1) Transsiberian by Private Train (Eastbound).

Helsinki-Moscow regular train "Tolstoi" in business class and from Moscow to Beijing private train.

From (Helsinki to) Moscow via Lake Baikal through Mongolia and on to Beijing:

A journey on the legendary Transsiberian Railroad is one of the last great travel adventures in our world. Set this dream of a lifetime on the tracks with our Private Train and experience Russia , Mongolia and China in the safest, most comfortable and fascinating manner.
The historic route between Moscow , Lake Baikal and Beijing is the heart of all travel variants: The exciting days of your journey are delivering three of the world’s largest countries directly to your compartment. Lean back to enjoy the dramatic changes of scenery and savour a choice of Europe’s and Asia ’s most superb and splendid landscapes!

Day 1 Train Helsinki-Moscow in Business class cabin 17.52 - 08.25+ (no meals included on day 1)

Crossing Finnish-Russian border on on overnight to Moscow. There is no guide in this train. You will meet your guide in Moscow.

Day 2 Welcome to Moscow

After having arrived in Moscow , your tour guide welcomes you at the railway station and accompanies you to your hotel. The Russian capital presents itself in wonderful illumination on your " Moscow by Night" city lights tour. Afterwards you can stroll across the famous Red Square with your tour guides and experience Moscow ’s Metro stations in all their splendour and beauty. At night, the beds in your first class hotel spread comfort. (D)

Day 3 Sightseeing Moscow

Your grand city tour starts in the morning with the Kremlin, including one of the magnificent cathedrals still left from the time of the Tsars. Towards evening, your train departs from the Kazan Station. (BLD)

Day 4 Kazan

In the morning arrival in Kazan , ancient capital of the Tartars, where you visit the city’s Kremlin. A boat trip will make you familiar with Europe's greatest river, the Volga . Your Private Train resumes its journey in the evening. (BLD)

Day 5 Ekaterinburg

In the afternoon halt in Ekaterinburg and short city tour. In the course of the city tour you will see the newly erected Cathedral-on-the-blood, built in memorial of that tragic historical event.

Back on the train you enjoy your view on the fascinating landscape and in the course of a caviar and vodka tasting you get acquainted with the traditions of Russian hospitality. (BLD)

Day 6 Novosibirsk

You reach Novosibirsk , heart of Siberia , where you will be welcomed in the traditional Russian manner with bread and salt. Your city tour includes a visit to the lively market. After dinner, the train continues its ride eastwards.  (BLD)

Day 7 Across Siberia

Your Private Train, by now your second home, proceeds onward over the Yenisei River through Siberia . The on-board restaurant cooks once again demonstrate their skills with the speciality meal "Tsar’s Feast". (BLD)

Day 8 Irkutsk

Today the train reaches Irkutsk , capital of Eastern Siberia . During a city tour you will see the new statue of Alexander III. After lunch, you undertake an excursion to the open-air museum "Life and Work in the Time of the Tsars”. A taiga dinner in a Siberian forest restaurant is the excursion’s romantic finale. Spend the night in a centrally located standard hotel in Irkutsk . (BLD)

Day 9 Lake Baikal

Today you will visit a Siberian village by bus. A boat takes you across the deep waters to Port Baikal, where your Private Train awaits you. On ancient tracks it takes you directly along the shore of Lake Baikal for several hours. Dinner is served in typical local style as a picnic on the shores of the lake (weather permitting). (BLD)

Day 10 Ulan Ude

This day takes you along a different part of the shore of the mystical Lake Baikal , and then onwards through the wild and lonely mountain steppes of Eastern Siberia . On the way to the Mongolian border the train will stop in Ulan Ude, where you attend the city tour. (BLD)

Day 11 Ulan Bator and Gandan Monastry

In the morning you arrive in Ulan Bator . In the course of a city tour you will see the impressive Buddhist Gandan Monastery, the open air railway museum and the Lama Museum . In the evening, your tour guides show you the best beer garden in the city. You spend the night in a centrally located standard hotel in Ulan Bator . (BLD)

Day 12 Ulan Bator and the Mongolian Alps

Today you attend a tour to Mongolian Switzerland. After breakfast, a bus trip reveals the beautiful countryside. You take lunch within the typical tent settlements of nomadic herdsmen. A Mongolian horseback riding show will be performed especially for you. In the evening your Private Train will travel onward to the Chinese border. (BLD)

Day 13 Through the Gobi desert

In the early morning your train halts in the middle of the Gobi Desert , some time ago one of the favourite settlements of dinosaurs. Towards noontime, you reach the Chinese border, where your Chinese train is ready for departure. (The Chinese train has no Nostalgic Comfort and Bolshoi cars, but is furnished in a modern and practical manner. You sleep in compartments with either two or four beds.) (BLD)

Day 14 Welcome to Beijing

After observing impressive scenes of Chinese rural life from your compartment window, you arrive in Beijing in the morning, where you will spend three nights in a first class hotel. (BL)

Day 15 Beijing– – Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City

A four-hour city tour will show you the Temple of Heaven and its park as well as Tiananmen Square . A guided tour through the interior of the Forbidden City follows in the afternoon. (BL)

Day 16 The Great Wall and Peking Duck

Today you enjoy a day trip to the Great Wall. Your programme also includes a tour of a pearl cultivation farm, the Ming Tombs and the avenue of the spirits. In the evening you enjoy a meal featuring the world-famous Chinese dish, Peking Duck. (BLD)

Day 17 Beijing and back home

Today a wonderful trip filled with unique and unforgettable experiences comes to its end and you start your return home by Finnair to Helsinki. (B)

                     

Highlights of the tour

-          Train ride on the otherwise closed route of the Transsiberian along Lake Baikal with 2 extensive photo stops

