Trans-Siberian. Monkeyshrine. Train Journeys

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1 Trans-Siberian Monkeyshrine Trans-Siberian Train Journeys Adventures 2019 Trans-Mongolian Railway: Beijing to Moscow including Mongolian Steppe, Irkutsk / Lake Baikal and Ekaterinburg Polny BM5 (UIE) 18 days

2 Trans-Mongolian Railway: Beijing to Moscow 18 day itinerary with tours in Mongolia, Irkutsk / Lake Baikal, Ekaterinburg Code: PO-BM5 (UIE) from 2,840 Tour Introduction This tour includes three great stopovers, nicely breaking the train journey. Leaving Beijing you will travel past the Great Wall and cross into Mongolia. A five day round trip to explore the old capital Karakorum, Ugii Lake and spot the wild horses in Hustei. Head to Russia to hike around Lake Baikal and Listvyanka. Stay a night in Irkutsk before continuing to central Siberia to visit Ekaterinburg and the Ural Mountains which is the geographical border between Europe and Asia, also the last resting place of the Romanovs. Route Beijing Ulaanbaatar Irkutsk (Lake Baikal) Ekaterinburg Moscow. With an optional tour extension to St Petersburg. Dates All year round with departure dates from Beijing depending on a seasonal timetable. The best time to travel is from mid May to early October to enjoy the warmest weather. Train #23 departures from Beijing 7:27am to Ulaanbaatar arr. 2:30pm: -Until May 2019, the Mongolian train leaves on Saturdays. -From early June 2019 onwards, the Chinese train leaves on Tuesdays. -An extra summer train is expected to be added from mid-june, departing on Mondays. It is also possible to depart on the weekly Wednesday train #3; this train runs between Beijing and Moscow and is generally available for shorter routes. Tours Hotels Trains Four train journeys, mostly for one or two nights. Fully guided and inclusive tours of: Karakorum, Ugii Lake and Hustei National Park; Irkutsk city and Lake Baikal National Park; Ekaterinburg city, with a trip to Koptelovo; as well as a city tour of Moscow. Accommodation in 3* hotels, guest house and traditional Mongolian ger. Tour Style Polny [полный] is a Russian word which means complete, full, total, entire, overall, absolute. Polny packages are fixed date, small group tours with well designed stopover tours at a range of popular destinations along the route, with English speaking guides, 3* standard accommodation and all transfers included. Tour Includes Monkey info pack, local support, visa invitation documents Train tickets in standard second class four berth cabins, with option to upgrade to first class Beijing: 1 night 4* hotel, transfer to train Mongolia: 5-day trip to Karakorum, Ugii Lake and Hustei National Park, transfers, guide, excursions, 4 nights hotel/ger camp with full board Ulaanbaatar: 1 night 3* hotel, all transfers Lake Baikal: guided tour around Listvyanka village and museum, 2 nights guesthouse, hike and transfers. Irkutsk: 1 night 3* wooden hotel, guided city walking tour, all transfers Ekaterinburg: 2 nights 3* hotel, all transfers, guided city walking tour. Full day excursion to Koptelovo Moscow: arrival transfer, 1 night 3* hotel, guided city walking tour Meals as listed in the itinerary (B breakfast L lunch D dinner) Cover Photo: Mongolian Open Steppe. August, 2014.

3 Trip Highlights Ger roof. ADS, 2014» Trans-Mongolian train journey, travelling 7,622 km from Beijing to Moscow across two continents.» Remarkable scenery including the Great Wall, Gobi, Mongolian Open Steppe, the wide expanse of Siberia, countless rural villages and, of course, magical Lake Baikal.» Stay in a comfortable traditional Mongolian ger, explore the open steppe on the way to Karakorum, visit the home of a nomadic family and spot the wild horses in Hustei, while enjoying the warm and friendly hospitality of our local guides.» Explore Ulaanbaatar with a guided city tour, while learning how important Buddhism is to the Mongolian peoples.» Stay 2 nights at Lake Baikal in Listvyanka and sample healthy local Siberian food.» Hike in Baikal National park with a picnic on the shore of Lake Baikal.» Discover sprawling Ekaterinburg, then a full day excursion to Koptelovo.» Comfortable and centrally located 3* hotel in Moscow, with orientation city tour of this fascinating capital. Mongolian Goats. ADS, 2014

4 Day 1 Arrival to Beijing Staying one night at the centrally located 4* Pentahotel. We can book additional accommodation and tours in Beijing, as well as domestic train tickets around China in advance of your Trans-Mongolian train journey. Day 2 Beijing Train Early morning transfer for the start of your Trans- Mongolian adventure. Departure on train #23 at 07:27. The train meanders through the Yanshan mountains north of Beijing and past the Great Wall, before arriving at the Chinese border town of Erlian. The Chinese - Mongolian border crossing takes around five hours for immigration and customs procedures and for changing the bogies to accommodate the different gauge railway lines between China and the rest of the Trans- Mongolian / SIberian network. Ugii Lake. Matt Somerville, 2016 Day to Day Itinerary Trans-Mongolian Railway Erdene Zuu Monastery. Matt Somerville, 2016 Day 3 Train to Ulaanbaatar Wake up to the Gobi and cross central Mongolian steppe. Arrive to Ulaanbaatar (locally called UB) around 14:30. Meet your driver on the station platform for a transfer to your centrally located 3* hotel. Free evening to explore Ulaanbaatar on your own. Day 4 Central Mongolia tour - Elsen Tasarkhai Meet your guide at hotel after breakfast (suggested start time: 08:00). Travel west of UB (approx. 260km) to Elsen Tasarkhai, known as the mini-gobi sand dunes. Enjoy a picnic lunch or at a local ger camp. Opportunity to ride a camel or horse. Travel on to Karakorum (85km). Staying overnight at local hotel, guesthouse, or ger camp. (B L D) Day 5 Karakorum Visit Erdene Zuu monastery, and the Karakorum history museum. Travel (130km) to the beautiful are of the Tsetserleg hot springs. Hike or horse ride with your guide or at your leisure, and when the day is done, relax in the soothing hot springs. Staying overnight at tourist ger camp. (B L D) Day 6 Ugii Lake Travel to Ugii Lake, either directly (120km) on back-country roads, or (190km) via Karakorum. Enjoy lunch at ger camp before exploring the fabulous lake environs at your leisure (boating on the lake can be arranged). Staying overnight at tourist ger camp. (B L D) Day 7 Hustai National Park Travel to Hustai National Park (250km hrs). Introduction to the national park s work in reintroducing the wild Takhi horses, a subspecies

