CHINA to MONGOLIA By Train: An EPIC 46 Hour Journey!

CHINA to MONGOLIA By Train: An EPIC 46 Hour Journey!

This Video is sponsored by Level8 
Luggage. Get 10% OFF Using Code: NONSTOP10 Coming up today, we’re making 
an epic 1,600km+ (1,000mi+)   journey from China to Mongolia by Train. This will take 46 hours and involve one 
high-speed train, two sleeper trains,   and the most spectacular sunset I’ve ever seen! So come along with me, and let’s 
have this crazy adventure together! Welcome to Beijing. The Chinese capital is home to 
around 22 million people, and a super fascinating   place – mixing ultra modern transport and 
architecture, with thousands of years of history. I’m currently in the Temple of Heaven 
grounds in the south of the city. It’s a beautiful retreat and a lovely 
green space to spend a few hours walking   around and soaking in the history, away from the 
hustle and bustle of everyday life in Beijing. If you don’t speak English, please 
enable the ‘CC’ closed caption   subtitles as they’re translated 
in to 140 languages for you! You can also now change the audio track 
to 8 other languages; including Spanish,   Italian, French, German, Japanese, and Hindi! Now I was staying in central Beijing, near 
to the main railway station – however,   my train departs from Bejingbei, or 
North Station, so we need to travel   9 stops on Line 2, the inner loop line, 
of the fast and efficient subway system. For some reason, Beijingbei Station 
isn’t marked on Beijing subway map,   but you’ll find it connected directly to 
Xizhimen station, on Lines 2, 4 and 13. When you alight – the route to 
the station is clearly marked. This station is also where you 
can catch a 20 minute high-speed   train to the Badaling section of the Great Wall. There are quite a few shops and food 
outlets here, including western brands. To head ‘airside’, you need to pass through a 
checkpoint. There are no physical tickets – they   are linked to your passport so head to 
see the member of staff on the gate line. Once through to the departure area, there’s plenty 
of seats, and some toilets – but not a lot else. The few shops that were here, were all closed, 
permanently – so I’d advise not heading through   here until 10-15 minutes before scheduled boarding 
time, which starts 15 minutes prior to departure. Our first train today is the G2465 service 
to Hohhot East, departing at 11:10am. Once boarding is called, you again need to head 
to the manual gate, to have your passport scanned. Then head up to the platform, either by escalator 
or lift. The whole station has step-free access. We’ll be departing from platform 1 today. The first train on this epic trip is this 
Fuxing CR400BF – specifically the ‘G’ version,   which have improved sandstorm 
and cold-weather resistance. These 8-car Ultra high-speed EMUs have a design 
speed of 400km/h (250mph) and an in-service speed   of 350km/h (217mph), making them currently the 
fastest regular service trains in the world. Boarding is level with the platform, 
with just a very small gap to cross. These trains have three classes onboard,   and we’ll be travelling in First 
Class today, the middle of the three. This is arranged in a 2+2 configuration,   with these large cloth recliners. They all 
rotate to face the direction of travel. My seat for today, is 8A. A window seat. Luggage can be stored on the 
stacks at the carriage ends,   behind the last row of seats, 
or on the large overhead racks. Before we depart let’s check out the full 
route we’ll be taking over the next 46 hours. First, we’ll be taking the high-speed 
train from Beijing to Hohhot. Then,   it’s a sleeper train to the China/Mongolia border 
– which we’ll then cross by minibus. Finally,   it’s another sleeper train up to Ulaan Baatar. We leave on-time, at 11:10am. From my experience, 
Chinese trains are always VERY punctual. The full route from Beijing to Ulaan 
Baatar is scheduled to take us 46 hours,   covering a distance of 1,637km (1,017mi). This first leg, from Beijing North 
to Hohhot East is 459km (285mi) and   will take 2 hours and 32 minutes of travel time. So as to not overload you with information 
all at once – I’ll give you the prices I paid,   in the class I travelled on each individual 
leg, and then total it all up at the end. The price for one adult in First 
Class, on this first train,   is 338 Chinese Yuan (£34.83, €40.76 $46.38). This is arguably one of the most 
interesting and fun trips I have ever done,   and I was happy to share it with two great 
friends of mine – Superalbs and Jack Torr.   Be sure to check out and subscribe to 
their channels for more amazing adventures! Shortly after departure, the 
complimentary service begins. We had a bit of a language barrier,   but it didn’t really matter as there was 
nothing to choose – she was lovely though! Every First Class passenger receives a snack box,   along with a cup of green 
tea and a bottle of water. All onboard announcements are made in both 
Chinese and English. They do go on a bit,   but are very clear and concise. Ladies & Gentlemen, for the safety of you,   and others please do not carry inflammable 
and explosive dangerous goods on to the train. Do not smoke in any area of 
the train. Do not touch any   red buttons and devices on the 
train, except the tea boiler. Thank you for your co-operation. We are now entering the mountainous 
region to the north of Beijing and   the route gets very tunnelly, but we 
are still moving along at a good rate. As far as Zhangjiakou, the line 
