Trans-Siberian Journey. Short.

Duration: 17 NIGHTS/18 DAYS

MOSCOW, ST.PETERSBURG, KAZAN, YEKATERINBURG, IRKUTSK, LISTVYANKA, KHABAROVSK, VLADIVOSTOK

If you want to understand what Russia is you must explore it. And a journey along Trans-Siberian Railway would be the best way to get to know the country, to visit its cities and towns, to pick up the cultural peculiarities of various regions of vast Russia. You can start in Moscow or St.Petersburg and then go east using multiple trains along the route. Here is a sample of a short Trans-Siberian railway journey, bullet itinerary, that can be customized to your requirements. It will suite those who do not have 3 weeks for such a journey

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ITINERARY

Arrival to Moscow

Transfer hotel, check-in 

Welcome to Moscow , the largest city in Russia and the center of its political and economic life. If St.Petersburg is Russia’s “window on Europe,” Moscow is Russia’s heartIt is an upbeat, vibrant, and sometimes wearisome city. Much of Moscow was reconstructed after it was occupied by the French under Napoleon I in 1812 and almost entirely destroyed by fire. Russia’s Soviet past collides with its capitalist present everywhere in the country, but nowhere is this contrast more visible than in Moscow. Lenin’s Mausoleum remains intact in the center of the Red square and it fits organically into the square’s ensemble with Kremlin walls on the background, as do many ancient orthodox churches that stand  among Soviet sky-scrapers and glittery new business centers.



Morning – Grand city tour of Moscow including the visit into the New Maiden Nunnery or 

                   St.Basil’s Cathedral on the Red sq.

After lunch –  Kremlin visit: Territory, Cathedrals and Armory 

Overnight  Moscow

Free time till transfer to the railway station

15:00     Transfer to the railway station to board a fast train to St.Petrsburg

19:00     Arrival to St.Petersburg

               Transfer hotel, check in

Welcome to St.Petersburg, the Venice of the North. Founded in 1703 by the Russian Tsar Peter the Great as a copy of the most fascinating European cities it became Russia’s capital for a bit more than 200 years. It is the second largest city of Russia and one of the world’s major cities. St. Petersburg is a mecca of cultural, historical, and architectural landmarks. No tour to St.Petersburg would be complete without visits to its major sights like Peter and Paul Fortress, from where city’s construction began, St.Isaac’s Cathedral, colorful Church of Spilled Blood, unbelievable Hermitage museum. And for even more unforgettable experience make sure you have time to visit former country residences of the Russian tsars, first of all stunning Peterhof and glorious Catherine palace at Tsarskoye Selo. 

 

Overnight St.Petersburg

Morning – city tour of St.Petersburg with the visits into Peter and Paul Fortress and Spilled 

                    Blood Cathedral OR St.Isaac’s Cathedral

After lunch Hermitage museum visit (main museum complex)

Overnight St.Petersburg

Morning – Visit to Tsarskoye Selo – Catherine palace and park

After lunch – train departure for Kazan

Overnight St.Petersburg

11:00    Arrival to Kazan, meeting guide on platform 

Kazan welcomes you. It is the largest city and capital of Tatarstan, Russia. It lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka rivers, it covers the area of 425 sq.km. with the population of nearly 1,5 mln. residents. Ancient Kazan was founded in the late 13th century by the Mongols (Tatars) of the Golden Horde. After the disintegration of the Golden Horde in the 15th century, Kazan became the capital of an independent khanate. In the middle of 16th century it was conquered by the Russian Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible. Old Tatar fortress was turned into a Russian Kremlin, most of which survived till nowadays and it is now the UNESCO World-Heritage sight. Now Kazan is a major cultural and educational center. Being one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, Kazan, surprisingly, appears to be a very modern and developed cultural center of Russia. 

            

             City tour of Kazan including the visit into Kazan Kremlin, Kul Sheriff mosque, 

             Annunciation Cathedral, Sujumbike tower

After lunch  Visit to the Old Tatar Settlement museum

18:00     Check in hotel

Overnight Kazan

Morning    Visit to Sviyazhsk

After lunch Transfer to the railway station to board the train to Yekaterinburg

Overnight  Train 

Early morning arrival to Yekaterinburg

Welcome to Yekaterinburg. It is the 4th largest city in Russia, the largest city in the Ulrals and one of the Russia’s main cultural and industrial centers. The city lies along the Iset river and on the eastern slope of the Ural Mountains, slightly east of the border between Europe and Asia. In early 18th century an ironworks was established here together with the fortress by members of the Russian sect of Old Believers. In 1723 the new settlement was called Yekaterinburg in honour of Catherine I, the wife of Peter the Great. The town grew as the administrative center for all the ironworks of the Urals region, and its importance increased after 1783, when the Great Siberian Highway was built through it. But for most now Yekaterinburg is famous as the scene of the execution of the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his family in July 1918. Boris Yeltsin, the first democratically elected president of Russia, was educated and spent much of his political career in this city

 

             City tour of Yekaterinburg including Europe-Asia monument, Complex “Ganina    Yana”,  Church on Blood etc.

