the trashmen tour

The Trashmen Verified

Similar artists on tour, concerts and tour dates, about the trashmen.

Ten things you should know about the Trashmen, Minneapolis garage rock legends

Log in to share your opinion with The Current and add it to your profile.

Thanks for liking this song! We have added it to a personal playlist for you.

by Hailey Colwell

December 04, 2014

1. The Trashmen are a garage and surf rock group from Minneapolis that formed in 1962.

2. Their 1963 hit "Surfin' Bird" reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 later that year. It has since been recorded by artists like the Ramones, the Cramps, Silverchair and Pee-Wee Herman. The song was used in Stanley Kubrick's  Full Metal Jacket  and on a  Family Guy  episode that launched it to number 8 on the iTunes Top 10 Rock songs chart in 2009.

3.  "Surfin' Bird" was a mash-up of the songs "The Bird's the Word" and "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" by R&B group the Rivingtons, who eventually caught on and ultimately received writing credits for the song.

4. Their lineup has changed over the years but stayed in the family: when drummer Steve Wahrer died of cancer in 1989, guitarist Tony Andreason's brother Mark took his place.

5. The group have recently teamed up with singer-songwriter  Deke Dickerson , an alt-country, blues and rock n' roll artist originally from Missouri.

Photo: Joel Paterson via dekedickerson.com

6. With Dickerson, the band recently released its first album in 25 years, Bringing Back The Trash.  You've been hearing tracks from this album on the Current.

7. Artist and music critic Cub Koda argued the band shouldn't be dismissed as one-hit wonders . "Unfairly depicted as a novelty act," Koda wrote, "the Trashmen were in actuality a top-notch rock n' roll combo, enormously popular on the teen-club circuit, playing primarily surf music to a landlocked Minnesota audience."

8. The band plays all over: touring Europe and performing at fairs and festivals in the U.S. They performed with Dickerson at the Minnesota State Fair this past August.

9. Their logo has not changed since the '60s, and it still looks awesome.

10. In 2010, Facebook campaigners tried to get "Surfin' Bird" to the top of the United Kingdom charts over Christmas, selling 68,000 copies the week before Dec. 25. It came in third, behind Rihanna and Matt Cardle, the  X Factor  winner for that year.

Hailey Colwell  is a journalism major at the University of Minnesota and a co-director of  Theatre Corrobora .

• Moscow concerts Moscow concerts Moscow concerts See all Moscow concerts ( Change location ) Today · Next 7 days · Next 30 days
• Most popular artists worldwide
• Trending artists worldwide

• Tourbox for artists

Search for events or artists

• Sign up Log in

• Get the app
• Moscow concerts
• Change location
• Popular Artists
• Live streams
• Deutsch Português
• Popular artists

The Trashmen

• On tour: no
• Upcoming 2024 concerts: none

42,297 fans get concert alerts for this artist.

Join Songkick to track The Trashmen and get concert alerts when they play near you.

Find your next concert

Join 42,297 fans getting concert alerts for this artist

Similar artists with upcoming concerts

Tours most with, past concerts.

Memory Lanes Block Party

The Orleans Hotel and Casino

View all past concerts

Posters (4)

Find out more about The Trashmen tour dates & tickets 2024-2025

Want to see The Trashmen in concert? Find information on all of The Trashmen’s upcoming concerts, tour dates and ticket information for 2024-2025.

Unfortunately there are no concert dates for The Trashmen scheduled in 2024.

Songkick is the first to know of new tour announcements and concert information, so if your favorite artists are not currently on tour, join Songkick to track The Trashmen and get concert alerts when they play near you, like 42297 other The Trashmen fans.

Last concert:

Popularity ranking:

• Odd Mob (8421)
• The Trashmen (8422)
• JC Reyes (8423)

Concerts played in 2024:

Touring history

Most played:

• Twin Cities (4)
• New York (NYC) (2)
• Cleveland (2)

Appears most with:

• Neanderthals (8)
• Whiskey Daredevils (2)
• The Sadies (2)
• Black Magic Six (2)
• Los Straitjackets (2)

Distance travelled:

Similar artists

• Most popular charts
• API information
• Brand guidelines
• Community guidelines
• Terms of use
• Privacy policy
• Cookies settings
• Cookies policy

Get your tour dates seen everywhere.

• But we really hope you love us.