-          40 hours at Lake Baikal

-          Your Private Train: safe, clean and comfortable

-          Moscow , Russia ’s proud new capital

-          Boat trip on the Volga

-          Kazan, Ekaterinburg, Ulan Bator, Novosibirsk and Irkutsk

-          Boat ride on Lake Baikal

-          Glorious: Icons and Cathedrals

-          Pristine: typical Siberian villages

-          Authentic: Mongolian horse show

-          Beijing ’s Forbidden City

-          Modern History: Tiananmen Square

-          Entertaining and informative: Daily lectures about countries, people and cultures

-          Traditional: greeting with bread, salt and balalaika

-          For connoisseurs: vodka and caviar tasting

Excursions and specialties

Moscow

–        Kremlin

–        Night tour

–        Tour of the subway

–        City tour including Church of the Redeemer

Kazan

–        City tour including guided visit of the Kremlin

–        Boat trip on Volga River

Ekaterinburg

–        City tour with visit to the Church of the Ascension

Novosibirsk

–        City tour with visit of a typical Russian market

Irkutsk

–        City tour with visit to the drama theatre

–        Visit to open-air museum

Lake Baikal

–        Follow the ancient tracks along the shores of Lake Baikal , including village visit

–        Boat trip on Lake Baikal

Ulan Ude

–              City tour

Ulan Bator

–        Visit to the Choijin-Lama temple

–        Tour of the Gandan Monastery

–        Visit to Alpine Mongolia including horse-riding demonstration

Erlian

–        Visit to the local market

Beijing

–        Visit to the Temple of Heaven and Tiananmen Square

–        Visit to the Great Wall of China and Ming Tombs

–        Visit to the Forbidden City

Culinary Specialties

–        Peking Duck

–        Caviar and vodka tasting

–        Picnic on Lake Baikal

–        Tsar’s feast

Our service – Your benefit

- More than 25,000 satisfied guests have travelled Europe's most experienced Tour Operator on the Transsiberian Railroad with the know-how from over 20 years of operating tours in Russia and on the Transsiberian

- Obtain profound insights into Russian, Mongolian and Chinese culture––in just one epic journey

- Dine in our lovingly designed restaurant wagons and enjoy finest local cuisine and drinks served by courteous waiters

- 42 meals included during the tour according to itinerary (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)

- 22 excursions and tours included as well as all entrance fees

-  Professional threefold tour guide-system: Knowledgeable and dedicated tour director, a competent group guide as well as several local guides, all equipped with expert knowledge of the region

- Individual special requests possible: Access to forbidden zones and extra opening hours

- Alternating overnights in your train compartment and in first class and standard hotels

- Choose from 5 different compartment categories: Standard (4-bed birth), Standard Plus (2-bed birth), Nostalgic Comfort (these newly built cars are nostalgically furnished in the Soviet Government Train style of the 50’s), Bolshoi (2-bed birth with en-suite facilities) and Bolshoi Platinum (even larger than Bolshoi cabins featuring the best available comfort on the Transsiberian Railway)

- Travel with guaranteed accommodation in the category booked onboard the Private

- Train from Moscow to Erlian; single accommodation is possible

- From Erlian to Beijing (about 16 hours) accommodation in comfortable sleeping quarters (the Chinese train does not carry sleeping cars of the Nostalgic Comfort and Bolshoi category; single accommodation is not guaranteed)

- Extensive trip on the ancient rail lines of the Transsiberian Railway directly on the banks of Lake Baikal with photo stop

- Three overnights in Beijing and one night in Moscow in first class hotels

- One overnight each at centrally located standard hotels in Ulan Bator and Irkutsk (Bolshoi guests reside in deluxe rooms or suites of standard hotels)

- All transfers at your travel destinations

- Luggage service at all train stations

- Detailed travel documents, travel guides and personal log book

- Sophisticated on-board programmes: Entertaining lectures on local culture, history

and everyday life

- Doctor on board (from Moscow to the Chinese border)

- Showers on board

- Caviar and vodka tasting on board the train

- Traditional Russian welcoming ceremony with bread, salt and Balalaika music

- Special Peking Duck dinner at one of Beijing ’s leading theme restaurants

We regret that due to the intricate logistics of this tour, changes are sometimes unavoidable.

Prices include: train and hotel accommodation, whole excursion programme, meals according to the itinerary, transfers, international flights

Not included: , fees for visa, tips and own expenses.

Minimum tour participants: 120 (see 6.3 of our General Terms and Conditions).

Rates per person:

Compartment cat I (Standard) EUR 4250 p.p. 3rd person in a 4 bed compartment EUR 350 (Moscow-Beijing)

Compartment cat II (Standard plus ) EUR 5380p.p. Single compartment supplement EUR 950 (Helsinki-Beijing)

Compartment cat III (Nostalgic Comfort) EUR 6700 p.p. Single compartment supplement EUR 2270 (Helsinki-Beijing)

Compartment cat IV (Bolshoi) EUR 9750 p,p. Single compartment supplement EUR 3730 (Helsinki-Beijing)

Compartment cat V (Bolshoi Platinum) EUR 11250 p.p. Single compartment supplement EUR 3830 (Helsinki-Beijing)

Helsinki-Moscow in a busines class of Tolstoi train and Moscow-Beijing in a Private train.

From (Helsinki) Moscow to Beijing 2010

1) 15 MAY – 31 MAY 2010
2) 12 JUN – 28 JUN 2010*
3) 10 JUL – 26 JUL 2010*
4) 07 AUG – 26 AUG 2010
5) 04 SEP – 20 SEP 2010

Traveller Oy Ltd booking and reservation fee EUR 50 / booking.

Visas to Russia, Mongolia and China EUR 250 / person for Finnish passport.