Trans-Siberian: Vladivostok to Moscow16-Day Journey from Vladivostok to Moscow, via Lake Baikal

Trans-Siberian: Vladivostok to MoscowFrom the rugged shores of the Pacific Ocean to the vibrant bustle of Moscow, experience the vastness and variety of Russia.

Experience the Trans-Siberian Railway in all its glory on the full length of the legendary route: a combination ofscheduled train from Vladivostk to Ulan Ude and a private train journey from Ulan Ude to Moscow.

What Makes Your Journey Unique

• The Pacific Harbour and the Oceanarium in Vladivostok• Hiking through the Taiga in the natural preserve Khechzyr• Visit of an Old Believers colony near Ulan Ude• Panoramic train route directly alongside Lake Baikal• Welcoming ceremony with bread and salt in Novosibirsk• Typical Siberian villages• Daily talks on the region’s culture and people• Vodka tasting with Russian snacks and red caviar

Dates

• 28 Jul 18 - 12 Aug 18 (16 days)

Info and Booking

Sarmad KhawajaE-Mail: s.khawaja@lernidee.de

Itinerary

Day 1, Welcome to VladivostokIn the morning you’ll arrive in Vladivostok. In the afternoon a guided bus tour of the city will include the Submarine

Museum. You will have a fantastic view over the city from the “Adlernest” hill. Overnight: Versailles Best Eastern (or similar). Meals included: lunch (L) and dinner (D).

Day 2, VladivostokIn the morning you’ll visit the Oceanarium with information about the Pacific sea life. Afterwards you’ll go on aboat excursion around Russia’s largest Pacific port. In the evening the regular train is departing and you will bewelcomed in your compartment with a cup of tea. Overnight on board. (BLD)

Day 3, Khabarovsk on the Amur RiverToday you’ll arrive in Khabarovsk. During the guided bus tour of the city you’ll visit the Regional Museum as wellas the bluff over the Amur River, with its wide sandy beaches. Overnight: Parus Best Eastern (or similar). (BLD)

Day 4, Hiking through the Taiga After breakfast you’ll go on an excursion to Khechzyr, an extraordinary natural preserve, that provides anopportunity to hike through the taiga along the shores of the Amur river. Overnight: Parus Best Eastern (or similar). (BLD)

Day 5 and 6, The wide Countryside Today we head to the train station and continue our journey westbound, passing by Chita, site of theTrans-Manchurian Railway, the junction to the Baikal-Amur-Magistrale, the former penal colony of Svobodny,Birobidzhan and crossing the most fertile countryside east of Lake Baikal. 2 overnights on board. (2xBLD)

Day 7, Ulan-Ude Arrival in Ulan Ude in the morning. You enjoy an informative city tour and visit the Old Believers Village. Thereligious group living here broke off from the Russian Orthodox Church centuries ago and favors colorfully paintedwooden buildings and traditional dress. Overnight: Hotel Geser (or similar). (BLD)

Day 8, Ulan Ude and Boarding of the Tsar’s Gold private trainYou start the day with a visit to Ivolginsky Buddhist Monastery the largest and most important Buddhist monasteryin Russia. In the evening you’ll be welcomed on board the Tsar’s Gold private train.Overnight on board. (BLD)

Day 9, Lake BaikalToday is spent exploring the remarkable natural phenomenon of Lake Baikal, the largest reservoir of freshwater inthe world. In the morning your train travels directly alongside Lake Baikal, on the old route of the Trans-SiberianRailway. During two extended photo-stops, you have a chance to explore and record the scenic beauty of the lakeand its setting. A short boat excursion from Port Baikal takes you out onto the lake. Take a swim in the lake, if youwish, and visit a picturesque Baikal village. Dinner is a Baikal-style picnic on the lakeshore with a view of theincredible natural surroundings (weather permitting).Overnight on board. (BLD)

Day 10, IrkutskIn the morning, you arrive in Irkutsk, the capital of Eastern Siberia in tsarist times. Here you move into your hotel,which is centrally located. You can safely leave your large baggage on the private train. During your city tour yousee the Okhlopkov Drama Theatre, the new memorial to Tsar Alexander III, and the photogenic market hall.Around noon you pay a worthwhile visit to an open-air museum with a focus on life and work in historical Siberia.Overnight: Hotel Irkutsk (or similar). (BLD)