The Trashmen Tour Dates and Upcoming Concerts

Frequently asked questions about the trashmen, is the trashmen on tour.

The Trashmen

• Surfin' Bird
• Surfin' Bird · 1963
• Full Metal Jacket (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) · 1963
• The Best of the Trashmen · 1964
• Surfin' Bird · 1964
• Bird Dance Beat
• King of the Surf
• Tube City! The Best of the Trashmen · 1992
• Tube City! The Best of the Trashmen · 1964
• The Best of the Trashmen · 2022

Singles & EPs

Live albums, compilations, about the trashmen.

Arguably the greatest landlocked surf band of all time, the Trashmen are best remembered for their debut single, "Surfin' Bird," a manic blast of primitive garage rock thunder that was wild in a way few singles were in 1963. It guaranteed the Trashmen a certain immortality; it's been a staple in movies, television shows, commercials, and oldies radio shows for literally decades. It's also an anomaly in their catalog; for the most part, the Trashmen were a surf band in Minnesota, singing about cool cars and hanging ten over reverb-enhanced guitar lines and a crisp rhythm section. 1964's Surfin' Bird was the only album they released in their original run, but 2022's The Best of the Trashmen gives a better overview of their career, and 1990's Live Bird '65 - '67 and 2012's Teen Trot are archival releases that capture how they sounded on-stage in front of an audience.

Similar Artists

The surfaris, dick dale & his del-tones, sam the sham & the pharaohs, jan & dean, the rivieras, ronny & the daytonas, the ruffled feathers, the rip chords, select a country or region, africa, middle east, and india.

• Côte d’Ivoire
• Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The
• Guinea-Bissau
• Niger (English)
• Congo, Republic of
• Saudi Arabia
• Sierra Leone
• South Africa
• Tanzania, United Republic Of
• Turkmenistan
• United Arab Emirates

Asia Pacific

• Indonesia (English)
• Lao People's Democratic Republic
• Malaysia (English)
• Micronesia, Federated States of
• New Zealand
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• Solomon Islands
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• France (Français)
• Deutschland
• Luxembourg (English)
• Moldova, Republic Of
• North Macedonia
• Portugal (Português)
• Türkiye (English)
• United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina (Español)
• Bolivia (Español)
• Virgin Islands, British
• Cayman Islands
• Chile (Español)
• Colombia (Español)
• Costa Rica (Español)
• República Dominicana
• Ecuador (Español)
• El Salvador (Español)
• Guatemala (Español)
• Honduras (Español)
• Nicaragua (Español)
• Paraguay (Español)
• St. Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• St. Vincent and The Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turks and Caicos
• Uruguay (English)
• Venezuela (Español)

The United States and Canada

• Canada (English)
• Canada (Français)
• United States
• Estados Unidos (Español México)
• الولايات المتحدة
• États-Unis (Français France)
• Estados Unidos (Português Brasil)
• 美國 (繁體中文台灣)

The Trashmen

Latest setlist, the trashmen on may 24, 2015.

Memory Lanes, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Popular Tracks

TONY ANDREASON (The Trashmen)

Founding member and lead guitarist for The Trashmen of Minneapolis, MN. Andreason shared lead vocals with drummer Steve Wahrer in the band's original iteration, and handles all lead vocals in the current band, reformed in the 1990s. A life-long fan of country music, Andreason also continues to play guitar in a long-lived Minneapolis bluegrass band, The Platte Valley Boys.

TONY ANDREASON (The Trashmen) and The Surf Dawgs

With the zingrays, the surf dawgs, with tony andreason (the trashmen) and the zingrays, with lava la rue, bumpin uglies, with tunnel vision and joey harkum (solo), field guide.

JAVASCRIPT IS DISABLED. Please enable JavaScript on your browser to best view this site.

Twin Cities Music Highlights

Jeanne andersen.

• Dance Marathons
• Musical Artists
• Twin Cities Disc Jockeys

The Trashmen

Of all the great rock ‘n’ roll groups playing around the Twin Cities in the mid-sixties, the one that really broke out into the Big Time was the Trashmen.  Of course, national fame came based on the silly novelty tune “Surfin’ Bird,” but keep playing their eponymous LP and you’ll hear some of the best surf music ever recorded!

