Beijing Trip Overview
On this tour, we’ll begin our Trans-Mongolian journey in the fascinating Chinese capital, Beijing, travelling across the Mongolian steppe via exotic Ulan Bator and into Russia. As the train eats up the miles on its journey west, we’ll explore pretty Lake Baikal and charming Irkutsk before heading to historic Yekaterinburg. A comprehensive sightseeing programme in both Moscow and St Petersburg rounds off this unforgettable tour.
Additional Info
Duration: 20 days
Starts: Beijing, China
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Beijing Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Beijing, China, China
On this tour, we’ll begin our Trans-Mongolian journey in the fascinating Chinese capital, Beijing, travelling across the Mongolian steppe via exotic Ulan Bator and into Russia. As the train eats up the miles on its journey west, we’ll explore pretty Lake Baikal and charming Irkutsk before heading to historic Yekaterinburg. A comprehensive sightseeing programme in both Moscow and St Petersburg rounds off this unforgettable tour.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in China. Exploring Old Beijing (Hutong Area)
Stop At: Hutong Tour, No.9, Zhonglou, Dongcheng District No.9, Zhonglou, Dongcheng District, 100009, Beijing, Beijing 100009 China
On arrival in Beijing, our driver will be waiting for you with a sign board at the station to transfer you to the hotel. Beijing is a modern city, but we will begin by visiting one of its oldest neighbourhoods, a hutong by Shichahai Lake. Hutong, a description dating back to the 13th century Yuan dynasty, means a city area with narrow streets or alleys. Few of these fascinating areas remain, a casualty of China’s rapid economic development. Leaving the hutong, we will continue by rickshaw to Shichahai Lake and the Drum Tower in the heart of old Beijing. Enjoy fantastic views of the lake, and the former princes’ houses and well preserved courtyards which surround it. You can also take an optional boat trip on the lake. Your evening is free to continue to explore China’s vibrant capital city at your own pace.
Duration: 4 hours
Meals included:
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in a 4* hotel: Hotel Qianmen’s Jianguo Beijing 4* or similar.
Day 2: Tiananmen Square. Forbidden City & Summer Palace. Badaling Great Wall. Olympic Green
Stop At: Tiananmen Square (Tiananmen Guangchang), West Changan Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100006 China
Guided visit of the Tiananmen Square. Located in the centre of Beijing, at 440 000 square metres, Tiananmen is the largest city square in the world. It is culturally significant and also the site of several key events in Chinese history, most recently in 1989 when government troops stopped pro-democracy protesters there.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Forbidden City-The Palace Museum, No.4 Jingshanqian Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100009 China
Visit to the Forbidden City. To the north of the square lies the Forbidden City, the Imperial Palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties, which we shall explore on a guided tour.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Summer Palace (Yiheyuan), No.19 Xinjian Gongmen Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100080 China
Visit to Summer Palace. Later we will make our way to the magnificent Summer Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: The Great Wall at Badaling, Badaling, Yanqing District, Beijing 102112 China
Stretching for thousands of miles and over two thousand years old, the Great Wall of China may not be seen with the naked eye from space but it is a sight to behold. The stretch at Badaling is closest to Beijing and was also the first to be restored.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Olympic Park, North of Beisihuanzhong road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101 China
Visit to the Olympic Green
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in a 4* hotel: Hotel Qianmen’s Jianguo Beijing 4* or similar.
Day 3: Departure to Mongolia
Pass By: Mongolia, Mongolia
We board the fast train K3, popular with foreign travellers to get from China to Mongolia. You can choose from two-berth first class compartments or four-berth second class carriages. Hot boiled water is available in both parts of the train and carriage attendants provide thermos kettles if required. The train has a dining car and a bar where food and drink can be purchased for reasonable prices.
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight train – 2 class (compartment for 4 people). Upgrade options available.
Day 4: Arrival in Mongolia. Free Time in the Afternoon
Pass By: Ulaanbaatar, Ulaanbaatar
Our guide will meet you at Ulan Bator railway station to transfer you to the hotel. Enjoy free afternoon in Ulan Bator.
Meals included:
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in a 4* hotel: Hotel Platinum Ulan-Bator 4* or similar.
