Ulaanbaatar – Irkutsk Trains

Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia and Irkutsk in Russian are two popular destinations on Trans-Siberia route which attractive many travelers every year. Because of the Lake Baikal, Irkutsk is definitely one of the best stop-off destinations along this famous route. Some visitors stay here for 3-4 days for not only Lake Baikal, but also Taltsy Museum and other scenic spots. Taking a train is the best way. 

 

1. The available trains: 305/306. 

2. Running distance: about 1,113 kilometers (692 miles)

3. Stations along the way: Ulaanbaatar(Ulan Bator), Zuunkharaa, Darkhan, Sukhbaatar, Naushki, Ulan-Ude, Irkutsk. Among those cities, Sukhbaatar and Naushki are two border cities. 
Note: All passengers’ visa to Russia should be valid at the time when the train leaves from Sukhbaatar. 

 

Note: The above information was valid before the trains stopped service in 2020.
 

Note: 1st Class Deluxe Sleeper is a 2-sharing cabin; while 4 passengers share a cabin on the 2nd class hard sleeper cabins. And not all departures have 1st class deluxe sleeper cabins, some trains only have 2nd class. 

 

Ulan Ude – After the train entering Russia, Ulan Ude is the first important tourist destinations, it is the third largest city in East Siberia. If you would like to take a visit in this city, then the train tickets can be ordered in sections. There are Chinese style Buddhist Lama Temples in urban Ulan Ude, which is different from the cultural style of a city in Russian. The architecture, theater and museum are all integrated with Buryat style and Russian style. 
 

The famous Folk Museum is located on the east bank of Baikal Lake, 60 kilometers away from the lake. Many articles for daily use of Eastern nomadic are displayed in the Museum. Other tourist attractions in Ulan Ude include Lama Temple and Nature Museum. Buryat not only has the beautiful scenery of Baikal Lake, but also has numerous historical and cultural landscapes. 

 

Irkutsk – Located at the south end of Lake Baikal, it is the nearest city to this beautiful lake. Irkutsk is 70 km away from Lake Baikal, it takes about 40 minutes’ drive in summer and about an hour's driving in winter. Taking a private car is legal in Russian, as long as you can find a car and bargain the price, the driver will take you there. Someone went to there earlier, the private car started at 3,000 rubles but ends at 2,000 rubles. The price may be changed at peack seasons. 
 

If you do not want to take the private car, the public bus is available. To get to Lake Baikal, you need to get to a lakeside town named Listyanka. You also can stay one in the town but need to have the hotel booked in advance. 
 

Taking No. 1 tram from the train station and get off at Irkutsk Market, where there you can find the minibus to Listyanka. If you do not want to take this kind of minibus, you can walk a about 10 minutes to find the suburban bus station, the buses to Listyanka are also available here.