I have travelled Trans-Siberia a few times before but I had not spent much time in Mongolia. Reading about the annual Naadam Festival I decided to focus my time in Mongolia, see the festival and visit Lake Bakal.
My tour was custom made by The Russian Experience and I thank them generously for arranging the tour for me and giving me the opportunity to do this photographic assignment for their brochure and website.
| Day 1 - Sunday 3rd July |
Heathrow (0635) to Amsterdam (0900) on flight KL1000, then (1005) on KL903 to Moscow Sheremetyevo (1520). Transfer to Hotel Zarya (BB), Gostinichnaya 4/9, 127106 Moscow. |
| Day 2 - Monday 4th July |
Buddy tour of Kremlin. Sightseeing around Moscow. |
| Day 3 - Tuesday 5th July |
Sightseeing around Moscow. Transfer to airport. Flight SU749 from Moscow Sheremetyevo (1845) to Irkutsk. Cheating a little, but time was tight and I had already travelled this a few times. |
| Day 4 - Wednesday 6th July |
Arrive Irkutsk (0510) on SU749. Refresh in Hotel Angara, 7 Sukhe-Bator Street. Visit Irkutsk. Train TR364I from Irkutsk (2019) to Ulan-Uday. |
| Day 5 - Thursday 7th July |
Arrive Ulan-Uday (0625) on train TR364I. Transfer to a family stay in Ulan-Ude. Accommodation in a separate room in a modern apartment. Breakfast. Guided trip to Atsagatski Datsan. Lunch in the Buryats family. Walking around the village. Return back to Ulan-Ude. Dinner. Overnight. |
| Day 6 - Friday 8th July |
Breakfast. Guided trip to the Ivolginski Datsan. Lunch. Walking city tour. Visit to the Center of Eastern Medicine. Dinner. Overnight. |
| Day 7 - Saturday 9th July |
Breakfast. Transfer to station. Train TR264UL from Ulan-Uday (0655) to Ulaan Baatar. 24 hours on train. |
| Day 8 - Sunday 10th July |
Arrive Ulaan Baatar (0620) on train TR264UL. City Tour. Stay in Bayangol Hotel, 5 Chinggis Khaan Avenue, Ulaanbaatar 43. |
| Day 9 - Monday 11th July |
Car and a guide back to Ulan-Bator for Naadam Festival (Opening Ceremony, wrestling or archery, anklebone, transfer to seeing horseriding). |
| Day 10 - Tuesday 12th July |
By jeep to Bayangobi. Stay with nomad family. |
| Day 11 - Wednesday 13th July |
Day trip to Karakorum. Visit Erdene monastery, ruins of Karakorum city. Stay with nomad family. |
| Day 12 - Thursday 14th July |
Travel to Elstei camp. Overnight at ger camp. |
| Day 13 - Friday 15th July |
Transfer to Ulaan Baatar. Leave on train TR34 (2010) to Huhehot. |
| Day 14 - Saturday 16th July |
Arrive Huhehot (2250) on train TR34. Stay in Pearl Inner Mongolia Hotel, 2 Xincheng North Street, Hohhot 010010, China. |
| Day 15 - Sunday 17th July |
City tour. |
| Day 16 - Monday 18th July |
Transfer to station. Leave Huhehot (2112) on train TRK90 to Beijing. |
| Day 17 - Tuesday 19th July |
Arrive Beijing (0722) on train TRK90. Stay in Hotel Cuiming Zhuang, Nan He Yan 1, Beijing 100006, China. City tour. |
| Day 18 - Wednesday 20th July |
Transfer to Beijing Capital Airport. Flight KL898 from Beijing (1035) to Amsterdam (1440). Then LK1021 from Amsterdam (1605) to London (1620) |