From Moscow to Beijing, including places such as Irkutsk and Ulan Bator, makes this one of the most entrancing Trans Siberian railway tours. Spanning three fantastic countries (Russia, Mongolia & China) in thirteen days is something of an exhilarating experience as you meet a wealth of fellow travellers and begin to understand many of the different cultures that you encounter along the way.
Booking with Intourist made a somewhat intimidating journey seem easy and exciting as they offered me many different add on tours and options to allow me to tailor make my holiday in Russia. The helpful staff also provided me with useful information on the countries and routes that I would be travelling through so that they could help me plan my journey every step of the way. They also suggested that I spend more time in Beijing so that I could fully enjoy the sights and cultural delights that the capital of China has to offer.
I took them up on this offer and decided to extend my adventure by four days and booked the four star Jianguo Garden Hotel with Intourist, this add on package also included many excursions such as a city tour, visits to the Badaling Great Wall, the Sacred Road and Ming Tombs. What I really liked about this add on package is how easy it made things for me, for example most of my transport, excursions, accommodation and meals were included, it really allowed me to make the most of my time away.
The Adventure Of A Trans Siberian Railway Tour!
The increased accessibility of Trans Siberian railway tours is initially what attracted me to booking with Intourist. I knew what cities I wanted to visit most and they were able to help draw up an itinerary that suited my needs. They also gave me a few options to choose from but in the end I selected the Classic Trans-Mongolian tour. It was the kind of adventurous once in a lifetime holiday that I was desperate to take with my long term partner George. This was also the first time that George had ever taken a trip like this and we wanted it to be perfect.
Starting off in the Russian capital of Moscow began the trip on a high as we saw many famous sights such as the historic Novodevichy Convent, Kremlin and Armoury. Our personal favourite was the Armoury; the sheer size of the building was overwhelming and the amount of beautiful trinkets and treasures gave us a taste of Russian history and culture. After spending three days in Moscow we boarded the train for the first time, to head towards Irkutsk.
The train journey from Moscow to Irkutsk took three days. This may sound like a long time but it flew by, chatting to fellow passengers, relaxing and admiring the beautiful scenery outside. The changing landscapes that passed by made it clear that Russia is such a diverse country with much more to see than initially meets the eye. Although not as well known as other larger Russian cities, Irkutsk was one of my favourite stops on the journey. The city tour of Irkutsk allows you to see its true beauty before transferring to the Open Air Ethnographic Museum.
After leaving Irkutsk and arriving in Ulan Bator on day ten of the trip I was ready to immerse myself in the unique culture of Mongolians. Exploring places that are so unusual and beautiful such as Terelj National Park while doing something that I would never dream of doing in a million years (horse riding) is what made my trip so amazing and thrilling! (Thank you Intourist!) The next part of our time in Mongolia was truly my favourite part of the whole trip. Eating lunch with our hospitable Nomad family gave me a deep sense of appreciation for their culture and way of life. Afterwards sleeping in a Mongolian Ger was much more enjoyable and I had the best sleep I have had in a long while. Spending another day in the heart of Mongolia was thoroughly pleasant with sightseeing on the agenda before retiring to our hotel for the night.
George and I arrived in Beijing on day thirteen of our trip. Beijing is his favourite city in the world and he was excited to show me everything that he loves about the city. After enjoying our day sightseeing and trying some traditional Chinese food I was smitten with the city and couldn’t wait to explore it further. After this we embarked on our extended Beijing travel package and we saw all of the fantastic sights that I mentioned before. On behalf of George and myself, I would like to thank Intourist for all of the help that they have given us in planning one of the most thrilling Trans Siberian railway tours I would ever hope to experience. (Notice that I say ‘one of the most’ and not ‘the most’ as I will sure to be back to book again in the very near future!) Without their help and expertise this fantastic trip would not have been the same!
by Hayley
21 Feb 2010 at 11:58
Yes, I was extremely impressed with the value for money we have found with Intourist Tailor-made Trans Siberian itinerary – this has even more inclusions than the quote we had from their competitor and it is over £2,000 lower in price, along with first class service, thank you, Intourist Hayley
by Anna
21 Feb 2010 at 12:13
“Sadly, we have now returned from our holiday with Intourist on the tailor made Trans Mongolian railway journey and are back at work but we just wanted to thank Intourist for all their hard work in organising the trip for us. We had an absolutely brilliant time, and much of that was down to the fact that the holiday had been so well organised. We were very pleased with our accommodation throughout the trip, particularly with the Dostoyevsky Hotel in St Petersburg, the Edelweiss in Ulaan Baator and the Great Hotel in Beijing. It was also really good to know that we would have transport to our accommodation upon arrival at all our stops along the way. Intourist staff also had the patience of a saint dealing with all our queries before the trip and we would like to thank them especially for that!” Anna, Tyne & Weir
by cleora kelsch
05 Mar 2010 at 17:08
My husband and I along with 2-5 others would like to travel from moscow to beijing. approx. length of jpurney 20 days. we would like to stop in ekaterinberg, the lake baikaal area, ulanbator, and the gobi desert. In additions to the regulare Gibi sights we would like a 2 day trip by camel to the sand dunes, And then on to Beijing. Some of the group may want to add sightseeing iat either end (Moscow – Beijing) But we would like the tour priced without that. We would like first class or if not available then a four person compartment for two people.
by Carl B
20 May 2010 at 23:48
I have wanted to visit Russia for the longest time, it’s such a beautiful place.
by Matt
06 Apr 2011 at 10:00
Great article. The Trans Sib is one of the best journeys I’ve ever undertaken and should be on every travellers Must Do list Thanks
by Matt
07 Apr 2011 at 13:16
There’s a conductor in every carriage in every Russian train. It is very good, because he or she usually looks after everything, provides greater security, can solve all the problems, show you around the train, give the information you need, wake you up at a specific time, or just chat.
An exclusive thing about Russian trains is a tea-boiler. It works on real (!) fire, and always has hot water inside. You can buy teabags from the conductor, pour hot water, and have nice tea at any time of the day or night.
Almost every train has a carriage with a restaurant, but the food is usually of not very high quality and is overpriced (about 400R ($10) for a meal). You can always buy a snack or a beer from a conductor, or some real home made meals from the people who sell their food at the train stops along the way.
by Inga
07 Apr 2011 at 13:19
It’s a long story but I ended up doing this trip (on my own) from Vladivostok to Moscow kind of by accident. Luckily, I had been living in Russia and spoke reasonable Russian. It turned out to be the most amazing 10 days of my life, a 24-hour party train trundling through the taiga!!
My tips for anyone considering doing this trip:-
1) Not for the faint-hearted but going third class (platzkartny) is a lot more fun and the atmosphere is much more relaxed and friendly.
2) Knowing some Russian (or having a phrasebook) is absolutely essential. You will be lucky to meet anyone who speaks English.
3) Don’t eat in the restaurant car. The food is lousy and expensive and it will mark you out as a tourist. Take bread, cheese, cold meats, sweets, chocolate and fruit. Make use of the station stops to stock up.
4) Share your food. It’s a great ice-breaker. Avoid offering junk food.
5) Russians are amazingly generous and the more you refuse an offer (of food, vodka, etc), the more they will persist. Polite but firm wins the day but do be adventurous. Russians adore whole dried, salted fish washed down with ‘pivo’(beer). You might say it’s an acquired taste but absolutely worth a try.
6) If you only make one stop, make it Lake Baikal and Irkutsk. Worth exploring.
7) It’s a bit of a cliche but do take your own toilet paper. Also, take plenty of wet wipes and tea bags. If you want to look like a local, take your slippers to wear on the train.