbol of old Chinese civilization, located at the altitude of 800 m. Total length is 6700 km. Construction of the wall began on 476-221 years the first century BC to protect northern kingdoms. Ming Tombs is a place of  burial ground of thirteen emperors of the dynasty Ming (500 years), located 50 km from Beijing. Return to Beijing..

 

Breakfast. Transfer to the airport. Departure from Beijing.

Price (2011): per person in euro

 

Number of persons	2	4	6	8	10
Twin room	61500	50600	43200	41400	39000

 

Supplement payment for Singl room – 16100 RUB / person

 

° Accommodation at hotels (standard rooms);

° Meals: breakfasts + 2 lunches (lake Baikal-Listvianka village and Ust Orda village) + full board at

   Terelj Park + 2 lunches in Beijing;

° Guide services (English, German, French speaking);

° Transfers;

° Excursions;

° Entrance tickets to museums;

° Invitation letter.

 

Supplement for German/French guide in Ulan Bator and Beijing:

 

2 – 4 persons – 116 euro / person

6 – 10 persons – 64 euro / person

 

° Lunches and dinners at city or hotel restaurants –  600 – 800 RUB / person

 

 

° Train tickets: Price in RUB:

                        Moscow – Irkutsk, train # 2 - odd days

                        2d class – 16800 RUB / person

                        1 st class – 29800 RUB / person

                        2 d class only – 5200 RUB

                        Ulan Bator – Beijing, train # 23 

                        2d class – 8600 RUB / person

                        1 st class – 11400 RUB / person

 

2 d class – 4 berths compartment

1 st class – 2 berths compartment

 

° Flight ticket: from Beijing