Members save more on over 100,000 hotels worldwide
Unlock member discounts
Unlock exclusive discounts and inclusions
Members only pricing
Bonus hand-picked inclusions
Trans-Mongolian Railway Adventure
Operated by Intrepid Travel
Tripcode: CBSM
Overview
Destination:
China,
Mongolia,
Duration:11 days
Type:Group tour (max 12)
Travel Period
April 2027 - October 2028
Want an epic rail journey that takes you to some of the world’s most remote regions? This 11-day adventure is for you. Experience riding a section of the Trans-Mongolian Railway as you make your way from China to Mongolia. Start with the bright lights of Beijing, then take a bullet train to Inner Mongolia. Then, it’s on to the vast steppes of Khustai National Park, the dunes of the Gobi Desert and the spiritual wonders of Sainshand. Spend time staying in a traditional ger campsite, join a family of camel herders for lunch and return home with truly unique travel stories to tell!
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
1. A single supplement is available to be booked if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Days 7 (Overnight Train), 8 and 9 (Ger camp), where you will be in shared accommodation. The single supplement is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
2. A scanned copy of the personal details page of your passport needs to be sent to your booking agent no later than 40 days before departure in order for us to purchase our train tickets.
3. Our overnight train on this trip is in 4 berth compartments. Please note that cabins are allocated on a mixed gender basis, and depending on the group size some group members will share a cabin with passengers that are not part of our group. Sheets, pillow and a blanket are provided, and there are communal bathrooms at the end of each carriage.
4.Travelling in China will heavily rely upon using local payment apps – Wechat and Alipay for making payments. It’s essential to install them on your phone and have a data package ready prior to your travel. Please read ‘money matters’ in the Essential Trip Information for more details. You shouldn’t rely on credit card for travel in China.
5. While travelling in China, you won’t have access to social media and some websites. You may consider installing a VPN to access those sites and apps. Please check the Essential Trip Information for more details.
6. Please note that there are some prohibited items for trains and flights in China. Please refer to Packing section of the Essential Trip Information for more details.
2. A scanned copy of the personal details page of your passport needs to be sent to your booking agent no later than 40 days before departure in order for us to purchase our train tickets.
3. Our overnight train on this trip is in 4 berth compartments. Please note that cabins are allocated on a mixed gender basis, and depending on the group size some group members will share a cabin with passengers that are not part of our group. Sheets, pillow and a blanket are provided, and there are communal bathrooms at the end of each carriage.
4.Travelling in China will heavily rely upon using local payment apps – Wechat and Alipay for making payments. It’s essential to install them on your phone and have a data package ready prior to your travel. Please read ‘money matters’ in the Essential Trip Information for more details. You shouldn’t rely on credit card for travel in China.
5. While travelling in China, you won’t have access to social media and some websites. You may consider installing a VPN to access those sites and apps. Please check the Essential Trip Information for more details.
6. Please note that there are some prohibited items for trains and flights in China. Please refer to Packing section of the Essential Trip Information for more details.
Highlights:
- 1. A single supplement is available to be booked if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Days 7 (Overnight Train), 8 and 9 (Ger camp), where you will be in shared accommodation. The single supplement is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information. 2. A scanned copy of the personal details page of your passport needs to be sent to your booking agent no later than 40 days before departure in order for us to purchase our train tickets. 3. Our overnight train on this trip is in 4 berth compartments. Please note that cabins are allocated on a mixed gender basis, and depending on the group size some group members will share a cabin with passengers that are not part of our group. Sheets, pillow and a blanket are provided, and there are communal bathrooms at the end of each carriage. 4.Travelling in China will heavily rely upon using local payment apps – Wechat and Alipay for making payments. It’s essential to install them on your phone and have a data package ready prior to your travel. Please read ‘money matters’ in the Essential Trip Information for more details. You shouldn’t rely on credit card for travel in China. 5. While travelling in China, you won’t have access to social media and some websites. You may consider installing a VPN to access those sites and apps. Please check the Essential Trip Information for more details. 6. Please note that there are some prohibited items for trains and flights in China. Please refer to Packing section of the Essential Trip Information for more details.
Standard inclusions
- Meals: Meals: 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 3 dinners.
- Transport: Bullet Train, Overnight train, Private vehicle.
- Accommodation: Hotel (7 nights), Overnight train (1 night), Tourist ger camp (2 nights).
- Ulan Butong - Ewenki reindeer camp visit.
- Inner Mongolia - Huanggangliang National Forest Park.
- Inner Mongolia - Asihatu Stone Forest.
- Inner Mongolia - Gongge'er Grasslands.
- Inner Mongolia - Hunshandake Sandy Land.
- Sainshand - Noyon Khutagt Museum.
- Sainshand - Khamriin Monastery, Caves & Mongolian Shambala.
- Sainshand - Mountain of Wishes.
- Sainshand - Camel Herder Family Visit & Traditional Home-cooked Lunch.
- Ulaanbaatar - Chinggis Khaan Statue.
- Khustai National Park - Leader-led Hike.
- Khustai National Park - Ungut Stone Monuments.
Itinerary
Expand all 
Collapse all
Collapse allDay 1: Beijing
Huanying! Welcome to China. Touch down in the capital of Beijing, ready for a railway adventure. Your trip begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm, where you’ll meet your trip leader and travel companions. After, why not get together with your group for an optional dinner, perhaps finding one of the best duck restaurants in the city. Your leader will know some wonderful places where you can eat this delicious speciality.
Day 2: Ulan Butong
Bid farewell to Beijing and hop on a bullet train to Chengde where you'll change to a private transfer. Travel into the grasslands of Ulan Butong and visit the reindeer camp of the Ewenki people – an ethnic group of about 35,000 living in northern China. Learn about their life as reindeer herders and how modern life has impacted their way of living. Then, continue to your hotel in Ulan Butong, where a Mongolian barbecue dinner and evening bonfire party await.
Day 3: Jingpeng
Rise in Ulan Butong, then head out to the Huanggangliang National Forest Park, located in the remnants of the Greater Xing’an Mountains – home to Huanggang Peak, standing at an altitude of 2029 m (6657 ft). There are glacial and U-shaped valleys to explore, and you’ll pass by abundant flowers and endless grasslands. After lunch, you’ll visit Asihatu Stone Forest – over 2 million years of wind and rain have contributed to create the rare stone formations! To finish the day, see the Gongge'er Grasslands, with its vast rivers lazily weaving through the landscape and wild deer roaming. If you’re into your photography, this is the place to be!
Day 4: Xilinhot
This morning, drive to Hunshandake Sandy Land at the southern end of the Xilingol Grassland – a famous water desert in China where spring water emerges from the sand dunes and gathers into small rivers and lakes. In the heart of the Hunshandake, you’ll visit the Ulihan Desert Campsite. The lakes and grasslands provide a scenic backdrop for your barbecue lunch. After, you’ll visit Dali Lake, one of the four famous lakes in Inner Mongolia, then head to Xilinhot for the night.
Day 5: Sainshand
Get set for a day of travel. After breakfast, drive from Xilinhot to Erlian, arriving around midday. Stop for lunch and meet your new leader for the Mongolian portion of your journey, then head to the train station in the late afternoon and hop aboard the Trans-Mongolian Railway line headed to Sainshand. Stop in Zamiin-Uud along the way for a border crossing. Arrive after midnight and head straight to your hotel in Sainshand for some well-deserved rest.
