Day 9. Panorama Route on Lake Baikal
A bus takes you to Listvyanka, a Siberian village on the shores of Lake Baikal, the world’s largest freshwater reservoir. From the village, a boat brings you across the lake’s deep waters to Port Baikal, where your private train is waiting. You then travel for several hours directly alongside Lake Baikal, on the historic panorama route of the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Your train stops at a particularly scenic spot, for you to truly enjoy the majestic calm of this unique natural wonder. Dinner is served as a picnic on the shores of Lake Baikal, weather permitting.
Overnight on board (BLD)
Day 10. Ulan Ude
Your journey continues along the banks of a seemingly endless Lake Baikal, through the splendid Selenga Valley and the wild solitude of Eastern Siberia’s mountainous steppes. After your private train’s arrival in Ulan-Ude, you experience the capital of the Russian Republic of Buryatia on a city tour. A visit to a colony of Old Believers acquaints you with their manners and customs. In the evening, you see a presentation of typical Buryatian artistic performances.
Overnight: Hotel Geser (or similar) (BLD)
Day 11. Monks and Yurts
An excursion brings you to Russia’s largest Buddhist monastery, Ivolginsky Datsan. Later, you feast on Buryatia’s national dish in a yurt. In the afternoon, you learn surprising details about the indigenous population of the Baikal region in the open-air Ethnographic Museum. Your private train continues east in the late evening.
Overnight on board (BLD)
Day 12. Taiga Specialties
Today, your private train is rolling, rolling, rolling on the Trans-Siberian, the world’s longest railroad line, making you realize the dimensions of Russia, the world’s largest country. On board, you enjoy a delightful tasting of Taiga specialties: berries, juices, and liquors. A language course gives you the opportunity to brush up on your knowledge of Russian.
Overnight on board (BLD)
Day 13. Vast Country
Your train is moving through the lush landscapes east of Lake Baikal, passing the junction leading onto the Trans-Manchurian Railroad in Chita, the junction leading to the Baikal–Amur Mainline, the former gulag city of Svobodny, and Birobidzhan, the administrative center of Russia’s Jewish Autonomous Oblast.
Overnight on board (BLD)
Day 14. Khabarovsk on the Amur River
Your private train reaches Khabarovsk mid-morning. City tour and visit to the promenade on the bluff of the Amur River where you can see as far as China. In the afternoon, you enjoy a little boat tour on the Amur River. Your train departs in the evening and your journey continues to the city of Vladivostok, the final destination of your journey on the Trans-Siberian.
Overnight on board (BLD)
Day 15. Vladivostok
In the morning, you arrive in Vladivostok, where a sightseeing tour shows you the city’s most notable attractions, among them the Submarine Museum and the photogenic train station with the monument that marks the final stop of the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Free time in the afternoon. Our recommendations: a stroll in the botanical garden or a guided tour of the Fort of Alexander the Blessed.
Overnight: Best Eastern Versailles (or similar) (BLD)
Day 16. Vladivostok
After breakfast, you have the opportunity to explore the Pacific metropolis. What about a visit to the museum of the Russian Pacific Fleet, to the KGB bunker or to Vladivostok’s only dairy? In the afternoon, you enjoy a boat trip in the largest harbor of Russia’s Far East.
Overnight: Best Eastern Versailles (or similar) (BLD)
Day 17. Farewell, Russia!
Your journey ends with the transfer to the airport after your breakfast at the hotel. (B)
(B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch, (D) = Dinner