The Trans-Mongolian Railway: From Ulaanbaatar to Irkutsk by Train
The Trans-Siberian Railway is one of those adventures that conjures up dreamy scenes of snowy tundras, exotic oriental cities, onion domed churches and fur-coat wrapped babushkas, all washed down with a few shots of vodka for good measure.
There’s something so whimsically enticing about it all - cosying up in a train carriage whilst being whisked across the barren expanse of Siberia and the Gobi Desert makes this trip a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
THE TRANS-MONGOLIAN RAILWAY PART TWO: ULAANBAATAR TO IRKUTSK
Following on from the first leg from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar, hopefully you’ve check out everything there is to do Ulaanbaatar and now you’re ready for the next leg!
This second stage of the Trans-Mongolian Railway will head further North from the chaotic capital of nomadic Mongolia to the edge of Lake Baikal in Siberian Russia. Over two nights, the train passes through the snowy Mongolian steppes to the border town of Sukhbaatar and crosses into Russia and the gateway city of Ulan Ude, before following the edge of the magnificent lake around to the Siberian city of Irkutsk.
This part of the Trans-Mongolian Railway series will cover booking tickets from Ulaanbaatar to Irkutsk by train, the different carriage options, applying for a Russian visa, what to expect on train MT3-263, the border crossing from Mongolia to Russia, the best time of year to visit and what to pack for a trip on the Trans-Mongolian Railway.
All the advice on this page is taken from my own planning and solo travel experience when I completed this journey at the beginning of March (aka, the depths of a Siberian winter)!
BOOKING TICKETS FROM ULAANBAATAR TO IRKUTSK BY TRAIN
The choice on which train to take from Ulaanbaatar to Irkutsk will likely depend on what day you’re looking to depart.
If you’re looking to spend a whole week (or two, or three…) exploring Mongolia before heading north, then jumping back on Express train #3 again works well if you can get a space, otherwise you’ll be looking at taking one of the other options that’s available on other days of the week - to be honest, it’s more likely that you’ll take a different train than get back on the #3.
I highly recommend checking out the Real Russia schedule planner to get an idea of train options and their frequencies across the whole Trans-Mongolian network - even if you don’t book through them, it’s really a helpful resource. Real Russia are a credible agency for both booking tickets within Russia and arranging a letter of invitation for your Russian tourist visa (more on the later).
» TRAIN #263
Train #263 from Ulaanbaatar departs daily, so it’s the easiest option for travel up to Irkutsk, unless you really want to travel first class (only 4-berth cabins are available on the #263). The easiest way to book this train ticket is to arrange it though your accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, and it’s also the cheapest way to book a ticket. Win-win.
It’s pretty standard for hostels to offer the service of picking up the tickets on your behalf from the international booking office. My hostel arranged the ticket whilst I was away in the Terejl National Park, which was super convenient.
ESSENTIAL DETAILS
Departs: Daily at 21:10pm, Ulaanbaatar Standard Time.
Boarding Crossing time: +1 day from departure date (important for your Russian visa).
Arrives: +2 days at 08:30am, Irkutsk Standard Time.
Cost: Sleeper 4-berth: less than US$30 if booked in Mongolia.
Train #263 ready to cross the border into Russia.
OTHER OPTIONS
» THE TRANS-MONGOLIAN EXPRESS TRAIN #3
The Trans-Mongolian Express #3 can be joined in Ulaanbaatar, however it’s not possible to book this leg in advance and it can quite often be full with those riding through from Beijing on to Russia, particularly during summer. Tickets on this train can only be purchased in Ulaanbaatar at the international booking office within 24 hours of departure, and it is the most expensive train option.
» TRAIN #5
This train is a similar quality alternative to the Trans-Mongolian Express #3, however it runs between Ulaanbaatar and Moscow only, not completing the section between Ulaanbaatar and Beijing. It departs on Fridays (but only every two weeks over winter!) so would work for a specific schedule only. Tickets need to be purchased in advance and are a similar price to the #3 train - you’re looking at about US$160 for this leg if purchased through the Real Russia site, or around US$65 (4-berth) or US$95 (2-berth) if you can get one on the ground in Ulaanbaatar.
» TRAIN #305
The #305 trains runs three times per week from Ulaanbaatar to Irkutsk on a Monday, Tuesday and Saturday and is probably the second best option to the #263. These tickets can be booked up to 30 days in advance, either from the international booking office in Ulaanbaatar, or online through Real Russia. Prices on Real Russia cost US$120 (4-berth) or US$170 (2-berth), or around US$60 (4-berth) or US$90 (2-berth) if purchased locally.