There are many books, magazines, and websites around that will tell the story of the T-Men, including their page at minniepaulmusic.com so this page won’t go into the all the details, but here are a few tidbits:

MIKE JANN TELLS IT FROM THE BEGINNING

On October 8, 2017, lead guitar player Tony Andreason was given  the second annual Bill Diehl Award.  His childhood friend and official Trashmen historian, Mike Jann, delivered these words at the ceremony:

Thank you for the opportunity to say a few words on behalf of my friend, Tony — whom I’ve had the pleasure of knowing now for over some 60 years!    I was introduced to Tony back in about 1955 when the nuns at the grade school Tony and I attended (and I had graduated from) heard that we both played guitars.  They put the word out that we should get together and meet up — with our instruments.

Now there were not nearly as many guitar players back in ’55 as now-a-days.  So the first time I heard Tony play at the school’s Talent Show, his picking nearly “knocked my socks off” — to quote an old saying.  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing!  So I called him and we got together for our first guitar picking jam.  …And when I learned that he, like me, enjoyed country music — that was an instant bond — that would last through the years.

Case in point: One Saturday night we were parked in my ’48 Plymouth on a hill overlooking Crystal Lake in Robbinsdale — with the car radio on.  A while later, a police officer came up and asked, “What are you boys doing in there?”  One of us replied: “We’re listening to the Grand Ole Opry — from Nashville — on the radio!  …The reception is better up here by the lake.  …Less interference.”  The cop said something like: “Well, maybe, O.K., fellas…” and left — probably scratching his head.  …There was no beer in that car.

We would get together for regular jam sessions as often as possible — usually in his parents’ basement in North Minneapolis.  After a while, word got out what we had been up to — and we were invited to perform at a few Sunday evening church suppers in the area.  Hey, they paid us maybe $10.00 for the two-some!  We were happy to get the gigs!

By then, I was brave enough to sing some Johnny Cash songs — while Tony would play the lead guitar parts, just like Luther Perkins did for Johnny!  Our little musical interlude would have Tony usually playing at least one instrumental tune — like the “Guitar Boogie Shuffle” or some variation while I played rhythm guitar for him.  Don’t think I got nervous up front — cause I knew he was there behind me — and could pick out an instrumental on his guitar at any time (…to save my ‘vocal ship’ from sinking)!

In about 1957, someone asked us if we would like to be in a Knights of Columbus Talent Contest in downtown Minneapolis.  We decided to give it a try!  Tony was recalling that the Grand Prize was maybe $50.00 and a recording session for the winning act.  Tony led off picking his instrumental arrangement of the “Guitar Boogie Shuffle.”  Then we hit the judges with me vocalizing a Homer & Jethro parody version of the old classic “On Top of Old Smokey” — and somehow we won the Grand Prize!  We beat out the accordion player that probably played “Lady of Spain” — and maybe a couple of classical piano players, etc..

The Grand Prize took us down to Kay Bank Recording Studio on Nicollet Ave. South, Minneapolis.  We recorded two songs — one a song I had “written” and the other was Tony playing an instrumental medley on his guitar.  We received a couple of acetate copies of “our session” to take back home.

In about 1959, Tony started playing out at the Crystal Coliseum for teen dances on Friday nights with various rock bands, including Jim Thaxter and the Travelers.  As I listened to his talented guitar playing, I knew there was ‘a change a coming.’  …That our little two-some was about to change direction completely for Tony, as local rock bands started calling him to play lead guitar for teen dances.

And little did ANY of us know then that Tony would return to Kay Bank six years later in 1963 — with three other bandmates by the names of Steve Wahrer, Dal Winslow and Bob Reed — better known as the Trashmen — to record a hit song that would put Kay Bank and Minneapolis back on the pop music charts!  Reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart was just part of “Surfin’ Bird” history!

In the Fall of 1963, I vividly recall the night when the “Surfin’ Bird” 45 single record was first played on the radio — the Wednesday evening’s “Pick to Click”(-??) listener call-in program on Wonderful “Wee-Gee”, WDGY!  Tony, myself and Larry LaPole were working on recording some demos.

Tony asked me for my car keys so he could go out and turn on the car radio to monitor what was happening on WDGY.  Some time passed while the girls were singing — and all of a sudden, Tony came running back in and excitedly announced: “They played our record!  He watched the recording in progress for a while — and then went back out to the car.  After another few minutes, he came back in again to tell us that they had played “Surfin’ Bird” again!  If I recall, he made a third trip into our makeshift recording room to announce that the “Bird” had been played a third time — due to listeners calling in to make the Trashmen’s record the winner for night — the most requested “Pick to Click” favorite record.

