Trans Mongolian Adventure

Day 1: Arrive St Petersburg

Your trip starts today with your arrival in St Petersburg. No activities are planned, so arrive early if you can, as there is plenty to see. There will be a pre-departure briefing with your local tour leader late this afternoon. Please note that your Tour Leader will collect your travel insurance details.

Day 2-3: St Petersburg

St Petersburg is one of Europe’s most beautiful cities and was established in 1703 by Peter the Great as his capital and, ultimately, Russia’s ‘window to the west’. Known in the Soviet era as Leningrad, its elegant buildings and intricate canal system have also seen it nicknamed the ‘Venice of the North’. We have two days in this wonderful city. A major highlight is the Peter and Paul Fortress, whose cathedral is the final resting place of the Romanovs, Russia’s last royal family. There are many impressive views across the wide Neva River and the Hermitage Museum contains one of the world’s greatest collections of art, housed in the former Winter Palace. We also have time to enjoy the city’s many other attractions including St Isaac’s Cathedral and walk down the heart of the city, Nevsky Prospekt, a bustling street with many interesting shops and historic buildings. Another interesting optional side-trip is to catch a hydrofoil out onto the Baltic Sea (Gulf of Finland) and visit the Summer Palaces at Petrodvorets. An overnight train takes us on to Moscow.

Day 4-6: Moscow

Founded as a wooden fortress by Yuri Dolgoruky in 1156, Moscow has grown to become the spiritual and political capital of the Russian people and is now one of the largest cities in the world. We enjoy a half-day city tour that takes us to Red Square, which is flanked by St Basil’s Cathedral (with its famous multi-coloured onion domes), Lenin’s Mausoleum, the tombs of famous Soviet figures along the Kremlin walls, the History Museum and the massive GUM Department Store. We have the option of going inside the grounds of the Kremlin, the country’s famous bastion of power and site of several beautiful cathedrals. Please note that not all entrance fees are included – there are many different levels of tickets, ours give us entry to the Kremlin grounds and two cathedrals. Another area within the Kremlin is the Armoury, a magnificent collection of the treasures of the tsars that include the exquisite Faberge Eggs, made by the renowned St Petersburg jeweller for the Tsar’s family. The city’s foremost art collections are at the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum and the Tretyakov Gallery, whilst the Moscow Metro (underground railway) contains ornate and elaborate stations and are virtually museums of sorts. The Arbat pedestrian mall and Gorky Park are great places for people watching, and the massive Weekend Market in Izmaylovsky Park is one of the best places to shop for souvenirs and artefacts. Up on Sparrow Hill (formerly known as Lenin Hill), in front of Moscow State University, you enjoy a panoramic view over the city with the 1980 Olympic complex in the foreground. Optional activities in the evenings may include the famous circus, or a ballet or opera performance at the Bolshoi Theatre. Our tour leader can advise what performances are on and where we can get tickets. We depart on the evening of Day 6 on the train to Siberia.

Day 7-9: Trans Mongolian Railway

Our train crosses the Volga River - the longest in Europe - as we begin our 3 day/4 night journey towards Siberia. We also cross the Ural Mountains, which divide Europe from Asia. There is plenty of time to relax, read or play cards, as we traverse across this vast land. We pass by the taiga forests, which consist of many types of trees, including birch, pine and cedar. We also travel through the cities Ekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Omsk. Ekaterinburg was named after Catherine the Great, who established this outpost town as Russia’s ‘Window to the East’. Later, it achieved notoriety as the place where Russia’s last tsar, Nicholas II, and his family were murdered.

Day 10-13: Irkutsk - Lake Baikal

We arrive in the morning in Irkutsk, a former Cossack garrison town founded over 300 years ago that has since become a major commercial centre in Siberia. After being met by our Russian tour leader, we spend the day exploring Irkutsk. The following morning we travel by mini-bus down to Lake Baikal, which contains the greatest volume of fresh water in the world. En route, we visit the picturesque village of Listvyanka, famous for its historic wooden church, and appreciate the splendour of the lake. There are many small wooden cottages, some inscribed with beautiful wooden carvings, that give the town much of its character. We return to Irkutsk on the afternoon of Day 13, before catching our train to Ulaanbaatar tonight.

Day 14: Trans Mongolian Railway

We wake on board our train bound for Ulaanbaatar. Travelling along the shores of Lake Baikal and via the city of Ulan Ude, we cross into Mongolia at the town of Sukhbaatar. This is a local train, a little slower perhaps, but with it's evening departure from Irkutsk and morning arrival in Ulaanbaatar, it suits our leisurely schedule.

