Trans-Siberian Adventure

Welcome to choose this Russia and Mongolia tour! St. Petersburg, the second-largest city in Russia, can be reached by flight from many countries. Upon your arrival, our local guide and the driver will pick you up at the airport and then transfer you to the hotel. During the rest of the day, you may either rest to recover from jet lag or explore the surroundings on your own.

 Free Time Suggestion:
The Galeria Shopping Mall boasts over 40 mid-ranked eateries on its fifth floor, offering diverse flavors worldwide. In addition to classic Russian dishes like pirozhki, baked puff pastries filled with meat, vegetables, or cheese, Korean bibimbap, Japanese sushi rolls, or Italian pizzas are also served and usually priced at RUB 1,500-2,500 (USD 14-23). Candy lovers must not miss Felicita Chocolate, whose caramel and peanuts chocolate or black chocolate with blood orange, grapefruit, and juniper berries cost RUB 250 (USD 2) each. Besides restaurants, it also houses about 300 stores, making it one of the most fashionable places in St. Petersburg to kill time.

 Useful Information about Russia:
1. Currency: Only rubles and Russian bank cards can be used. So we recommend you exchange enough rubles in cash in advance or apply for a local bank card at T-Bank (FRM Tinkoff), which offers an online application service. 
2. SIM Car: Megafon is the most widely used SIM card in Russia. You can get it at the downtown business hall. One with 6GB of data costs RUB 550 (USD 7), valid for 30 days.
3. Car-hailing: To avoid taxis overcharging, we suggest you hail a car on the local car-hailing app, Yandex Go, on which you can see the estimated fare. Since GPS in Russia is unreliable, it is better to manually set your pickup location.

Accommodation: Cronwell Inn Stremyannaya, St. Petersburg (4 stars) or similar

In the morning, the guide will pick you up from the hotel and accompany you to stroll along the Palace Square at the heart of the city, surrounded by the Winter Palace, the General Staff Building, and Guards Corps Headquarters. At its center is the 600-ton Alexander Column, which was built to commemorate the victory of Nicholas I over Napoleon. Then, we will step into the Winter Palace, housing the world-famous Hermitage Museum. Known as one of the four greatest museums in the world, it was initially constructed as Catherine the Great’s private art museum and collects more than 2.7 million masterpieces across the world. You can feast your eyes on European art masterpieces from the 13th to 19th centuries, such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Madonna and Child and the sculpture works of Michelangelo. Besides, plenty of Mesopotamian and Egyptian artifacts, and exquisite Greek and Roman statuaries are exhibited in the green marble-decorated hall. You will also be staggered by the mechanical marvel of the 18th-century glide Peacock Clock, which can still work today.

Getting out of the museum, we will drop by the Admiralty, the highest building in St. Petersburg, founded by Peter the Great and currently serving as the headquarters of the Russian Navy. Then, go on to visit St. Isaac's Cathedral, a typical neoclassical architecture decorated with exquisite mosaic icons, paintings, and malachite columns. Nearby, Kazan Cathedral, the largest cathedral of the city, where the most efficacious icon of Our Lady of Kazan is enshrined, awaits you. Thereafter, we will stroll along Nevsky Prospect, St. Petersburg’s most prosperous street, which is lined with bookstores, restaurants, shopping malls, churches, and former residences of celebrities.

After a short break, continue to head to the Peter and Paul Fortress, the first building complex of St. Petersburg and the birthplace of the city. Rising from the marshlands of Zayachy Island, where the Neva River meets the Gulf of Finland, this star-shaped fortress was built to protect the exit to the sea. To fill the swamp, Peter the Great once imposed the “stone tax”, forcing all ships and wagons arriving in St. Petersburg to carry stones. Among numerous historical monuments in the fortress, the Peter and Paul Cathedral is the tallest, with its 122-meter-high (400-foot) tower piercing into the sky. If interested, you can ascend the fortress at your own expense (RUB 350, USD 4) to gaze across the Neva River and admire the skyline of St. Petersburg. At the end of the day, we will transfer you back to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Cronwell Inn Stremyannaya, St. Petersburg (4 stars) or similar

Today, we will drive for about 50 minutes from St. Petersburg downtown to Petrodvorets, also called Peterhof or the Summer Palace of Peter, an open-air museum perched on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, covering an area of 400 hectares (1,000 acres). With manicured gardens, cascading fountains, and baroque buildings, it is dubbed “the Russian Versailles.” Passing through the garden at the entrance, you will be attracted by the golden-hued Grand Palace, whose façade glows like molten amber under the sun. Inside the palace, the crimson and golden Throne Room whispers of royal life, while the floor-to-ceiling painting in its hall commemorates Russian naval victories over the Turkish fleet. Getting out of the palace, be wowed by the Grand Cascade made up of 64 fountains, among which the sculpture of “Samson Tearing Apart the Jaws of the Lion” at its center is the most outstanding. Besides, you can see more than 200 golden statues of nymphs, tritons, and dolphins lining the terraces. Keep an eye out for the palace’s furry residents, red squirrels. You can feed these “Peter’s little ambassadors” with nuts.

