China & Mongolia Railway Adventure

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

Your 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.

China’s world-class sites and experiences draw large numbers of local and international travellers. We recommend a little patience and comfortable shoes as you may need to wait before entering the more popular locations on your itinerary.

Be prepared for some long travel days as you’ll need to cover almost 3500 km to see two countries.

This trip is a combination of two trips. Please review the Itinerary for details of when your fellow travellers and leader will change.

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 14 (Overnight Train), 15 and 16 (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.

What you need to bring will vary according to the trip style you have chosen, the countries you are visiting and when you are travelling. Generally speaking, we recommend you pack as lightly as possible and make sure that you are able to carry and lift your own luggage and walk with it for short distances or up or down a flight of stairs. Our travellers usually find the smaller their luggage is, the more they enjoy the trip not having to worry about carrying heavy bags! Aim to keep your main luggage under 15kg.

Many travellers carry their luggage in a compact smaller suitcase or backpack with wheels. We recommend your bag has carry straps or handles so it is easy to lift and carry for the times you are unable to wheel it (ie. on rough surfaces or up steps).

If you are taking overnight trains, or primarily using public transport then 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.

You'll also need a day pack/bag to carry water, camera, swimming suit, waterproof pouch/bag for phone, hiking shoes and jacket etc. when you’re exploring during the day.

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.

Kingtown Hotel Plaza Shanghai, No.126 Xinzha Road Huangpu, 200003, Shanghai, CHINA, Phone: +862 1 6067 7258

Kingtown Hotel Plaza Shanghai is located in Shanghai’s business, entertainment and shopping area. A 2-minute walk from Xinzha Road Subway Station Line 1, it offers free parking and rooms with free internet. Kingtown Hotel Plaza Shanghai is a short 500 m from People’s Square, the Shanghai Museum and Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street. Guestrooms at Kingtown offer a stylish interior with modern furnishings. Each well-appointed room is equipped with a minibar, a work desk and a flat-screen TV with satellite channels.

Alternate Joining Point

An arrival transfer from the airport/train station is available if arranged at the time of booking. Transfers cannot be arranged on arrival. Please advise your flight/train arrival details no later than 14 days prior to your departure. If you plan to arrive earlier, this arrival transfer can only be offered in conjunction with pre-tour accommodation booked through Intrepid.

If you have pre-arranged an arrival transfer with us, our local operator will have sent a driver to the airport who will be holding a sign with the Intrepid logo and your name on it. If there's any issue with meeting your transfer driver, please contact our China team's emergency number.

Pudong Airport:
If you choose to travel to the joining point by public transport you can take the Maglev to Longyang Lu Station, then take subway Line 2 from Longyang Lu Station to Renmin Square Station, change to subway Line 1 to Xinzhalu Station, Exit No.6, then about 500 meters walk to your hotel. From Shanghai Pudong International Airport, approx 200CNY by taxi.

Hongqiao Airport:
If you are landing at Hongqiao international airport, please take the subway from Hong Qiao station Line 2 to Renmin Square Station, change to subway Line1 to Xinzhalu Station, Exit 6, then about 500meters walk to your hotel. It is 20km from Hongqiao international Airport to hotel, a taxi would cost about CNY 100.

Below is hotel's name and address in Chinese:
Hotel Name: Kingtown Hotel Plaza Shanghai 上海广场嘉廷酒店
Hotel Address: No. 126, Xinzha Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai 上海市黄浦区新闸路126号
Hotel Tel: +86 21 6067 7258

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: 10

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:

+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.