The Trans-Siberian Expedition | Moscow

Region	Moscow, Russia
Duration	26 D
Grade	Hard
Altitude	----
Kms	11200
Month	May - Aug

 

Itinerary:

 

Day 1 & 2: Arriving in Moscow

Moscow sightseeing. Walking sight-seeing tour around Moscow: Kremlin, Red Square, GUM, subway and photoshoot with Stepan the real bear.

 

Day 3: Moscow—Nizhny Novgorod, 570 km

In the morning we will ride to the Red Square to take photos as the beginning of our tour. Then we will reach Suzdal (one of the most beautiful cities of the Golden Ring). 

There will be some free time for walking and lunch. After that we will have a section of a dirt road about 10km. In the evening we will reach Nizhny Novgorod — a vibrant historical city where we will spend some time walking along the Volga River embankment and visit Novgorod Kremlin.

 

Day 3: Moscow—Nizhny Novgorod, 570 km

In the morning we will ride to the Red Square to take photos as the beginning of our tour. Then we will reach Suzdal (one of the most beautiful cities of the Golden Ring). 

There will be some free time for walking and lunch. After that we will have a section of a dirt road about 10km. In the evening we will reach Nizhny Novgorod — a vibrant historical city where we will spend some time walking along the Volga River embankment and visit Novgorod Kremlin.

        

Day 4: Nizhny Novgorod—Kazan, 480 km

From Nizhny Novgorod we will ride through the Northern border of the Kerzhenskiy State Nature Reserve. 

Magnificent places and birches are going to get replaced by coniferous trees. Then we'll cross the Volga River by ferry to Kozmodemyansk where we will visit special open-air Ethno-Museum. 

Our next destination is Kazan — a cozy & modern city with a very beautiful Kremlin (Russia's second largest Kremlin after Moscow) and a legendary Mosque. In the evening we will have a delicious dinner with Russian & Tatar cuisine.

        

Day 5: Kazan—Izvhevsk, 380 km

With a good secondary road and a small off road segment (~20km) we will reach Izvhevsk on this day. It is a place where famous AK-47s (Kalashnikov rifle) are being produced. 

We will visit an Armory Museum and shooting range where you will try AK-47s in action. We are staying in the wooden house style hotel where you will try delicious regional food and relax in sauna!

      

Day 6: Izvhevsk—Kungur, 360 km

This day we are meeting the Ural Mountains. 

We will ride along the beautiful secondary roads, taking a rest and a lunch on the bank of a reservoir, visiting a train's cemetery and going back to the childhood (having an opportunity to discover those trains and take photos with those iron monsters). 

Next is Kungur. Right after arriving we will visit Kungur Ice Cave — a legendary geological karst discovered by Peter the Great.

      

Day 7: Kungur—Ekaterinburg, 420 km

In the morning we are visiting cute Plakun waterfall while driving through the earth road (~20km) where you will enjoy a swim in the river. 

Next stop is Yekaterinburg. This day we are going to cross the border between Europe and Asia and will take photos near the monument "Europe-Asia". After what we will enjoy landscapes of Yekaterinburg from the height of 186 meters and take a walk in the historic center. 

Amazing national dinner in the Ural restaurant is our cherry on the cake for this day ;)

    

Day 8: Ekaterinburg—Irbit—Tyumen, 400 km

We will go to Irbit, motherland of Russian motorcycles Ural. We will visit a motorcycles factory, a museum and take a mind-blowing test drive of Ural motorcycles with sidecars. 

Next we are going to Tyumen and walk through the famous Russian Bridge of Lovers. This evening we are staying in breathtaking Art-Hotel!

      

Day 9: Tyumen—Omsk, 675 km

And now we are in Siberia! Today's mid-point is Ishim, a small provincial town with a pretty promenade and an amusement park. 

Here we will have lunch. Then we will stop at the beautiful lakes with original Russian villages. Local villagers, farmers and shepherds will give us their kind welcome. You will hear stories and tales, try their natural food and dive into the atmosphere of the old times going back to the pagan culture. 

Next, we will have a refreshing journey through the unpaved roads. In Omsk, we will stay in a Castle-Hotel. It will take us back to the times of the Middle Ages, where you will feel like a knight, resting during a hike.

    

Day 10: Omsk—Novosibirsk, 645 km

This will be your day of motorcycle meditation. The road is straight, in excellent condition and has almost no traffic. You can enjoy the ride and be mentally still, far away from the hectic life. 

We will have a lunch sitting near a picturesque lake and a field where we can ride Enduro style, and then just lie under the birches on the grass. 

We will spend a night in the hotel right on the river bank to leave our bikes behind and have a nice evening walk along the river.

       

Day 11: Novosibirsk—Kemerovo, 350 km

Almost a rest day, just 350 km. In the morning we will continue to look around Novosibirsk, drive past the hydropower station and stop at a Train Museum. It is a very interesting Museum consisting of 120 exhibits! The trains in this Museum are from the different eras offering a cabin visit for your full immersion in history. 

Our next stop is Jurga town in the center of Siberia. We can relax by the river, take a ride on the pontoon bridge, go to the outskirts of the city where a tank range is located. 

Then we will go to Kemerovo taking a fantastic road with breathtaking views and a good track. Kemerovo is an industrial city, so it is the best place to go to the pine forest on the other side of the river and relax in Park-hotel and have a massage.

     

Day 12: Kemerovo—Krasnoyarsk, 560 km

Today we will drive along the stunning roads and serpentines of the Altai Mountains. 