 Experience the Jubilant White Night Festival
During June and July, St. Petersburg never goes to sleep as the sun does not descend below the horizon, which makes the nights bright. On June 21st, the summer solstice is coming and brings 23 hours of daylight. To fully use the day, locals celebrate the White Night Festival by holding a masquerade parade along Nevsky Prospect, where you can see many cosplayers and exquisitely decorated floats. Besides, the Mariinsky Theatre hosts its Stars of the White Night Festival performance, during which you will have a chance to admire classic ballets and operas such as Swan Lake. Just let us know if you want to see the dreamscape of St. Petersburg during the festival, and we can add it to the itinerary.
   
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Cronwell Inn Stremyannaya, St. Petersburg (4 stars) or similar

After breakfast, we will send you to the train station and help you get on a high-speed Sapsan train to Moscow. You can enjoy the charming natural scenery through the window or chat with local passengers. After about 4 hours, the train will pull into Moscow station, where you will be picked up and transferred to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore the city on your own.

 Free Time Suggestion:
Take your time to soak up the excitement of the thrilling circus performances at the Great Moscow State Circus. Established in 1971, it is one of the largest circuses in the world. The shows blend theatrical storytelling with heart-stopping acrobatics: trapeze artists soaring under the spotlights, clowns playing pranks on the crowd, and ice skaters twirling in perfect harmony. Accompanied by a live symphonic orchestra, your every heartbeat and cheer will be amplified. If sitting in the front rows, you may also have a chance to be invited to participate in the performance. Buy the ticket on their official website in advance, costing RUB 1,500-5,000 (USD 18-60) depending on the seats. Please note that only Russian bank cards are available.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Series, Moscow (4 stars) or similar

As the capital and largest city of Russia, Moscow boasts numerous cultural sites and scenic attractions. Today, you will be accompanied to discover the city's prosperity and history in depth. Firstly, we will drive by the central part of the city, passing by the grand Bolshoi Theatre and the flourishing Tverskaya Street teemed with diverse restaurants, bookstores, and boutiques with delicate shop windows. At the end of the street, you will meet with the symbolic Red Square. Located at the heart of Moscow, it is more than a plaza, but Russia’s living theater of triumphs and tragedies. In 1812, Napoleon burnt it to ashes, but later, it was rebuilt and merged with Vasilevsky Square into a vaster crimson plaza. Now, it is a hub for Moscow citizens, where grand events such as military parades, music concerts, and festival celebrations are always held. In winter, the square will transform into an ice rink. Surrounding the square, you can see Russian-style architecture, among which St. Basil's Cathedral is obtrusive with its nine colorful onion-shaped domes.

Then comes the climax of today’s tour, the Moscow Kremlin. Once served as the residence of the Russian Tsar and the leader of the Communist Party, now it is the workplace of Russia’s president. The Spasskaya Tower marks the Kremlin’s entrance and is thought to be the palace’s guardian with magical powers. As the story goes, when Napoleon passed through the tower to invade the palace, his horse was suddenly frightened, and he nearly fell off. Days later, this general fled from the Kremlin fire through the tower, leaving his grain and ordnance in ashes. Following the path that Napoleon once passed, you will find 12 cannons captured from the French army at that time. Besides, we will explore its famous Armory Chamber to see Europe’s most opulent collections, such as jewelry from the 12th to 19th century, royal carriages, and various arms and armor.

After the Kremlin, the guide will accompany you to Sparrow Hill to have a panoramic view of the cityscape. Then, we will show you the most beautiful subway station in the city and escort you to stroll along Arbat Street, where modern edifices blend with a nostalgic street view. Finally, we will send you back to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Series, Moscow (4 stars) or similar

The last morning in Moscow will be left for you to explore around freely. The city is packed with a large number of fine museums and exhibition halls, allowing you to crank up culture and soak up the history, among which the Pushkin Museum is recommended. Housing over 640,000 treasures, it displays the development of foreign art from ancient Egypt to Renaissance Europe. Stepping into the hall, you will not only see Pushkin’s relics, such as the quill, scrawled manuscripts, and a weathered writing desk but also standing in awe before the replica of Michelangelo Buonarroti’s world-famous sculpture David and Impressionist masterpieces such as Monet’s White Water Lilies and Van Gogh’s The Red Vineyard. Besides, two Egyptian mummies in the hall are waiting for your visit. The museum opens from 13:00-21:00 on Thursday and 10:00-18:00 otherwise (except Monday). You can buy a ticket online or at the entrance, which costs RUB 650 (USD 6) for the main hall. Only rubles and Russian cards are acceptable.

