Help me Choose a Tour Along the Trans-Siberian Railroad

Go Russia offers a variety of tours along the Trans-Siberian and Trans-Mongolian railway and at first it may seem difficult to identify the most suitable one. We have compiled this short user-friendly guide to help you choose the right rail journey for you.
 

ITINERARY FOCUS

We’d suggest you start by deciding which countries you wish to explore.  You can choose between:

• Trans-Mongolian tours - visit Russia, Mongolia and China
• Trans-Manchurian tours - visit Russia and China
• Trans-Siberian tours - visit Russia only

TRANS-MONGOLIAN OPTION

The Trans-Mongolian railway stretches across the three countries of Russia, Mongolia and China. This is your journey of a lifetime experience; a wonderful opportunity to explore sights, sounds and tastes from three of the greatest cultures in the world, through a range of tours we have on offer. You will journey along the trade routes of the longest railway in the world, through ancient Europe, Mongolia and Asia, visiting the important cities along the route and noting the changes of landscape, culture and nature as you travel.
 

• Visit Russia, Mongolia & China

Our West-East routes take you through the Siberian forests, continuing across the border into the steppe of Mongolia. Then you will see the exiting and mysterious landscape of China, where ancient and modern traditions blend with the exotic and colourful scenery.

You can also opt to take the tour in the opposite direction, from East to West ending in either Moscow or St Petersburg. There are options to take a shorter "Highlights of Trans-Mongolian" tour starting in Irkutsk, or you can build your own tour experience across the railway.

Our most popular itineraries:

- Best of Trans-Mongolian: Moscow - Yekaterinburg - Irkutsk - Baikal - Mongolia - Beijing (TS-11)
- Epic Trans-Mongolian: St. Petersburg - Moscow - Yekaterinburg - Irkutsk - Baikal - Mongolia - Beijing (TS-15)
- Trans-Mongolian East-West: Beijing - Mongolia - Irkutsk - Baikal - Yekaterinburg - Moscow (TS-10)

More itinerary options can be found here, just tick three countries in the filter options.
 

• Visit Russia & Mongolia only

Ideal option for those who already know China or wish to explore Mongolia in more detail. We have designed packages that do pass through Russia and Mongolia and do not go into China. Within those packages you have two options: either finish your tour in Mongolia (with an extended programme in Mongolia), or return to Russia and continue your journey.

Again our tours run in both directions.

- Discover Russia and Mongolia: from Moscow to Vladivostok via Mongolia (TS-28)
- Discover Russia and Mongolia: from Moscow to Ulan Bator (TS-29)
- Trans-Siberian East-West: Vladivostok - Mongolia - Baikal - Yekaterinburg - Moscow (TS-30)
 

TRANS-MANCHURIAN OPTION

After exploring Moscow, you will take a train to Beijing without exploring any cities in Russia. An ideal option for those who prefer just relax and enjoy the train ride.  

- Trans-Manchurian Express: Moscow - Beijing (TS-18)
 

TRANS-SIBERIAN OPTION

The Trans-Siberian railway is the longest railway in the world, spanning the entire width of Russia. Trains run on the route as any others, with local and long distance trains and there are a number of stops along the route. Go Russia has five tours which take you across Russia, stopping at important places of natural beauty, history and culture.

- Best of Trans-Siberian: Moscow - Yekaterinburg - Irkutsk - Baikal - Vladivostok (TS-04)
- Epic Trans-Siberian: St. Petersburg - Moscow - Yekaterinburg - Irkutsk - Baikal - Vladivostok (TS-16)
- Trans-Siberian East-West: Vladivostok - Baikal - Irkutsk - Yekaterinburg - Moscow (TS-21)
- Epic Trans-Siberian East - West: Vladivostok - Baikal - Yekaterinburg - Moscow - St. Petersburg (TS-25)
- Highlights of Trans-Siberian: Moscow - Kazan - Yekaterinburg - Novosibirsk - Irkutsk (TS-27)

Next, depending on your personal preferences you can go for a:
 

PROGRAMME FOCUS

Full guided programme. This is the style of most of our packages, with a well-organised programme that gives you the best value for money and covers the major highlights of any place you visit. You won’t have to worry about entrance tickets or how to get to your sightseeing destination. Our professional guide will always be on hand to give you advice and we also build in some flexibility to the itinerary to cater to your personal requirements, making sure there’s time for you to explore on your own after our excursions.
 
Naadam Special Event package. This runs only once a year to coincide with the Naadam festival in Mongolia which takes place in July.
 
Package for Independent Travellers. This is best suited to travellers with an independent mindset, who want to explore without a set programme. We’ll just make sure you have the basic trip elements arranged: accommodation, train tickets and transfers. We’ll then leave you to build your own programme, based on your preferences.
 

DIRECTION AND PLACES TO VISIT

All our tours run more or less the same itinerary visiting the most important places along the route. Please choose the direction of the journey that appeals to you and the places you wish to visit.

From West to East. You can start either in St. Petersburg (on our tours prefixed "Epic") or in Moscow (on our tours beginning "Best of"), then head to Ural Mountains stopping at Yekaterinburg, the city infamous for the tragic murder of the Tsar and his family. Tours then continue into Siberia stopping at Irkutsk and Lake Baikal. Depending on your tour, you either continue to the Russian Far East at Vladivostok or travel south to Mongolia visiting Ulan-Bator and Terelj National Park, and on to Beijing in China.

The only tour that does not visit the Russian capitals (Moscow and St. Petersburg) is our “Highlights of Trans-Mongolian Railway” where you fly into Irkutsk to join our group, thus making the trip a bit shorter.

From East to West. We also have tours that start in Beijing and finish either in Moscow or St. Petersburg, running through Mongolia, Lake Baikal, Irkutsk and Yekaterinburg. If you prefer to visit only Russia you can start in Vladivostok and finish either in Moscow or in St Petersburg as well.
 

TRAVEL PERIOD

It’s important to give some thought as to when you’d like to travel. Unlike the UK, there’s a huge difference between Russia’s winter and summer temperatures as a result of the country’s continental climate. In summer, many places are hot, but the flowers are in bloom and landscapes are at their prettiest under blue skies. In the far north, you’ll get to experience Russia’s white nights – endless days when the sun almost doesn’t set. You’ll even be able to join the locals having a swim in Lake Baikal, one of the stops on your Trans-Siberian adventure. In winter, the country is enveloped in a thick blanket of snow, adding a touch of romance to your journey and giving you the perfect excuse to buy that faux fur hat you’ve always wanted. Wrap up warm and this can be the very best time to visit Russia. Museums are less crowded and prices fall, giving those that brave the cold better value for money. Of course, if you want the best of both worlds, travel in the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn. One thing’s certain, however. 
 

COMFORT DURING YOUR TRIP

Once you know your perfect itinerary, you can decide on the level of comfort you require during your train journey: travel styles, train classes, available upgrade options. Please read more about Go Russia Trans-Siberian packages.
 

COMPARE OUR TRANS-SIBERIAN PACKAGES

Please use our online facility where you can compare our trans-siberian packages.