Trans-Mongolian Railway Adventure

Accommodation at the ger camp is twin share with bedding provided, and the shared bathroom and toilet facilities are located in a separate building. Shower units have installed water heaters, but please note that the water pressure may not be as what you would expect in urban areas.

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.

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. You'll need to set up a VPN in order to access popular apps and websites including What'sapp when you travel in China. You'll need to set up wechat (preferred) or Alipay in order to make payments in China. Please read the Essential Trip Information thoroughly and prepare accordingly.

Most travellers prefer to take a small to medium wheeled suitcase, which is a great size for the packing capacity in our private vehicles. Whatever you take, be mindful that you will need to be able to carry your own luggage, handle it at airports, take it in/out of accommodation and perhaps even walk short distances. We recommend you pack as lightly as possible.

If your trip includes travelling on overnight trains or primarily using public transport, the smaller your luggage, the easier it will be to store under or above bunks. Large suitcases may not be able to be taken on board. A lockable bag or small padlock for your bag will be useful, especially when travelling on public transportation as well.

When you're exploring during the day, you'll also need a day pack/bag to carry water, a camera, a jacket and activity-specific items like a swimsuit, a waterproof pouch/bag for your phone, or hiking shoes.

Below we have listed the essentials for this trip:, https://www.intrepidtravel.com/packing-list, SLEEPING BAG
A sleeping bag is required for some nights on this trip. You can bring your own, or hire one in Ulaanbaatar for 20 USD for the trip. Please let your agent know at time of booking should you need to hire one., Temperature in Mongolia especially further into the countryside can vary a lot during the day and night. Even in the summer time, it may still get cold during the night so we recommend take layers of warm clothes to accommodate possible drastic temperature changes while on the trip.

Beijing Chongwenmen Hotel 北京崇文门饭店, No.2 Chongwenmen West Stree, Dongcheng District, Beijing, Beijing, CHINA, Phone: +86 1065122211

Beijing Chong Wen Men Hotel enjoys a convenient location just a 5-minute walk from Chongwenmen subway station, which links to various attractions in Beijing. It is an 8-minute drive from the shopping belt of Wangfujing Street, an 8-minute drive from Temple of Heaven, and a 10-minute drive from Tiananmen Square.

Alternate Joining Point

An arrival transfer from the airport is bookable with Intrepid. Please advise your flight details no later than 14 days prior to your departure. There are different locaitons at different terminals where you will meet your driver for the pre-arranged arrival transfer, so please refer to below information for more details. Your driver will be holding a sign with Intrepid's logo and your name on it. The maximum waiting time for your driver is 2.5 hours after your flight arrival. In case of flight cancellations, changes, if you experience severe delays at immigration, baggage collection or customs, or if you are not able to find the driver, please contact our local office on the number in the ‘Problems and emergency contact information’ section. There are clear sinages in the airports to navigate but the airports can be very busy and crowded, so please be aware.

Beijing Capital International Airport

If you arrive at Terminal 2, please meet your driver at the entrance/exit #7 after you go through the baggage claim area.
If you arrive at Terminal 3, please meet your driver in front of the white jade screen wall with the dragon pattern, after you walk through Exit B. Exit B is the only international arrival gate in Terminal 3. Please note that Beijing Airport is very crowded so please be patient.

If you are making your own way to the joining hotel:
By taxi (the easiest option): Follow the airport signs to reach to the official taxi stand for meteored taxis. The taxi ride from the airport to our starting point hotels takes about 1 hour and should cost around CNY120. PLEASE AVOID TAXI DRIVERS WHO DON'T WAIT IN THE TAXI LINE FOR CLIENTS AND APPROACH YOU IN THE QUEUE CLAIMING THEY USE METER.

By airport express and taxi: Follow the airport signs to reach to the airport express station. Take the airport express (CNY25, service time: 06:20 to 22:50) to Dongzhimen station, where you may hail a taxi to your hotel. It'll cost around 30CNY. THERE IS NO TAXI LINE AT THIS STATION. AVOID USING TAXIS THAT ARE WAITING JUST OUTSIDE THE STATION EXITS. THEY DON'T USE METER AND TEND TO OVERCHARGE.

Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX): meet your driver at the exit after you clear customs for pre-arranged arrival transfer.

