The main passenger route of the Trans-Siberian railway is 9,288.2 kilometers in length. This is the distance from Yaroslavl Station in Moscow to the terminus in Vladivostok. The line was begun in 1891 and by 1904, there was a continuous track from Vladivostok to Saint Petersburg. Construction on the line was completed with the opening of a bridge at Khabarovsk in 1916. To travel the entire route non-stop requires nearly 7 days. There are also alternative routes through Beijing, China and Ulaan Batar, Mongolia.

All trips on the Trans-Siberian technically either begin or end in Moscow, although many travelers chose to extend to Saint Petersburg. At the east end of the line lies Vladivostok. It is comparatively young for a Russian city, founded in 1860 and it is a very attractive city spread out over the peaks and islands overlooking Golden Horn Bay. From Vladivostok it is possible to engage a guide service for a number of activities such as kayaking, river rafting and wild life excursions.

Traveling west from Vladivostok, the Trans-Siberian passes through Khabarovsk, which is a pleasant city from which to explore the Russian Far East. Khabarovsk has some interesting Old Russian architecture. An interesting area further west on the route is the Jewish Autonomous Region, which Stalin designated as a Jewish homeland in the 1930’s. Few Jews remain there, but the vestiges of their settlement remains in Birobidzhan. Visitors also often like Ulan Ude, which is east of Lake Baikal. Baikal is the deepest lake in the world and contains 20% of the planet’s fresh water. It also is remarkably pure. The scenes of the southern end of lake as the route skirts it are spectacular. Irkutsk is the city most often used as a jumping-off point for Baikal explorations.

From Krasnoyarsk it is possible to take tours up the great Yenisey River. This city lies between Irkutsk and Novosibirsk, which has more big city amenities. Novosibirsk is relatively close to the Altay Mountains, a remote and wildly beautiful region. The city also has the excellent West Siberian Railway Museum.

Yekaterinburg lies in the Ural Mountains, which divide Europe from Asia. This interesting city is where the family of Nikolas II lived as captives of the Bolsheviks after he abdicated in 1917. They were executed here in 1918. The city was also the power base of Boris Yelsin who was a local leader during the Soviet era.

Farther west is the 3rd largest city in Russia, Nizhni Novgorod. This old market city lies at the confluence of the Volga and Oka Rivers. Overlooking the junction is its picturesque old kremlin (fortress). This city was called Gorky after the writer Maxim Gorky during the Soviet era and was also the exile home of the dissident physicist, Andrei Sakharov. From here it is possible to enjoy Volga River cruises and it is frequent stopover on trips from Moscow.

About 440 kilometers after Nizhni Novgorod, the classic route of the Trans-Siberian ends in Moscow. This awe-inspiring city is the economic powerhouse of Russia and its citizens are witnessing very rapid change and growth. It is also a beautiful city with many of the landmarks most closely associated with Russia, such as the Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral and Red Square.