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Trans-Siberian Winter Tours

To the surprise of some, the winter months from December to February can be some of the best in which to make a Trans-Siberian rail trip. Much of Russia looks at its best under a beautiful blanket of snow and as the winters are so long the culture and activities available are well established and designed to make the best of this season.
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"The trip was excellent. Loved it, everything was seamless."
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SOPHIA HUNT

"We would certainly use you again and recommend you to friends."
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GARY HEWITT

"What a fantastic – overwhelming – time we have had!"
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JONATHAN HOLUBEKI-FRANCE

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WINTER TOURS FAQs

HOW COLD IS THE TRANS-SIBERIAN IN WINTER?

It may come as a surprise but probably not as cold as you think! Firstly, anywhere indoors is extremely well heated in Russia, Mongolia and China. Secondly, the cold is a very dry cold and so providing you wear the right clothing in layers and keep the wind out you'll find you can keep warm even for extended periods outside.

what are the advantages of travelling in winter?

Firstly, the whole route looks extremely beautiful covered in snow. Also, winter travel will also get you closer to the Russians themselves as there are far fewer tourists and a certain appreciation that you are choosing to visit at this time. Lastly, certain bragging rights come with having crossed Siberia in winter!

HOW DO WE GET STARTED ORGANISING a winter tour?

Have a look through the winter tours we list below. These are designed to cover the best options for both Eastbound and Westbound trips as well as some great full circle tours from Beijing back to Beijing. Then, the best thing to do is contact us by phone on +44 020 8816 8925, email or the form below so we can start planning your Trans-Siberian winter tour.