speed is mostly 350km/h (217mph),   but then after it’s a maximum of 
just 250km/h (155mph) to Hohhot. OK, let’s check out the seats here in First Class. They are very wide, well padded 
and have a good shape to them. There’s a large, soft head 
cushion and winged headrest. The recline is activated by this 
button, and is VERY generous. A tray table can be deployed 
from the armrest. This folds   out to double its size, and is pretty sturdy. A two-sided foot rest is located 
on the seat in front of you,   along with a storage pocket, which 
includes the safety magazine. Two power sockets and one 
USB port are on the arm rest. Two coat hooks can be found on the wall, and 
the window includes a full-length sun blind. Overall, a very good First Class product 
– and everything was super clean too! Each coach has two toilets. One is squat-style, and 
the other is western-style. Everything worked well, was 
stocked up and was also very clean. Here’s a look at Second Class, 
which is in a 3+2 layout. The main difference is much narrower seats,   less legroom and no complimentary 
goodies. Also, it’s usually MUCH busier. This is also where you’ll find two 
wheelchair spaces. The accessible   toilet is next to them, in the adjacent vestibule. There are hot water boilers throughout the train 
so you can make your own hot drinks, or noodles. Or you can buy drinks and 
snacks from the roaming trolley,   or from the café counter – which 
has a larger range, including meals. My go-to dish on Chinese Railways 
is usually Kung-po chicken. So, I got this, along with an iced milk tea – the   total price was 52 Chinese 
Yuan (£5.36, €6.20, $7.14). If you want AD-FREE early access to every 
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join button in every video, thank you! I’m sure this route is very beautiful, but 
you just don’t get to appreciate it fully,   with the constant in and out of tunnels. Anyway, before long we are on the 
approach to Hohhot East Station,   and leg 1 of our trip to 
Mongolia is drawing to a close. Just as a side note… If there was Chinese spec,   350km/h (250mph) high-speed line all the 
way from Beijing to Ulaan Baatar – then   this trip could be completed in less 
than 6 hours, instead of 46 hours. Hohhot, the capital of the Chinese 
province of Inner Mongolia,   has a population of 3.6 million people. This makes it a similar size to Berlin and LA.   My guess is you’ve probably never 
heard of it before though, right? Anyway, after some food, a little rest, 
and a look around the city – we’re   back in the boarding queue at the more 
centrally located Hohhot Railway Station,   and ready to get on to the 
first sleeper train of the trip. This is the 10.15pm departure of train 
number K7932 – the first loco-hauled   service I’ve ever taken in China, formed of 
a mix of 4-berth, 6-berth and seated coaches. Hauling us will be this China Railways HXD3D   electric locomotive. These have an 
in-service speed of 160km/h (100mph). Boarding again, is level with the platform, 
although unfortunately I couldn’t find   any accessible or wheelchair 
facilities on this train at all. My first impressions of this sleeper coach 
are good. It looks very clean and tidy. As there are three of us travelling together,   we’ve booked all four beds in one of the soft 
sleeper compartments – so we have it to ourselves. We depart again, right on-time at 10.15pm. This second leg, from Hohhot to Erlian 
covers 460km (286mi) – basically the   same distance as the first leg, but it 
will take us over three times longer,   at 8 hours and 34 minutes, as we’re 
no longer on the high-speed network. The price however, is very cheap. One bed in this 4-berth ‘Soft Sleeper’ compartment   costs just 188 Chinese Yuan 
(£19.44, €22.86, $25.85). We’ll have a look at the other accommodations   on this train a bit later on, 
and their respective prices. There’s not much to see out the window now,   as it’s pitch black – so let’s take this 
opportunity to check out our compartment. The room has is a sliding door, which 
can be locked from the inside only. Main room lights and announcement volume 
can be controlled with these switches,   just inside the door. Both net and blackout curtains 
can be found on the windows. The bunks also double as comfortable bench seats,   in day mode. Not that we’ll be 
needing that much on this journey! All bedding was stored on the top bunk when 
we arrived, but I made my bed up to show you. A mattress topper is placed on top of the 
seat, with a top sheet on top of that. There is also a soft and thick 
duvet and a very plump pillow. Coat hangers are provided… and every bunk 
has its own reading light available too. The large and sturdy table is covered with 
a nice tablecloth, and comes with a metal   tray and a flask so you can collect your own hot 
water from the dispensers at the carriage ends. Two power sockets can be found under the table. Luggage can be stored under both bottom 
bunks or in the large recess above the door. Overall, it’s a great compartment. Very 
clean, comfortable and well looked after. OK, let’s go an check out the 
other options onboard this train… These are the 6-berth ‘Hard Sleeper’ 
open compartments, with no door. They are in a much more dense 3-above-3 
layout and don’t have mattress toppers,   but all bedding is still provided. The beds don’t seem particularly ‘hard’, compared 
to mine – I think it’s more just the class name. Luggage can be stored under the bottom 
bunks or on the rack above the windows. And finally, the ‘Hard Seat’ option. This is bench seats in a 2+3 configuration. These 