That would dramatically change the direction for the future of the 4-piece Trashmen band!

However ironic, the record had to be taken off of radio airplay for the next few days while records were quickly pressed up and shipped to local record stores — to make supply meet up with teen demand for what we were referring to as an ‘overnight hit’!

Reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in early 1964 was just part of the “Surfin’ Bird” history!  Well on its way to No. 1, the chart action was ‘rudely interrupted’ by a 4-piece group hailing from England.

Over time, Tony became very proficient in the recording studio — many times calling upon what he had learned in his High School Orchestra days at Patrick Henry High School and later   at McPhail School of Music in Minneapolis.

In 1966-1967, we started a record label — or two — to help promote some of David Anthony’s bands that he was booking.  Tony was willing and able to offer help with what he had learned ‘the hard way’ in the recording studio.  Amongst other projects, he worked with and produced the South 40 “Live at Someplace Else” album on Metrobeat.  He was always willing to share his musical knowledge and guitar tricks or secrets with most anyone who asked him for advice.  …Whether that be in the studio or after a Trashmen gig — while signing autographs out in front of the stage.

In 1989, Steve Wahrer, the voice of “Surfin’ Bird,” passed away.  Since Tony always had a very good ear for hearing and imitating voices, it fell upon him to teach himself to “sing” ‘the Bird.’  After all, he had heard it …how many thousands of times coming from behind him on stage when Steve would sing “the Bird” — while playing his drums.

…After the frequency of the Trashmen’s gigs in the U.S. lessened, it came as NO SURPRISE to me that Tony joined a bluegrass band — “The Platte Valley Boys.”  Because back in our earlier jam session days, Tony might start the conversation by saying something like, “Mike, you gotta hear this!!  I just got this brand-new Jimmy Martin album, or this one by the Stanley Brothers” — or maybe a Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs song. And there was always a catchy bluegrass harmony part that Tony would try to get me to sing along with him.  …But I just ‘fell flat’ trying to hit those harmony parts!

Finally, The Platte Valley Boys provided that ‘harmonious’ platform and Tony could add his part to those tight, clean bluegrass harmonies that he loved so much.  Yes, Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys’ ‘rocking’ to “Be True to Your School” might come close — but Tony really got his bluegrass “chops” and guitar licks in with his 15-plus years performing with The Platte Valley Boys!

But Tony, as a member of “The Trashmen” — never foresaw that decades later, they would play to sold-out crowds in Europe.  …Tours to countries all over — Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, England, Sweden, Denmark, etc.

In conclusion, I wish to thank Bob Reed, Dal Winslow, Steve Wahrer — and especially my friend through it all, Tony — for allowing me to tag along “on the ride” all these many years!

Like fine wine, Tony’s instrumental and vocal talents have only improved with age.  I am proud of Tony’s musical accomplishments — and even more proud to call him my friend!

Random Notes on the Trashmen:

The band first appeared at the Prom Ballroom as simply “Dal Winslow, New Sensation.”  Dal explains that the name “The Trashmen” seemed too “out there” for the ballroom, so he was chosen as the front man in an era of teenage idols.

Minneapolis Star , September 13, 1962

Minneapolis Star, September 15, 1962

It appears that their next show at the Prom was under their own name, on January 19, 1963.  Again they were described as a “New Sensation.”

Minneapolis Tribune , January 19, 1963

Other Fun Facts:

• Despite their landlocked situation, three of the four band members actually did go to California, where they absorbed the Dick Dale sound and rode the waves.
• The famous album cover in front of the trash truck was taken at Wally McCarthy’s Lindahl Olds at 494 and Penn Ave. Tony remembers it was about 30 degrees that day, so they were anxious to get the shot done quickly!  Scenes from “Fargo” were later shot at the same location. It’s now Best Buy headquarters.
• “Surfin’ Bird” entered the Billboard Charts on December 7, 1963, and stayed there for 13 weeks, peaking at #4 on January 25, 1964.
• The song was originally to be called “Surfer Bird,” but Bill Diehl suggested that “Surfin'” leant a little more action to it.
• Reaction to the song was mixed; in January 1964 Will Jones reported that one Texas listener offered a radio station there “any amount of money” to take it off the air.  “The station told him to send his money to the March of Dimes, and smashed its copy of the record….Meanwhile the Minneapolis record company that created the hit is lining up extra pressing plants in Michigan and California to keep up  with the demand for the disk.”
• The B-side of “Surfin’ Bird” was “King of the Surf,” the best surfin’ song of all time, bar none!  The sudden success of “Surfin’ Bird” required that a flip side be written quickly, and Larry LaPole was enlisted to write it.  Larry had never been to California, but fellow Minneapolis Tribune writer Mike Jann gave Larry a column that Will Jones had done on July 28, 1963, with definitions of surf terms.  The column, “Avast, Gremmies–Surfing Tide is Rolling In,” has virtually all the terms Larry used in the song.

