Day 1(Sept 17) Depart Canada
Depart Canadavia London, UK.
Day 2(Sept 18) London-St Petersburg
Transit in London Heathrow airport. Fly to St.
Petersburg, Russia. Group is met and assisted
on arrival in St Petersburg and coach transfer
to Hotel Ibis for 3 nights. Welcome briefing,
cocktails and dinner at the hotel.
(D)
Day 3 (Sept 19) St Petersburg - Tour Pushkin & Pavlovsk
Pushkin is “Tsar’s Village” or place of summer
residence of the imperial family of the 18th
century. Visit Catherine the Great’s palace
complex, admire the magnificent Amber Room
and take a picture of the school where the
great poet Pushkin studied. Continue to
explore imperial delights in Pavlovsk and visit
the last summer palaces of the Tsars. Visit the
Paul I’s palace complex. Lunch at a local
restaurant & continue the sightseeing. Return
to your hotel in the evening. Own Dinner.
(BL)
Day 4 (Sept 20) St Petersburg
Explore a city of beautiful Baroque Palaces,
picturesque canals, splendid avenues and
elaborate cathedrals. Drive along the Nevsky
Prospect. An outside view of Admiralty, The
Monastery of Alexander Nevsky, St.Isaac
Cathedral etc. Stop for an excellent picture
opportunity by the city’s Rostral Columns. A
walking tour on the grounds of St. Peter and
Paul Fortress and a sepulcher of the Romanovs
including the recently reburied holy remains
of Nicolas II and his family. After lunch – tour
the Hermitage Museum - one of the world’s
largest with a collection of over 2million work
of art including the masterpieces of Leonardo
da Vinci, Raphael, Rembrandt among others.
Dinner on your own.
(BL)
Day 5 (Sept 21) St Petersburg –Peterhof
This guided tour shows you around the
beautiful former tsar’s summer residence.
Visit the 300-acre park on the shore of the
Finish Gulf, spectacular fountains, the Grand
Palace, crowning the hill above the fountains
and numerous smaller Palaces and pavilions
representing "Russian Versailles" styles of the
18th - 19th centuries. Lunch at a local
restaurant. Return to the hotel to pack.Dinner
on own. St. Petersburg- Moscow
Late Evening transfer to rail station for our
first leg of the rail tour with an overnight
sleeper train to Moscow. We travel on 1st
class 2-berth shared compartments with
breakfast served in cabins.
(BL)
Day 6 (Sept 22) Moscow
Arrive in Moscow. Coach transfer to our hotel
in Moscow for 3 nights – Hotel Budapest. Free
morning. After lunch at a local restaurant by
the Kremlin, guided tour of the Kremlin,
Cathedrals & the Armoury. Own dinner.
(BL)
Day 7 (Sept 23) Moscow
Walking tour to
visit the Red Square, the Lenin mausoleum
and the Cathedral of St Basil and Our Lady
of Kazan. Walk through GUM market and
lunch. After lunch complete the panoramic
drive by tour to include History Museum of
Russia, Embankment, Cathedral of Christ the
Saviour, Moscow State University, the
Theatre district and the Parliament House.
Early dinner at a local restaurant. A brief
walk to the world famous Bolshoi theatre for
an opera or ballet performance.
(BLD)
Day 8 (Sept 24) Moscow
Visit the Tretyakov Art Gallery, infamous
KGB Headquarters now a museum, ride the
Moscow Metro, Novodevichy monastery and
the Arabat Street. Own lunch. Afternoon
free. Dinner at a local restaurant.
(BD)
Day 9 (Sept 25) Moscow - Ekaterinburg
Morning free. Own lunch. Afternoon transfer
to station to commence the Trans-Siberian
journey to Ekaterinburg in the Ural
mountains. Tavel on first class sleeper and
dinner is served on board.
(BD)
Day 10 (Sept 26) Ekaterinburg
Spend the entire day on board taking in the
beautiful Ural mountain region. Breakfast
and lunch at the restaurant car. Evening
arrival in Ekaterinburg. Transfer to Hotel
Richmond for 2 nights. Dinner at hotel
(BLD)
Day 11 (Sept 27) Ekaterinburg
Walking Tour of Ekaterinburg. Visit the
Minerlogical Museum, Europe-Asia border and
the Gulag memorials. Own lunch. Afternoon
a comprehensive guided tour to the sites of
the Romanov saga( Last Tsar’s of Russia), the
monastery and the memorials. Return to
hotel and dinner at a local restaurant.
(BD)
Day 12 (Sept 28) Ekaterinburg
Full day Siberian countryside & historic
village tour. Includes home-cooked lunch, a
folklore show, exhibitions of local crafts and
troika horse cart riding. Return and dinner
at hotel and early to bed.
(BLD)
Day 13 (Sept 29) Ekaterinburg –
Irkutsk
Wake up at mid night, transfer to
station to board the train to Irkutsk, the
longest ride of the trip. During stops, get off
and take a breath of fresh air. We Travel
first class with meals on board.
(BLD)
Day 14 (Sept 30) On board
Another full
day on the train through Siberian taiga. All
meals on board.