are meant for shorter journeys on this route. I wouldn’t want to spend the night here,   and for the small price difference to get an 
actual bed, you probably shouldn’t either. Each coach has two toilets. These were all kept 
clean and stocked up throughout the journey. One is western style, as seen here. And the other is squat style, like this. Make your choice. OK, and now finally, the 
food options on this train. There is a trolley service which roams around   selling drinks and snacks, 
at very reasonable prices. Or you can take a seat in the very swish 
dining car, and order a meal from a menu. There’s a few options, which will be freshly 
cooked. Payment is by WeChat, Alipay or cash. This meal of beef, veggies and rice,   along with a beer cost 58 Yuan (£5.98, 
€7.04, $7.98). Pretty reasonable, I think! Anyway, it’s now quite late, and 
we’ve got a pretty early arrival time,   so I’ve headed back to our room 
to get some sleep. Good night! Good morning! I actually slept really well, 
for around 6 hours in total,   and I awake to a beautiful sunrise around 40 
minutes before our scheduled arrival time. The ride quality was good, and the 
bed and bedding were very comfortable. We are now pulling in to Erlian Station three   minutes early. And what a beautiful 
day it is – with a lovely blue sky! This is the last Chinese town,   before the Mongolian border which 
we will need to cross by minibus. Now, some trains do carry on through in to 
Mongolia, albeit only twice a week, and with   a very long stop at the border – but these 
are very hard to book, especially northbound. You cannot do it online, like I 
normally do with Chinese train   tickets – you have to do it in person, 
at the ticket office in Hohhot Station. Obviously you then run the risk of 
it being sold out when you arrive,   even if you plan in a few extra days, it’s 
not really a viable option to do this. However, in the southbound direction, you can book 
online from Ulaan Baatar all the way through to   Hohhot, online with Mongolian Railways. They 
don’t however sell this northbound service. There is rumours of the direct Beijing – Ulaan 
Baatar – Moscow train starting up again soon,   but as of editing, no date has been announced. Upon leaving the station, many people will 
accost you trying to sell you the minibus   transfer to Zamiin Uud, the frontier town on the 
Mongolian side, as this guy is trying to do now. As we had around 11 hours before our train 
onward train to Ulaan Baatar, on the other   side of the border – we wanted to grab some 
breakfast and have a look around Erlian first. So we agreed to 50 Chinese Yuan 
(£5.16, €6.07, $6.88) per person,   which is the going rate – and to 
meet him back here in 3 hours time. Anyway, at the agreed time – we returned to the 
station, and the guy was waiting across the road. This 3rd leg onboard this minibus, 
is just 10km (6mi) in distance,   but includes both Chinese exit and Mongolian 
entrance immigration and customs check points,   so you should plan for it 
to take at least 2-3 hours. I didn’t film anything inside, as per 
standard border crossing rules – however,   they both weren’t too busy and everything 
went smoothly, there was just some waiting   in queues. Ours ended up taking just 
over 2 hours from start to finish. You remove all your bags and go 
through the foot passenger checks,   and the driver meets you at the other side. Once you’ve cleared Mongolian immigration, 
there’s some ATMs and a couple of shops if   you want to grab cash and a snack, then the 
driver will drop you off at Zamiin Uud Station. We now just over 5 hours to kill – so 
we found this strange, but cheap hotel   opposite the station, where we could rest, 
recharge and shower before our next train. Anyway, around 45 minutes 
before scheduled departure,   we grab some drinks and snacks for the 
trip, and head over the road to the station,   and the train the will whisk us overnight to 
Ulaan Baatar is already waiting on the platform. And she’s a LONG ONE! I’m not sure exactly how 
many coaches there are, but it’s at least 25   with a mix of 2, 4 and 6 berth sleepers. 
Some of latter, are for seated use only. Hauling us will be this Mongolian Railways 
TE33AC diesel-electric locomotive. These behemoths have a design speed of 160km/h 
(100mph), and power output of 3,360kW (4,564hp). We’ll not be getting anywhere near 
that speed on this trip though,   with a maximum line speed of just 
100km/h (62mph) all the way through. Good to see there’s a dining car too – 
we’ll be sure to check that out later on. Boarding is fast, with just 
a quick check of my eTicket. Unfortunately, there is no level 
boarding here, with lots of large   steps up from platform to coach, and also 
no accessible facilities onboard, at all. We are booked in Spanly Vagon,   which is the equivalent of First 
Class, comprising 2-berth rooms. My first impressions are they look 
very clean and comfortable too. Before we’d even sat down, 
we were offered a cup of tea,   or coffee by the Provodnitsa, 
or carriage attendant. I’ve never had a welcome drink on a 
sleeper train before, I don’t think? Anyway, we depart right on-time, at 6.05pm. This forth and final leg, from 
Zamiin Uud to Ulaan Baatar covers   the remaining 708km (440mi) of the route 
from Beijing, and is scheduled to take 15   hours and 15 minutes of travel time, 
arriving at 9.20am tomorrow morning. One bed in this 2-berth Spalny 
Vagon compartment costs 140,000   Mongolian Tugriks (£29.48, €34.69, $39.24). This is super value, in my opinion. I’ll put the prices of the 
