Trans-Siberian Railway Travel Tour | National Geographic Expeditions
National Geographic Expeditions
Terms & Conditions
Find the Right Trip for You
Select your travel style--whether it's our signature expeditions, our active outdoors adventures, or our lower-priced journeys.  Or choose how you want to travel: by train or small ship, on an expedition geared for photographers or for families, and more.
16 Days | Round-trip Vladivostok to Moscow
Group Size: Max 40
﻿﻿
﻿
Set out on an epic train journey across one-third of the world, traveling from Vladivostok to the heart of Moscow along the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway. From the Mongolian steppe to Lake Baikal’s remote shores to the snow-capped Ural Mountains, trace the history of tsars, exiles, and Mongols in the comfort of our luxury train, the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express. Encounter remote cultures and the unique architecture of Siberia’s wooden cottages and Moscow’s onion domes.
Trip Highlights
Discover the evocative choral music and unique culture of Buryat’s Old Believers.
Trace the shores of Lake Baikal, and stop for tea in a family home.
Attend musical performances, including a concert at the Decembrist House Museum in Irkutsk.
In Moscow, take an in-depth tour of the Kremlin, and meet a Russian cosmonaut.
Itinerary - 16 Days
Days 1 & 2 — Vladivostok, Russia
Arrive in Vladivostok and meet fellow travelers at a welcome dinner. On a city tour, see the Pacific Navy War Memorial and the Vladivostok Fortress, and take in skyline views from the Eagle’s Nest observation platform. Board our luxury train and set off on our rail journey across Russia.
Hotel Hyundai; Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Espress (D; B,L,D)
Days 3, 4, & 5 — Khabarovsk/On Train/ Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Explore Khabarovsk and visit its Natural History Museum to learn about the region’s ecology and indigenous tribes. Enjoy two days on board as we glide across Siberia to the Mongolian steppe. Arrive in Ulaanbaatar and visit the National Museum. Then head to Gorkhi-Terelj National Park for a horseback-riding demonstration and a visit to a traditional ger (tent) camp. Enjoy a Mongolian  throat-singing performance.
(B,L,D DAILY)
Days 7 & 8 — Ulan Ude,  Russia/Lake Baikal
Stop in Ulan Ude to watch a choral performance given by the Old Believers, a group descended from 17th-century religious exiles. Trace the shores of beautiful Lake Baikal on a route that passes through 33 tunnels. Stop to enjoy lunch on shore before joining a family for tea in the village of Listvyanka.
(B,L,D DAILY)
Days 9, 10, & 11 — Irkutsk/On Train/Novosibirsk
Visit Irkutsk’s historic sights, and wander through a collection of Russian and Siberian cottages at the Museum of Wooden Architecture. Hear a bell-ringing performance, then enjoy a private concert at the Decembrist House Museum. After a day relaxing on board, stop in Novosibirsk to see the opera house and Lenin Square.
(B,L,D DAILY)
Day 10 — Irkutsk
Spend today in Irkutsk, an important Siberian outpost established by the Cossacks in 1652. In the early 19th century, many Russian artists, officers, and nobles were exiled here for their involvement in the Decembrist revolt. Visit the city’s historic sights, and wander through a delightful collection of classic Russian and Siberian cottages at the Museum of Wooden Architecture. Stop for a private bell-ringing performance atop a bell tower, and then enjoy a private concert and champagne reception at the Decembrist House Museum.
Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express (B,L,D)
Days 11 & 12 — On Train/Novosibirsk
Enjoy a day to relax on board, taking in stunning scenery as the vast Siberian taiga unfurls. The following day, stop in Novosibirsk, Siberia’s largest city, to see the opera house and Lenin Square.
(B,L,D DAILY)
Days 12 & 13 — Yekaterinburg/Kazan
Arrive in Yekaterinburg and visit the site of the infamous Romanov execution. The next day, explore Kazan, touring the city’s Kremlin, the Qol Sharif Mosque, and the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Visit the Kazan Conservatory, and enjoy a student concert before a private cruise around the walls of the city’s Kremlin.
(B,L,D DAILY)
Days 14 & 15 — Moscow
Disembark in Moscow for a city tour and a guided nighttime stroll through Red Square. Explore the legendary Kremlin, and visit St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Armory Museum, and the Conquerors of Space monument. Delve into the history of space exploration at the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics, and hear a talk from a Russian cosmonaut.
Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora (B,L,D DAILY)
Day 16 — Moscow