On arrival in Beijing you make your own way to the hotel – any taxi driver will quickly find the address. The convenient location of the hotel allows you to get the most of this legendary Imperial city. The hotel, surrounded by major business centres and tourist attractions, is in the heart of the golden area of the capital and only minutes away from the Wangfujing Street, Tiannamen Square and the Forbidden City.

Own transport to Beijing Central Station where you will board the Ulaanbaatar bound train.

Afternoon arrival in Ulaanbaatar. Our driver and guide holding a meeting-board with your name on it will meet you at the platform. Check into the Bayangol 3★ Hotel. This is a great centrally located property and facilities include 5 restaurants, fitness centre, sauna and a minimarket. You will have a chance to freshen up before departing for your city tour.  The rest of the day is free to explore more of the city. You can visit the Gandan Monastery or the Choijin Lama museum.  It`s easy to buy some snack food for the train in one of the many supermarkets.  In the evening a wide range of restaurants are available to suit any pocket or maybe go to see a Folklore concert?

After breakfast depart for Elstei Ger Lodge (55km) which includes a scheduled stop at the enormous monument to Genghis Khan along the way. It may be not quite traditional in style (since it’s made of stainless steel) but it’s an astounding edifice and a testament to Genghis’s role in Mongolian culture. Taking the elevator to the top of this 10-metre high monument you visit the exhibition hall from where you will have an excellent panoramic view over the complex area and the scenery beyond.  On arrival to Elstei you will be served lunch, and then time to enjoy your surroundings. ​With no specific activities planned you can choose to chill out, read, go walking on the Steppe, or (for a small payment made directly to the local staff) you can go horse riding with local nomad horsemen. (May-Sept). Elstei staff will also offer Mongolian archery, ankle bone games, and the opportunity to visit a nomad family nearby. A relaxing evening in the bar after supper where you can chat with the local guides and other travellers. The sunset is also worth watching, as it’s called the land of the endless skies for a good reason. 

After breakfast transfer back to Ulaanbaatar. Transfer to the station where you will board the Ekaterinburg bound train.

Breakfast

The dining car is the heart of social life on the train. It functions as a bar, lounge, and take-out snack store, as well as a café serving reasonably-priced meals. It is a great place to meet fellow travellers and locals alike, to share experiences of your journey and a few drinks, which no doubt will include some Vodka – and maybe smoked salmon and caviar too!

Arrive in Ekaterinburg where our driver will meet you at the platform, holding a meeting-board with your name on it. Transfer to the Chekhov 3★ Hotel, which is centrally located. There’s a walking tour around the well known and less obvious attractions of Ekaterinburg, with a local expert guide. You’ll visit the historical centre of the city, including the scene of the assassination of the Romanov Royal Family, on which a Cathedral now stands to mark the event. You’ll also see something of Ekaterinburg’s involvement in Russia’s military history. The last half-hour will be spent at The Museum of Gems. The tour ends in the down-town area (we make sure you know the way back!), free afternoon to explore the city independently.

Please make a choice of one of the day trip options, it is all included in the price.

(A) Romanov Graves & Europe Asia Border

(B) Siberian countryside and historic village

(C) Hiking in the Urals

(D) Walk in the Urals Forest

(E) Skiing

(F) Ice-fishing

(G) Siberian Husky dog sledding (min 2 persons for Husky dog sledding)

Early morning transfer to the station where you will board the Moscow bound train.

Arrival in Moscow. Your driver will meet you at the platform and you will travel by private car to the Panorama 3★ Hotel. (We can obtain rates for superior hotels, ask a member of the reservations team for details.) One of our local expert staff will meet you at the hotel around noon to take you on a three-hour walking tour round the highlights – you’ll use public transport around the centre to avoid the traffic jams and get the hang of the system for when you come to use it independently. Our staffers are full of ideas for this walk but are flexible about other ideas if you have your own. Your walk ends in the city centre mid-afternoon. The rest of the day’s your own. Your complimentary InfoPack is full of ideas for getting the most out of your free time.

This morning you can continue sightseeing. The Lenin Mausoleum is only open in the mornings, and getting there early (it’s in Red Square) helps beat the queues. If you haven’t pre-booked any of our city excursions the rest of the day is your own to explore further. Some of our top suggestions (please check opening times/days before setting off) would include visiting the Moscow Kremlin, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum, or a boat trip along the Mosvka River.

Check out of your room by 12 noon today. Own transport to the airport or station on departure.