Grim it may be, but for nearly half the world “Siberia” is synonymous with the Soviet Era system of prison camps (which in fact had begun a century earlier under the Tsars). This trip visits the only remaining Soviet gulag, near Perm… but it’s not all about barbed wire and watchtowers! There’s a relaxing “soft” rafting trip on the Usva River, the amazing beautiful Kungur Ice Caves (this is just an underground stroll, no scrambling involved), with the second half of the trip set in Mongolia as a complete contrast! This trip offers the opportunity to start your journey in St. Petersburg, where you will see the contrast between the imperial splendour and the soviet simplicity that existed both then and now.
A full day for you to pack in the best of the rest. Own transfer this evening to Moskovsky Station where you will board the Moscow bound train.
Early morning arrival in Moscow. You’ll then be transferred to the Panorama 3★ Hotel. (We can obtain rates for superior hotels ask a member of the reservations team for details.) One of our local expert staff will meet you at the hotel around 10am to take you on a three hour walking tour round the highlights – you’ll use public transport around the centre to avoid the traffic jams and get the hang of the system for when you come to use it independently. Our staffers are full of ideas for this walk but are flexible about other ideas if you have your own. Your walk ends in the city centre around lunchtime. The rest of the day’s your own.
This morning you can continue sightseeing the Lenin Mausoleum is only open in the mornings, and getting there early (it’s in Red Square) helps beat the queues. If you haven’t pre-booked any of our range of city excursions the rest of the day is your own to explore further. Some of our top suggestions (please check opening times/days before setting off) would include visiting the Moscow Kremlin, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum, or a boat trip along the Mosvka River?
Transfer to Yaroslavsky Station where you will board the Perm bound train.
Early afternoon arrive in Perm, transfer to the Ural 3★ Hotel, which is located in the cultural and historical centre of Perm. This property is close to Perm State Art Gallery, Regional History museum, Perm State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, and the Kama River embankment.
After breakfast you depart by car with a guide for a two day side trip. The first visit is to the Kungur Ice Caves (approx 1.5 hrs from Perm) – but there is no scrambling involved, the entire complex is equipped with underground walkways and requires no caving abilities at all. During the day you’ll also pass a hilltop cathedral with magnificent views and a former political prison. Lunch is included en-route (there’s a café at the Caves). Three more hours brings you to the Usva River – you can change your clothes whilst local staffers set up the raft. Only light paddling to steer is needed, the current carries you along, and you’ll set up camp opposite the Rocky Cliffs tonight. Camp supper (singing is optional) and overnight in tents in the middle of the Ural Mountains.
Continue rafting along the Usva there are liberal opportunities for stops to see natural beauty-spots, wildlife, flowers and plants, along with a picnic lunch stop along the way. This section of the trip is through forest gorges where the river is the only access – there are no roads or villages. This evening you’ll make a new camp (local staffers will set things up you can help if you want to) and enjoy a hot supper prepared by our rafting instructors.
After breakfast the staff will strike camp and load the gear aboard the raft for the final short section to Mys – Rendezvous with our driver, and you now continue by road to the Perm-22 Gulag Camp – the only surviving such camp it’s possible to visit in Russia (there might be remains of others in the Arctic, but you would need to charter a helicopter for several days to reach them). The Perm-22 Camp is now independently maintained by a charity concerned with the welfare and history of political prisoners jailed by the USSR – the interiors of the former barracks have been converted to include displays about the Gulag system, and there is a short film in English they will show. You shouldn’t expect a concrete prison – the reality of the Gulags is horribly banal, and consists of wooden huts the prisoners were forced to build themselves. There’s a picnic lunch on the drive back to Perm, where you’ll be reunited with your left luggage and accommodated at the Hotel Ural once again.