If you want to spend your last few hours in Moscow leisurely, going for a stroll in the 220-hectare (543-acre) Gorky Park is a good choice. You can not only relax lying on the grasslands or the artificial beach but also see more than 1,000 sculptures from the Soviet era in its free open-air museum. Victory Park is also recommended for killing time. Housing a WWII memorial museum, it offers both scenic views and historical knowledge. 

Please return to the hotel at the appointed time so that you can be escorted to the Kazanskaya Railway Station to catch the train bound for Yekaterinburg in the late afternoon.  

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: On the train

Sitting beside the window, you can watch Moscow’s industrial skyline gradually swap into endless birch forests and jagged pine-clad slopes. With the rhythmic clatter of tracks, the Ural Mountains approach, and the train will arrive at Russia’s second-largest city, Yekaterinburg, after crossing the Europe-Asia continental border in the evening. You will be picked up at the station exit and escorted to the selected hotel.

 Recommended Restaurant: (at your own expense)
The restaurant Pashtet serves classic Russian cuisine. You can savor pelmeni, Siberian dumplings filled with mushrooms, eggs, and meat, and kotlety, large meatballs paired with the iconic borscht. Meat buffs can try rabbits in cabbage, a hot-selling dish among customers. There is a cat in the restaurant, making it a good place to dine for cat lovers.
Average Cost per Person: RUB 2,000 (USD 18)
Address: Tolmacheva St, House 23, Yekaterinburg 620075 Russia

Meals: no meals
Accommodation: Chekhov Hotel By Original Hotels, Yekaterinburg (4 stars) or similar

After breakfast, we will travel out of the city by private vehicle to the town of Nevyansk to get a good insight into the history and culture of the Urals region. The first stop will be the 58-meter (189-foot) high Leaning Tower, one of the most famous local buildings, though it cannot be on a par with the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Constructed in the 18th century, this 3-degree-leaning tower was said to be used to mint counterfeit money, and the locals believe that the tower’s spire points to the buried treasure. Ascending the creaking wooden stairs, you can arrive at its bell tower, where the melody of The Glory to You from the 19th century still chimes. If you continue up to its observation deck, the panoramic view of the surroundings will come into your eyes. Please hold the rail while climbing, as the tilt may cause vertigo.

Then, our local guide will lead you to a craft center at Tavolgi Village to appreciate unique Russian pottery crafts and step into the 300-year-old Kunara and Byngi villages for an authentic taste of local rural life by appreciating ancient houses with delicate carvings. At the end of the day, you will be transferred back to the accommodation in Yekaterinburg.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Chekhov Hotel By Original Hotels, Yekaterinburg (4 stars) or similar

After breakfast, the guide will escort you on the last sightseeing trip in Yekaterinburg. Starting from Central Square, you will wander across the 1905 Square and arrive at the Church on the Blood, a golden-domed white marvel that is more than a religious building but a historical carrier of Russia’s last imperial dynasty, the Romanovs, from 1631 to 1917. It was built to commemorate Tsar Nicholas II and his family, who were brutally executed here in 1918. Outside the church, you will see a bronze sculpture freeze their final moments: Nicholas cradles his little son, followed by two daughters, while Empress Alexandra makes the last prayer for her family at the rear. Stepping inside, you will see black-and-white portraits of the Romanov Family lining the wall. The main hall is decorated with gilded mosaics of saints, making the church more divine when the sunlight shines through the windows. Out of respect to the local religion, ladies are expected to wrap their hair when entering the church.

Near the church, drop by the Chapel in Honor of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth and Nun Barbara, a small emerald-tiled wooden chapel. It tells the touching story of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, who established this monastery, where nuns were trained as nurses and orphans were sheltered. Afterward, cross through the forest and ascend the Hill of Ascension, where the unique rock formations will greet you. Home to squirrels, it also provides you a chance to feed these cute spirits. Down the hill, you can have a short break at the Square of the Red Army. Then, we will continue to the Europe-Asian border to take life photos with one foot in Europe and the other in Asia. In the afternoon, you will be accompanied to explore the Museum of Military Equipment. Ranked one of the ten best museums in Russia, it houses more than 12,000 items. Walking beside tanks, you can see bullet holes on their bodies and mud on their treads. Besides, more than 50 military planes and vehicles tell the majestic history of WWII.

