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FAR EAST & SIBERIA
RUSSIAN NORTH
muSLIM RUSSIA
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On this journey
Photos
a lot of wildlife
locations
locations
Accompaniment
professional guide
Transfer
modern coach
Route
along the Trans- Siberian railway
Accommodation
hotel 3* or 4*
Main impressions
The breathtaking beauty of Baiklal nature and Siberian expanses
Baikal Lake is one of the UNESCO World Heritage site
Ivolginsky Buddhist monastery-the center of Buddhism in Russia
A lot of photos - your unforgettable moments
of your once-in-a-life travel experience
of your once-in-a-life travel experience
Day 1
Welcome to Irkutsk!
Arrival in Irkutsk. Meeting with guide at the airport.
Transfer to the hotel. Late breakfast.
Sightseeing tour of Irkutsk. Visit the historical part of the city: Epiphany Cathedral, the oldest stone-structure Church of our Savior and the only Catholic Cathedral in Irkutsk, the Kirov Square and circus. Visit the main street of Irkutsk - the Karl Marks Street, see the monument to Alexander III. visit the Regional Museum which contains a great collection of the ethnographic exhibits and displays from the 20th century.
Lunch at local restaurant
Proceed to Ust-Orda settlement, center of Buryat culture (70 kms). Visit the Local Lore Museum and
learn about the history of different ethnic groups that inhabited the region with the Paleolithic Era and participate in the ancient purification ritual with a real shaman + Buryat folklore (national concert).
Drive back to Irkutsk.
Dinner at local restaurant.
Overnight at hotel
Arrival in Irkutsk. Meeting with guide at the airport.
Transfer to the hotel. Late breakfast.
Sightseeing tour of Irkutsk. Visit the historical part of the city: Epiphany Cathedral, the oldest stone-structure Church of our Savior and the only Catholic Cathedral in Irkutsk, the Kirov Square and circus. Visit the main street of Irkutsk - the Karl Marks Street, see the monument to Alexander III. visit the Regional Museum which contains a great collection of the ethnographic exhibits and displays from the 20th century.
Lunch at local restaurant
Proceed to Ust-Orda settlement, center of Buryat culture (70 kms). Visit the Local Lore Museum and
learn about the history of different ethnic groups that inhabited the region with the Paleolithic Era and participate in the ancient purification ritual with a real shaman + Buryat folklore (national concert).
Drive back to Irkutsk.
Dinner at local restaurant.
Overnight at hotel
Day 2
Breakfast at the hotel.
Meeting with guide at the lobby
Proceed to visit Listvyanka (70 kms.) - a small settlement located on the southwestern shores of Lake Baikal.
Visit Taltsy - an open-air Museum of Siberian Wooden Architecture. The museum´s oldest buildings are the Spass Tower of the Ilimsk Fortress (1667) and the still active Kazan Chapel (1679).
Arrival in Listvyanka. Lunch at local restaurant.
Take a boat ride to the first tunnel of Circum-Baikal Railway through Shaman Stone and Port Baikal village. Discover a history of the most expensive and difficult to construct part of the, take a walk along the railway, visit the local museum, and then back to Listvyanka. Walking tour around the Listvyanka settlement, visit the Church of St. Nicolas - the guardian angel of travelers, Baikal Ecological Museum to see the lake's flora and fauna and visit the local fish market, Smoked OMUL – Baikal endemic testy fish – is highly recommended to try.
Return back to Irkutsk.
Dinner at local restaurant.
Overnight at hotel
Meeting with guide at the lobby
Proceed to visit Listvyanka (70 kms.) - a small settlement located on the southwestern shores of Lake Baikal.
Visit Taltsy - an open-air Museum of Siberian Wooden Architecture. The museum´s oldest buildings are the Spass Tower of the Ilimsk Fortress (1667) and the still active Kazan Chapel (1679).
Arrival in Listvyanka. Lunch at local restaurant.