If you are making your own way to the joining hotel:
By taxi (the easiest option): Follow the airport signs to reach to the official taxi stand for meteored taxis. The taxi ride from Beijing Daxing International Airport to our starting point hotels takes about 1.5 hours and should cost around CNY200. PLEASE AVOID TAXI DRIVERS WHO DON'T WAIT IN THE TAXI LINE FOR CLIENTS AND APPROACH YOU IN THE QUEUE CLAIMING THEY USE METER.

By airport express and taxi: Follow the airport signs to reach to the airport express station. Take the airport express (CNY35, service time: 06:00 to 23:00) to Caoqiao station. The taxi station is close to E1 exit of Caoqiao station, where you may hail a taix to your hotel and it will cost around CNY45 AVOID USING TAXIS THAT ARE WAITING JUST OUTSIDE THE STATION EXITS. THEY DON'T USE METER AND TEND TO OVERCHARGE.

Guide Hotel, 9/3 University Street 9/3 Их сургуулийн гудамж, Sukhbaatar District, Ulaanbaatar, 14201, MONGOLIA, Phone: +976 11353887

Guide Hotel has a 24-hour reception, currency exchange and luggage storage on request. The onsite restaurant offers Mongolian and European dishes. Free WiFi access is available in all rooms.

Alternate Finish Point

Check out time is 12:00 noon.

Your leader or reception can assist you with arranging a transfer to the airport or railway station for your departure.

Breakfasts included: 7

Lunches included: 5

Dinners included: 2

FOOD IN CHINA:
What IS authentic Chinese food like? Check out these articles to get a taste:
https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/china-food-trip-blog/
https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/china-food-stereotypes/
https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/a-guide-to-traditional-chinese-street-food/

VEGETARIANS & VEGANS:
Vegetarians in China certainly won't go hungry as there are always plenty of meat-free options on menus including vegetable, tofu, and egg dishes. Your leader can advise on some local favourites. Dairy is uncommon in Chinese cooking, although in some regions like Tibet, Xinjiang, and Yunnan you will find milk products as part of the local cuisine. Vegans should also have few problems finding tasty meals in most locations. Nearly all cities will have vegetarian restaurants, often near to temples or monasteries that specialise in Buddhist cuisine. Check out this blog for a guide to eating vegetarian in Beijing: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/a-vegetarians-guide-to-beijing/

DIETARY NEEDS:
Wherever possible we will cater for dietary needs for included meals, but there may be times when those with special requirements may wish to supplement inclusions with their own supplies from markets or supermarkets. Please note that some dietary requirements, such as Gluten-Free, will be uncommon in China and you may need to explain to your leader what you can and can't eat as well as research common dishes before you travel.

ALLERGIES:
For those suffering from particular food allergies, your group leader will endeavor to disclose to their fullest knowledge the main ingredients in dishes being consumed. It is, however, your personal responsibility to ensure that you do not ingest any foods to which you are allergic and research suitable local foods before travelling.

MONGOLIA
Those with special dietary requirements may choose to supplement included meals with supplies brought from home. Vegetarian lacto-ovo options (while limited) can be offered for all included meals, provided we are notified at time of booking.

While we always endeavour to provide the best possible holiday experience, due to the nature of travel and the areas we visit sometimes things can and do go wrong. Should any issue occur while you are on your trip, it is imperative that you discuss this with your group leader or local representative straight away so that they can do their best to rectify the problem and save any potential negative impact on the rest of your trip.

We recognise that there may be times when your group leader or local representative may not be able to resolve a situation to your satisfaction - if this is the case, please ask the group leader or local representative to speak to their direct manager.

You may also choose to provide details in your online feedback, which we ask you to complete within 30 days of the end of your trip. Please do be aware that it is very difficult for us to provide any practical help after the trip is completed, so informing us while still travelling will give us the opportunity to resolve the issue in real-time.

For general contact details please use the following page: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/contact-us

In case of a genuine crisis or emergency, you can reach our local office on the numbers below:

Intrepid's local office: +86 17200311621

OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION
The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances.

TWIN SHARE / MULTI SHARE BASIS
Accommodation on this trip is on a twin/multishare basis. Please note there may be times where facilities will be shared rather than ensuite and rare occasions when you share a room with passengers travelling on a different Intrepid trip than your own.

CHECK-IN TIME
Throughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination.

PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATION
If you've purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (subject to availability), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights.