Trans-Mongolian: Moscow - Ulaanbaatar (Naadam Festival) 2020

Golden Eagle Express

13 days

Moscow – Kazan – Yekaterinburg – Novosibirsk - Irkutsk –Baikal Lake - Ulan-Ude – Ulaanbaatar

ACCOMMODATION

On board the train in selected accommodation

FLIGHT INCLUDED

Flight ticket with SU in fare L

TRIPS AND VISITS

Visits and Trips indicated

Itinerary

Golden Eagle luxury trains

Day 1: Madrid/Barcelona - Moscow

Direct flight to Moscow. Upon arrival of your flight to Moscow, our representative will be waiting for you. Transfer to the hotel. The participants of this wonderful journey, that is about to begin, will arrive during the day. Welcome dinner at the hotel, where we will meet the crew, our guides and travel companions with whom we will share this epic journey.

Day 2: Moscow

The panoramic city tour will show us a vibrant and modern city. Visit of the beautiful Red Square and the Kremlin and its architectural ensemble, the Tsar Canyon, the Zarina Bell and the interior of some of its cathedrals, as well as the treasures that are kept in the Armory. Or if you prefer, you can opt for an alternative visit such as: the Tretyakov Gallery or a visit to the Space Museum. In the afternoon, transfer to the Kazansky station, where we will serve canapés and Russian champagne in the Imperial Hall. The onboard staff accompanies us to the platform, where a military band welcomes us on board. We accommodate in our cabins on the Golden Eagle Express Trans-Siberian train that will be our home for the next few days. Beginning of this very interesting trip of more than 10,600 km that will leave us the best memories of those past days, in which we will have crossed two countries, 8 time zones, endless plains and forests and immense rivers. Enjoy this first dinner on board in our restaurant cars, starting our railroad adventure destination to the Pacific.

Day 3: Kazan

Full day of visits in Kazan, centre of the so-called Autonomous Republic of Tatarstan. The city has a beautiful citadel, also called Kremlin, which was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000 with its turrets and walls built during the 16th and 17th centuries and rebuilt today. Possibility to see the mosque of Qol-Sarif. Attendance at a private concert of classical music. Dinner on board our train. In the Piano-Bar car you can have a snack while listening to our pianist. Night aboard the Transiberian Golden Eagle Express.

Day 4: Yekaterinburg

Stop in Yekaterinburg, capital of the Ural mountains. Founded in 1723 by Tsar Peter I the Great, as a metallurgical centre, it soon became an important financial, industrial and cultural centre. In the west of the city, you will find the dividing line between Europe and Asia, that we have crossed before entering the city. We will visit the obelisk that delimits this virtual line being able to set foot in Asia and another in Europe. On the way back to the city, we will see the Cathedral of the Spilled Blood, built in the place where the Bolsheviks shot Tsar Nicholas II and his family on July 17, 1918. You can also choose to make an optional visit to the Military Museum, where the remains of the U2 are kept, piloted by Gary Powers, and which was shot down in 1960 during the Cold War. Night aboard the Transiberian Golden Eagle Express.

Day 5: Novosibirsk

Crossing the plains of Western Siberia the train stops at Novosibirsk, which with its 1.5 million inhabitants, is the 3rd city in Russia and the most populous in Siberia. Founded in 1893 as the future headquarters of the crossing of the Obi River through the Trans-Siberian roads, it was further developed in the mid-20th century with the completion of the train tracks that connect Novosibirsk with Central Asia and the Caspian Sea. We will visit the Opera, built in marble. Two permanent companies of Ballet and one of Opera have their headquarters here. Opposite the Opera, an imposing sculpture of Lenin dominates the square. Night aboard the Transiberian Golden Eagle Express.

Day 6: On board

Day on board the train. The magnificent nature of Siberia is shown through the window of our cabin. Today you will have the opportunity to learn some commonly used words in Russian and sing the well-known Russian folk songs. We will also cross the Yenisei, the most powerful of the Siberian rivers. The Yenisei is the largest river system that flows into the Arctic Sea and its flow is almost 50% higher than the Mississippi - Missouri. The Yenisei is born in Mongolia and flows north to the Kara Sea, having crossed much of Central Siberia. Night aboard the Transiberian Golden Eagle Express.

Day 7: Irkutsk

In the morning we will arrive in Irkutsk, famous for being the starting point of the caravans that left to Mongolia and China. It is also known as the Paris of Siberia, for its vibrant life in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Visit of the old part of the city, with its wooden houses with beautiful windows and the Ethnographic Museum. Even today, lots of wooden houses are preserved, with beautiful windows in many neighborhoods of the city. We have a special invitation to attend a classical concert in private in the wooden house of the Decembrist Volkonsky, a museum dedicated to the memory of exiled aristocrats after the failed revolution of 1825. These intellectuals are the ones who introduced and spread the culture in Siberia. Return to the train. Night aboard the Transiberian Golden Eagle Express.

