I also consider St. Petersburg a must. I abhor museums, but there is still so much to do there and it has a very unique feel. Kazan is also an amazing city for young people/nightlife/architecture/hostels that is not much of a detour if you transfer from Yekburg to Kazan and then Kazan to Moscow.

So far thats what I've got :
- Vladivostok
- Khabarovsk (worth it?)
- Uland Ude
- Irkutsk
- Novosibirsk (incl. Tomsk)
- Tyumen? (anything special except the monastery? Or just the getaway to Tobolsk? to be visited?)
- Yekaterinburg (worth it?)

And then i don't know if i should keep on the Trans Siberian route toward Perm or the Ural route via Kazan?

Hey,

Good question, we arrived into China on the Trans-Siberian train without any x-ray machines checkpoints, which meant we crossed the border with our gas canister. We passed through many checkpoints as we moved about the country and no-one asked to check our bags over our two months there. When we entered Zhangjiajie national park it was recommended that we keep the gas in our pockets because they only checked bags, which was true as we walked straight in with the gas in tow. China is place that full to brim with rules but also the first place to find a way around them, where there's a will....

unfortunately, we didn't buy gas in China but outdoor activities are growing there so i'm sure it can be found, it's probably made in China anyhow...

At least they ought to be able to visit the 7-8 main cities along the TS and describe more than 2-3 sights in each. The towns in Siberia are much more interesting than they sound. Can definately recommend a trip with a couple of days stop in Ekatarinburg, Omsk, Irkutsk and potentially Novosibirsk. I also heard recommendations for Tomsk and Krasnoyarsk, but didn't stop there myself.

There are buses and trains between Mongolia and Kazakhstan. However, you'll need a (transit) visa for Russia. You can find more info about it here: https://caravanistan.com/transport/bus-shared-taxi/kazakhstan/to-mongolia/

No idea however about the price of the Trans-Siberian train. This website might help you: https://www.transsiberianexpress.net/

Happy Travels!
https://www.journalofnomads.com/travel-europe-asia/

I fail to fathom how Vietnam gets lumped into the Trans Siberian network. Its not even on the same rail system. And questions on what you actually need to get the Russian visa should be asked on that branch.

https://www.trains-and-cruises.com/en/journey/trans-siberian-railroad-vladivostok-moscow/
includes Vladivostok

https://www.onthegotours.com/Trans-siberian-Railway/Destination-Vladivostok--19-days - that one also goes to vladivastok

I know I want Vladivastok to be included in the trip now, and it seems at least these two have this option. Which one do you think is better, or what pros and cons do I need to consider? Thank you.

https://www.trains-and-cruises.com/en/journey/trans-siberian-railroad-vladivostok-moscow/
includes Vladivostok

https://www.onthegotours.com/Trans-siberian-Railway/Destination-Vladivostok--19-days - that one also goes to vladivastok

I know I want Vladivastok to be included in the trip now, and it seems at least these two have this option. Which one do you think is better, or what pros and cons do I need to consider? Thank you.

You need Letter covering from 1st to last day u r in Russia - your tour company should be able to expand your Letter even if u dont book everything thru them
Letter should look something like this:
1 July - arrive Novosibirsk flight VO123
1-2 July - stay Hotel Novo - Novosibirsk
3 July - train 00RED (ie train number) Novosibirsk to Moscow
3-4 July - Hotel Square - Moscow
5 July - train 00SAIT Moscow to St Petersburg
6-13 July - Hotel Peters - St Petersburg
14 July - train 00PET St Petersburg to Moscow
14 - 18 July - Trans Siberian train 00ROS Moscow to Vladivostok
18-19 July - Hotel Vlad - Vladivostok
20 July depart Vladivostok flight VAL003 to Tokyo