Along Trans Siberian Railway

 
The Trans-Siberian Railway comprises one of the most famous, romantic and potentially enjoyable world’s great train journeys. You can make 11 days trip along one of the most interesting parts of the TransSib - from Lake Baikal to the capital of western Siberia - Novosibirsk. The distinctive feature of the tour is longstops in three biggest cities of Siberia for more detailed acquaintance with interesting places and culture. There are two journeys along Trans Siberian between cities. We travel by the best regular trains. It gives an opportunity to choose the dates of the trip suitable to any time of the year. The tour involves a closer contact with real life of Siberian people than just looking at it through a train window.  

Itinerary

 Preliminary: We offer two variants of the program "Along Trans Siberian Railway": the basic variant begins from Moscow (11 days long, Moscow - Irkutsk - Baikal Lake - Krasnoyarsk - Novosibirsk) and the brief one is from Irkutsk (8 days long). Look the detailed information about international flights to Siberia in the section Getting&Away.

Route Map

Day 1. Moscow, Russia. In the afternoon you land in Moscow - the cultural and political capital of Russia. You will be met right after custom formalities. Until the evening departure we offer you to stay in a day room in the hotel near the airport or have a brief excursion in Moscow. In the evening departure for Irkutsk. 

Day 2. Irkutsk. Early in the morning we arrive at one of the oldest cities in Siberia - Irkutsk. After checking in, breakfast and some rest we will have a city-tour, visit two Cathedrals and the Art Museum where one can find rich collection of Art masters` works and the Regional Studies Museum - the oldest one in Russia, which appeared in 1782. Return to the hotel. Dinner. 

Day 3. After breakfast we have an excursion to Lake Baikal. On the way we will go to the Architectural-Ethnographical Museum of Wooden Art of Siberia, where impressing quantity  of the unique pieces of wooden architecture of the 17-19th centuries were transferred to. Then we will visit the Limnological museum. You will learn about geography, geology and fauna of the lake. After lunch we will take a boat trip to admire the scenery. In the middle of the  trip we will make a stop to see the Circum-Baikal section of the Old Trans-Siberian Railroad - the real masterpiece of engineering, that has a lot of railway tunnels, viaducts and galleries. (In wintertime we will offer snowmobile trip on the frozen surface of the lake). In the evening return to the hotel. Dinner. 

Day 4. After breakfast we will go to the Decembrists' complex. Trubetskoi house is dedicated to Decembrists that spent more than 30 years in Czar exile. Being from higher class, the Decembrists brought education and culture, opened schools for further education for all Russian children. After lunch we will departure for Krasnoyarsk by Trans Siberian Railway. 

Day 5. Morning arrival in Krasnoyarsk. After checking in, breakfast and some rest we will have a sightseeing tour round the city that is located on one of the biggest rivers of the world - the Yenissey river. After lunch we'll move to Divnogorsk-town, where we will see the artificial sea and the Hydroelectric Power Station. You will be able to enjoy the magnificent view and get acquainted with work of its unique ship elevator. In the evening return to the hotel. Dinner. 

Day 6. After breakfast we will go to the famous Krasnoyark Stolby Natural Reserve. During millions of years rains and winds have cut out granite gigantic pillars that look like fantastic people and animals. Here we will have a chance to make some wonderful pictures of Krasnoyarsk and the Yenissey from a bird's flight height. After lunch we will leave for Novosibirsk by Trans Siberia Railway. 

Day 7. Morning arrival in Novosibirsk. After checking in, breakfast and rest we will have a sightseeing tour round the city. We will see the historical and cultural center of Novosibirsk, Lenin Square, Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet House, the bridge across the Ob` river and the monumental building of the Railway Station. Then we will visit the local museum with its reach ethnographical and paleontological collections. After lunch we will visit the Central Market. It is one of the most attendant places. Here you can buy some traditional Siberian food: cedar nuts, red whortleberry, cranberry and etc. In the evening return to the hotel. Dinner. 

Day 8. After breakfast we will go to Academgorodok - the settlement of scientists and visit the museum of the Institute Archaeology and Ethnography. Here one can admire a unique collection of finds from Altay burial mounds. The central exhibit of the museum is the mummy "The Princess of Altay", that was found in Altay Plateau Ukock in frozen earth high in the mountains and due to this fact the mummy is still well preserved. 

After lunch we will visit the mineralogical museum and open-air museum of old trains. Return to the hotel. Dinner. 

Option: in the evening we can visit the Opera and Ballet Theater for getting acquainted with a hidden side of life of the theater and for seeing a performance. 

Day 9. Early departure for Moscow from the Tolmachevo airport. Arrival in Moscow. Meeting and transfer to the hotel. After lunch we will take a sightseeing tour round the city. Our first visit to Red Square, Moscow's heart, where we see the Kremlin, the famous onion domes of St. Basil's Cathedral, GUM Department store and the History Museum. We will also have time to see the Maneg Square, Europe's largest underground shopping mall. Return to the hotel. Dinner. Option: in the evening a ballet or an opera performance in one of Moscow's theaters. 

Day 10. After breakfast we will continue with the sightseeing tour around Moscow. We will visit Sparrow's Hills, where Moscow University is located, for an overview of the city. Then we will go to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and Poklonnaya Hill. After lunch in a restaurant we will visit Kolomenskoe Estate, the former summer residence of Russian Czars. Excursion to St.Danil's Monastery. Return to the hotel. Dinner. Option: evening performance in a Moscow's theater.