Please note that this article was written pre-covid, so please confirm current schedules with Real Russia or the RZD website.
The Trans-Mongolian Route Map - from Ulaanbaatar to Irkutsk
CARRIAGE OPTIONS ON TRAIN #263
There is only one option on the Mongolian sleeper train:
4-berth soft sleeper
I found the bed on this train was actually much more comfortable than the bed on the Trans-Mongolian Express #3, otherwise the carriages and cabins were pretty much comparable in quality.
GETTING A RUSSIAN TOURIST VISA
I’ll be honest - arranging the Russian visa was probably the most complicated part of planning my Trans-Siberian experience, though it’s far less complicated than it used to be. With the luxury of New Zealand, Australian and many EU passports, we’re now kind of used to visa-free or visa on arrival processes in many parts of the world, but unfortunately there are few requirements that need to be nailed when applying for a Russian visa. Once you’ve got a rough itinerary in mind though, things get a whole lot easier.
There’s three key things to getting a Russian visa:
A letter of invitation from an authorised agency is required.
The letter of invitation needs to show reservations for arrival and departure transport, and accommodation for all nights spent in Russia. Luckily, there’s a way for independent travellers to, well, fudge this a little.
Your actual arrival date into Russia must be on or after the date in the visa, and your departure from Russia must be on before the date noted in the visa. Both the arrival and departure dates are printed in the visa.
So there are really two options for getting a Russian visa - book everything in advance (at inflated rates), collect the letters of invitation and potentially use a visa application service, or the prefered option, pay an agency to generate a letter of invitation for you and submit the documents yourself.
Paying a Russian agency, such as Real Russia or Visa to Russia, for a letter of invitation is the easiest way to get a Russian visa whilst still allowing for flexible plans.
Here’s how it works.
GET A LETTER OF INVITATION (TRAVEL VOUCHER)
For a small fee, the Russian agency will create fake bookings for trains and hostels/hotels, then provide a letter of invitation covering the fake itinerary. Sounds a little dodgy right… but it’s very normal and actually works effectively.
So as long as you don’t arrive earlier or depart later than the dates in your visa, you won’t have any problems and you’re free to move around Russia (excluding restricted areas like military towns!) to suit your own schedule - there’s no need to follow the route or timings noted in the invitation letter. To give yourself flexibility, create your fake itinerary for the maximum time allowed (30 days) to ensure no issues in overstaying the visa.
Here’s an example of my documentation versus what I actually did:
My letter of invitation noted:
Date of Arrival: 10 March, Point of Arrival: Naushki (the border crossing town in Russia), Transport: Train #263 from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Date of Departure: 02 April, Point of Departure: Smolensk (the border crossing town in Russia), Transport: Train #025Б to Minsk, Belarus.
My visa noted:
Entry from: 10 March, Stay Until: 02 April
No locations were noted in the visa.
What I actually did:
Date of Arrival: 12 March, Point of Arrival: Naushki, Transport: Train #263 from Ulaanbaatar
Date of Departure: 29 March, Point of Departure: Torfyanovka (on the border with Finland), Transport: via bus.
APPLY FOR THE VISA
Applications for a Russian tourist visa take 10 business days and costs NZ$120 for a standard single-entry visa.
Requirements for the visa are as noted on the Embassy of Russian Federation in New Zealand website, and involve completing an online form that should then be printed and mailed to the embassy, along with the other required documentation.
Previously, the embassy required a hardcopy/original version of the letter of invitation, however this no longer appears to be the case and a printed copy is acceptable.
Note that processing times may increase ahead of the busier summer period.
As with all official applications, this article is intended to provide practical experience however the latest and greatest requirements should always be checked on the official Russian tourist visa website.
A village outside Ulaanbaatar.
WHAT TO EXPECT ON TRAIN #263 TO IRKUTSK
» DEPARTURE TIME
Before heading to the station, it’s a good idea to exchange any remaining Mongolian currency for Russian Roubles. It’s not permitted to take it out of the country and it will be extremely difficult to exchange (if at all). Refer to my article on Ulaanbaatar for more details on exchanging currency in Mongolia.
Ensure you head out to the train station early to allow for the terrible traffic - the (extended) rush hour in Ulaanbaatar can best be described as chaos. There’s little control via traffic lights and the cars will just move into any space they can fit, never leaving an inch spare or, heaven forbid, letting another car in. Our 4km journey from the hostel to the train station took over an hour.
Due to the traffic, and business of the train station, it’s advisable to arrive an hour before the train’s departure.
