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Express to Russia » Tours to Russia » Trans-Siberian Express » Trans-Sib – four cities, 14 days/ 13 nights
Trans-Sib – four cities, 14 days/ 13 nightsMoscow – Yekaterinburg – Irkutsk – Vladivostok
On this journey from West to East you will cover the entire route of the Trans-Siberian railway, visiting four major cities along the way. The trip begins in Moscow, the capital of Russia with its Gold-Domed cathedrals, Kremlin and other sites. You will continue on to Yekaterinburg, located in the Ural mountains and at the beginning of Siberia. There you will visit sites connected to the tragic Fate of the last Russian Tsar. You then travel to Irkutsk and onward to the shores of Lake Baikal. The tour ends in Vladivostok “the king of the East” on the Pacific ocean and at the very edge of Russia.
| Day 1 Moscow |
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Moscow, the capital of Russian Federation, is the starting point of your great Tran Siberian journey.
In Moscow you will be met by our representatives at the airport and taken to your hotel or apartment. On the way to your hotel or apartment you will get your first glimpse of Moscow.
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| Day 2 |
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After breakfast at the hotel you will have some free time to become oriented. In the afternoon, you will check out of the hotel and meet with your guide. Your excursion program starts with a city tour by car or minibus. City tour is the best way to get acquainted with many of the city’s major highlights. Our professional guide will escort you on a route that includes Vorobyevi Hills where you will get an incredible view of the city from an observation point, you will proceed to Moscow State University which is an example of architecture from the time of Stalin, then on to Novodevichiy Convent, the Diplomatic Village, Victory Park, the Triumphal Arch, Kutuzovsky Prospect. You will proceed to Red Square, meaning “beautiful”, “best” with the famous St. Basil´s Cathedral and visit Kremlin the former ancient tower, military fortification, a palace, an armory, the sovereign treasury and now the workplace of Russian President. Among the sights you will see are the Mausoleum of Lenin, the Upper Trading Rows (including the State Department Store (GUM), the clock at the Savior (Spasskaya) Tower – showing the most correct Moscow time. Return to the hotel.
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| Day 3 |
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Breakfast and free time. Check out from the hotel till 12:00.
You will be transferred to the railway station to begin the journey of a lifetime.
Departure to YEKATERINBURG afternoon.
It takes only 26 hours to get to the city of Yekaterinburg in the heart of the Urals and the beginning of Siberia, about 1600 km from Moscow. Almost all the cities along the way date back to 11-13th centuries. The first city where the train will stop is Vladimir, one of the cities comprising the Golden Ring, famous for its history and beautiful gold-domed churches. The next city is Nizhny Novgorod, settled on the bank of the majestic Volga river.
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| Day 4 |
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During the night you will cross the Vyatka River, the town Kotelnich, Vyatka (made immortal by the famous Vyatka washing machine!!!), Balyezino and arrive at the foot of the Ural Mountains. In the morning, the train will stop in the city of Perm, an old Russian city known as a city of ballet and literature. After another 6 hours you will arrive in Yekaterinburg.
On arrival at night in Yekaterinburg our friendly representatives will meet you at the train station and bring you by car or mini bus to your hotel.
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Day 5
Yekaterinburg |
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After a good breakfast, you will start your first excursion which explores the Last days of the Romanov’s and is combined with a city tour.
The excursion will acquaint you with the history of the Romanov family in Yekaterinburg and detail their tragic death. You will visit the Monastery dedicated to the family of the last Tsar. The Monastery is located on the spot where the Bolsheviks tried to hide the Romanov’s corpses in a secret grave. Today, this area is a well-known Russian Orthodox pilgrimage site. After viewing the Monastery and the neighboring wooden churches, you will go on to see the main historical sites of Yekaterinburg: The Historical skver (park), the wooden dam of the city’s first plant, the old city embankment and a monument of Lenin, leader of Soviet Russia. The tour will also take you to places connected to the first President of Russia – Boris Yeltsin who originates from Yekaterinburg. After the excursion, you will be taken back to the hotel and have free time to walk around the city.
