Day 1. Ulan Bator
Welcome to Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia! Your journey starts with the transfer from the airport and check-in at the hotel. The city lies at an altitude of 4,500 ft (1,350 m) above sea level and is surrounded by the 6,700 ft (2,000 m) high Khentii Mountains. Thus, there’s a wonderful view of the green nature from practically everywhere in the city. More than a third of the population of Mongolia lives here—and yet the city only has a little over a million inhabitants.
Overnight: Hotel Ramada (or similar)
Day 2. Ulan Bator
Today, an exciting tour of the city and the bizarre Chojdschin Lama Temple await you. Unique in Buddhist temple architecture are the drastic depictions of the agony of hell for believers who deviate from the path of virtue. After lunch, visit the Gandan Buddhist Monastery where you can witness a religious ceremony. In the evening, you also have the opportunity to attend a performance of traditional Mongolian folklore with throat singing, horsehead fiddles, national costumes, and dances (admission approx. $15/€14, to be paid on site). Today you have the choice: Either stay in a centrally located, good mid-range hotel in Ulan Bator or, for an extra charge ($40/€35), in a yurt in the gorgeous landscape of the Mongolian Alps. Please let us know upon booking. This is a rare experience and a dream come true for nature lovers.
Overnight: Hotel Ramada (or similar) (BLD)
Day 3. Mongolian Mountains and Departure for Siberia
About 90 minutes east of Ulan Bator you reach the Mongolian mountains with their magnificent scenery and photogenic rock formations. Guests who have booked the yurt overnight stay are already here. After a picnic lunch in the yurt camp, you attend a small Mongolian equestrian show and a traditional wrestling match, otherwise only performed during the annual Naadam national festival. Try the lamb in a milk can—a culinary specialty that is only prepared in Mongolia, and if you’re brave enough, try kumis, slightly fermented mare’s milk—the alternative to beer among nomadic peoples. In the evening, your great journey on the Trans-Siberian Railroad starts: You board your private train and head toward Siberia.
Overnight on board (BLD)
Day 4. Ulan Ude
Today, you say goodbye to the Mongolian steppes. The journey continues across the valley of the Selenga, the largest river in Mongolia, which follows you on your journey as it flows into Lake Baikal. Your private train stops in Ulan Ude, where it reaches today’s main route of the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Here, you get to know this quaint town on a city tour.
Overnight on board (BLD)
Day 5. At Lake Baikal
Today is entirely dedicated to the natural wonder of Lake Baikal, the largest freshwater reservoir on earth. In the morning, your private train rolls on the old tracks directly along the lake. The route goes over dozens of architecturally unusual bridges, through various short tunnels and over viaducts. During two longer photo stops, you have the opportunity to capture the lake in all its beauty and to explore the wonderful landscape. From Port Baikal, you take a small boat trip on the lake. You can even swim in the Lake Baikal and earn yourself a certificate of bravery as well as, if you like, a glass of vodka to warm yourself after the swim in the pretty chill water. You also visit a picturesque Baikal village. And if the weather is good, dinner will take place as a cheerful Baikal picnic on the lakeshore in front of a magnificent natural backdrop. Your private train will then make its way to Irkutsk.
Overnight on board (BLD)
Day 6. Irkutsk
Today, your train arrives at the station in Irkutsk, the capital of Eastern Siberia in Tsarist times. Here, you stay at a hotel with simple standard, but good and centrally located. You can leave your large luggage safely stored in the private train. On a city tour, you see the Drama Theater, the new Tsar monument and the market hall. You also visit a typical Russian dacha and learn from the locals how they spend the summer there and which fruits and vegetables grown there are best for making preserves for the harsh winter. And how about a walk on the Angara riverbank?
Overnight: Hotel Irkutsk (or similar) (BLD)
Day 7. Irkutsk Life and Work in Ancient Siberia
In the morning, you take a trip to the open-air museum Life and Work in Ancient Siberia showcasing the history of the region. Your private train starts toward Krasnoyarsk in the afternoon. How long did it take and what did it look like when exiles (like Dostoyevsky) undertook the long march to Siberia on foot? You’ll hear about it in the on-board lecture about exile in Siberia.
Overnight on board (BLD)
Day 8. Krasnoyarsk
On a city tour in Krasnoyarsk, you see the huge railroad bridge over the Yenisei and the Art Nouveau houses in the city center. From the Slyznevsky cliff with the bizarre Tsar-Fish Monument, you enjoy a wonderful panoramic view of the almost 2,200 miles (3,500 km) long Yenisei. Here you see the enormous dimensions of the Krasnoyarsk Dam. Then take a guided walk through the national park in the middle of the taiga. There are more than 600 species of plants, 178 species of birds, 50 animals, and 20 kinds of fish! In the evening, your private train continues toward Novosibirsk.
Overnight on board (BLD)
Day 9. Novosibirsk
Around noon, You arrive in Novosibirsk, the heart of Siberia, where you are welcomed in the traditional Russian way, with bread and salt. During a short city tour, you experience the most Soviet of all cities during your journey, where you see the enormous Trans-Siberian Monument and the mighty Ob River. In the evening, your train continues its journey west.
Overnight on board (BLD)