» BERTHS & CARRIAGES
The #263 train is made of only 4-berth rooms, and they look pretty similar to the express train #3 - the upper bunks are folded away during the day leaving two lower bunk to sit on, with luggage stored underneath the lower bunk,
Also as per the express train #3, the berths are pre-assigned and it’s not possible to request a space. If you’re travelling with someone else, you’ll be assigned a room together, otherwise you’ll be sharing with other passengers.
Consideration is given to who you’ll share a room with here also. For this leg on my journey, I shared a room with a similar-aged solo female traveler from the USA. And as the train was not full, we were lucky to have the room to ourselves.
» FACILITIES ON TRAIN #263
BEDDING
As per the express train #3, all the required bedding is supplied, including sheets, a pillow, and blankets. The train is kept cosy and warm, it’s only the snow outside reminding you to grab a warm jacket before jumping off at the stops.
POWER OUTLETS
All rooms in the 4-berth carriages have ample power outlets (and even USB outlets in the most modern carriages) so there won’t be any trouble keeping devices fully charged. There is no wifi available on the trains, however 3G/4G coverage is possible along the route (expect it to be patchy though).
WC/BATHROOM/RESTROOMS
Bathrooms/toilets are located at the end of each carriage, containing both a regular seated toilet and a squat toilet. Note that the washrooms are not available within a certain distance of town and cities - this is because the toilets empty directly on to the tracks below - you’ll be able to see the tracks down below. On the plus side, there’s no smells to deal with!
HOT WATER
At the top end of each carriage is a hot water machine - known as a samovar. This simple piece of equipment will become your new best friend, providing the means to prepare coffee, tea or hot chocolate and most importantly, instant noodles - all the necessities of an overnight train adventure!
THE RESTAURANT CARRIAGE
There is no restaurant carriage on train #263, so ensure you bring sufficient food for two days, or try one of the local stalls or restaurants at one of the stops.
A semi-nomadic village in Mongolia.
THE MONGOLIA-RUSSIA BORDER CROSSING
The Mongolia-Russia border crossing occurs the morning after your departure - so ensure your visa is arranged for one day after your departure from Ulaanbaatar, which is one day before your arrival in Irkutsk. Your first night of accommodation in Russia will be on this train.
EXITING MONGOLIA
To start the process, expect an early morning wake up call - about 6:30-7:00am - as you arrive in the Mongolian border town of Sukhbaatar.
And the process can take quite awhile.
Our passports were taken away for a couple of hours, and whilst we waited, our carriage was detached from the train and attached to another engine to take us over the border. Given the time of morning, there wasn’t much that looked to be open, so most people seemed to stay in the carriage.
The border stop is also a popular location for merchants to board the train and take goods over to Russia to sell. We found it quite entertaining when a new cabin buddy boarded the train and proceeded to hang jackets and other clothing from multiple hooks throughout our cabin. Once we crossed the border, the items were all collected up and she jumped off at the first stop in Russia.
ENTERING RUSSIA
On arrival at the Russian border town of Naushki, the Russian border process begins - and they’re the most high tech of the Trans-Mongolian experience. Using hand-held computers to read passports, the process is completed in the cabin and doesn’t require passports to be taken away (far less anxiety-inducing!).
However if you’d thought that would speed up the border process, don’t get too excited - we were advised that the train remains at the station for three hours...! This is handy knowledge though - there’s plenty of time to explore the area knowing your train isn’t about to depart without warning. Now is also a good time to switch your clocks to Russian time.
That said, there’s not tooo much to see in the small barren town, especially over winter. There’s an area that looks to be a market however it was all closed up for the season. In the least, you’ll get a good stretch of the legs before bunkering down for another night on the train.
All in all, expect to spend about 7 hours for the complete border crossing process between Mongolia and Russia. It’s anything but efficient…. but that’s not why you take a multi-day train journey is it?!
And now, welcome to Russia!
THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO DO THE TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY
For me, there was never really any question about when I wanted to do the Trans-Siberian journey. Every picture that I imagined in my head was filled with snowy tundras, winter coats and cheeks red from the cold. It was an easy decision - my journey would have to take place over winter.
That said, every season offers something different on the Trans-Siberian Railway and there’s plenty of reasons to chose summer or the shoulder seasons too.
» WINTER
Benefits - aside from fulfilling what you probably imagine Siberia to look like, it’s a great time to visit frozen Lake Baikal, and as it’s low-season, booking the train last minute is much easier, you’re also more likely to have free bunks in your cabin (hello extra space), and more likely to mix with the locals.
Downsides - it’s bloody cold, there’s less daylight hours so time to explore will be limited, and there’s a lower chance of meeting other tourists if that’s what you’re after.