July 28, 1963

• On December 8, 1963, Irv Letofsky wrote a two-page feature on the Trashmen for the Minneapolis Sunday Tribune – “Trashmen ‘Have the Beat Kids Love.'”  Although Tribune music critic Dan Sullivan “applied the rare superlative ‘It’s the worst song I’ve ever heard,’ It matters not.  The beat’s the thing.  (Surfin music’s the thing, too, although surfing style of dancing hasn’t really reached the Midwest, informants say.  It’s coming from the West Coast.)”
• George Garrett noted that the name the Trashmen might have come from a record about a trash man that was out about three years ago.  [Probably “Trashmen’s Blues” by Tony Kai-Ray] “But we like what the disc jockeys do with the name… like ‘Back up and get a load of this.'”
• On January 12, 1964, a party at Kay Bank Studio celebrated 500,000 in sales for “Surfin’ Bird.”  Will Jones reported it as “one of the more remarkable parties of the season,” hosted by officials from SOMA, distributor; Garrett Records, producer; and Kay Bank, where the record was made. It was also a launch party for “Bird Dance Beat” and the “Surfin’ Bird” LP.   “The party was attended by disk jockeys, record peddlers, and a few young persons whose function was to dance The Bird.”
• “Bird Dance Beat” (b/w “A-Bone”) charted on February 8, 1964 and stayed for seven weeks, peaking at #30 on March 7, 1964.
• The “Surfin’ Bird” album, on Soma Records, hit the Billboard Chart on February 15, 1964, and stayed there for 15 weeks, peaking at #48.  It was available at Record Lane and Musicland for $2.88.  2013 eBay prices range from $120 to $1,000 for a copy autographed by all four members.  And where were the Trashmen on the day their big album hit the charts?  Southtown!

Courtesy Richfield Historical Society

• A third single release, “Bad News” b/w “On the Move” hit the Billboard Bubbling Under charts on May 16, 1964, but by then the Beatles had hit and surf was over.
• In late 1964 the group went on a tour of South America.  A planned tour of the UK in 1965 had to be postponed because of the British Invasion but they finally made it in 2010.
• Another gem from Will Jones was a rumor that the Beatles and the Trashmen were going to team up to form a new group.  The name of the new band?  The Litterbugs!

SURFIN’ BIRD ON BANDSTAND

On January 4, 1964, the Trashmen were featured on “ American Bandstand ” – only the show was too cheap to fly out the entire band, so Steve Wahrer (the drummer and singer) was sent out there alone.  To the day 59 years later, Tony Andreason remembered that Steve was given no prep time, no instructions, and no expectations.  Worse, being the drummer, Steve was not used to performing in that way.  On the spot, he invented the Bird, and did a creditable job.  Afterwards he talked to Clark , but he was out of breath!  Tony stresses that Steve was an excellent rock drummer and an excellent rock singer, and that performance did not show off his many talents.

The Trashmen Community

Tickets, concerts tour 2024-2025, the trashmen's information, followers 101 people are going or interested.

To see who follows this room you must be registered.

Related Artists

12 Concerts

The Meteors

The Pretty Things

Cyberpunkers, derrick morgan.

Jay Reatard

Nick Waterhouse

Chubby checker.

Thank you for watching

The Best of the Trashmen

The trashmen.

STREAM OR BUY:

Release Date

Discography timeline, allmusic review, user reviews, track listing, similar albums, moods and themes.