In the noon you will be taken to the railway station to continue your journey through Russia.
Departure to IRKUTSK is in the afternoon.
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| Day 6 |
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The day you will spend in train enjoining surroundings.
On this leg of the journey, you will spend about 19 hours on the train, moving through Siberia with its mighty taiga and rivers. The route to Novosibirsk will pass through many small and large towns including Tyumen, the oil capital of Russia and Omsk. You will cross the Irtysh river and continue on through the great forest. Having crossed the bridge across the Ob river, you will pass Novosibirsk. The train will cross over many rivers including the Kam, Chuna, Lya, Oka, Yenisey and Angara.
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| Day 7 |
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Your train arrives at night it is almost noon by local time in Irkutsk. Our representatives will meet and take you to a hotel. Finally you will feel the ground!
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| Day 8 Irkutsk |
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After breakfast and check out at noon our guide will take you to Lake Baikal, the largest body of fresh water in the world. On the way from Irkutsk, we will make a stop at the Ethnographical museum “Taltsy” consisting of examples of Siberian wooden houses from the past centuries. On the way to Baikal we will make a stop to see the Lake from an observation point “Pick of Cherskiy”. On arrival to a hotel we will have lunch (optional). This is not the end of the day; we will also visit the Limnological museum, where exhibits of the unique fauna and flora that surround the lake are displayed. There is also an aquarium where you can see different species of local fish and the Baikal nerpa – the earth’s only fresh water seal. Return to the hotel.
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| Day 9 |
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After breakfast, free time and check out from hotel in noon. After this, you will check-in at the hotel. Our guide will come and take you on a city tour to the historical center and Znamenskiy monastery where the leaders of the Decembrists and G. Shelikhov – the Russian Columbus are buried. You will pass along Karl Max Prospect with its many buildings dating from the 19th century. You will see the Angara river embankment and see a monument to Alexander III, and continue onto the immense GES (hydro-electro station) and the ice-breaker ANGARA. Check in a hotel in Irkutsk.
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| Day 10-12 |
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Breakfast and check out. You will be transferred to the train station. Morning departure by train to Vladivostok.
The train journey from Irkutsk to Vladivostok will be longer than the other stretches of rail that you have traveled up until now – 3 days. But the comfortable compartment will make you feel at home. The landscape along the way is typically Siberian, the endless taiga and rivers and lakes. The intenseness of the nature will surprise you and you will definitely feel that you have left civilization far behind. During the 20-25 minute stops, you can walk near your wagon and replenish your provisions.
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| Day 13 Vladivostok |
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On arrival in Vladivostok in morning, you will be met at the railway station by our representative. Your expedition to discover the "Lord of the East" now begins. First, you will be taken by car or mini bus to your hotel. After settling in, you can have breakfast (optional), and/or a short rest after the train and get ready for the city tour. During the panoramic tour of Vladivostok, you will see all the main attractions and highlights of the city: the Vladivostok Railway Station – terminus of the Trans-Siberian railroad, the S-56 submarine on the harbor embankment and the area on which the city was founded 142 years ago. You will also visit the highly regarded Arseniev Museum to view exhibits of the region’s rich treasures of flora and fauna as well as the culture and history of the Vladivostok area. This excursion will give you the opportunity to have a close up view of the world renowned and beautiful harbor of the Golden Horn, Russia’s largest seaport on the Pacific Ocean. You actually get three harbors in one tour; the fishing harbor, the naval base and the commercial harbor. You will see numerous ships waiting to their unload cargo and then travel out into Amursky Bay for panoramic views of Vladivostok. In the evening you will have free time to walk along the city streets and to dine at a restaurant of your choice. If you would like recommendations on good places to eat, rest, tickets to the theater, just ask our representatives.
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| Day 14 |
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After the breakfast you will have free time to admire your surroundings and then start on your journey home.
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