» SUMMER
Benefits - warm weather and longer days for exploring on stopovers, more tourists if you’re looking for english-speaking company, getting to see the lush forests that blossom over summer.
Downsides - it’s much busier and popular trains like the Trans-Mongolian Express #3 and Rossiya #1 need to be booked well in advance, with dates potentially being limited.
» SPRING & AUTUMN
Spring and autumn are great times to visit also as they bring the benefits of either the summer or winter, but without all the negatives.
In Spring, you might still get those snowy SIberian views, but the temperatures won’t be quite so cold. And in Autumn, the peak rush will be over so tickets will be easier to come by, and it still won’t be wintery-cold.
Dress like the locals? Real fur not required.
WHAT TO PACK FOR THE TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY
This packing list is intended to include the essentials for life on the Trans-Siberian Railway (along with any stopovers), focusing on a journey over the (really) cold winter. If you’re completing the railway as part of a broader itinerary, there is storage space for your (up to) 35kg limit of luggage, despite the small size of the cabins. But bear in mind it’s not very accessible and you might have issues with a large suitcase on a full train.
On the majority of the trains, luggage is stored underneath the lower bunk (the bunk opens like chest storage) which keeps it nice and safe, however it can be a bit hard to access when there’s usually someone else sitting (or sleeping!) on the bed. It’s therefore easiest to keep everything you’ll need to use on the train in a smaller daypack (or in my case, a Country Road bag was perfect for this). Have this packed and ready to go before getting on the train, then you can throw your bigger pack or suitcase in storage and forget about it until your destination.
For the daypack, I found it fit nice and easily up on the top bunk with me. Down on the bottom, you have rights to claiming the space under the table. Jackets and other outwear can be hung on the hooks available in the carriages, on hand for a quick stretch of the legs at one of the station stops.
I also carried a re-usable shopping bag with all the foods and drinks for that train trip, and stashed it under the table.
» TRAIN CLOTHING
There’s something you’ll observe right from your first train - everyone will board in layers of jackets, scarves and boots, then as soon as they’ve identified their bunk, the layers come off and everyone spends the journey in comfortable attire.
You’re going to be spending a lot of time in that small space, so comfort is definitely key for days aboard the train - and the best description of what to wear is definitely loungewear. Something a little more presentable than pyjamas, but more comfortable than jeans. In my experience, prepare for life in yoga pants.
My ‘train outfit’ consisted of:
A pair of yoga pants (tracksuit pants would work just as well)
A long sleeve tee or light thermal
A sports bra - something that’s easy to sleep in
A pair of regular socks.
A pair of flipflops - for popping on to use the bathroom
Chances are you’re going to spend the entire leg in one ‘train outfit’, including sleeping, with just underwear switched out each day.
Along with having my jacket hung up in the carriage and my boots tucked under the table, I’d also have a warm jumper, scarf, hat and a thick pair of woollen socks ready to go in my day bag, so that I could throw those on when stretching the legs at a platform stop, or heading to the hostel for my next stopover.
Life from the upper bunk of a social platskartny (third class) carriage.
» ACCESSORIES
EARPLUGS | absolute necessity. Along the Russian route in particular, people come and go from stops at any time of the day.
EYEMASK | again really handy when there’s people coming and going overnight.
PADLOCK | I locked my bag up at night for a little less worry.
WASHKIT | toothbrush/paste, hairbrush, dry shampoo, decompostable baby wipes and travel towel - keep it simple, hygiene will either happen on your bunk or quickly in the bathroom.
A HEADLAMP | as the lights are turned down from 10 or 11pm through to 6 or 7am the next morning, a headlamp is key for trips to the toilet, or helping navigate to your bunk if boarding in the middle of the night.
» TECH & DOCUMENTS
HEADPHONES | another absolute necessity. No one wants to hear what you’re playing, and you may need to block out someone else’s, err, interesting choice in entertainment.
PHONE/TABLET/LAPTOP | whilst the train journey is an amazing opportunity to relax and switch off from the pressures of modern life, there’s no denying that you might need some things to fill in your time - particularly on the multi day stretches. Load your devices with any music, shows of films you want to enjoy as there’s no wifi on the trains.
KINDLE | in addition to your other devices, a Kindle is the best way to carry reading material these days. Have it charged ahead of time and you’ll unlikely need to take up a power point on the train.
ADAPTER | as the Trans-Mongolian Railway runs through three different countries with three different types of power outlets, keep it simple and bring a multi-plug adapter. Outlets all range from 220-230v, so the voltage isn’t a concern if travelling from NZ/Australia/Europe, however North Americas will need to bring a power converter to avoid frying any 110-120v devices.