• Testimonials
• Search Trip
• Trans-Siberian Tours
• Saint Petersburg
• Northern Lights
• Lake Baikal
• Russia For Expats
• Winter Trains
• Arctic & North
• Golden Ring
• Russia Cruises
• Trans-Mongolian
• Sightseeing
• Trans Siberian
• Wildlife & Nature
• The Snow Empire
• Under 8 Days
• Kid Friendly
• Small Groups
• Senior Travels
• Expats Travel
• Luxury Trains
• Luxury Travels
• Russian Cruises
• Snowmobile Tours
• Youth Travel
• Why Book with Us
• Sustainable Travel
• At a glance
• Dates & Rates
• Terms & conditions

Browse tours by travel themes

Providing you with the best russian tours, our reviews, russian travel update.

Russia is open for international travelers regardless their citizenship/country of residence. Tourist visas are being issued in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK, EU, Japan, and worldwide. Electronic visas (up to 16 days of stay, single entry) are available for the following nationals: Austria, Andorra, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Croatia, Cyprus, China, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Myanmar, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Philippines, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, Vatican, Vietnam.

You can bring foreign currency and exchange money freely in Russia. You can open a bank account and g et a debit card in one hour time, once you will have arrived, we assist.

Medical insurance is available for international travelers through Russian insurance companies.

International flights to Moscow and St Petersburg are available via Tbilisi (Georgia), Yerevan (Armenia), Baku (Azerbaijan), Istanbul (Turkey), Belgrade (Serbia), Dubai & Abu-Dhabi (UEA), Doha (Qatar), Algiers (Algeria),Tehran (Iran), Muscat (Oman), Cairo (Egypt), Astana & Almaty (Kazakhstan), Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Qingdao & Xian (China), Delhi (India), Colombo (Sri-Lanka), Male (Maldives). Information changes frequently, please inquire.

Trans-Siberian travels can fly in/out Vladivostok via Beijing (China), Harbin (China), Bangkok (Thailand), Tashkent (Uzbekistan).

Trans-Siberians taking off in Irkutsk/Lake Baikal, fly to Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Dushanbe (Tadjikistan), Namangan (Uzbekistan), Osh (Uzbekistan), Beijing Daxing (China), Bangkok (Thailand), Ulaaanbaatar (Mongolia).

Explore the best travel destinations in Russia with our wide range of sightseeing tours to Moscow, St Petersburg, Golden Ring, Kazan; Northern Lights viewing tours; wildlife & nature tours to Lake Baikal tours, Altai, Kamchatka tours, Trans-Siberian train tours, and more. Find the best guided trips and expert planned Russian holidays 2023-2024.

Thank you! One of your our travel experts will contact you within 24 hours.

• Sign up for newsletter

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser .

• Trans-Siberian Express

Our 8 Best Trans-Siberian Rail Tours of 2022

Come with us on truly... The Journey of a Lifetime along the world’s longest railway. See how the landscape and culture changes as you head West to East. See Moscow, Siberia, China and more. Our Trans-Siberian Railway tours are all customizable and can be adjusted to fit any budget. Our most popular packages are listed below. Please click on the tour details to learn more or contact us for more information about our Trans Siberian rail tours using the form on the page. Feel free to also schedule a call with one of our Russian travel specialists. Many travelers have found this to be the best way to together, create an unforgettable customized tour for you.

Trans-Siberian by Imperial Russia Train

Besides the below tours, we also offer a luxurious tour by a private train

Trans-Siberian 3 in 1

This is our shortest version of our Trans Siberian railroad tours but it covers some of the most interesting cities. The trip begins in Moscow, the capital of Russia, then continues on to Yekaterinburg, located in the Ural Mountains and at the edge of Siberia. The tour ends on the shores of Lake Baikal.

• Schedule Tour can be started on any day
• Route Moscow - Yekaterinburg - Irkutsk
• Languages English-speaking guide is guaranteed. Other languages are on request.
• Accommodation The following hotel options are available: 3 stars
• PRIVATE TOUR This is a private tour, there won't be other people in your group

Great Russia by Train

This tour will take you along the full route of the Trans-Siberian railway to 3 of Russia's most interesting cities - Moscow with stunning Red Square, the Kremlin and Cathedrals, Irkutsk located in the heart of Siberia and home to the great Lake Baikal and Vladivostok - the King of the East with its harbor of the Golden Horn and Amursky Bay on the Pacific Ocean.

• Route Moscow - Irkutsk - Vladivostok

Trans-Sib - four cities

On this great Eurasian journey from West to East you will cover the entire route of the Trans-Siberian Railway, visiting four major cities along the way: Russia's capital Moscow, Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains, Irkutsk including incredible Lake Baikal, and finally Vladivostok on the Pacific Ocean, at the very edge of Russia.

