THE MOST POPULAR STOP OFFS ALONG THE TRANS-SIBERIAN
?? BEIJING
CHINA'S CAPITAL & TOP ATTRACTION
Beijing stands at the start or end of any Trans Mongolian trip and is one of the route’s main highlights. A world away from Moscow, Beijing is home to world class sights such as the Great Wall, Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square as well as a host of other temples, palaces and hidden treats such as the traditional Hutongs.
MORE ABOUT BEIJING?? ULAANBAATAR
Gateway to Mongolia's Steppe
The capital, Ulaanbaatar, is home to around a third of the population of Mongolia. It has experienced somewhat of a financial boom over the past decade mainly due to the mining industry. What was once a quiet old Soviet influenced relic has become a thriving city complete with traffic jams & skyscrapers but the countryside is a pristine as ever.
MORE ABOUT ULAANBAATAR?? IRKUTSK & BAIKAL
QUINTESSENTIAL SIBERIAN STOP
One of the most popular stops on the Trans-Siberian route, Irkutsk is the cultural capital of Siberia and the best place to exit the train to see the breathtaking Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest freshwater lake. It is not only deep but incredibly clear making it a perfect spot for diving as well as being a great place to hike and experience Siberian life.
MORE ABOUT IRKUTSK & BAIKAL?? EKATERINBURG
History & the Euro-Asia Border
Ekaterinburg is found near the border of Europe and Asia in the mineral rich Ural mountains. The city itself is much closer to the real Russia than Moscow and St. Petersburg. A short trip out of the city is the site were the Romanov’s rule of Russia came to an abrupt end at the hand of the Bolsheviks as well as the dividing point of the two continents of Asia and Europe.
MORE ABOUT EKATERINBURG?? MOSCOW
RUSSIA's VAST ICONIC CAPITAL
At the start of the Trans Siberian is Moscow, the capital of Russia and a certain stop on most people’s Trans-Siberian journey. Red Square and St. Basil’s are two of the numerous sights to be seen over this vast city of more than 12 million. There is so much more to see than that though with over 800 years history and its extraordinary metro system.
MORE ABOUT MOSCOW?? ST PETERSBURG
Northern Cultural Gem
Arguably one of the world’s most beautiful cities, St. Petersburg is the cultural centre of Russia. The architecturally magnificent St. Petersburg more than earns its nickname of the “Venice of the North”. With world famous museums such as the Hermitage and palaces within easy reach, St. Petersburg is well worth a visit despite not being on the Trans-Siberian.
MORE ABOUT ST PETERSBURGLESS VISITED YET HIGHLY WORTHWHILE DESTINATIONS
?? ULAN UDE
Russian & Mongolian CulturE
Ulan Ude is capital of the Republic of Buryatia and has long been an important trading post between Russia, Mongolia and China as well as having the world’s largest Lenin head! The best sights here are out of the city including the wonderful Buddhist monastery, Ivolginsky Datsan. Few stop here but those who do enjoy friendly people and Buryat culture.
MORE ABOUT ULAN UDE?? VLADIVOSTOK
End of the Trans-Siberian Line
Vladivostok lies at the far East of the true Trans-Siberian line. It is further East than Beijing and is the home base of the Russian Pacific Fleet, the reason that the city stayed closed to foreigners for longer than other Russian cities. It has been renovated in recent years, restoring the ornate boulevards to their former glory and giving the city a feeling of prosperity.
MORE ABOUT VLADIVOSTOK?? KAZAN
Culturally Diverse Tatarstan
The wealthy city of Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan and a place that manages to blend Muslim and Christian culture successfully, so much so that it has both Russian Orthodox Cathedrals and a Mosque in its Kremlin. Kazan itself is an attractive city and despite being referred to as the “Third Capital of Russia” it is commonly overlooked.
MORE ABOUT KAZAN?? KRASNOYARSK
Classic Siberian City
Home to the stunning Stolby Nature Reserve, Krasnoyarsk is found between Ekaterinburg and Irkutsk. It is one of the more beautiful settings on the Trans-Siberian route but it is famous in Russia for more than the scenery of Stolby and is the starting point for both the BAM trips as well as river trips up the Yenisey River towards the Arctic.
MORE ABOUT KRASNOYARSK?? HARBIN
Ice Festival Extravaganza
Harbin is deep in the heart of Manchuria. It is one of the main stops in China on the Trans-Manchurian. The city itself has plenty of Russian influence, noticeably in its architecture around the downtown area. Despite this it isn’t a common stop, except for 6 weeks a year in deep winter when the city comes alive with the jaw dropping spectacular that is the Ice and Snow Festival.