» FOOD
Eating on the Trans-Mongolian Railway is one of the fun and unique parts of the experience, and there a few ways to go about.
DINING CARRIAGES | Dining in the restaurant cars are a fun experience, but generally expensive (especially the ornate Mongolian restaurant carriage!) and only available on the more expensive trains (#1/2, #3/4, #5/6 etc).
PLATFORM VENDORS | Picking things up on the platforms is an exciting way to discover the local produce on offer at different stops, but you’ll need to plan timings if relying on these to eat.
BOARD PREPARED | Bring aboard items with a decent shelf life - think 2 minute noodles, tea, porridge, dried fruits, crackers, and chocolate.
The best way to experience the Trans-Mongolian Railway would be to try a mix of the three.
Hot water is freely available from the samovar - the hot water cylinder of drinking water - in each carriage, and is the easiest option for preparing hot food and drinks. If you’re not down with a Americano/long black coffee, you’ll also need to pick up some UHT long life milk or powdered milk from the supermarket.
On the platforms in Russia (but not in China and Mongolia over winter), you’ll find all sorts of seasonable food available for sale, one of the highlights was the local smoked fish available near Lake Baikal. You’ll also find year-round items like chocolate bars, sweets, chips/crisps and soft drinks.
For additional comfort and waste reduction, I’d recommend taking the following items:
COFFEE MUG | for tea, coffee and instant soups.
BOWL & CUTLERY | to save the waste of polystyrene noodle cups, take your own bowl and cutlery. These can always be left at a hostel at the end of your journey.
A WATER BOTTLE | drinking water is available from the samovar, but it’ll need to cool down from boiling temperatures first.
Products for sale on a Russian train station platform.
» STOPOVERS DURING WINTER
Visiting China, Mongolia and Russia over winter means one of two things: its either going to really cold, or really freezing cold.
If your home country is the kind of place that’s lucky to get snow even once a year, you’re probably going to need to invest in some proper winter clothing - the destinations on the Trans-Siberian are just next level cold.
When I visited over the month of March, I don’t think temperatures ever reached positive digits (Celsius), with temperatures in the negative teens and twenties most common (ie. below -10!). I think the coldest I got was a cold snap in Moscow reaching -26 degrees Celsius. Even after living in Vancouver for 5 years I was not prepared for the level of cold in Siberia!
WINTER BOOTS | a pair of insulated boots are definitely necessary for a Russian winter. I took a pair of UGG’s, but if I were to return over winter, I’d take something like these insulated, waterproof boots.
WINTER JACKET | a high quality insulated down jacket will be worn day in, day out.
WIND/WATERPROOF JACKET | whilst it’s unlikely to rain at this time of year, chances are high you’ll get snowed on at some point, and you’ll be grateful for something blocking out those oh-so-icy artic winds.
SCARF, HAT, GLOVES | all very necessary. I picked up a pair of quality insulated gloves in Ulaanbaatar (after leaving my original pair behind somewhere, whoops!) and they were ideal for the local conditions.
MERINO SOCKS | at least two pairs of merino socks were part and parcel of a day out exploring - one thinner pair and one thick, warm pair seemed to do the trick.
When packing for cold weather, especially as part of a longer trip, it can be tempting to leave out big and bulky clothing - especially when pack or suitcase space is so valuable. However, these items are worth their weight in gold in Siberia. There’s nothing worse than being stuck inside rather than out exploring because you’re underprepared for the cold weather.
At one point it was necessary to wear every warm item of clothing I had with me - including both of my jackets (an insulated down jacket and a waterproof jacket) and jeans over my leggings, just to be comfortable outside for more than a few hours.
So please take my advice and pack quality winter clothing!
Pack a good winter coat, like the 4-legged locals.
ARRIVING IN URKUTSK
Train #263 arrives into Irkutsk Station about 8:00am in the morning. The station is located over the river from the main tourist centre of town where the majority of hostels are located - it can be easily reached on the effective Irkutsk tram system.
» PLAN A STOPOVER IN IRKUTSK & LAKE BAIKAL
Irkutsk and Lake Baikal are the perfect introduction to Russia. Spend a few days exploring this Siberian region before continuing on the Trans-Mongolian Railway. Check out this article for to spend a stopover:
Read More: Explore Siberia: Things to do in Irkutsk & Lake Baikal in Winter
Alternatively, it’s time for the final leg on the Trans-Mongolian Railway - head on over to the next article in this series - from Irkutsk to Moscow.
Next in the Trans-Mongolian Railway Series: Part 3 - Irkutsk to Moscow
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