• Route Moscow - Yekaterinburg - Irkutsk - Vladivostok

Highlights on the Trans-Sib

This tour is a great choice for seeing the highlights of Russia, Mongolia and China. From Golden-Domed Moscow you will continue on to Irkutsk and visit beautiful Lake Baikal. Mongolia will greet you with its endless steppes and the Gobi Desert. Finally, you will reach China and visit the magnificent Great Wall, Ming Tombs and Forbidden city.

• Schedule Tour can be started on any Monday
• Route Moscow - Irkutsk - Ulan Bator - Beijing

The Great Journey - East to West

This trip lasts for 2 weeks and passes through 6 fascinating cities. Starting in Vladivostok with its harbour of the Golden Horn and passing through the Buddhist city of Ulan-Ude, then to Irkutsk - home of magnificent Lake Baikal and onto Novosibirsk and Yekaterinburg - very dynamic Siberian cities, and finally ending in golden-domed Moscow.

• Route Vladivostok - Ulan-Ude - Irkutsk - Novosibirsk - Yekaterinburg - Moscow

5 stars - East to West

This tour covers the highlights of the Trans-Siberian Railway - including all 5 major cities along its route. You will admire cultural masterpieces in Beijing, learn about nomadic life in Mongolia, see amazing Lake Baikal in Irkutsk, learn about the fate of the Last Tsar in Yekaterinburg, and visit Russia's energetic capital Moscow.

• Schedule Tour can be started on any Thursday.
• Route Beijing - Ulaanbaatar - Irkutsk - Yekaterinburg - Moscow

Trans-Sib through Russia - Mongolia - China

This exciting Trans-Siberian tour takes you to three countries - Russia, Mongolia and China. From Moscow you will proceed to the Siberian cities of Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Irkutsk, close to Lake Baikal. Then you will cross Mongolia with its endless steppes and the Goby Desert, and finally arrive in China with the Great Wall and more.

• Schedule Tour can be started on any Saturday
• Route Moscow - Yekaterinburg - Novosibirsk - Irkutsk - Ulaanbaatar - Beijing

Journey of a Lifetime

The tour is a great opportunity to visit three countries on one trip. You will be delighted with the capital of Russia, see the border of Europe and Asia in Yekaterinburg, admire beautiful nature in Krasnoyarsk, see the world's largest lake Baikal, steppes of Mongolia and China's cultural heritage.

• Route Moscow - Yekaterinburg - Krasnoyarsk - Irkutsk - Ulaanbaatar - Beijing

My wife & I have just completed the Journey of a Lifetime 16 day 15 night Trip as organised by Express to Russia. We also had a tour of St Petersburg & Moscow as well. The planning & execution of both trips was well above our expectations. The guides we had in all of our destinations were exceptional & the meet & greet & return to the stations went as smooth as clockwork. We had one minor hitch but that was through no fault of Express to Russia..a quick email from our Ipad had the problem resolved immediately We did have some misgivings at the start about doing the booking online ourselves but Elena was wonderful & answered all of our questions promptly & to our satisfaction. We felt comfortable with the whole process.The train trip is wonderful with Mongolia being a "special " place for us! We highly recommend Elena & her company. I am happy to answer any questions any body may wish to ask.

Thank you so very much for organizing our trip. Everything went wonderfully, and we really enjoyed our time in Russia. Moscow was beautiful, Lake Baikal was very cold, yet very fun to swim in, and the DPR Koreans that I met and made friends with in Vladivostok was beyond priceless. The guides you got for us did an exceptional job, and the drivers helped us out a lot as well. The hotels you got for us were great, and the room you got for us in the Vladivostok really made the long stay comfortable. The trains were also very enjoyable as was the Russian hospitality, although we really weren´t expecting people to be so generous or helpful. Overall, the trip was wonderful, and you arranged it magnificently. You really went out of your way to accommodate my schedule and help me with my schoolwork, so I really appreciate it; I couldn´t have done it without you. So once again, thank you for all of your efforts, and hopefully in the future you will be able to help us out again. Take care, and thank you for everything.