Today is free for you to relax and explore Perm the city where the Great Siberian Trakt (the Post Road which preceded the railway) began. Visit the River Embankment to see where convict boats from Moscow would arrive at night – so locals wouldn’t see the fettered convicts being marched onwards on foot to Siberia. On Sibirskaya Street there’s a plaque marking the spot where the last Tsar’s brother, Grand-Prince Michael, was arrested on the day after the Tsar himself had been executed – Brits may note the loyalty of Michael’s English secretary, who was offered his freedom but opted to follow the Grand-Prince to his death in front of a firing-squad. This evening transfer to the station where you will board the Ulaanbaatar bound train.
The dining car is the heart of social life on the train. It functions as 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, sharing your experiences of your journey so far with a few drinks, which no doubt will include some Vodka – and maybe smoked salmon and caviar too!
Arrival in Ulaanbaatar. Transfer from the station to a hotel with a chance to shower and have breakfast. This morning you will depart for your city tour at 10.30am. This includes visiting the Gandan Buddhist Lamasery (monastery) and several temples located there. Afternoon transfer to Elstei Ger Lodge which includes a scheduled stop at the enormous monument to Genghis Khan along the way. It may not be quite traditional in style (since it’s made of stainless steel) but it’s an astounding edifice and a testament to Genghis’s place in Mongolian culture. Taking the elevator to top of this 10 metre high monument you visit the exhibition hall from where you will have an excellent panoramic view over the complex area and the scenery beyond. On arrival to Elstei Ger Lodge you will be allocated a 4-person share Ger. (2-person upgrade available.)
With no specific activities planned you can choose to chill out, read, or go walking, or (for a small payment made directly to them locally) you can go horse riding with local nomad horsemen.
Early morning transfer to the station where you will board the Beijing bound train.
Don’t oversleep today as it’s possibly some of the most spectacular scenery of the entire route, as you leave the desert scenery behind and pass by mountains and rice paddy fields. Arriving into Beijing Central Station at the end of your Trans-Siberian journey.
The journey you have chosen has some “extras” that are necessary and then “extras” that will enhance your trip. We cannot re-iterate too much that at Russia Experience we pride ourselves on making the trip you have chosen the best it can be – so if we don’t mention something you want, ask us and we’ll try our best to make it happen! In return, we try to inform you about any great “extras” along the way, so that you have the chance to try them if you want! Visas are a necessary extra and needed for all the countries you travel through and the current costs and what is needed can be found under Visas.
Upgrading to 2- berth compartment on the train is also an option, you will see under Prices. This service is becoming more popular every year and not helped by the train operators only confirming this request 30 days or less prior to your departure. We have however devised a workaround for this that’s proving very reliable. We request a 2-berth at the time of booking but if this comes back not possible we block out a 4-berth compartment for 2 person occupancy. The standard of these cabins remains the same, and you get the extra space and privacy one way or the other.
We have a range of services for passengers wanting to stay or continue their journey into China at the start or end of their journey.
What’s includedTrain
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2017 – 19 Day tripMay 08, 15, 22, 29 |
Now that we have finished our journey across Asia, we wanted to email to thank you and your colleagues for the excellent arrangements which went without a hitch. It was a most wonderful and inspiring journey which was made the more enjoyable by knowing that we would be met and guided when it was crucial, but left also left to our own devices to explore places when it was prudent to do so.
In each place, your agents were most helpful, but we especially wanted to single out your Mongolian partners who went out of their way to make us welcome and explain to us a great deal about the country and its customs.
So, all in all, a great trip which we would recommend without hesitation: just the right blend of adventure and comfort! Thank you to all concerned.
With best wishes,
Robert & Louise
Robert & Louise
Arakere,Nagaraj Keshavamurthy
Here are some personal highlights from our trip.
I was struck by the dearth of caucasians in China and Mongolia. Some days the only non-orientals were ourselves! Great to be immersed in another culture like that.
In every big city Stephan and I did an urban run. What a great way to see a city at the street level and the people and all the energy as we ran anywhere from 3 kilometers to 10 kilometers at a go. You can imagine what it was like to run along Tianamen Square or around the Kremlin.