Day 6: Sainshand
Take in the sights and sounds of Sainshand on a walking tour this morning. Visit a museum dedicated to the Noyon Khutagt – the Lama of the Gobi, who was a writer, composer, painter, Buddhist scholar and physician. The museum displays Buddhist artifacts that survived the period of the Mongolian People's Republic. After, take a short drive to the Khamriin Monastery, which was founded by Noyon Khutagt on this site due to the spiritual energy radiating from the Gobi Desert. To the north of the monastery lie a series of caves where monks practiced high levels of meditation for 108 continuous days. Take a short hike around the area to visit these caves, as well as the energy centre known as Mongolian Shambala. Return to Sainshand, then spend the evening as you like!
Day 7: Sainshand
After breakfast, drive to the Mountain of Wishes – named for the belief that if you climb to the top and whisper a wish, it’ll come true. You’ll get the chance to do exactly that, using the stairs to enjoy the view over the valley and making a wish or two. Then, get an insight into local ways of life as you visit a family of camel herders. Hear stories about the nomadic way of life over a traditional, homecooked lunch with the family. Later, return to Sainshand, then board an overnight train headed to Ulaanbaatar.
Day 8: Khustain National Park
Arrive in Mongolia’s capital city around 7 am this morning and get set for the day with an optional breakfast at a local cafe. Ulaanbaatar’s a fascinating town, where elderly Mongolians in traditional dress mingle with the nation's young businesspeople. Drive to the imposing Chinggis Khaan Statue – a 40 m (131 ft) stainless-steel statue honouring the founder of the Mongolian Empire. You can take the steps to the horse’s mane for views over the valley, then visit a small museum located in the statue’s base. For lunch, drive to Nalaikh town for a meal at a monastery cafe, then continue to Khustai National Park. Settle into your ger camp accommodation for a very special slice of traditional life!
Day 9: Khustain National Park
After breakfast at camp, embark on a hike to see the wildlife of the national park. Keep an eye out for wild horses running free – quite a sight to behold – and watch the sky for golden eagles, falcons and vultures. Once you’ve finished your trail, drive on to the Ungut Monument. The collection of 30 human-shaped stone monuments traces back to the 7th century and is thought to be an offering site. Then, drive back to your camp at Khustai National Park for a free evening.
Day 10: Ulaanbaatar
Drive back to Ulaanbaatar this morning. Your leader will take you on an orientation walk through the city’s central square, then you’ll stop for an optional lunch at a local cafe. In the afternoon, there might be the chance to shop for some local handicrafts like cashmere and felt products, or you could check out some more of the city's sites and museums. Tonight you might like to celebrate your journey with a special cultural performance that features throat singing and traditional dancing. There will be an optional final dinner at a local restaurant recommended by your leader tonight. Why not raise a glass to an epic adventure!
Day 11: Ulaanbaatar
Say 'bayartai' to your group as your adventure draws to a close. There are no activities planned for the day, and you're free to depart the hotel at any time. If you'd like to stay longer in Ulaanbaatar, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.
Dates
Select a date or submit general enquiry
Operator
Intrepid Travel
Intrepid is a small group tour travel company with humble beginnings that now sends over 100,000 travellers a year on grassroots and responsible travel tours.
Important Information
*Terms and conditions
Please note: We are proud to be an independent agent to travel providers of hotels, flights and other related services. We are not a tour operator. Details and information on the offer are provided by 3rd party businesses and although we do our best to verify the information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy on all occasions. These offers are not available in conjunction with any other offer unless otherwise stated. Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice.
For more information, please see Terms of Use
Book now
Need help?
Price from
$4,995
$4,796
*
Member price from
$4,796*
per person twin share
10 nights
Check departuresCan't find the answer you're looking for? Get in touch with our friendly Travel Consultants.
Call 1800 850 888Speak to one of our friendly consultants, available during business hours.
Mon to Fri · 9am - 5pm AEST
Speak to an expert in-store
Prefer to plan in person? Make an appointment at our Travel Store to speak with one of our experts
You might also like
9 days
Group tour (max 16)8 daysGroup tour (max 12)8 daysGroup tour (max 16)d0385007a57029b737e74032fb1b0531
116792
Tour
© 2026 Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) All rights reserved.