The Trans-Siberian Express is the longest train journey in the world. The route takes you from ancient Russian cities through deep forests and breathtaking mountains to Siberian outposts and into Asia. You will visit Buddhist temples , Lake Baikal , the Ural Mountains , Vladivostok or Beijing . Express to Russia is a specialist in travel for individuals and small groups along the route. We will make sure that you have an unforgettable journey on this incredible adventure. Choose basic packages below or contact us to arrange your own custom travel.

Our Russian tours are offered as land only where you arrange your own airfare and we meet you at the airport and handle everything else. You can easily book the discount tickets yourself through our own discount internet ticket office . Please browse our discount air tickets section to learn more.

Trans-Siberian Train

The main route of the Trans-Siberian Railway begins in Moscow and heads east to Vladivostok passing through Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Ulan Ude, Chita, Blagoveshchensk and Khabarovsk. The length of the route is 9259 km or 5753 miles. The train travels through 7 time zones and takes 8 days to complete without making overnight stops. The Trans-Siberian splits off into a few other fascinating directions as well:

Trans-Mongolian Train

The Trans-Mongolian Line was built from 1940 to 1956 between Ulan-Ude at Lake Baikal’s eastern shore and the Chinese capital Beijing. From Ulan-Ude the tracks go south towards Mongolia, crossing the great Gobi Desert and finally ending up in Beijing. This route is a mere 7867 kilometers long (Moscow - Beijing).

Trans-Manchurian Train

The Trans-Manchurian Line runs on the same route as the Trans-Siberian as far as Tarskaya, which is a few hundred miles east of Baikal. From Tarskaya, the line runs southeast into China near Zabaikalsk and makes its way down to Beijing. This route is a 9001 kilometres long (Moscow - Beijing).

Click to learn more about the history of the Trans-Siberian Railway .

Frequently Asked Questions From Our Travelers

Where does the trans-siberian railway start and where does it end.

The Trans-Siberian Railway starts in Moscow and extends all the way to Vladivostok on the Pacific Ocean. This route connects the European part of Russia, the Ural region, Siberia and the Russian Far East.

Are Beijing and Ulan Bator stops along the Trans-Siberian railway?

Beijing and Ulan Bator are parts of Trans-Mongolian railway - an offshoot of the main Trans-Siberian Railway. There are many options to arrange your travel: to visit Ulan Bator and or follow the Trans-Siberian railway to or from Vladivostok. 

Can I use the hop-on hop-off principle when traveling by Trans-Siberian train?

Unfortunately, that is not possible. Train tickets in Russia are not open, so you will need a separate ticket with a particular date for each leg of your trip - for example, you may go all the way from Moscow to Vladivostok, but you will only be able to leave the train for short stops at the railway stations. In case if you would like to explore different cities on the way, you will need separate tickets, for example Moscow – Yekaterinburg, Yekaterinburg – Irkutsk, Irkutsk - Vladivostok. We offer carefully planned private tours that will allow you to visit several cities on your way.

Are there showers aboard Trans-Siberian trains?

Most of the Trans-Siberian trains do not have showers, and there are two WCs per each carriage. Please consider it while planning your trip. We recommend to choose shorter distances (that is, to plan more overnight stops in the cities along the way) to avoid the inconvenience of not showering. Another option is to choose the trip on board a more luxurious train which has all the on-board amenities that one might need.

Are meals included on the board of Trans-Siberian express train?

When traveling with RZD regular trains meals are not included. You can easily buy your meals in the restaurant car.  Another option is to buy local specialties from “babushkas” (grandmothers, or simply Russian old ladies) on the short train stops along the way. This is a very authentic way of getting your meals.

What is the most comfortable way to travel on the Trans-Siberian railroad?

There are luxurious trains on the Trans-Siberian railway that are quite different from regular RZD trains and can be described as 5* hotels on wheels. We offer this type of accommodation on the Imperial Russia train where you can enjoy a full board menu, a shower and a comfortable compartment.

Our travel brands include

Express to Russia

Join us on Facebook

We invite you to become a fan of our company on Facebook and read Russian news and travel stories. To become a fan, click here .

Join our own Russian Travel, Culture and Literature Club on Facebook. The club was created to be a place for everyone with an interest in Russia to get to know each other and share experiences, stories, pictures and advice. To join our club, please follow this link .

We use cookies to improve your experience on our Website, and to facilitate providing you with services available through our Website. To opt out of non-essential cookies, please click here . By continuing to use our Website, you accept our use of cookies, the terms of our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service . I agree