Before Krasnoyarsk we will stop at a Hydropower Station and a magnificent observation deck with panoramic views of the great Yenisei River and mountains. Krasnoyarsk is a big Siberian city located on the Yenisei River, one of the biggest rivers in the world. 

In the evening you will have free time to regain your energy and get ready for the Siberian Taiga (boreal forest) !

      

Day 13: Krasnoyarsk, rest day

We are starting with a hike in the reserve Stolby. This place is fantastic! These rocks in the middle of the Siberian Taiga (boreal forest) and the views that open from them are just breathtaking. 

We will climb the rock called Grandmother. From this rock we will see wonderful panoramas and many kilometers that we will be enjoying in the rest of the journey. We will spend there half a day. 

Next, you can choose between a city tour with a local English-speaking guide, horse riding or private moto-museum with the pre-war military bikes like BMW and Harleys.

      

Day 14: Krasnoyarsk—Tulun, 670 km

Today we are taking a smooth road through small villages and will stop for a tasty lunch on the lake. 

In Tulun we will stay in a country hotel with Banya (Russian Sauna) on the banks of the river.

     

Day 15: Tulun—Lake Baikal (Olkhon island), 695 km

In the evening we arrive at the Great Lake Baikal! The deepest lake on Planet Earth —1642 meters! By the way, this is 19% of all the fresh water in the world. 

We will visit Olkhon Island — the most beautiful place of Baikal. It is difficult to describe the beauty that awaits us. 

We will stop in the central part of the island. It will take us 30 km by dirt road. There are no paved roads on the island, since this is a National Park.

         

Day 16 & 17: Lake Baikal (Olkhon island), rest day

Free time — walking, swimming, taking photos, enjoying the beauty and eating legendary Baikal omul fish.

Continuing to inhale the beauty of that place and to discover it. This day we will have a tour on Russian jeeps across the island, horse riding or sailing.

        

Day 18: Lake Baikal (Olkhon island)—Arshan, 520 km

And now we will go along scenic roads to the foot of the Sayan mountains. 

On the way we will stop at the museum — the Angara icebreaker and the local fish market. In the evening we will arrive in Arshan and go to a Buddhist temple (datsan). 

Russia is an amazing country where not only a multitude of nationalities live peacefully, but also the three main religions (Christianity, Islam and Buddhism) prosper.

        

Day 19: Arshan–Ulan-Ude, 470 km

We will start the morning with a hike in the mountains — go to look at the waterfall. In the same place we will get real mineral water from an underground source. 

Then we will go to Ulan-Ude. We will go around Lake Baikal from the southern part. A very picturesque road — on our left we will see Lake Baikal, and on the right — the mountains. 

We will have dinner today in the city center in a restaurant with local food and panoramic views. Also we will walk and see across some sights of Ulan-Ude.

    

Day 20: Ulan-Ude—Chita, 670 km

In the morning we will ride to the Buddhist temple on Lysaya Gora — a beautiful place with panoramic views of the city. 

Then there will be a road full of beautiful mountains, forests, steppes, rivers and lakes. So much variety in one day — very cool.

      

Day 21: Chita–Erofey Pavlovich, 780 km

Deserted places, very rarely little villages, once in 200 kilometers local gas station. 

We will stop in the middle between Chita and Blagoveshchensk – nearby the town Erofey Pavlovich. It was named in honor of Erofey Pavlovich Khabarov—Russian serial entrepreneur of the 17th century, traveler and explorer. Tonight we will sleep like long-haul trackers. Road romance...

       

Day 22: Erofey Pavlovich—Blagoveshchensk, 790 km

On this day we will stop by active Vostochny cosmodrome. We will have space food for astronauts in tubes for lunch — you will be able to choose soups or main courses. If we are lucky enough, we will stop by a view point and see cosmodrome with our own eyes. 

Later on we are heading to Blagoveshchensk. That city was established in the middle of 19th century to guard the borders of the Russian Empire. 

We will get a chance to walk along the Amur River which separates Russia from China. It is very close, only 20-30 minutes by ferry, but there are other laws, traditions, culture, language — it is very unusual. Chinese side is always active: local music and light bulbs all around.

      

Day 23: Blagoveshchensk—Khabarovsk, 700 km

This part of the road has viewpoints. We will have lunch on one of them and will be able to enjoy a great landscape. As well as we will take pictures near the legendary monument "Moscow-Vladivostok". Khabarovsk is probably the most beautiful city in the Asian part of the Trans-Siberian route. 

The Amur River is wide here, hills are beautiful and it is plentiful of forests. In the evening, we will take a walk in the center of Khabarovsk. It has a great walking area with monuments, museums, temples and a theater.

      

Day 24: Khabarovsk—Vladivostok, 760 km

This day you will learn to love the Far East! It has stunning nature and mountains and a very pleasant and easy way. And already in the evening we will be able to congratulate ourselves with the finish line of this cool challenge.

We are in Vladivostok! Congrats!!!

We have finally arrived to the shore of the Pacific Ocean. Today we have a massage after a long trip.

       

Day 25 & 26: Vladivostok, departure home

Vladivostok is a young but very interesting city. We will travel to the Russki Island to see how the defensive fort has been building for more than 100 years ago. 

We will visit viewpoints with fascinatingly beautiful landscapes seen and after stop by the Tokarev lighthouse. Moreover, we will be able to take a glance on the waterfront real shoot from a main gun at 12 o'clock. It happens every day as it is a military tradition. 

Furthermore, we will visit the Museum-submarine C-56. Lastly we will wonder around the city and a local pedestrian street. We will finish our journey by eating fresh seafood in a restaurant.