Day 15: Ulaanbaatar

This morning we arrive into Ulaanbaatar - the capital of Mongolia and also its largest city, with over one-quarter of its population in residence. The name means ‘Red Hero’ and it is indeed shaped by the influences of the former Soviet Union in that most of the city is full of Russian-style apartment buildings. Sukhbaatar Square is the central point in town and is dominated by the Parliament building and a statue of Damdin Sukhbaatar (on horseback), the man who confirmed Mongolian independence from China. There are also statues of Ghenghis Khan and his sons - reclaimed in recent years as heroes from an earlier age. We transfer to the hotel where breakfast is available (at your own expense) before a city orientation tour. Our next activity is a visit to the magnificent Gandan Monastery - the largest and most important in the country (please note that no photography is permitted inside the temples). Since our time is Ulaanbaatar is short, this afternoon is left free to explore independently - your tour leader will be on hand to make suggestions and assist.

Day 16: Trans Mongolian Railway - Ikh Nart

After breakfast we transfer to the railway station for our train into the Gobi. We travel for 6.5 hours by local train to the station of Shivee Gobi, where we step off the platform into the wilderness of the arid Dorngobi (East Gobi) steppe. Our rugged vehicle awaits to transport us the 60kms to our camp – not such a huge distance, but in terrain like this we must go slowly. We arrive at our destination, Ilk Nart Nature Reserve late afternoon. After dinner we can relax and get used to our accommodation, which is traditional gers (also known as 'yurts' in Central Asia). Gers are the nomadic Mongolian homes - yet they are as portable as any tent. Our gers are furnished, each with three or four beds complete with linen, blankets and pillows. There are small stools, a table and a fire stove. Three quarters of the Mongolian population still live in gers throughout the year, despite sub-zero temperatures for many months.

Day 17-19: Ikh Nart Nature Reserve

We have three full days to explore the Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, a community reserve protected by the local authorities and where very few tourists have found their way as yet. The Mongolian Academy of Science have established a partnership with overseas zoologists to study wildlife here and by visiting we are helping to support both these conservation efforts and provide a sustainable income for the local people during the summer months. We are guests of the local Dalanjargal community and for our visit a low-impact ger camp has been set up. The premise is simple – when the camps are dismantled at the end of the summer, there should be no signs of where we have been, or at least no more than would be left by a nomadic family living according to centuries old traditions. During our stay we have the opportunity to explore the reserve on foot, discovering it’s unique mix of arid Gobi steppe and huge rock formations and crevasses. Our local hosts will also offer us activities – whether learning about traditional crafts or teaching us the basics of Mongolian wrestling! This is a beautiful place to appreciate the solitude of the Gobi, and simply relax. On the evening of Day 19 we make our way back to the train line and continue our epic rail journey.

Day 20-21: Trans Mongolian Railway - Hohhot

Our local train departs just after midnight - a minor inconvenience offset by the reasonable timing of the border crossing at 0800 (the train usually used by tourists has this crossing in the middle of the night). We are travelling on a service rarely used by foreigners, so we are sure to attract the attention of the Chinese and Mongolian traders who are regular travellers on this route. We continue on the capital of (Chinese) Inner Mongolia - Hohhot, which means 'Blue City' in Mongolian. With an evening arrival here, we overnight in Hohhot before exploring the following day. We depart on the evening of Day 21 for our final overnight train journey to Beijing.

Day 22-23: Beijing

We have reached our final destination - Beijing! Beijing is a thriving metropolis and home to over 16 million people. No activities are planned today since many travellers will join other tours through China, or simply wish to relax and reflect on the incredible journey just completed. Having travelled thousands of kilometres from St Petersburg to Beijing, from Europe to Asia, perhaps tonight the group will join together for an optional (at your own expense) celebratory dinner to mark the end of the journey. Alternatively, just kick back and soak up the atmosphere of this historic and vibrant metropolis. Your arrangements end on the morning of Day 23, but if you wish to extend your stay in this great city, we can arrange extra accommodation for you.

Tour Grade: Culture

Whether you’re taking in man’s greatest works at places like Petra or Angkor Wat, experiencing grand set-pieces like the Trans-Mongolian Railway or trying your hand at regional specialities like tango in Buenos Aires, getting to grips with local cultures is what travel’s all about. A few tips from a local guide and a sense of adventure are pretty much all you need. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get the lowdown on high Tibet among Lhasa’s magisterial temples; follow up Delhi’s eye-popping bustle with a fix of its fiery food; and mix manic markets and Incan masterpieces in Peru.