MORE ABOUT HARBINBEYOND THE TRANS-SIBERIAN & IN TO CHINA
?? XIAN
Northern Cultural Gem
Once thought to be the greatest city on Earth Xian, was a city of art, culture, emperors and the capital of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. It was the beginning of the fabled Silk Road, the original great trade route of the world, something that still can seen in the city’s Muslim Quarter. Today it is the guardians of the first Emperor that draws crowds – The Terra Cotta Army.
MORE ABOUT XIAN?? LHASA & TIBET
Northern Cultural Gem
Tibet lies to the west of China and can be a trip in itself but also complements the Trans Mongolian route with Mongolia and Tibet sharing many traditions. This vast land covers nearly 13% of China but only has 0.2% of it’s population. The capital of Lhasa is certainly a must see city and for the more adventurous there is the overland journey to Kathmandu via Everest.
MORE ABOUT LHASA?? SHANGHAI
Northern Cultural Gem
Nowhere in China can the breakneck speed of change be more easily noticed than in it’s financial capital of Shanghai. The skyscrapers of Pudong line up along one side of the Huangpu River making it easy to forget that these were rice paddies 30 years ago. On the other side of the river is the Bund, a reminder of Shanghai’s not too distant colonial past.
MORE ABOUT SHANGHAI?? HONG KONG
Northern Cultural Gem
Despite returning to Chinese control in 1997, Hong Kong remains significantly different to the rest of the mainland and still attracts tourists who come for the fine dining, shopping and vibrant nightlife as well as to see Hong Kong’s incredible skyscraper strewn skyline and dramatic location. A great place to end (or begin) any trip to China.
MORE ABOUT HONG KONG?? CHENGDU
Northern Cultural Gem
Chengdu is one of Western China’s most important cities and is the capital of Sichuan province, known worldwide for its spicy cuisine. It is, however, that icon of China, the Giant Panda that keeps people coming here. The Panda Research and Breeding Centre is the best place in the world to observe and learn about this ever popular endangered species.
MORE ABOUT CHENGDU?? YANGSHUO
Northern Cultural Gem
Due to it’s semi-tropical location in the South of China, Yangshuo has year round good weather, although it is clearest in the Spring and Autumn. This former fishing village, a short distance from the provincial capital of Guilin, is a popular stop due to its beautiful location on the Li River, surrounded by distinctive karst mountain scenery.
MORE ABOUT YANGSHUO?? A-Z OF ALL RUSSIA DESTINATIONS WE OFFER
Russia is vast with 7 time zones and two continents worth of land area. Luckily most of the main sights are located along or close to the Trans-Siberian railway route and our Trans-Siberian tours and holidays can cover and visit all the main destinations listed below. Of course, there are other, less visited destinations and if you wish to visit any of those please do not hesitate to ask us about the possibilities of incorporating them into your itinerary.
Bratsk
A stop on the Baikal Amur Mainline Bratsk exists for the BAM railway and the huge hydro electric dam with the sprawling city a lesson in Soviet planning.
Ekaterinburg
Ekaterinburg - Trans-Siberian destination - Russia - Romanov Death Site, Shirokorechenskoye Kladbishche Cemetery, Church Upon the Blood, Europe Asia Border and more.
Golden Ring
Visit the historic and beautiful cities of Russia's Golden Ring including Vladimir, Suzdal, Kostromo, Yaroslav, Ivanovo, Sergiev Posad and Rostov.
Irkutsk
Irkutsk - Trans-Siberian destination - Russia - Wooden Architecture, Ascension Church, Epiphany Cathedral, Saviour Church, Sukachev Art Museum, Lake Baikal.
Kazan
Kazan - Trans-Siberian destination - Russia - Kul Sharif Mosque, Annunciation Cathedral, State Hermitage Museum in Kazan, State Museum of the Tartar State, Kazan's Arbat.
Khabarovsk
Khabarovsk is a prosperous and little visited city in Russia's Far east region and is located along the banks of the Amur river and close to China.
Komsomolsk On Amur
Komsomolsk On Amur is a large city on the banks of the mighty Amur river and on the remote and beautiful Baikal Amur Mainline BAM railway.
Krasnoyarsk
Krasnoyarsk is located between Irkutsk and Ekaterinburg on the banks of the Yenisy River. The Stolby Nature Reserve just outside of the city is the chief attraction.
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal - Trans-Siberian destination - Russia - Visit Bolshoe Goloustnoe, Listvyanka, Olkhon Island, Trekking, Winter Sports, Diving and more.
Moscow
Moscow - Trans-Siberian destination - Russia - Red Square, St Basils Cathedral, Lenin's Mausoleum, The Kremlin, Arbat Street, Bolshoi Theatre and more.
