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, 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 area and the scenery beyond. On arrival to Elstei you will be served lunch, and then you will have time to enjoy the 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 where you can chat with the local guides and other travellers. The sunset is also worth watching, as the place is 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 Moscow bound train.

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!

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.) Your complimentary InfoPack is full of ideas for getting the most out of your free time.

After breakfast one of our local experts will meet you at the hotel lobby for a three-hour walking and familiarisation tour to introduce the city (and its public transport system) and to get your sightseeing off to a flying start. The rest of the day’s yours. 

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