5 of the Przewalski. Lunch in the park. Spend the afternoon searching for the horse within the national park. Travel from the park (70km) to spend the evening and overnight at a local nomadic family ger. (B L D) Takhi Horses in Hustai. ADS, August 2009 Day 8 Ulaanbaatar Train to Irkutsk Spend the early morning with the local family, learning about nomadic life. Finish the tour with a drive back to Ulaanbaatar (55km - 1 hr). Afternoon transfer to train station. Depart on train #305 at 15:22. This train has no dining car, so bring some supplies. (B) The northern plains of Mongolia are very flat and the train travels along the meandering Orkhon river up to the border. Custom and immigration procedures are carried out on board the train before you head into Siberian Russia. Day 9 Arrival Irkutsk Listvyanka Travel through Siberian Russia, passing Ulan-Ude and the eastern shore of Lake Baikal in the early morning. Travel along the southern shore of Lake Baikal before arriving in Irkutsk at 14:52. Meet your guide/driver on the platform. Enjoy a guided city tour of Irkutsk before transfer to Listvyanka, the main village on the shore of Lake Baikal (70km from Irkutsk). Staying two nights at a comfortable guesthouse. Guided tour of Limnological Museum (time permitting). Day 10 Listvyanka Lake Baikal Enjoy a moderate hiking excursion (5 hrs) in Baikal National Park, navigating the taiga forests surrounding Listvyanka and skirting the high cliffs looking over Lake Baikal. Excursion includes a stop by the foreshore to enjoy a picnic lunch. Free evening in Listvyanka. (B L) Day 11 Irkutsk Free morning before transfer to Irkutsk. Staying at a boutique 3* hotel in a district of Irkutsk showcasing the wooden architecture of the city. Free afternoon to explore on your own. Irkutsk is an important staging post on the Trans- Siberian Railway and during the 2 hrs walking tour you will see how the railway influenced and developed this city. Irkutsk has an old centre very easy to navigate on foot with lovely Siberian wooden architecture and an amazing history of fires and rebuilding. (B) Day 12 Irkutsk Train to Ekaterinburg Free day before late afternoon departure at 16:39 on train #69 to Ekaterinburg. Outside of Irkutsk the train winds around the Sayan mountains with some lovely views. Your cabin has four comfortable berths, standard on all long distance Russian trains. (B) Siberian village from the train. Morela, September 2011 Driving across the Mongolian steppe. Andy Pike, June 2013 Lake Baikal by DJI drone. ADS, 2015

6 Day 13 On board train On board the train all day. Stroll along to the dining car or buy fresh produce from local vendors as you stretch your legs on the platform. The train stops around ten times per day, at cities such as Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk. This is the mid Siberian railway, which was built between 1893 and 1898 crossing the great rivers Ob and Yenisei. It is the half way point on the Moscow to Beijing Trans-Mongolian line. Day 14 Train Ekaterinburg Arrive to Ekaterinburg late evening around 22:00 and transfer to the 3* Chekhov hotel where you will stay for 2 nights. Trans-Siberian Train. ADS, 2009 Day 15 Ekaterinburg Koptelovo Full day excursion to picturesque, 300 years old, Koptelovo Village (145 km drive from Ekaterinburg). A great opportunity to learn more about the Russian colonisation of Siberia. Visit to traditional Siberian izba -house. Folklore concert performance in local museum of farming & crafts. Excellent traditional Siberian cuisine lunch is included. (or alternative activity by request). (B L) Ekaterinburg, ADS Day 16 Ekaterinburg Train to Moscow Check-out after breakfast and 3 hrs guided city tour. Transfer for departure from Ekaterinburg on train #29 or #37 at 14:16 to Moscow. (B) Day 17 Train to Moscow Moscow Late afternoon arrival around 16:00 at Moscow Yaroslavsky station and the end of your Trans- Siberian train journey. You will be met and transferred to your centrally located 3* hotel. Moscow, St Basisl s Cathedral. Handel, June 2011 Day 18 Moscow Tour extension Meet your guide after breakfast and enjoy a great 3 hour orientation tour of Moscow city center. All our guides have their own personal itineraries and will visit many of the main sites, including: Tverskaya street and it s important buildings, Manezhnaya square, Marshal Zhukov monument, Lubyanka (former KGB building), Aleksandrovsky Gardens and of course the Red Square, St. Basil Cathedral and the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Moscow is world class in terms of attractions and we recommend to spend at least 3 days in Moscow and we have a number of city tours and tour extensions in the city, before moving on to St Petersburg or onward connections to Europe. (B)

7 Steam train along Baikal. Sasha, 2015

8 Monkeyshrine Trans-Siberian Tours Monkeyshrine is a registered trading name of The Russia Experience Ltd 1d, The Court Lanwades Business Park Kennett, Suffolk CB8 7PN, UK Fully bonded tour operator Member of the TTA #U3665 Skype: monkeyshrine Hong Kong: Beijing: UK: +44 (0)