Tour Duration: 13 days
Group Size: 2 - 5 people
Specialty Categories: Sightseeing, Railway Trips, Excursion Tours
Season: May - October
Price Per Person: USD 2,940 and above
Our reverse Trans-Siberian railway tour starts at Vladivostok located at Russia’s Far East on the Pacific coast. Then it takes you from east all the way across the vast territory of Russia to west of the country. You will stop in the city of Irkutsk to see beautiful Lake Baikal. When crossing the picturesque Ural Mountains we scheduled a stop in Yekaterinburg. Besides being economic and cultural capital of the Urals it is one of Russian historic cities stocked with interesting museums and sites connected to the murder of the last Russian monarch and his family. At the end of your classic Trans-Siberian journey you will visit Moscow - Russia’s capital and its most magnificent city.
This is one of our individual tours along the famous Trans-Siberian railway. This means that you are free to choose the type of train and type of sleeping car for your train travel from 2-nd class cabins in regular Russian trains to the 1-st class in top-quality “firm” trains. Since there are still no private facilities in the 1-st class cabins of Trans-Siberian trains at least the ones running within Russian territory we try to split the whole distance into smaller segments by multiple stops in different destinations along the way where you can sleep in a hotel and make a good use of all the facilities.
We organize fully-guided excursion program during Trans-Siberian stopovers for you to wonder around and rest from staying in limited space train cabin. Even though you travel by scheduled Russian trains by yourself with no guide or a group leader we will take care of your program in each stopover city. At all destinations where you stop our tours include overwhelming program with excursions led by experienced local guides, private transport for transfers and sightseeing as well as nights in good hotels specialized on hosting western guests. All these let you enjoy your vacations with no worries of planning each detail all by yourself.
Tour Itinerary:
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Arrive to Vladivostok by international flight or ferry. Meet with your guide for a city tour with a visit to Memorial Submarine S-56 Museum. Extra meals and/or hotel room can be arranged depending on the time of your arrival to the city (not included). Transfer from the city center to the railway station. Depart Vladivostok on train 001 “Rossiya” express (even-numbered dates) or train 007 (odd dates) at 10:30 pm local time.
You will spend almost 3 full days on board of a train running along the famous Trans-Siberian Railway which connects European part of Russia with Siberia and Russia's Far East at the Pacific coast. You will pass Khabarovsk on the mighty Amur river, the endless steppes of ZaBaikal'ye with its regional citer in the city of Chita, then continue further to Ulan-Ude which is being the center of Buddhist religion in Russia. Finally, before arrival to Irkutsk the Trans-Siberian track will run on Lake Baikal shore in just a few meters from the waterside. If lucky you will be able to observe the lake surfare right through your cabin window. There is a la carte restaurant car on a train or you may choose to order tickets with meals already included into the ticket price.
Arrive Irkutsk on 6:10 pm local. Transfer to a hotel for check-in and overnight. Take time to rest after a long train journey before your next day busy excusion program.
Breakfast in a hotel. City tour around all of Irkutsk major historical sights including Znamensky Orthodox Cathedral, old-style wooden houses with distinctive hand-carved trims, the Monument to Russian Emperor Alexander III. Lunch in a restaurant. Departure to Listvyanka settlement at Lake Baikal waterside. Stop for a two-hour excursion to Taltsy open-air museum of wooden architecture where one can discover the culture and the lifestyle of native Siberians and Russians. Museum funds include over 40 original log buildings. The most valuable of them are the "Tower of our Savior" built in 1667 and the Khazanskaya Chapel built in 1669. Arriving Listvyanka. Check in to your hotel. Overnight. Includes: (B), (L).
While in Listvyanka visit Baikal Museum with the diverse collection of Baikal flora and fauna. You will also see here aquaria with some of Baikal endemic species including Baikal nerpa, the only fresh water seal in the world. Then take a chairlift to the top of Chersky peak from where one can enjoy breathtaking views on Lake Baikal, the Angara River and peaks of Khamar-Daban Mountain Range. Lunch in a fish restaurant. Attend a show of Baikal nerpa in Listvyanka nerpinarium located next to the main pier. Transfer back to Irkutsk railway. Departure at 6:20 pm or 8:10 pm depending on the train type you choose. Includes: (B), (L), (D).
You will spend over 2 full days on board of a train running further westwards on Trans-Siberian Railway to the European part of Russia. Train will pass the city of Krasnoyarsk which is economic and cultural center of East Siberia. This is one of the biggest cities in the region with population of almost 1 million people. Next day you will observe Novosibirsk out of your cabin window. The city is often referred as the capital of Siberia. Novosibirsk is relatively young. This used to be a small village at the beginning of XX-th century. It was only in 1920s during the Civil War when the Soviet Army moving eastwards across Siberia founded the “New Siberian City” on this place. Very soon the city became an important scientific and economic center, and it is the third largest city in modern Russia after Moscow and St. Petersburg. Finally, your train will cross the Ural Mountains considered to be the natural border between Europe and Asia. Rich with mineral resources the Urals have been the backbone of Russia's industrial production for over 300 years. Though, many visitors may find it disappointing that the mountain range in the southern part of it looks more like hills.