other classes on-screen now. You’re not going to want to miss 
tonight’s sunset – it’s one of   the most spectacular I’ve ever 
seen, both on and off a train! Oh and btw, if I had a picture in 
my mind of what Mongolia would look   like from a train before I came – this is 
pretty much it. Lot’s of nothingness… OK, time to check out our First Class room. It can be locked in two places, 
but from the inside only. The bed is large, around 2m (6ft6) 
in length, and comes unmade,   but with mattress, topper, blanket 
and pillow already in place. If you lift and slide the base, it also 
gives you some more width for sleeping. A linen pack is supplied separately 
comprising of two sheets, a towel,   a pillow case and some slippers. I’ll make the bed up and show 
you at the end of the room tour. The room has a large, fixed table and two 
complimentary bottles of water were provided. The main room lights can be controlled 
by these switches by the door. With individual smaller lamps also present. 
These will be work later, when it gets dark. There is also a switch to control the announcement   volume and just one power 
socket high up on the wall. The room is air conditioned, or 
heated, depending on the season. Luggage storage is available in this 
compartment under the bottom bunks… or   next to it for larger cases… or above 
the door for smaller bags and coats. There are also various coat hangers, hooks and 
storage shelves spread throughout the room. The window has a small section at the top 
which can be opened for additional ventilation. It also feature a pull-down blackout blind, ours 
was a bit stuck – and full closure curtains. With the lights off, and still with full 
daylight outside – it was super dark in here! And with the power of editing – 
here’s a look at the bed fully   made up – it looks very inviting. 
I’m sure I’ll sleep well tonight 🙂 OK, are you ready for a sunset? With our MASSIVE train 
snaking off into the distance,   and the empty southern Mongolian 
plains as far as the eye can see,   you’ll be hard pressed to find some better 
#TrainWindowViews in this part of the world. Oh wait, it just got better – sound up for this! A   huge two-part 2TE11 freight loco has arrived   making lots of noise and 
puffing out so much smoke! OK, back to serenity for a moment before we 
go and check out the rest of the train… Each coach has two toilets, one at each end. Oh the whole, these were in a 
very good condition and pretty   clean. The water worked and soap was available. There was no toilet paper, but any 
seasoned traveller who regularly   uses ex-Soviet trains knows to bring their own… A separate hand and face washing 
and teeth brushing station is also   available – but please make sure to 
use bottled water for the latter. Here’s a look at the 6-berth 
‘Platzkart’ accommodation. It’s pretty busy, noisy and hot in 
here. I think I’ll stick to my room! Every coach has a real-fire boiler 
to provide heating and hot water. The carriage attendant will sell 
you selected drinks and snacks,   which you can make up from the boiler or these 
hot water dispensers in the newer coaches. But there is also a dining car selling 
full meals and drinks, including alcohol. Anyway, it’s been a LONG day – so I’m 
going to turn in for the night now. Good morning – I actually slept very well 
again, and had around 8 hours of shut-eye. The coaches ride really well, with very 
little noise and the bed and bedding was   comfortable – just not quite the level 
of the Chinese ones from last night. The scenery might not have changed 
much – but we’ve crossed around   500km (300mi) of Mongolia overnight, and 
are quickly closing in on the capital. OK as some more settlements come 
into view – let me give you the   full price I paid for this entire 
trip from Beijing to Ulaan Baatar. It was around £90, €105, or 
$120 in total. I think that’s   outstanding value for such a great adventure. It costs around double that 
price to fly this route,   on even the cheapest fare – and 
is much more fun, in my opinion. Booking’s must be made separately – The 
Chinese ones can be booked through trip.com   two weeks in advance, and the Mongolian 
one through their website – I’ll leave   links in the description below. The minibus 
must be arranged when you arrive in Erlian. And my summary of the full trip from 
Beijing to Ulaan Baatar – AMAZING! I had such a great time with two of 
my good friends travelling on a route   that most people wouldn’t even consider possible. And it was all easy to arrange, super clean, 
comfortable and I got to see many sights that   would otherwise remain undiscovered 
– including that magical sunset! I’d highly recommend this if you’re 
after a unique experience – encompassing   ultra modern high-speed trains through 
the beautiful northern Chinese mountains,   to slow speed sleepers through 
the vast Mongolian plains. Just do it – you won’t regret it 🙂 In the end, we arrive in the Mongolian 
capital, Ulaan Baatar around 10 minutes late,   at 9.30am – around 46 hours after we left Beijing. Have you been on any international 
train in Central Asia before? If so,   which ones and on which routes? How did you 
find them? Let me know in the comments below! I’m always open to new video ideas, so if you 
have something you’d like to see on the channel,   then drop me DM on Instagram, BlueSky or Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe, and thanks for watching 
to the end, and I’ll see you in the next video!

