Trans Mongolian west bound to St Petersburg
Description of Trans Mongolian west bound to St Petersburg
Westwards, from China to Russia through the heartlands of Genghis Khan in Mongolia, the spectacular scenery unfolds over three weeks from your carriage window. Step aboard the legendary Trans Mongolian in the Chinese capital, Beijing, for an adventure that many dream about and few find it easy to forget.
Travelling as part of a small group, you’ll be accompanied by a professional tour leader to take care of all the practicalities while you get on with enjoying your journey, immersed in the fabled landscapes and historic attractions of this legendary route.
Take a stroll on the Great Wall of China, discover the myriad treasures of the Kremlin, watch a fascinating performance of Mongolian throat singing in Ulaanbaatar, and sleep in a traditional ger, an unparalleled opportunity to understand Mongolian ways of life and get to know friendly local people. Picnic by the side of the magnificent Lake Baikal in Siberia, or even risk a swim if you’re brave enough, wander the picturesque streets of Irkutsk, “Paris of Siberia”, and learn the tragedy of the Romanovs in Yekaterinburg, an event that shaped the course of history.
But of course, with the Trans Siberian and the Trans Mongolian, it’s not so much the places you visit along the way, but the experience of travelling on the trains itself that many people remember most clearly. You’ll meet commuters, families on their way to holiday homes to visit relatives, soldiers, school children and many more, all of them with their own stories to share. It’s a deeply immersive way to travel, and with a tour leader escorting you, all so convenient too.
You’ll finish in the beautiful city of St. Petersburg, where an evening show at the theatre is the perfect send-off, as you say your farewells. No need to get too misty-eyed though - this is most definitely one of those trips you’ll be reliving for years to come.
Map
Price information
Check dates, prices & availability
Travel guides
Responsible Travel
Planet
We are committed to positive environmental impacts through our Responsible Travel Policy. As an overland company we have extremely low carbon emissions throughout all our journeys. This departure operates exclusively on the 12,054km of rail network spanning the Trans-Mongolian railway from Beijing to St Petersburg and we also use local buses in Mongolia when transferring to Terelj National Park and public transport in both Russia and China, avoiding air travel wherever possible. We aim to ensure the clients do as much walking as possible during sightseeing and city tours, reducing our negative impact on the environment.We use Local Partners in Mongolia who we work with closely to ensure they mirror our Responsible Travel Policy to ‘protect our planet’ and reduce the consumption of one time plastics. We have worked with the same Local Partner for several years now basing our working relationship on trust and equality and always ensure that on visits to National Parks, we brief our clients on environmental responsibility asking them to use re-usable water bottles during their stay and refrain from using single use carrier bags, which are becoming an serious issue in areas such as the Gobi desert.
People
We have a very clear mandate to support the local community and without these Local Partners our on ground experiences wouldn’t be the same. We have been operating journeys throughout Asia for over 50 years and strive to build on our long established reputation for having the utmost respect for the places and communities that we visit.We contract the services of Local Guides and City Ambassadors through our Local Partners. We use Aiur, a Local Guide in Russia for many of our tours including this departure. Aiur specialises in translation, teaching and of course guiding, and his mantra is, 'Helping people to discover this world.' His favourite place to visit is Mongolia citing its, ‘unusual mix of nomadic culture, communist past and modern life.’
In addition, we partner with local families in Terelj National Park, which we find not only enriches the overall experience but allows us to understand local traditions and create sound relationships between clients and locals.
In China we visit the local Hutongs and markets again helping to serve as an authentic and cultural experience and one, which maintains a closer bond between client and local. We always encourage our group to buy locally and encourage local trade and artistry.
Popular similar holidays
Trans Mongolian railway holiday
From £3145 16 days excluding flights
Ride the Iconic Trans-Mongolian Railway in all it's glory
Trans Mongolian holiday, tailor made
From £2445 16 days excluding flights
Ride the Iconic Trans-Mongolian Railway in all it's glory
Trans Mongolian Eastbound, St Petersburg to Beijing
From £7940 24 days excluding flights
Overland from the Baltic Sea to the Chinese capital Beijing
protection
