China, Siberia and Mongolia

Beijing to Beijing - 17 days

CRUISE HIGHLISTS INCLUDE:

• All flights throughout the trip
• Deluxe hotel accommodations with breakfast in Beijing; best possible hotel accommodations in Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, and Ulaanbaatar; and traditional-style accommodations in the Gobi Desert*
• 15 buffet breakfasts, 14 lunches and 14 dinners
• Captivating, fully escorted tours with English-speaking local guides
• Exciting evening entertainment
• Services of an experienced Uniworld Tour Manager
• All transportation
• All transfers on arrivals and departure days

ITINERARY

• DAY 1: Depart Home Gateway City to Beijing
• DAY 2: Beijing
• DAY 3: Beijing
  Featured Excursion: Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Summer Palace and Peking Duck dinner
• DAY 4: Train to Irkutsk
  An unforgettable part of your adventure is the two-day train ride from Beijing to Irkutsk, Siberia. You will go through the Great Wall twice before reaching the Mongolian border and entering the Gobi Desert. Look for tents of nomadic Mongolians. (BB, L, D)
• DAY 5: Train to Irkutsk
  After a brief stop in Ulaanbaatar, continue north through everchanging scenery. The rolling steppes of Mongolia disappear as you enter an almost alpine world along the Selenga River that runs through Ulan Ude. (BB, L, D)
• DAY 6: Irkutsk
  The train winds along the dramatic shores of Lake Baikal before arriving in Irkutsk in the early afternoon. (BB, L, D)
• DAY 7: Irkutsk
  Featured Excursion: Irkutsk tour and classical concert in the Palace of Prince Volkonsky
  Visit the Fine Arts Museum. Tour the House Museum of the Decembrists in the former home of Prince Sergei Trubetskoy. Enjoy a champagne classical concert in the Palace of Prince Volkonsky. (BB, L, D)
• DAY 8: Lake Baikal
  Featured Excursion: Buryat Ethnic Museum and folklore show
  Explore the Buryat Ethnic Museum in Ost-Orda and watch a Buryat folklore show. Visit Listvanka, a village located at the lake’s only outlet, the Angara River. Check in at a charming hillside hotel with magnificent views of Lake Baikal. (BB, L, D)
• DAY 9: Lake Baikal tour
  Featured Excursion: Lake Baikal tour
  Lake Baikal is the worl?s deepest lake and a natural wonder. Learn more about the lake at the Baikal Ecology Museum. Enjoy lunch at the waterfront restaurant. Visit a functioning Russian Orthodox Church and open-air museum of Siberian wooden architecture. Stop at the Buryat Holy “obo” or “place of offerings.” (BB, L, D)
• DAY 10: Irkutsk, fly to Ulaanbaatar
  Featured Excursion: Listvanka Village
  Start the day with a walking tour of Listvanka Village. A boat ride tour brings you to see the Old Round Baikal Railway. Take an evening flight to Ulaanbaatar. (BB, L, D)
• DAY 11: Ulaanbaatar
  Featured Excursion: Ulaanbaatar tour and Ger Museum
  Remote and rarely visited, Mongolia is one of the most exotic countries in the world. Located on a high plateau, Ulaanbaatar is home to the country’s most extensive cultural, historical and archaeological collections. Visit the Gandan Monastery and then continue to Turtle Rock in Gorkhi Terelj National Park. Enjoy a Horhog-Mongolian style barbecue in a camp, and then visit the Ger Museum of Terelj Lodge. (BB, L, D)
• DAY 12: Ulaanbaatar, fly to Gobi
  Fly to the Gobi Desert. Visit Eagle Valley National Park and travel through gorgeous mountain scenery, then see stunning Gobi Glacier and intriguing wildlife. With more than 300 types of flora and fauna, the Gobi is the last habitat for many endangered species, including the snow leopard. (BB, L, D)
• DAY 13: Gobi
  Featured Excursion: Cemetery of Dinosaurs and Camel Breeder’s Camp
  The Gobi Desert is not only a kaleidoscope of nature, but also a treasure chest of prehistoric discoveries. In Bayan Zag, you’ll explore the Cemetery of Dinosaurs, where the world’s best preserved skeletons of giant dinosaurs and petrified eggs were excavated. In the afternoon, learn first-hand about the nomadic lifestyle by visiting a camel breeder’s camp. (BB, L, D)
• DAY 14: Gobi, fly to Ulaanbaatar
  Fly back to Ulaanbaatar. After lunch, enjoy leisure time. During the evening, see an exciting Mongolian folklore show. (BB, L, D)
• DAY 15: Ulaanbaatar, fly to Beijing
  Tour the Bogdo Khaan Winter Place Museum, home of the last Mongolian Khan. Fly to Beijing and transfer to the Sheraton Hotel. Enjoy an evening at leisure. (BB, L, D)
• DAY 16: Beijing
  Featured Excursion: The Great Wall, Ming Tombs and Beijing night show
  Visit the Great Wall and the Ming Tombs, home to the lavish burial chambers of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). During the evening, enjoy a Beijing Acrobats show. (BB, L, D)
• DAY 17: Depart Beijing Departing Flight
  Transfer to the airport for your return flight home, or continue your trip with an optional extension. (BB)

2009 Cruises

Prices: Prices are per person, based on two people sharing a stateroom or hotel room. Cruise/tour prices are based on costs, charges, tariffs, rates, taxes, levies, and exchange rates as of June 15, 2008. Should the total cruise/tour price increase by more than 10%, passengers will have the right to cancel their cruise within 7 days of notification of the surcharge without penalty. No surcharges in respect of cost or currency fluctuations will be made once payment for the deposit of your cruise/tour is received. This does not apply to fuel surcharges and any taxes, charges, or levies imposed by any government or their agencies. Air-inclusive pricing is provided from NYC, CHI, and LAX only. Other gateway cities are available at additional costs. Please ask your Reservations Consultant at the time of booking for details. A limited number of singles are available for an additional supplement. Reservations and Payments: A deposit of at least $200 per person is required at the time of reservation. Final payment is due at least 90 days prior to departure. Reservations will be cancelled if final payment is not received in a timely manner.