Moscow.

The Trans-Siberian route starts from the political and financial capital of Russia. The city includes several must see attractions from the Kremlin and Red Square to the Assumption Cathedral, there are lots of museums, theatres and other tourist attractions. Moscow is the largest city in Europe complete with everything one could expect.

Vladimir: 209 km; 2h 30min.
Built on the Klyza’ma River, Vladimir, founded in 995, was at one time a capital of Russia and its political, cultural and religious center. It is known for its unique cathedrals, four of which are on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Some architectural gems worth of being visited are the Uspensky (Assumption) Cathedral (1158-61) and the Golden Gate (1164).

Nizhny Novgorod: 461 km; 6h 30 min.
This city was founded in 1221, and it used to be a trading center for commercial exchanges with the Orient, Siberia and Turkistan. Formerly named Gorki, it held political exiles and was closed to outsiders for many years. The city recently opened its doors for visitors and its many well preserved memorials from the 13th and 14th centuries are an amazing attraction.

Kirov: 917 km; 12h 50 min.
Kirov has a population of 350,000 and is the seat of a great agricultural center on the banks of the Vyatka River, a navigable river that connects with the Volga.

Perm: 1397 km; 20h 10 min.
Perm lies about 800 miles east of Moscow on the western slopes of the Ural Mountains, and stretches along both sides of the Kama River. Perm was founded in 1568 as the village, Lagoshikha. Since 1756, Perm has been a center for Russia’s military manufacturing. By 1781, it was established as the administrative center of the northern Urals and gateway to Siberia.

Ekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk): 1778 km; 1d 2h 20min.
Russia’s third largest city and the capital of the Urals. Sverdlovsk oblast is one of the most developed and advanced regions in Russia. It is very rich in minerals and raw materials and is a heavily industrialized area. It is located far from ethnic conflict areas and is politically stable.

Tyumen: 2104 km; 1d 6h 30min.
Tyumen was the first Russian town in Siberia and has always been famous for rich trade fairs and skilled craftsman. The city was considered the richest Russian town in the pre-Soviet era. Today it’s an oil and gas capital.

Omsk: 2676 km; 1d 13h 50min.
Originally built as a fortification for Russia’s southern border by Peter the Great's guardsman Ivan Buchholz; when in spring of 1716 he and his detachment made a landing on the shore of the Irtysh, at the place where this powerful Siberian river joins the quiet Om. Thus, was founded the town of Omsk, which in our day has become the largest industrial and cultural center in Siberia.

Novosibirsk: 3303 km; 1d 21h 30min.
The Siberia region’s largest city was founded in 1893. Novosibirsk is the third main cultural and scientific center in Russia (after Moscow and St. Petersburg) and also is home to the famous University of Novosibirsk. The city is developing quite rapidly, and is considered to be the capital of Siberia. The area around Novosibirsk and the Altai Mountains hold some incredible nature for the outdoorsmen.

Krasnoyarsk: 4065 km; 2d 9h 20 min.
Krasnoyarsk is turning into one of the most attractive regions in Russia for both Russian and foreign tourists. The region offers a unique combination of beautiful rivers and mountains, clean air, hunting and fishing, architectural sites and the ethnic culture of a unique northern nation.

Angarsk: 5113 km; 3d 2h 20min.
A hazardous city with unsightly landscapes. Recently the construction of an oil pipeline between Russia and China, which would begin in Angarsk, has been discussed.

Irkutsk: 5153 km; 3d 3h 20min.
Irkutsk has over 600,000 people and is located on the Angara River. It is the starting point for many who adventure to the Lake Baikal area because it is a major point on the Trans-Siberian/Trans-Mongolian train route. Founded by Russians in 1652 as a major fort beyond the Ural Mountains, it was populated by exiled political prisoners sent by the tsars and communists. Today, the city has become a college town with many young people attending universities there.

Baikalsk: 5360 km; 3d 6h 40min.
Baikalsk is situated near the oldest and the deepest lake in the world with very clear and transparent water and extremely beautiful landscapes. Besides, there is a popular ski and snowboard resort here.

Ulan-Ude: 5609 km; 3d 12h 20min.
Ulan-Ude, founded in 1666, is a capital of the Buryt Autonomous Republic, which in the 13 - 17th centuries was a part of the vast Mongolian Empire. This a classic example of the Eastern influence in Russia.
- In Ulan-Ude, the Trans-Siberian splits into two different directions: 
1) travels South though Guisinoye Ozero, Djida, Naushki (Russia) to Ulan-Bataar (Mongolia) to Beijing (China) – Trans Mongolian.
2) travels East through Chita to Vladivostok – Trans-Siberian.

Chita: 6166 km; 3d 21h 50min.
A large industrial city and the center of the Chita region.
- 100 km after Chita (in Karymskaya) the Trans-Siberian splits into 2 routes: 1) East to Vladivostok, and 2) South through Manchuria to China (Trans-Manchurian).

Birobidzhan: 8320 km; 5d 13h 20min. 
- Evreiskaya region ends and Khabarovsky krai begins at 8481 km. 
- Crosses Amur River at 8482 via the longest Trans-Siberian bridge (2612 meters) immediately following a long tunnel.

Khabarovsk: 8493 km; 5d 15h 40min.
Located on the Amur River which bounds Russia and China, it’s a nice, friendly town and a good break from the time on the train.

Vladivostok: 9259 km; 6d 5h 19min.
The termination of the Trans-Siberian Railway. In 1860, an army squad landed on the bank of the Zolotoy Rog (Golden Horn) bay and built barracks; it was the first building in Vladivostok. Soon after that, Vladivostok became the main Russian port on the Pacific Ocean. An interesting seaport to explore, but a little risky as well.