Take a boat ride to the first tunnel of Circum-Baikal Railway through Shaman Stone and Port Baikal village. Discover a history of the most expensive and difficult to construct part of the, take a walk along the railway, visit the local museum, and then back to Listvyanka. Walking tour around the Listvyanka settlement, visit the Church of St. Nicolas - the guardian angel of travelers, Baikal Ecological Museum to see the lake's flora and fauna and visit the local fish market, Smoked OMUL – Baikal endemic testy fish – is highly recommended to try.
Return back to Irkutsk.
Dinner at local restaurant.
Overnight at hotel
Day 3
Breakfast at the hotel.
Meeting with guide at the lobby
Departure from Irkutsk to the starting point of trekking. Circum-Baikal Railway is a unique monument of
the engineering minds of late XIX century. Used to be the most expensive part of the Transsiberian railway, now it is still the most interesting and beautiful one, became a part of Baikal National Park. Visit of this part of railway will give you an understanding of architecture and construction solutions of that days, and the feel of unique nature of the lake. You will go downhill through taiga forest, following the river of Angasolka till its connection with the lake. It is a small village there, used to build for railway workers. Then you will follow the tracks, touching stones in the tunnels built in early 1900s and feeling the breeze of the lake. After the walk we will have a lunch and enjoy the view of the Southern Baikal from the viewpoint.
From here we will start walking part of the tour. We will go downhill from the new line of the
Transsiberian through the valley to Lake Baikal
Coming to the lake, village of Staraya Angasolka. Staraya Angasolka is a small station and few buildings, there are art gallery and good eatery with tasty pancakes during summer!
Meeting with guide at the lobby
Departure from Irkutsk to the starting point of trekking. Circum-Baikal Railway is a unique monument of
the engineering minds of late XIX century. Used to be the most expensive part of the Transsiberian railway, now it is still the most interesting and beautiful one, became a part of Baikal National Park. Visit of this part of railway will give you an understanding of architecture and construction solutions of that days, and the feel of unique nature of the lake. You will go downhill through taiga forest, following the river of Angasolka till its connection with the lake. It is a small village there, used to build for railway workers. Then you will follow the tracks, touching stones in the tunnels built in early 1900s and feeling the breeze of the lake. After the walk we will have a lunch and enjoy the view of the Southern Baikal from the viewpoint.
From here we will start walking part of the tour. We will go downhill from the new line of the
Transsiberian through the valley to Lake Baikal
Coming to the lake, village of Staraya Angasolka. Staraya Angasolka is a small station and few buildings, there are art gallery and good eatery with tasty pancakes during summer!
Picnic Lunch and walking by the old Transsiberian line till the station of Kultuk. After the village we will
follow the tracks, coming through three tunnels, several bridges and small stations (4 km). We will also see some leftovers of disassembled second line of Transsiberian.
After the final shots of the lake we will drive to the top of the mountain, with a beautiful view of the lake.
By the way, "kultuk" in turk language means "dead-end".
Departure from Kultuk
Arrival in Irkutsk.
(Optional) Russian 'banya'.
Dinner at own arrangement
Overnight at hotel
follow the tracks, coming through three tunnels, several bridges and small stations (4 km). We will also see some leftovers of disassembled second line of Transsiberian.
After the final shots of the lake we will drive to the top of the mountain, with a beautiful view of the lake.
By the way, "kultuk" in turk language means "dead-end".
Departure from Kultuk
Arrival in Irkutsk.
(Optional) Russian 'banya'.
Dinner at own arrangement
Overnight at hotel
Day 4
Breakfast at the hotel.
Meeting with guide at the lobby
Check out, and proceed by coach to Ulan Ude - the capital of the Republic of Buryatia (460 km.)
On the way we will stop at the most southern point of Lake Baikal. View point to see the lake from the height. After that continue to visit Baikal Tikhon sanctuary (Protected National Park). Explore the small but interesting museum dedicated to the history of Circum-Baikal Railway and the forest inhabitants. After that, we will have relaxing walk by wooden Tankhoy nature trails for 1-2 kilometers, exploring the forest and its inhabitants. Then we are going to head to Posolskiy bay with a stop for lunch on the way.