Day 5: Enjoy Terelj National Park. Chinggis Khaan Complex
Stop At: Genghis Khan Statue Complex, Tsonjin Boldog, Ulaanbaatar Mongolia
Our guide will meet you at the railway station for your transfer to Terelj National Park. Soon after leaving the Mongolian capital we find ourselves at the gleaming 40 metre tall statue of Chinggis Khaan (Genghis Khan) on horseback, currently the largest equestrian statue in the world. Visitors climbing to the horse’s head are rewarded with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Gorkhi Terelj National Park, Gorkhi Terelj National Park, Tov Province
Upon reaching Terelj National Park, famous for its granite rock formations and pristine alpine scenery, we will visit the famous Turtle Rock and also hike to Aryabal Monastery. We will have an opportunity to visit a nomad family and explore their traditional way of life by learning how to milk a cow and prepare dairy products. In summer we stay overnight in a traditional Mongolian ger – a traditional sturdy wood and felt type tent. In winter we stay in a wooden lodge.
Duration: 4 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in a Terelj Lodge Ger Camp.
Day 6: Ulan Bator City Tour. National History Museum
Stop At: Ulaanbaatar, Ulaanbaatar
Panoramic city tour. Our driver will collect you from your accommodation and transfer you to Ulan Bator where you’ll enjoy a city tour. We will visit Gandan Hiid Monastery, the country’s largest remaining monastery, Sukhebaatar Square.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: National History Museum, Juulchin Street-1, Ulaanbaatar 210146 Mongolia
We will also pay a visit to the National History Museum where your guide will teach you about Mongolia’s rich cultural heritage.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in a 4* hotel: Hotel Platinum Ulan-Bator 4* or similar.
Day 7: Departure to Russia
Pass By: Siberian District, Siberian District
We return to the railway station to begin our long-distance journey to Russia by comfortable train.
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight train – 2 class (compartment for 4 people). Upgrade options available.
Day 8: Arrival in Irkutsk. Transfer to Listvyanka village and Lake Baikal
Stop At: Lake Baikal, Lake Baikal, Siberian District
Our driver will be waiting at Irkutsk station to take you the 70km or so to Lake Baikal, where our base will be the pretty village of Listvyanka. There, you’ll have free time to enjoy the village amenities or perhaps take a boat trip on the lake.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in a 4* hotel: Hotel Mayak 4* or similar.
Day 9: At Leisure at Baikal
Pass By: Baikal, Baikal, Irkutsk Oblast, Siberian District
Free time at the lake.
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in a 4* hotel: Hotel Mayak 4* or similar.
Day 10: Wooden Architecture Museum in Taltsy. Exploring Irkutsk. Departure to Yekaterinburg
Stop At: Taltsy Museum, Baykalsky highway 47km, Taltsy 664518 Russia
We make a stop at Taltsy to see the open air Wooden Architecture Museum located in the heart of the forest on the banks of the Angara River. There you’ll learn about village life, see the interiors of a Russian fort, a Shaman yurt and a 15th century watchtower, as well as glimpse at the lifestyle of the Buryat and Evenk people.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Irkutsk, Irkutsk, Irkutsk Oblast, Siberian District
Panoramic city tour. Back in Irkutsk, known as the Paris of Siberia, we enjoy a guided city tour which will reveal the rustic but beautiful timber cottages with their wooden fretwork.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight train – 2 class (compartment for 4 people). Upgrade options available.
Day 11: Onboard
Pass By: Siberian District, Siberian District
Onboard. We continue our train journey.
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight train – 2 class (compartment for 4 people). Upgrade options available.
Day 12: Arrival in Yekaterinburg. Transfer to the Hotel
Pass By: Yekaterinburg, Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Urals District
Two days later, we’ll arrive at Yekaterinburg station where our driver will be waiting to meet you at the carriage. Transfer to the hotel.
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in a 4* hotel: Novotel Yekaterinburg Center 4* or similar.
Day 13: Ganina Yama & Cathedral on the Blood. Europe-Asia Border
Stop At: Ganina Yama Monastery, Ganina Yama Tract, Yekaterinburg 624090 Russia
Our guided sightseeing programme in Yekaterinburg includes a moving visit to the Memorial Cathedral on the Blood in the name of all Saints, which was built on the site of the execution of the last Russian Tsar Nikolay II and his family. From there, we’ll take you to Ganina Pit, an orthodox monastery where the imperial remains were initially interred and to seven wooden churches in the heart of a centuries-old pine forest.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: The Obelisk on the Border Between Europe and Asia, Moskovskiy trakt 17 km, 2, Yekaterinburg Russia
Finally we make an excursion to an obelisk marking the boundary between Europe and Asia where traditionally tourists drink champagne. En route, we pause at the memorial honouring the victims of Stalin’s repressions of the 1930s to 1950s.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in a 4* hotel: Novotel Yekaterinburg Center 4* or similar.
