From Mongolia to Moscow: A Trans-Siberian Railway Adventure
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"It was truly the trip of a lifetime. The places visited and all the diverse people we met along the way - simply outstanding! Thank you so very much for an incredible journey that went very smoothly.
C. Kauffman
York, PA
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 Travel on regularly scheduled Trans-Siberian trains over a dramatic and variegated route that offers limitless opportunities to meet the diverse local people - Mongol, Buryat and Russian. Experience the rolling green hills and nomadic traditions of Mongolia, and Siberia's UNESCO-listed Lake Baikal and endless taiga forest on your way to the booming capital, Moscow. The July departure features Mongolia's Naadam Festival.
Days 1-4: UlaanBaatar, Gorkhi Terelj
Arriving in the capital of Mongolia, UlaanBaatar, visit the Gandan Monastery and explore the National History Museum. Drive to nearby Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, meet a nomadic family living on the steppe, and overnight
in an authentic ger, with the option of an afternoon horseback ride. The July trip includes time at Mongolia's distinctive Naadam Festival back in UlaanBaatar. The September trip includes a visit outside the capital to Mandshir Monastery, built in 1749 and partially restored since its destruction in the 1930s. Board the overnight train heading for Siberia.
Days 5-6: Ulan Ude
Arriving in Russia, disembark near the
border and drive to Ulan Ude, capital of the Buryat Republic. En route
stop at Hargana, a lovely little Buryat village, to visit the flourishing local
school and meet the teachers and students.
Tour the most interesting sites in and around Ulan Ude, including
the Ivolginsk Datsan, the center of Buddhism in Russia. Pay a visit
to a village of Old Believers -- members of an Orthodox sect who
refused changes to their rituals in the 17th century and were sent to
Siberia -- and share dinner with a local family.
Days 7-10: Lake Baikal, Irkutsk
Take the day train from Ulan
Ude to Irkutsk, and enjoy a tour of the city, including the old wooden
houses, many with the intricate carved fretwork typical of local Siberian
architecture. Explore the outdoor Wooden Architecture Museum, a
collection of authentic Russian and native houses and community buildings
from the 17th century on, and visit the exiled Decembrist House
Museum. Ride the old Circumbaikal Railway to Port Baikal, and board a boat crossing the Angara River to Listvyanka, a little village along the shores
of UNESCO-listed Lake Baikal, the oldest and deepest lake on earth.
Days 11-13: Aboard the Trans-Siberian
Continue for three days along the legendary rails, traveling through Siberia's vast taiga forest to Moscow, the political and economic center of Russia.
Days 14-15: Moscow
Explore Moscow's classic sites, including Red Square, the Armory Museum and the Kremlin. Take a tour of the Moscow Metro: the stations in the city center are showpieces of Socialist art, furnished with statues, frescoes and mosaics.
Commemorate the journey from Mongolia to Moscow with a farewell dinner and celebratory toast.
Optional Pre-Tours
Begin your adventure with an optional pre-tour in Beijing, Vladivostok or the Gobi Desert. Beijing's historic landmarks, ranging from the Temple of Heaven to Tiananmen Square, tell the long history of China. Vladivostok, on beautiful Golden Horn Bay, grew from its beginnings as a naval outpost to a thriving Pacific Rim port city. Or pay a visit to the Gobi Desert, where the heat and low humidity have protected and preserved the numerous dinosaur fossils that have been found here.
Trip Details
| Length of Trip: |
15 Days |
| Departures in 2012: |
2 |
| Dates: |
July 10-24, 2012 |
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September 4-18, 2012 |
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| Land Tour Cost: |
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| 5-16 travelers |
$7,295 (July) |
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$6,895 (September) |
| Partial Single Supplement |
$995* (July) |
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$850 (September) |
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| No Hidden Costs! |
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MIR Signature Experiences
- Inspect Gobi Desert dinosaur eggs as the Natural History Museum in UlaanBaatar
- Visit a tiny Buryat village above the Mongolian border in Siberia
- Enjoy spectacular views of Lake Baikal while tracing the lakeshore cliffs on the old Circumbaikal Railway
Map - Click to Enlarge
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| Days 1-2: |
UlaanBaatar |
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| Day 3: |
drive to Terelj |
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| Day 4: |
Terelj, UlaanBaatar, overnight train to Naushki (Russian Border) |
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| Day 5: |
Arrive Naushki, Ulan Ude |
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| Day 6: |
Ulan Ude |
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| Day 7: |
Ulan Ude, day train to Irkutsk |
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| Day 8: |
Irkutsk |
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| Day 9: |
Irkutsk, Old Railway to Listvyanka |
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| Day 10: |
Listvyanka, depart on the Trans-Siberian Railway |
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| Days 11-12: |
Onboard the Trans-Siberian
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| Day 13: |
Arrive Moscow
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| Days 14-15: |
Moscow
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| UlaanBaatar |
Gandan Monastery, National Mongolian History Museum, Bogd Khan Winter Palace, Zanabazar Fine Arts Museum, performance of traditional throat singing, Naadam Festival (Naadam during July departure only) |
| Mandshir Monastery |
Buddhist monastery and museum set in the Bogd Khaan Mountain Reserve - protected since the 13th century |
| Terelj National Park |
Beautiful alpine landscapes, sleep in a nomadic ger, optional horseback riding |
| Kharlun |
A Buryat village on the Great Tea Way |
| Ulan Ude |
Ivolginsk Datsan (Buddhist monastery), Trans-Baikal Semeiskie (Russian Old Believers) (UNESCO-listed "Masterpieces of Intangible Heritage") |
| Lake Baikal |
UNESCO World Heritage Listed lake for its unique flora and fauna |
| Listvyanka Village |
Museum of Wooden Architecture, authentic banya at the lodge, Baikal Limnological museum
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| Irkutsk |
Decembrist museum, Regional History Museum, Angara icebreaker, Cathedral of Epiphany, Gagarin Embankment |
| Circumbaikal Railway |
The most scenic stretch of the original Trans-Siberian Railway |
| Trans-Siberian Railroad |
World-famous rail line from UlaanBaatar to Moscow via Siberia
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| Moscow |
Moscow Kremlin and Red Square (UNESCO World Heritage site), Armory Museum, St. Basiil's Cathedral, Moscow Metro |
Suggested Extensions
Begin your adventure with an optional pre-tour in Beijing, Vladivostok or the Gobi Desert. Contact us for more details.
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