Day 11, Trans-Siberia

After breakfast your train passes through the diverse landscapes of eastern Siberia. Talks on board inform youabout the region and a vodka tasting with typical Russian snacks and red caviar is an opportunity to experiencefirst-hand the Russian festive customs of hospitality and clever toasts.Overnight on board. (BLD)

Day 12, NovosibirskAround noon, your train arrives in Novosibirsk, the largest city in Siberia. You are greeted with bread and salt inthe customary Russian manner and taken on a tour of this most Soviet of cities along your entire route, includingthe chance to see the mighty Ob River. Small City tour, with possibility to see the market and the opera house.Overnight on board. (BLD)

Day 13, YekaterinburgYour train stops in the afternoon in Yekaterinburg, the capital of the Ural Federal District. The city is known as theplace where the Russian tsar Nicholas II and his family were murdered in 1918. During a tour you see theCathedral of the Saviour on the Spilled Blood, which was built in 2003 to commemorate that tragic historic event,and the city centre attractively restored in 2009. Also, Yekaterinburg is the frontier between the European and theAsian continent, we visit the obelisque monument which serves as a reminder of this fact. Back on board, youenjoy views of the Urals landscape and indulge yourself in the dining car. Your private train is already rollingacross the European continent.Overnight on board. (BLD)

Day 14, Kazan After breakfast you reach Kazan, the Tatar capital on the banks of the Volga. On your city tour you see Tatarmosques and the most famous Russian Orthodox cathedral. You also take a tour of Kazan’s Kremlin, where youlearn about the turbulent history of the relationship between the Tatars, the Cossacks, and the Russians.Afterwards you enjoy lunch in a city restaurant.Overnight on board. (BLD)

Day 15, Welcome to MoscowAround noon, you arrive in the Russian capital of Moscow, now a thriving, prosperous city, and are accompaniedto your first-class hotel. At noon you visit the Kremlin grounds with its magnificent cathedral. Several of thebuilding interiors can also be viewed. After dinner, discover the city’s magic during an hour-long “City of Lights”tour, including a stop at Red Square, and a ride on the underground to view two of Moscow’s particularly beautifulmetro stations.Overnight: InterContinental Tverskaya (or similar). (BLD)

Day 16, Tour of Moscow and Flight HomeAfter an ample breakfast at your hotel, your tour of the city takes you to the reconstructed Cathedral of Christ theSaviour, Lomonossov University, the New Maidens’ Convent (Novodevichy Monastery), and Red Square with itscolourful St. Basil’s Cathedral, as well as to the notorious former KGB headquarters and the White House. Thisthen marks the end of your memorable journey and the time has come to head to the airport. We accompany youto the airport and bid you bon voyage. (B)

Rates Include

• 3 nights on board the regular train from Vladivostok via Khabarovsk to Ulan Ude in 2 berth compartments• 6 nights on board the private train Tsar’s Gold• Travel for several hours along the Trans-Siberian Railway panoramic route directly on the shores of Lake Baikal,with photo-stops• Tour director with pertinent knowledge of the region throughout the journey• Competent tour guides for each group of no more than 26 guests throughout the journey• Local travel guides

• All transfers and bus tours according to itinerary• All excursions and sightseeing according to itinerary, including all entry fees• All meals according to your itinerary• A physician on board the train (from Ulan Ude to Moscow)• Shower facilities on board the Tsar’s Gold private train• 1 overnight in Vladivostok• 2 overnights in Khabarovsk• 1 overnight in Ulan Ude in a Sovjet style, middle-class hotel• 1 overnight in Irkutsk in a middle-class hotel• 1 night in Moscow in first-class hotel• Informational booklet on the region and train for each compartment reserved

Hotels planned

Vladivostok 1 night Versailles Best Eastern Khabarovsk 2 nights Parus Best Eastern Ulan Ude 1 night Hotel Geser Irkutsk 1 night Hotel Irkutsk Moscow 1 night InterContinental Tverskaya/Radisson Royal Ukraina

Not Included

• Visa fees, Gratuities, International flights, Personal expenses

Entry Requirements

• Passport and visa required• No vaccinations are prescribed

Dates and Prices

28 Jul 18 - 12 Aug 18Cat. I Standard 5,090 US-$ Guaranteed departure, Bookable

820 US-$ Single supplement hotel1,280 US-$ Supplement for use of the compartment by 3 persons

Cat. II Classic 7,900 US-$ Bookable2,700 US-$ Single use supplement in compartment + hotel

Cat. II Superior 8,270 US-$ Bookable3,050 US-$ Single use supplement in compartment + hotel

Price and availability as of: 2018-01-31