After lunch visit to Boris Yeltsin Center

Late evening train departure for Irkutsk

Overnight train

Overnight  Train 

08:30   Arrival to Irkutsk

Welcome to Irkutsk. It lies along the Angara river at its confluence with the Irkut river that gave name to the city. It was founded as a wintering camp in 1652, during the first Russian colonization of the area; a fort was built in 1661, and Irkutsk rapidly became the main center of the Russian trade route to China and Mongolia. From the beginning of the 19th century, Siberia in general and Irkutsk in particular became the place where a lot of Russian officers and nobles were exiled for taking part in Decembrist uprising. At the end of the 19th century, about 30% of Irkutsk population consisted of exiles. Irkutsk is one of the few cities in Siberia, which managed to preserve its historic character and original layout. Its historic center was formed on the site of a wooden fortress, the remains of which were dismantled in 1790. Today, Irkutsk has about 700 monuments of wooden architecture. This part of the city where these wooden building are situated is the most charming.

City tour of Irkutsk

After lunch transfer to Listvyanka, check -in hotel

Welcome to Listvyanka. It is a town with less than 2,000 inhabitants near Irkutsk (65 km northwest). It is a gateway to Baikal lake and surrounding region with many natural activities. Listvyanka was mentioned for the first time in 1726 as a village on lake Baikal where the Angara river begins, at that time it was just a small settlement. But in the late 19th century a port and a ship yard were built here and the village was turned into a town. 

 

Overnight Listvyanka

Breakfast at the hotel

10:00     Meet your guide and driver and depart for ½ day tour of Listvianka

               Visit Limnological museum and Aquarium   

Overnight  Listvyanka

Breakfast at the hotel and check out

Early morning Transfer to Irkutsk with luggage on board

It is a long way to get from Irkutsk to Khabarovsk. The distance between two cities is over 2000 km. and these 2000 km are completely covered with taiga, Russian boreal forests. It is the largest forested region on Earth (approximately 12 million sq.km). 

Take a break from sightseeing and spend these 2 days on board of the train watching the endless taiga from your train window.

03:00        Arrival at the train station of Khabarovsk, transfer hotel 

Welcome to Khabarovsk that is 6100 km away from Moscow. It is one of the most significant and beautiful cities of Russia’s Far East. It stands on the right bank of the Amur River along the scenic Trans-Siberian railway right next to the Russian-Chinese border. The city fascinates visitors with its unusual heritage and fabulous untouched nature. Tourists are drawn to the native culture, eclectic architecture and mesmerizing waters in this off-the-beaten-track destination, which promises a unique and memorable vacation. Khabarovsk is the champion of sunny days per year in Russia, sun shines here for 300 days a year. The Khabarovsk Bridge and the Amur Cliff with the statue to Count Muraviev-Amurskiy are depicted on the 5000-rouble bill, which is the largest denomination in Russia so far.

 

Midday  Meet your guide and driver, depart for the city tour of Khabarovsk including 

                major city sights 

Eve          Transfer to the railway station to board an overnight train to Vladivostok 

Overnight  Train 

Breakfast on the train

07:15         Arrival to Vladivostok, meet your guide and driver on platform

                   Transfer to the hotel, check in, rest

Welcome to Vladivostok! Today, Vladivostok remains the largest Russian port on the Pacific Ocean, and the chief cultural, economic, scientific, and touristic hub of the Russian Far East. It is the eastern end of Trans-Siberian railway. Vladivostok was ceded to Russia in the 1858 Treaty of Aigun and already in 1860 a naval base was founded here. Surrounded by Amursky Gulf from the west, Ussuriysky Gulf from the east, and Golden Horn Bay along the south, Vladivostok is the home of the Russian Pacific Fleet. With 600000 inhabitants it is the 2nd largest city in the Russian Far Est, after Khabarovsk. 



                 

14:00       Departure for the city tour of Vladivostok including the major sights of the city and 

                a visit into the Submarine S-56

18:00       End of the tour

Overnight Vladivostok

Breakfast at the hotel

Transfer to the airport

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PRICE

upon request

Address

191186, St.Petersburg, MALAYA MORSKAYA st., 11 office 406

Contacts