Arrive in St Petersburg on a Thursday, and spend a few days exploring this fascinating city on your own. St Petersburg, founded by Peter the Great in 1703, is a culturally inspiring city with marvelous museums such as the Hermitage with the Winter Palace, the Russian Museum or the Jusupov Palace, including all of the beautiful castles from the 18th century such as Petershof, Elisabet'hs Palace with the Amber Room in Pusjkin, and Pavlovsk. In addition to these world-famous sites, this destination offers so much more with ample opportunity to do things at your own will and initiative, such as walking along the beautiful docks of the river Neva with its majestic buildings, domes and facades. Accommodation as per your choice.
Hop on the train from St Petersburg to Moscow on Sunday. Accommodation on the train is in 4-berth compartments.
Arrival in Moscow on Monday. You'll have a couple of days to wander around the Russian capital and soak in the sights and atmosphere. Moscow is of course so much more than just the Red Square and the Kremlin - even if these sites obviously have to be visited. They are included on our guided tour but the Red Square is most definitively also worth a visit at nighttime. In the last couple of years, this city has become much more easily accessible with many restaurants, clubs and other interesting places to visit either by day or night. The subway also has a number of must-see stations. Other places of interest include the Tretjakov Gallery and the Pushkin Museum. Accommodation as per your choice.
Climb onboard the train heading towards Irkutsk on Wednesday evening. Accommodation on the train is in 4-berth compartments.
Arrive in Irkutsk on Sunday morning and travel 67 km to Listvyanka, a small old Russian fishing village at the shore of Lake Baikal. Here you can explore the rich and diverse wildlife and nature that exclusively surrounds this lake. You can visit the Limnological museum and you will have plenty of time to walk around and even try some freshly smoked omol, a very special fish that actually is a symbol of Lake Baikal itself. Accommodation as per your choice.
Transfer from Listvyanka back to Irkutsk on Monday. Irkutsk is one of the larger cities in Russia with about 600,000 people living there. Previously, Irkutsk was known as the exile city for politicians, artists etc. It's nice to stroll around and see older wooden houses with hand-carved decorations and compare them later on to Soviet buildings. A few interesting museums can also be found in this city. Accommodation as per your choice.
Ready for some more amazing scenery and leisurely time on the railway? Catch the train from Irkutsk to Ulaanbaatar on Tuesday. Accommodation on the train is in 4-berth compartments.
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar on Wednesday and continue to Terelj National Park by car. We will explore the Turtle Rock and visit a nomad family to discover more about their habits and lifestyle. After lunch, you can enjoy horse riding (organised and paid locally). Day 2 includes more excursions and more time on your own to walk around. Accommodation while in Terelj will be in ger/yurt (Mongolian hut/tent).
Travel back to the chaotic capital of Mongolia on Friday. Accommodation as per your choice.
Hop on the train on Sunday. This is your last leg by rail so enjoy the journey from Ulaanbaatar to Beijing. Accommodation on the train is in 4-berth compartments.
Arrive in Beijing on Monday. This is the end of your journey.
With this packaged tour including accommodation, visa application documents such as invitational letters and itineraries will be provided for you, however, you still need to apply for the necessary visas yourself.