PUBLIC TRAIN TOURS

OUR EXCLUSIVE TOURS USING THE PUBLIC TRAINS IN RUSSIA, CHINA & MONGOLIA 

FEATURED TOURS

we start with Our favourite two winter trips using the public trains

WINTER CLASSIC EASTBOUND

Trip CODE TS-W-M-08

18 nights / 19 days 

From UK £ 3,260 / US$ 4,570 pp

TRANS-MONGOLIAN ROUTE VISITING

MOSCOW ● EKATERINBURG ● IRKUTSK & LAKE BAIKAL ● ULAANBAATAR ● BEIJING

TOUR popularity

★★★★★

COUNTRIES VISITED

🇷🇺 🇲🇳 🇨🇳

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WINTER EXPLORER WESTBOUND

Trip CODE TS-W-B-03

16 nights / 17 days 

From UK £ 2,995 / US$ 4,195 pp

TRANS-MANCHURIAN ROUTE VISITING

BEIJING ● HARBIN ● IRKUTSK & LAKE BAIKAL ● EKATERINBURG ● MOSCOW

TOUR popularity

★★★★★

COUNTRIES VISITED

🇨🇳 🇷🇺

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SIBERIAN EXPRESS EASTBOUND

Trip CODE TS-W-M-09

15 nights / 16 days 

From UK £ 2,195 / US$ 3,080 pp

TRANS-SIBERIAN ROUTE VISITING

MOSCOW ● EKATERINBURG ● IRKUTSK & LAKE BAIKAL ● VLADIVOSTOK

TOUR popularity

★★★★★

COUNTRIES VISITED

🇷🇺

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SIBERIAN EXPRESS WESTBOUND

Trip CODE TS-W-V-01

14 nights / 15 days 

From UK £ 2,260 / US$ 3,170 pp

TRANS-SIBERIAN ROUTE VISITING

VLADIVOSTOK ● IRKUTSK & LAKE BAIKAL ● EKATERINBURG ● MOSCOW

TOUR popularity

★★★★★

COUNTRIES VISITED

🇷🇺

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EASTBOUND TOURS

additional winter tours heading eastbound from moscow USING PUBLIC TRAINS

WINTER EXPLORER EASTBOUND

Trip CODE TS-W-M-06

16 nights / 17 days 

From UK £ 3,150 / US$ 4,410 pp

TRANS-MANCHURIAN ROUTE VISITING

MOSCOW ● EKATERINBURG ● IRKUTSK & LAKE BAIKAL ● HARBIN ● BEIJING

TOUR popularity

★★★★☆

COUNTRIES VISITED

🇷🇺 🇨🇳

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WINTER HIGHLIGHTS EASTBOUND

Trip CODE TS-W-M-07

16 nights / 17 days 

From UK £ 2,710 / US$ 3,800 pp

TRANS-MONGOLIAN ROUTE VISITING

MOSCOW ● IRKUTSK & LAKE BAIKAL ● ULAANBAATAR ● BEIJING

TOUR popularity

★★★★☆

COUNTRIES VISITED

🇷🇺 🇲🇳 🇨🇳

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WESTBOUND TOURS

additional winter tours heading WESTbound from beijing USING PUBLIC TRAINS

WINTER HIGHLIGHTS WESTBOUND

Trip CODE TS-W-B-04

15 nights / 16 days 

From UK £ 2,745 / US$ 3,850 pp

TRANS-MONGOLIAN ROUTE VISITING

BEIJING ● ULAANBAATAR ● IRKUTSK & LAKE BAIKAL ● MOSCOW

TOUR popularity

★★★★☆

COUNTRIES VISITED

🇨🇳 🇲🇳 🇷🇺

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WINTER EXPLORER WESTBOUND

Trip CODE TS-W-B-05

17 nights / 18 days 

From UK £ 3,175 / US$ 4,445 pp

TRANS-MONGOLIAN ROUTE VISITING

BEIJING ● ULAANBAATAR ● IRKUTSK & LAKE BAIKAL ● EKATERINBURG ● MOSCOW

TOUR popularity

★★★★☆

COUNTRIES VISITED

🇨🇳 🇲🇳 🇷🇺

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CIRCULAR TOURS

winter tours with a circular route that startS & finishES in beijing USING PUBLIC TRAINS

WINTER CIRCLE & HARBIN

Trip CODE TS-W-B-01

14 nights / 15 days 

From UK £ 2,800 / US$ 3,920 pp

TRANS-MONGOLIAN / MANCHURIAN ROUTE VISITING

BEIJING ● HARBIN ● IRKUTSK ● ULAANBAATAR ● BEIJING

TOUR popularity

★★★★☆

COUNTRIES VISITED

🇨🇳 🇲🇳 🇷🇺

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WINTER CIRCLE EXPLORED

Trip CODE TS-W-B-02

12 nights / 13 days 

From UK £ 2,365 / US$ 3,315 pp

TRANS-MONGOLIAN / MANCHURIAN ROUTE VISITING

BEIJING ● IRKUTSK & LAKE BAIKAL ● ULAANBAATAR ● BEIJING

TOUR popularity

★★★☆☆

COUNTRIES VISITED

🇨🇳 🇲🇳 🇷🇺

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ALL OUR TOURS INCLUDE

TRANSPORT

All trains are included in either second or first class. International flights are not but we can book separately

ACCOMMODATION

All overnight accommodation is included and we pay particular attention to where we book.

TRANSFERS

Private transfers are included at each destination listed so you won't have to find your own way to hotels.

TOURS

All tours are included as describe din the itinerary and, unless specified, are private tours and include entrance fees.

OUR EXCLUSIVE TRIP GUIDEBOOK

These trips include* our exclusive 200+ page guidebook personalised to your trip and allowing you to be fully prepared for your trip of a lifetime - an invaluable resource!
*Tsars Gold, Golden Eagle & Imperial Russia have their own documents
trip-guidebook

PLEASE COMPLETE THE FORM BELOW

"We had an amazing trip. The trains were so fun and hotels so central."
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ANDY SHARP

"You are doing an “ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS” service!!!
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VELVET PHAM

"It was a nice experience to deal with “The Trans Siberian Travel Company.”
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FAIZUL HAQUE

THE TOP WINTER TRANS-SIBERIAN TOUR DESTINATIONS

OUR PICK OF WHERE TO GO IN WINTER

The Trans-Siberian offers up some superb winter experiences with the highlights found in the main destinations below. The train travel itself is also very special in the winter months with nothing more cosy than sitting in your warm cabin watching the frozen winter landscape of Siberia pass by!
winter_ekaterinburg_dogsledging

Ekaterinburg's Winter Activities

This stopover offers a wide range of winter activities from ice fishing to dog sledging making it an excellent winter stop. Our favourite is the sledging which makes for an unforgettable day with these extraordinarily tough and beautiful dogs. Ekaterinburg itself has a small ice festival and the forests outside are a delight to walk through. There is also the option of skiing in the Ural mountains which is sure to stop anyone waxing lyrical about their trip to the Alps!
winter_lake_baikal_frozen

Irkutsk & Frozen Lake Baikal

By January Lake Baikal has frozen over and venturing out on to the ice is a wonderful experience. The ice is exceptionally clear and don’t worry about its thickness as temporary roads are made across the lake. In fact, the Trans-Siberian originally ran across the lake in winter. It is possible to mountain bike on the frozen lake and there are also opportunities to snow mobile and go dog sledging. Irkutsk and Baikal can be fitted into any Trans-Siberian tour.
winter_mongolia_steppe_gers

Mongolia Frozen in Time

Perhaps the most magical winter experience we have had is a night in a Mongolian ger out on the frozen steppe. The traditional accommodation of the nomads are well designed for winter with insulation so good it is not unheard of to have to open the door to cool them down! For the truly fearless of the cold there is also the Lake Khuvsgul Ice festival held in late February. At least 1 night in a ger is an essential Trans-Mongolian experience.
winter_harbin_ice_festival

Harbin & the Ice Festival

The Chinese in Harbin take the concept of ice festivals to a whole new and vast dimension. The Harbin Snow and Ice Festival runs each year from early January to mid-February and we think this is one of China’s most spectacular yet largely unsung events. Each year has a theme and near life size replicas of Russian cathedrals, Chinese temples and a whole host of iconic world sights are built and lit up. Harbin is conveniently along the Trans-Manchurian line.

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