Murmansk
Murmansk - Trans-Siberian destination - Russia - The Alyosha Statue, Nuclear Ice Breaker Lenin, Regional History Museum, Northern Navy Museum and more.
Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk is Siberia's largest city well known for it's live music, nightclubs, opera and ballet as well as a Railway Museum and scientific city.
Olkhon Island
Explore stunning Olkhon, Lake Baikal's largest island and a beautiful area to appreciate this jewel of Siberia from. Trips in summer and winter.
Perm
Perm is visited for the varied sights of the Kungur Ice Cave and the Perm 36 Gulag making this a fascinating yet overlooked destination.
Severobaikalsk
Severobaikalsk is at the Northern end of Lake Baikal and is a wilder and more dramatically beautiful area than the more commonly visited South of Baikal.
St Petersburg
St Petersburg - Trans-Siberian destination - Russia - Splendours of the The Hermitage Museum, Peter & Paul Fortress, Pushkin Palace and so much more.
Suzdal
Suzdal - Trans-Siberian destination - Timeless Russia including Monastery of the Depositio, Saviour Monastery of St Euthymius, Alexandrovsky Convent and more.
Tobolsk
Tobolsk - Trans-Siberian destination - Russia - Fine Art Museum, Bell Tower, Museum of the Spiritual Cultures of Western Siberia, Archangel Mikhail Church.
Tomsk
Tomsk - Trans-Siberian destination - A remote yet cosmopolitan city due to the large student population, well preserved wooden architecture and real Siberia!
Tuva
The Republic of Tuva blends Russian and Mongolian culture amongst beautiful and wild landscapes making a trip here a real adventure.
Tynda
Tynda owes its existence to the BAM railway with this relatively new 1970s city build to straddle the BAM as well as the north South line from Yakutsk.
Ulan Ude
Ulan Ude - Trans-Siberian destination - Russia - Lenin head, Merchant Houses, Lenin Street, Ivolginsky Datsan, Ethnographic Museum, Fine Art Museum.
Veliky Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod - Trans-Siberian destination - Russia - The Kremlin, Monument of the Millennium of Russia, St Sophia Cathedral, Yaroslav's Court, Fine Arts Museum.
Vladimir
Vladimir - Trans-Siberian destination - Russia - Cathedral of the Assumption, St Demetrius, Golden Gate, Church of our Lady of the Rosary and more.
Vladivostok
Vladivostok - Trans-Siberian destination - Russia - Ploschad Bortsov Revolutsy, The Harbour, Train Station, Vladivostok Fortress, C-56 Submarine and more.
Volgograd
Volograd, formerly Stalingrad, is famous for its second world war history although the city is attractive in its own right situated on the banks of the Volga river.
?? A-Z OF ALL MONGOLIA DESTINATIONS WE OFFER
A journey through Mongolia is as much about the travel itself as about reaching the final destination. Some of the best moments are out on the Steppe, stopping at the gers of nomads or just taking in the stunning views and scenery. This section concentrates on some of the more popular areas of the country that are part of the itineraries we offer yet with less than 3 million people occupying an area larger than Alaska it is that rare feeling of the wide open spaces that are perhaps Mongolia’s real attraction.
Karakorum
Karakorum - Trans-Siberian destination - Mongolia - Monastery of Erdene Zuu, Tumen Amgalan, Stone Turtles, Phallic Rock, Great Imperial Map Monument.
Khentii
Khentii Province - Trans-Siberian destination - Mongolia - Chinggis Khan, lush grasslands, Russian forests, Dadal, nomadic way of life, wildlife.
Lake Khuvsgul
Lake Khuvsgul - Trans-Siberian destination - Mongolia - Ger camps, Hike the forests, reindeer herders, fish, winter ice festival.
Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar - Trans-Siberian destination - Mongolia - Gandan Monastery, Sukhbaatar Square, Naadam Festival, Bogd Khan Museum, Zaisan Memorial and more.
East Gobi
The East Gobi Desert is a Trans-Mongolian destination easily accessible from Sainshand, just inside Mongolia. It is more rugged and less visited than the South Gobi.
South Gobi
The South Gobi Desert is usually taken as a week long trip from Ulaanbaatar with most flying in to see the huge dunes and stunning scenery.
Terelj
Terelj National Park is about 1 hours drive from Ulaanbaatar and the most popular place to experience the Mongolian steppe and some fine scenery.
Genghis Statue
The Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue is a 40 meter high monument to the great Khan that has him overlooking the glorious Mongolian steppe.
Hustai
Hustai National Park is famous for the wild Pzrewalski horses that are native to here and have been re-introduced and protected in the park since 2003.