This evening, our guide will see you off at Yekaterinburg Railway Station, and you will hop on the train to Irkutsk.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: on the train

As the train chugs eastward, meadows and farms interspersed with dense spruce forests unfold. Siberian cabins with colorful roofs will make the monotonous scenery vivid. In the dull clack-clack of rails, nap on your sleeping bunk, or chat with locals. We suggest you prepare a book or download movies beforehand, as there are almost no signals on the train. At major stops like Omsk, you can get off for fresh air. Apart from the first free meal served on the train, you need to dine in the restaurant carriage at your own expense or pack some instant food before boarding. Hope you can relax and enjoy the stunning scenery along the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Meals: one meal on the train
Accommodation: On the train

The train will pull into Irkutsk in the morning. We will pick you up at the exit of the station and transfer you to the Bolshoe Goloustnoe, a village on the southern shore of Lake Baikal, which has been home to the Buryat people since 1673. As descendants of nomadic tribes from northern Mongolia, most of them still honor shamanic rituals. After checking into the guesthouse, we will wander along the lakeshore near the village, where you can see trees cloaked with rainbow-hued ribbons for blessing. If interested, venture into the forest and climb to the hilltop where St. Nicholas Church stands. Stepping inside, you will be surprised to find that its window frames compose patches of “oil paintings” with a backdrop of azure Lake Baikal and surrounding forests. 

Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Siberian Guesthouse

In the morning, drive for about 2 hours to return to Irkutsk. On the way, we can stop at picturesque points for you to take photos. Upon arrival, start the city sightseeing. Crossing Kirov Park, we will arrive at the public administration building, and on its small plaza, you can see the eternal flame ignited in 1975 and five marble plaques inscribed with 37 heroes’ names to commemorate the end of WWII. Continue walking northward to the Angara River shore, where several graceful churches stand. From afar, your eyes will be attracted by the ivory and gold Epiphany Cathedral, which looks like a huge toy brick. Passing through its hall with domes decorated with icons and ascending to the deck of the third floor, catch a panoramic view of the Angara River and the red spire and white rose windows of the Gothic-style Polish Roman Catholic Church that we will visit later. 
► Tip: The Catholic Church may hold organ concerts in the late afternoon, which last for 1-2 hours. If interested, we can arrange the church as today’s last destination so that you can catch the performance, but you need to buy the ticket at your own expense online in advance and return to the hotel on your own after the show.

Then continue to stroll on Karl Marx Street, the central artery of Irkutsk, where you can see the Drama Theater, bookstores, restaurants, and statues of Lenin and Alexander III. Finally, we will conclude today’s visit at 130 Kvartal, a cultural and commercial center teeming with distinctive and colorful Siberian wooden houses. Just stroll through its broad avenues to admire the blend of nostalgic street views and contemporary cafés and boutiques.

 Dinner Recommendation: (at your own expense)
The restaurant Yel’ I Robra is a paradise for carnivores, mainly serving up grilled ribs. Try their signature Siberian flavor! Its fruit and sauce bring a sweet-and-sour symphony to your buds. You can pair it with ciders or cocktails and end with salad. As the restaurant is quite popular, it is better to make a reservation ahead of time, or you may need to wait for hours.
Average Cost per Person: RUB 550-600 (USD 5-6)
Address: Sverdlova, 5/2, Irkutsk 664025 Russia

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Irkutsk City Center by Eastland (4 stars) or similar

After checking out of the hotel, we will send you to the railway station and escort you to board the train bound for Ulaanbaatar. After the train leaves the shore of Lake Baikal, the landscape gradually transforms from forests into endless plains. When the train arrives at Naushki on the border of Russia, you need to finish the immigration procedure, taking about 2 hours, during which your passport will be collected and returned until you finish the check. About 30 minutes later, the train will stop at Sukhbataar Station, the entrance of Mongolia, where another 2-hour border check will be held. Photographing is forbidden while inspecting, and some toilets may be closed on the train.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: on the train

The train will arrive in Ulaanbaatar in the early morning. Pack your luggage and get off to explore the country on your own. Located in the central north part of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar is home to nearly half of this country’s population. This city pulses with the legacy of Genghis Khan, the great nomadic leader who once captured most Eurasian regions and built the Great Mongol Empire. Beyond museums and public statues, his figure looms everywhere: from Mongolian tugrik cash, local brands of beer and cigarettes, portraits hanging in locals’ homes, to souvenirs sold in boutiques.
 
If you want to discover the magnificent life story of Genghis Khan and the stunning natural landscape of Mongolia, we are willing to continue to craft the itinerary for you. Our 10 days private tour Essence of Mongolia is here for your reference. Contact us anytime if you need help!