Late arrival to Yekaterinburg. Either on 10:30 pm or 11:55 pm depending on the train type you choose . Your guide will meet you at the railway station. Transfer to a hotel for overnight.
Breakfast. City tour around Yekaterinburg. We will lead you through the historical center of the city where you see old central streets and squares with statues of Ekaterinburg’s founders and communist leaders. There will be an opportunity to visit splendid Church of Spilled Blood at the Romanovs’ Death Site and the Chapel of St. Elizabeth. You will observe beautiful views of Ekaterinburg and the City Pond, gorgeous villas of Urals’ "gold merchants" of the XIX-th century and monumental buildings in Stalin’s neoclassicism style.
Lunch in a restaurant. Excursion out of the city (15 km) to the Monastery dedicated to the Romanov’s Tsar family on the place where bolsheviks tried to hide Romanov’s corpses in a secret grave. Holy grave place and seven wooden churches built in Russian Orthodox tradition is now a famous pilgrimage site. The excursion is followed by a visit to "One foot in Europe, another one in Asia" landmark. On the way to the border-line you will see "The Memorial of Victims of GULAG" and make a short stop there. Few minutes drive and you reach the Main Obelisk "Between Europe & Asia". Get a special certificate and glass of sparkling wine to commemorate your visit to the place where west meets east. Return to your hotel. Includes: (B), (L).
Early breakfast in a hotel. Transfer to the railway station for departure. Finally, you spend another full day on a train towards Russia's capital city Moscow. Includes: (B).
Early arrival to Moscow. Transfer to a hotel. Take a panoramic sightseeing tour to see all major historical sights of Moscow. The tour starts with a hiking excursion to the heart of the city, the Kremlin Grounds. In the Kremlin you will visit one of the Cathedrals for an introduction to the Tsars who ruled from Moscow. Then, continue with 3-hour orientation trip around Moscow by private car or tour bus. After observing St. Basil's Cathedral, the State Historical Museum and other sights of the area we move along the Moskva River embankment passing the Cathedral of the Christ the Savior and then going further to Moscow State University. Near the university stop at the Sparrow Hills observation spot with an outstanding view on the central part of Moscow. After that take a ride through the new and old streets and squares of the largest city in continental Europe. Lunch in Russian cuisine restaurant. Return to your hotel. Includes: (L).
Meet your guide and depart for excursion to the Novodevichy Convent founded in 1524 and considered now to be one of the most beautiful sights in Moscow. Then, take Moscow State Metro excursion with your local guide. It is the world’s second busiest metro in the world. Moscow metro is well-known for the ornate design of its stations built in 1930s that represent outstanding examples of socialist realism. After a metro ride enjoy a slow pace walk along the Old Arbat pedestrian street. Bargain a good deal with local artists painting right there or explore numerous souvenir kiosks where you can see famous hand-painted matryoshka dolls, baboushka scarves and ushanka fur hats. After that, your guide can either leave you by yourself to explore the city center or take you back to the hotel. Includes: (B), (L).
Breakfast in a hotel. Transfer to the airport/railway station for departure. Includes: (B).
Prices (per person)
Tour program:
- Deluxe accommodation (4-5* hotels):
* 2 pax: $2,380 p/p
* 3 pax: $2,160 p/p
* 4-6 pax: $1,990 p/p
* Single supplement: $800
- Standard accommodation (3* hotels):
* 2 pax: $1,895 p/p
* 3 pax: $1,615 p/p
* 4-6 pax: $1,515 p/p
* Single supplement: $400
Train ticket cost:
- Top-quality "firm" trains
* 1-st class (2-berth): No meals - $2,720, Meals included - $2,975
* 2-nd class (4-berth): No meals - $1,520, Meals included - $1,665
- Regular Russian trains
* 2-nd class (4-berth): No meals - $1,045
Price Includes:
- Accommodation as stated in the itinerary on ½ DBL basis
- Meals as stated in the itinerary
- All individual transfers by car or tourist coach
- English-speaking guide during excursions
- Entry tickets and admission fees to all museums and sites listed
- Russian visa support
Price Excludes:
- Air tickets or train tickets to Vladivostok/ from Moscow
- Guide services on board of trains
- Russian domestic train tickets are quoted separately (fare depends on a train and class of service)
- Health insurance
