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Trans Mongolian Discovery
RUSSIA + MONGOLIA + CHINA
- 21 days
See and experience China's "Imperial City", then travel aboard the Trans Mongolian Express, beyond the Great Wall and across the fringes of the Gobi Desert to the grasslands of Mongolia. And so to Lake Baikal and aboard the great Trans Siberian Railway to Moscow and St.Petersburg, Russia's two most exciting cities. Explore Red Square, St Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin then north to the magnificent 18th century buildings and palaces of St.Petersburg. A fantastic adventure across Asia in just three weeks.
Itinerary - St.Petersburg to Beijing Days 1-3. St.Petersburg It is the city on the water, the "Venice of the North", standing resplendent on the delta of the Neva River. St Isaac's Cathedral, richly filled palaces and museums, wide boulevards and canals. The gilded halls of the Hermitage Museum hung with the works of Da Vinci, Rembrandt and many other great masters, and beyond the city lie the incomparable summer palaces of the Tsars at Petrodvorets. Yet for all this, St.Petersburg remains one of Europe's best kept secrets. We join the overnight express to Moscow - our epic journey is underway! Days 4-6. Moscow Moscow will amaze you, its palaces and public buildings restored to their former glory. The echoing vastness of Red Square, the splendid twirled cupolas of St. Basil's across the cobblestones, and the Kremlin itself - that fabled palace-fort. We ride the palatial underground rail system, adorned with chandeliers, mosaics and baroque bas-relief and perhaps a river cruise or a magical evening at one of Moscow's great theatres or State Circus. Day 7-9. Aboard the Trans Siberian Railway We join the Trans Siberian Railway booming over the steel bridges spanning Siberia's nerve system of 5,000 rivers. We pass over the Ural Mountains which divide Europe and Asia, and we cross the Irtysh and Ob rivers. We travel through Ekaterinburg, well known for the execution of the Romanov family in 1918 and the industrial cities of Omsk and Novosibirsk. Day 10-12. Irkutsk and Lake Baikal (Siberia) Almost in the centre of Asia, Irkutsk - 18th century churches, bright painted shutters and log houses decorated with wooden lacework. Modern administrative blocks and soaring bridges reach out across the Angara River in this beautiful town known as the "Paris of Siberia". On our walking tour you will discover the citys wonderful historic sights. We also enjoy a full day at Lake Baikal and time to visit the village of Listvyanka with its traditional houses and beautiful wooden church and nearby Limnological Museum. To gain an insight into the traditional lives of Siberian people we also visit the Museum of Wooden Architecture. Day 13. Aboard the Trans Mongolian Railway We settle into life on board, enjoying the company of our fellow passengers and a picnic in our cabin. The train arrives at Naushki, the Russian border town where formalities are completed and then continue across no-man's land to Sukhbaatar where Mongolian officials board the train for visa formalities before we continue on to Ulaanbaatar. 2
S m a l l G ro u p J o u r n ey s
This page 1. Small Group Travellers 2. Mongolia Stay overnight in a traditional ger, home of the nomadic Mongolian 3. Great Wall Walk an impressive section of the Great Wall during your stay in Beijing 4. Mongolian ger Always a highlight is our ger stay where we spend time in the spectacular Mongolian countryside 5. Local Mongolian Local shepherd at Terelj 6. Siberian shutters The city of Irkutsk has an impressive display of traditional architecture 7. St.Basils Cathedral Visit this amazing catherdral during your stay in Moscow
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