Day 14: Departure to Moscow
Pass By: Yekaterinburg, Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Urals District
Our driver will meet you at the hotel lobby with a sign board and transfer you to the railway station.
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight train – 2 class (compartment for 4 people). Upgrade options available.
Day 15: Arrival in Moscow. Exploring Moscow. Red Square, St. Basil’s, Lenin Mausoleum
Stop At: Red Square, Moscow 109012 Russia
Guided visit of the Red Square.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Red Square 2, Moscow 109012 Russia
Visit to St. Basil’s Cathedral.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Lenin’s Mausoleum, Red Square, Moscow 613310 Russia
Visit to Lenin’s Mausoleum.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: GUM, Red Square, 3 Metro Ploshchad Revolyutsii, Moscow 109012 Russia
Visit GUM department store.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Moscow, Moscow, Central Russia
Panoramic city tour.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Vorobievy Hills, Vorobievy Hills, Moscow, Central Russia
Visit to the observation platform for a panoramic view over the capital.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Novodevichye Cemetery, Luzhnetskiy dr., 2, Moscow 119048 Russia
Visit to the Novodevichy Cemetery.
Duration: 30 minutes
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in a central 3* hotel: Ibis Bakhrushina 3* or similar.
Day 16: Kremlin & Armoury. Departure to St. Petersburg
Stop At: Moscow Kremlin, Moscow 103132 Russia
Once the residence of the Tsars and now the base for the Russian president, the Kremlin is a fascinating place to explore. You can almost feel the ghosts of Tsarist Russia in Cathedral Square. Inside the Armoury Museum, marvel at such treasures as Faberge’s fabulously decorated eggs, the chalice of Yuri Dolgorukiy and weaponry dating back centuries.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Armoury Chamber, Dvortsovaya St., 1R, Moscow 103073 Russia
Inside the Armoury Museum, marvel at such treasures as Faberge’s fabulously decorated eggs, the chalice of Yuri Dolgorukiy and weaponry dating back centuries.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Moscow Metro, Moscow Russia
We’ll head underground to explore some of Moscow’s beautiful metro stations. Decorated with marble, mosaic, stained glass and bronze sculptures, you’ll agree they’re more like museums than part of a transit system.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight train “Grand Express” featuring spacious sleeping compartments. Upgrade options available.
Day 17: Arrival in St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg City Tour
Stop At: St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Northwestern District
You will enjoy a panoramic guided city tour visiting the major landmarks of the city.
Duration: 3 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in a central 3* hotel: Nevsky Grand 3* or similar.
Day 18: Yusupov Palace
Stop At: Yusupov Palace on Moika River, Emb. Reki Moiki, 94 Entrance for individual visitors and small groups from Dekabristov Street, 21, St. Petersburg 190000 Russia
The Yusupov Palace is the setting for today’s guided tour. It once belonged to the noble family of Prince Yusupov and is considered to be one of the most beautiful palaces in St. Petersburg.During the tour you will see the lavishly decorated 19th Century interior: murals, carvings, marble, mirrors, gilded chandelier, expensive silk clothes and refined furniture. This elegant palace hides a dark secret, however. Its cellar was the location of scandalous Rasputin’s murder.
Duration: 3 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in a central 3* hotel: Nevsky Grand 3* or similar.
Day 19: Hermitage Museum
Stop At: The State Hermitage Museum, Palace Emb., 30-38, St. Petersburg 191055 Russia
Amongst St Petersburg’s myriad museums, the Hermitage stands out by a mile, an architecturally stunning building housing an enormous collection of the art world’s finest works, including those by Leonardo Da Vinci, Titian, Raphael, French impressionists, sculptures and treasures icons, coins and Tsar’s jewellery. We think you’ll agree, the Hermitage is an unforgettable place to visit and the perfect place to round off this epic tour.
Duration: 3 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in a central 3* hotel: Nevsky Grand 3* or similar.
Day 20: Departure for the Airport
Pass By: St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Northwestern District
Today marks the end of your tour. Our driver will be waiting for you at the hotel lobby ready to transfer you to the airport or any other departure point. No activities are planned for the departure day.
Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.