Day 8: Baikal Lake

Today is a very special day, in which we will marvel at the Great Sacred Lake, the majestic Lake Baikal. The lake contains the largest freshwater reserve on the planet, with 20% of the total. It has more than 40 km wide and more than 650 km long, with a depth of 1620 meters that make it the deepest lake in the world. It is known as the "Pearl of Siberia" because of it houses its own ecosystem, with up to 50 different species of fish, some endemic such as the "omul", that will be served for dinner. The mountain ranges covered with forest that surround it and the deep blue of its waters, will leave us an indelible image in our memory. Throughout the morning, our “Golden Eagle Express” train will run at very low speed along the Baikal circular tracks between Sludyanka and Port Baikal, which for many years, have only been travelled by a dozen special or local trains. The construction of this road had great difficulty. 39 tunnels were built with a total case 9000 m long over a relatively small distance (100 km). A photographic stop will be organized near a small village, where we can stretch our legs, soak our feet in the very cool waters of Lake Baikal and visit the typical wooden houses. Lunch: barbecue or picnic on the lake. Later, we will go to the village of Listvianka, where we will visit the Limnological Museum. The train will return to Sludyanka to restart the main trans-Siberian line towards Ulan-Ude. Dinner and night aboard the Golden Eagle Express Trans-Siberian.

Day 9: Irkutsk - Ulan-Ude

Early in the morning we will arrive at Ulan-Ude, a city "closed" to foreigners during the USSR, it is the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Buryata. The buryatos are a Mongol ethnic minority. Ulán-Udé shows an interesting cultural mix and is a meeting point between east and west. Visit of the village of “former believers”, where we will have time to learn things about their history and their culture while entertaining us with a folkloric representation. Enjoy their customs, music and dances. Our Trans Siberian Golden Eagle Express train will leave the traditional Trans-Siberian tracks and will roll along the Transmongolian tracks on its way to Ulaanbaatar. Arrival at the Russian border station of Nauschki and then the Mongolian station of Suche Baatar. All customs formalities will take place on board the train. You can stay in your cabin, without getting off the train. Admire the landscape that opens in our path, and occasionally nomads, horse riders, yurts, etc. Night aboard the Transiberian Golden Eagle Express.

Day 10: Mongolia

Our trans-Siberian adventure takes us into Mongolia, the land of Genghis Khan, without doubt the most feared and revered Mongolian in history. Arrival to Ulaanbaatar, for a 3 night stay. Visit the Gandan Monastery, one of the most important monasteries in Mongolia with a community of more than 500 monks. Free time.

Day 11: Ulaanbaatar – Naadam Festival

On the first day of the Naadam Festival, we will observe the elaborate opening ceremony, which consists of local dancers, athletes, riders and musicians, before traveling outside of Ulaanbaatar to see the national horse race. The competitors in the riding events are all children between five and twelve years old, many of whom have been in the riding saddle since the age of one year. As they run along the plains for 20 kilometers, thousands of spectators, line up the remote track to see up to 1,000 horses with children sitting confidently astride their small but sturdy Mongolian steed. It is claimed that such equestrian skills, gave Genghis Khan an empire that extended from the Sea of Japan to Europe. At night ,we will enjoy a performance of the traditional "throat cante" and contortionists. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 12: Ulaanbaatar – Naadam Festival

This is a unique opportunity to be among the few non-Mongolians, to experience the spectacular, but little known, Naadam Festival and enjoy the exciting atmosphere of this National Day. Formerly it was a religious ceremony but now, the festival formally commemorates the 1921 revolution when Mongolia declared itself as a free country. In recent times, women have been allowed to enter and now compete in two of the three events, horse racing and archery. Today, is the day of all major competitions and we will attend archery, fight and ankle shooting events.

Due to the popularity of the period around the Naadam Festival, we booked accommodation for our guests at several of the best hotels in Ulaanbaatar, including Kempinski and Ramada. Please, keep in mind that we cannot guarantee your preferred hotel choi ce.

Day 13: Ulaanbaatar - Madrid/Barcelona

After breakfast the transfer to the airport will take place. Flight, via Moscow, to the city of origin. Arrival and end of our services.


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Departures and rates

Departure dates 2020

Moscow - Ulaanbaatar (13 days): UE1 July 1
Ulaanbaatar - Moscow (14 days): UE1 July 9

Rates per person season 2020

Category Price per person in euros
Silver Classic (double accommodation) 15.800 €
Individual supplement 7.100 €
Gold Confort (double accommodation) 19.300 €
Individual supplement 8.400 €
Imperial Suite (double accommodation) 31.400 €

Note: The passenger in "Single Share" will share a cabin on the train with another passenger of the same gender, but will stay in a single room in the hotels. (Ask for budget). Prices shown are per person in double accommodation. In all cases, prices must be confirmed when making the reservation, as they may suffer some variation. We recommend hiring assistance and cancellation insurance. Limited places.

Included

The Price includes:

Services included:

Not included services:

Visas and procedures:

Notes and conditions

Hiring conditions:

A (non-refundable) payment of EUR 1250 is required upon reservation for the Silver Classic option, EUR 2000 for Golden Comfort and EUR 4000 for the Imperial Suite. Minimum total payment 8 weeks before departure.

Cancellation conditions:

180-92 days before the journey 25%
91-42 days before the journey 50%
41-00 days before the journey 100%

Planned hotels:

Moscow: FOUR SEASONS
Ulaanbaatar: KEMPINSKI or RAMADA

Reservations

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(0034) 913 095 131
(0034) 917 131 822
(0034) 624 225 152

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From Monday to Friday 09:30h - 14:00h / 16:30h - 20:00h

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