One extra exciting run was at Ekaterineburg. The train had a 29 minute stop and the location of the Ipatiav House where the Romanov’s were murdered was 1.5 kilometers from the train station. We had to book it off the train, through the station, onto the main boulevard and down to the huge cathedral now on that a site. Take a few pictures and hustle back with a minute to spare before the train took off!
The friends we made in wagon 6 on our trek across Siberia. There were many Brits, Canadians, and Aussies. Because we were all on the Trans-Sib/Mongolian, everyone had a sense of adventure. We were among kindred spirits. We shared stories, adventures, food, and vodka. And lots of conversation about about the Brexit vote and the results of Euro 16 football matches.
Quality time for father and son with hours together in our compartment to talk, read, share and grow closer. Stephan speaks ChInese so he was a huge asset in China as well.
A happy home away from home-coming as Sarah and Johan met us in Moscow. Good food and museums. My favorite museum is the Tretyakov and it was such a treat to view the works of Repin, Perov, Shishkin, and Lamonsov.
The Mongolian steppes. The vistas were incredible and the time spent there, as well as sleeping in a ger was so memorable.
Thank you again for your service and care for our trip. We loved it and I am so grateful for your professional wisdom and handling of the details. You are the best and can highly recommend you to all.
Blessings abound,
Joel
The Quie Family
The Havards travelled April 2016
Not sure if you meant it when you said you wanted some feedback but here goes. I’m on the penultimate day as we arrive in Vladivostok tomorrow. I must say I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Nothing like what I expected but it has been a great experience and although I wouldn’t repeat it I would certainly redo it. Siberia was much less sparse than I expected and the towns were much more modern than I had expected. It’s very much a tourist trip for tourists so I could imagine some people being disappointed if they were expecting purely a culture or a geographical trip. The organisation is outstanding,service is excellent, food is very good and the facilities far above what I could have imagined. The trip itself is a curious mixture of culture,cuisine,cities,concerts,folklore,geography, history ( lectures from a professor of Russian history), entertainment,adventure and I’m sure I forgot something.
Really wonderful. Thanks for your help in giving me this experience,
Sincerely John
John (travelled Golden Eagle Imperial Class)
Howard and Alison Brett
Nicholas Mayman & Wendy Wise
Wanted to say a huge thank you for all the help you guys gave me with the trip and the visas! and the patience you had with all my questions!!!!
I had the best time and met some awesome people ???? you guys are the best and I would definitely recommend using your company to friends and anyone that asks really!
The guides I had were all amazing and the accommodation was pretty sweet too!!
Thanks so much!
Jenna Thompson
Jenna Thompson
Since the end of the train trip we have been in Moscow for five days and are currently finishing up a visit to beautiful St Petersburg. Tomorrow we head to Copenhagen as we continue our three month journey.
Thanks again for all that you did on our behalf.
Geoffrey Slaff
Geoffrey Slaff
All services – transits, hotels, on-train facilities and guides were punctual and efficient.
We had no problems in meeting/being met by taxi drivers. Hotels were expecting us as paid-for guests.
Guides were pleasant, knowledgeable and had good English. On-train we were surprised at being offered all we wanted. Indeed, the whole package was sound and recommendable.
We were pleasantly surprised with unexpected on-train facilities. Apparently, the 1st class, two-berth, on-train service includes one cooked meal daily and complementary daily supply of tea, coffee and chocolate. Boiling water for beverages is available all day and night in each car. Bedding – linen sleeping bag and two pillows – is free. On the older railway stock, on train 8, don’t expect to wash anything except hands and your plastic crockery and cutlery. Toilet paper is always availably, though not always paper towels, and the waste bins are emptied regularly.
At Irtkusk the local office manager is like no other manager. His appearance is that of a 1960s hippy – long hair tied into a pony-tail, short trousers, back-pack – but he is delightfully lucid, speaks excellent English, is clearly well-connected, is light hearted and very effective. The world needs more of his equal.