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Today we’re back in China and are going to Mongolia, by train!

We’ll be travelling from the Chinese capital, Beijing to the Mongolian capital, Ulaan Baatar using a bus, a high-speed train and two sleeper trains. So join me and let’s go and have this MASSIVE adventure together!

#China #Mongolia #Beijing #UlaanBaatar #FuxingCR400 #TrainWindowViews

Date of Filming: 8 to 10/9/24
Camera: GoPro Hero 12 Black
Operator: CR (China Railways) & UBTZ (Mongolian Railways)
Departure: Beijing, China
Arrival: Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia
Cost: Around £90, €105, or $120 in total.

Click here to book Chinese train tickets through Trip.com:
https://www.trip.com/trains/china

Click here to book Mongolian train tickets through UBTZ:
https://eticket.ubtz.mn

Click here for my Fuxing CR400 Business Class Suites review:

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00:00 – Intro
01:32 – Heading to Beijing North for Departure
03:48 – Level8: My Favourite Luggage
04:32 – Route Information & Pricing
06:38 – Leg 1: Beijing to Hohhot
11:06 – Leg 2: Hohhot to Erlian
17:55 – Leg 3: Border Crossing
19:40 – Leg 4: Zamiin Uud to Ulaan Baatar
24:48 – World’s Best Sunset # TrainWindowViews
27:30 – Trip Summary & Arrival
28:55 – Outro