?? A-Z OF ALL CHINA DESTINATIONS WE OFFER
With the majority of Trans-Siberian tours either starting or finishing in China there is a unique opportunity to extend your travels to see some of the highlights of the Middle Kingdom. Extending trips by just a few days can allow visits to both Xian and Shanghai in addition to Beijing. However, there is much more of China to see and if you have more time Chengdu, Guilin and perhaps the Yangtze River and Lhasa in Tibet are all well worth the time.
Beijing
Beijing - Trans-Siberian destination - China - Forbidden City, Great Wall, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, arguably one of China's most beautiful buildings.
Chengdu
Chengdu - Trans-Siberian destination - China - Du Fu's cottage, Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, Green Ram Temple, Wenshu temple, Jin Li Street.
Guilin & Yangshuo
Guilin and Yangshuo - Trans-Siberian destination - China - Li River cruises, Reed Flute Cave, bamboo rafting, Yangshuo Liu SanJie Impressions light show.
Hangzhou
Hangzhou Destination Guide - West Lake, Lingyin Temple, Leifeng Pagoda, Gu Hill, Baopu Taoist Compound.
Harbin
Harbin - Trans-Siberian destination - China - Ice Lantern Festival, Church of St Sophia, Daoliqu and Zhongyang Dajie areas, Stalin Park, Siberian Tiger Park.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong - Trans-Siberian destination - China - Centrals famous skyline, The Peak, Disney Land, Lan Kwai Fong, Cheung Chao, Lamma and Lantau for hiking.
Huangshan
Huangshan Destination Guide - Huangshan: Highlights include Beginning to Believe Peak, North West Canyon and the breathtaking sunrise.
Pingyao
Pingyao Destination Guide - City Walls by bike, old courtyard banking homes, temples, Pingyao International Photography Festival.
Shanghai
Shanghai - Trans-Siberian destination - China - The Bund, Pudong, French Concession, Yuyuan Gardens, Suzhou and Zhouzhuang, nightlife of Xintiandi and Tianzi Fang.
Xian
Xian - Trans-Siberian destination - China - Terra Cotta Army, HanYangling Mausoleum, City Walls, Drum and Bell Towers, the Muslim Quarter, Big Goose Pagoda.
Yangtze River
Yangtze River - Trans-Siberian destination - China - Chongqing, Fengdu Ghost City, Shennong Stream, The Three Gorges Dam, Luxury river cruises.
Kathmandu
Kathmandu Destination Guide - Capital of Nepal with sights such as Durbar Square, Thamel and the Swapna Bagaicha.
Tibet
Tibet - Trans-Siberian destination - China - Potala Palace, Barkhor Square, Jokhang Temple, Gyantse, Tashilhunpo Monastery, Shigatse, Everest Base Camp.
CONTINUE TO EXPLORE THIS SECTION FROM THE OPTIONS BELOW
Planning Route Options
Map of the Trans-Siberian railway showing the major stops and popular places to visit as well as the Trans-Mongolian and Trans-Manchurian routes.
Planning Where To Stop
The Trans-Siberian Travel Company's selection of the best places to visit in Russia, Mongolia and China for your trip of a lifetime.
Planning When To Go
The best months of the year to take a Trans-Siberian rail tour - and when not to! Do you prefer the idea of a summer trip, a winter trip or fall colours of autumn?
Planning The Trains
A guide to the main trains used in our The Trans-Siberian Travel Company's tours, differences between first and second train classes and life on board.
Planning Experiences
The staff of The Trans-Siberian Travel Company came up with this list of the best experiences on offer though Russia, Mongolia and China.
Planning Accommodation
From modern to soviet hotels, Mongolian Gers, Siberian Home Stays to traditional style Chinese courtyards, the right hotel selection can make your trip!
Planning Money To Take
What currency to take on a Trans-Siberian tour - Russian Roubles? Mongolian Tugrik? Chinese Yuan RMB? US Dollars? Euros? Find the answers here.
Planning Visa Requirements
Most nationalities will need a visa for their Trans-Siberian trip - find out more information about Russian, Mongolian and Chinese visas here.
Planning Vaccinations
Vaccination and inoculations needed or recommended for a Trans-Siberian trip visiting Russia, Mongolia and China. Updated for Covid-19.
Planning FAQs
Our guide to the most frequently asked questions when planning your rail tour and holiday along the Trans-Siberian routes.
Planning Top Tips
Top Tips for a Trans-Siberian railway adventure based on experiences both good and bad from the trips we have done with specific lists for Mongolia and China.
Planning Reading List
The Trans-Siberian Travel Company's suggestions for a good read as you travel along the greatest railway in the world including reading lists for China, Russia and Mongolia.