(BLD)
Day 15 (Oct 1) Irkutsk
Early morning arrival in Irkutsk. Met on
arrival and transfer to Hotel Irkutsk, our
hotel for 1 night. Breakfast and rest. Lunch
at a local restaurant and a city tour of
Irkutsk. Visit a `traditional Irkutsk home in
the old city for a home-cooked dinner.
Return to hotel.
(BLD)
Day 16 (Oct 2) Irkutsk - Lake Baikal
Today we take on a fascinating trip to Lake
Baikal along the famous Circum Baikal Rail
line. You board an express train to the town
of Sliudianka then change over to a diesel
locomotive. This trip includes photo stops
and walking along the Baikal shore with a
guide and packed lunch. The Circum-Baikal
railway is 89 km long and goes from
Siudianka to Port Baikal. It has 4 stations, 38
tunnels, 15 stone galleries, 248 bridges and
viaducts. The tunnels and stone galleries are
unique due to usual construction style.
Arrive at Port Baikal , take a short ferry ride
to `Listvyanka village and coach transfer to
the Lake Baikal Chalets, an authentic
Siberian log-cabin (izba).
(BLD)
Day 17 (Oct 3) Lake Baikal – Ulan
Udey
You’re now in the heart of Russian Siberia! A
brief walking tour of Listvyanka Village on
the shore of Lake Baikal, the world’s largest
fresh water lake, visit Limnological museum
and the Bolshie Koty settlement. After lunch
enjoy a session of Banya, a traditional
Russian sauna. Return to Irkutsk for dinner in
town. After dinner, transfer to Irkutsk
station to continue our train journey further
east to Ulan Udey. This is a shorter overnight
trip and we travel 2nd class/4 berth cabins
reserved for 2-person use.
(BLD)
Day 18 (Oct 4) Ulan Udey
Early arrival in
Ulan Udey, met on arrival and transfer to our
hotel Baikal Plaza. Breakfast at hotel and
embark on full day a guided trip to
Atsagatsky Buddhist Lamasery. We then try
the cuisine of Buryatia, a regional specialty
for lunch with a local family. Afternoon visit
Ivolginsky Datsan monastery and Tarbagatay,
a village with traditional brightly painted
houses and home to the "old believers" or
"Russia's Amish". Own dinner.
(BL)
Day 19 (Oct 5) Ulan Udey – Ulan Bataar
Transfer and depart for Mongolia. We travel
2nd class and spend a whole day on board.
One packed meal is provided and additional
food and water is carried as there is no
restaurant car on board. Border crossings last
long for immigration and customsformalities.
(B & one meal)
Day 20(Oct 6) Ulan Bataar(Mongolia)
Morning arrival in Ulan Baatar. Transfer to
Chinggis Khaan Hotel or similar for 1 night.
breakfast and freshen up. Guided tour of the
old city centre and visit Gandan monastery
and National museum. Lunch and continue
exploring the city. Dinner and night.
(BLD)
Day 21 (Oct 7)Hustai National Park
Drive by bus to Altanbulag steppes and visit
nomads on the treeless grasslands. Picnic
lunch Visit a local home and family in the
area. Cross the Tuul River and drive into
Hustai National Park from an unusual side.
Dinner and night at Hustai Ger Camp.
(BLD)
Day 22 (Oct 8) Hustai National Park
Early morning game drive for Przewalskii
Horses and return for breakfast. Hike the trail
to Moilt, visiting on foot near the core area.
Red Deer are in rotting season and
vocalizations are common. Afternoon game
drives. Dinner and night at Ger camp.
(BLD)
Day 23 (Oct 9) Ulan Bataar
Return to Ulan Bataar with packed lunch. Free
time in the capital. Traditional Mongolian
dinner with entertainment.
(BLD)
Day 24 (Oct 10) Ulan Bataar – Beijing
Breakfast and early transfer to station for
Beijing bound Chinese train. We travel first
class here and spend the whole day, lunch and
dinner on board. Midnight border crossing and
onwards to China!
(BLD)
Day 25 (Oct 11) Beijing
Afternoon arrival in Beijing. Your Trans-
Mongolian rail journey comes to an end, and
you’ve just completed the world’s longest
train journey! Met by our guide and transfer
to Wangfujing Grand Hotel for 4 nights stay.
Dinner at hotel.
(BD)
Day 26 (Oct 12) – Beijing
Visit the Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden
City to take look into the lives of the ancient
Chinese emperors. We then take rickshaws on
a tour of Beijing’s 700 year old Hutong
neighborhood and enjoy a home-cooked lunch
with a family. Own dinner.
(BL)
Day 27 (Oct 13) – Beijing
Today we trek
the Great Wall of China. Lunch. Bvisit
the Ming tombs, the Mausoleums of emperors
of the Ming Dynasty. Own dinner
(BL)
Day 28 (Oct 14) – Beijing
Visit the Temple of Heaven & Summer Palace.
Take part in a session on Ribbon dancing and
optional photo-op on Qing style dresses.
Lunch and free time. A musical evening and
farewell Peking Duck dinner.
(BLD)
Day 29 (Oct 15) – Beijing - Canada
Transfer to Beijing International airport for
your flight to Canada. (B) 