The fresh water and very clear Lake Baikal is a treasure: It’s 636 km long, about 1650 m deep and has many species found nowhere else. No wonder it has internationally recognised status for scientific interest. The Baikal museum and aquarium is truly worth a visit.
Thanks for organising a most enjoyable and interesting tour.
Yours aye,
Ian Fraser
Ian Fraser
Our home stay hostess, Olga, was a delight. Loved the visits to villages.
Now to read and reread Russian novels! Mongolia nomad stay was more challenging than we expected but in retrospect was a good experience. Family and guide were great.
Marilyn Thomas
Marilyn Thomas
Kind regards
Paul Pennington
Paul Pennington
Dermot Carlin
We have had an amazing time. Everything was so well organised, we always felt looked after without feeling stifled or rushed about as you might on a fully managed/guided tour. We had plenty of time to do our own thing and the trips were always in very small groups (if not only the three of us!). The local guides at each location were fantastic. All really helpful and knowledgeable and ready to do that little bit extra (special thanks to the amazing Ulziimaa in Ulaanbataar!). As you may have guessed at an early stage I can be a bit of a nervous traveller but you reassured us at every step and everything was so well planned and organised, we really had nothing to worry about at all. I appreciate hugely the fact that every email and question I had was responded to and answered within minutes/hours, even when we were in China. I will (and already have done) unreservedly recommend you and your company to anyone considering travelling through Russia, Mongolia and China.
A truly amazing experience…thank you.
Alanna, Ralph and Nathan
Karen & Jacques Grivel
Thanks for all your troubles and for a wonderful experience.
Best regards,
Carlos Ossenbach Sauter
Carols Ossenbach Sauter
Kind regards,
Lynda Warren
Jessica & Nanae Warren-Hart
Bernadette & Joseph Skinner
City Walks; These added a whole new dimension to the tours as the guides were first rate and very well informed. We also found that they were happy to talk of present and past regimes which served to add colour to the situation and they were also well versed in the local customs. Without the guides the experience would not have been quite so rewarding.
Options; Not to be missed. Picnic at Lake Baikal and the trip to the Great Wall. Excellent guides and very well organised .
As promised we were always met as arranged . The drivers went out of their way to ensure that we were on time for our trains and they also made sure that we were safely on board before leaving. We were also lucky in meeting three others on the “experience” in Moscow who we were with until Beijing and so we had others to turn to when we were confused. ( Often at my age )
All in all it was a fantastic experience and one that I would not have wanted to miss at any cost. You have made two old men very happy.
My one and only complaint about the trip is that I have absolutely nothing about which to complain.
My thanks to you and all involved.
Brian Marchant & Brian Quance
We thoroughly enjoyed the hike round Lake Baikal (although the distances were a lot further than in the itinerary!!!!), and the walking guide Anton was both knowledgeable and chilled out, a great balance!
Mongolia was also an excellent experience, with the family stay being the highlight! Our guide Naki had endless information and was forever cheerful! A big thank you to him too!
The whole experience for us both was a very positive one and we will be sure to recommend your company to family and friends!!
Once again, thank you to all the drivers, guides and yourself for an excellent service!
Amanda and Duncan
Amanda Moran & Duncan Balderson
Extra Night
St. Petersburg: +£65
Moscow midweek: +£60
Moscow weekend: +£45
2-Berth UpgradesSt. Petersburg - Moscow +£75
Moscow - Beijing +£430
Seasonal supplementMay - Sept +£60
Extra Night
St. Petersburg: +£35
Moscow midweek: +£40
Moscow weekend: +£35
2-Berth UpgradesSt. Petersburg - Moscow +£75
Moscow - Beijing +£430
Seasonal supplementMay - Sept +£60
Extra Night
St. Petersburg: +£35
Moscow midweek: +£40
Moscow weekend: +£35
2-Berth UpgradesSt. Petersburg - Moscow +£75
Moscow - Beijing +£430
Seasonal supplementMay - Sept +£60
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