Lunch at local restaurant.
Arrival in Ulan-Ude, check-in at the hotel.
Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight at hotel
Meeting with guide at the lobby
Check out, and proceed by coach to Ulan Ude - the capital of the Republic of Buryatia (460 km.)
On the way we will stop at the most southern point of Lake Baikal. View point to see the lake from the height. After that continue to visit Baikal Tikhon sanctuary (Protected National Park). Explore the small but interesting museum dedicated to the history of Circum-Baikal Railway and the forest inhabitants. After that, we will have relaxing walk by wooden Tankhoy nature trails for 1-2 kilometers, exploring the forest and its inhabitants. Then we are going to head to Posolskiy bay with a stop for lunch on the way.
Lunch at local restaurant.
Arrival in Ulan-Ude, check-in at the hotel.
Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight at hotel
Day 5
Breakfast at the hotel.
Meeting with guide at the lobby
Proceed to visit Ivolginsky Buddhist monastery – the center of Buddhism in Russia. Founded in 1946, in
spite of Stalin’s atheist policy, it became the center of Russian Buddhism.
Today, it is the biggest Buddhist monastery in the country with colorful and elegant temples, Buddhist University, and a library. It is also a residence of the Khambo Lama – the leader of Russian Buddhists.
Continue to visit to the Old Believers village at Tarbagatai. They are Eastern Orthodox Christians who maintain the liturgical and ritual practices of the Eastern Orthodox Church as they existed prior to the reforms of Patriarch Nikon of Moscow between 1652 and 1666. Exiled to Siberia and still living secludedly and preserve their unique culture, costumes, and folklore.
Meet and greet with the local people, who will show us round their traditional house, walk by well-decorated village street, see the small local Old Believers church, the fascinating museum featuring Old Believers' heritage and lifestyle and ect.
Home-cooked Lunch in the village, all products were gathered from local farms.
After lunch see folk performance, traditional dances and songs.
Proceed to Ulan Ude.
Dinner at local restaurant
Overnight at hotel
Meeting with guide at the lobby
Proceed to visit Ivolginsky Buddhist monastery – the center of Buddhism in Russia. Founded in 1946, in
spite of Stalin’s atheist policy, it became the center of Russian Buddhism.
Today, it is the biggest Buddhist monastery in the country with colorful and elegant temples, Buddhist University, and a library. It is also a residence of the Khambo Lama – the leader of Russian Buddhists.
Continue to visit to the Old Believers village at Tarbagatai. They are Eastern Orthodox Christians who maintain the liturgical and ritual practices of the Eastern Orthodox Church as they existed prior to the reforms of Patriarch Nikon of Moscow between 1652 and 1666. Exiled to Siberia and still living secludedly and preserve their unique culture, costumes, and folklore.
Meet and greet with the local people, who will show us round their traditional house, walk by well-decorated village street, see the small local Old Believers church, the fascinating museum featuring Old Believers' heritage and lifestyle and ect.
Home-cooked Lunch in the village, all products were gathered from local farms.
After lunch see folk performance, traditional dances and songs.
Proceed to Ulan Ude.
Dinner at local restaurant
Overnight at hotel
Day 6
Breakfast at the hotel.
Meeting with guide at the lobby
Sightseeing in Ulan Ude - the capital city of the Republic of Buryatia, Russia.
Its development from a small Cossack fortress on the banks of the Uda River to a prominent merchant town on the Great Tea Road and to a capital of an ethnic minority region of Russia.
Explore the streets of the Old Town lined with centuries-old traditional Siberian houses, see the Merchant Quarter, and visit a Buddhist temple – the Rinpoche Bagsha Temple situated on the top of a hill with a breathtaking panoramic view of the city, its rivers, and surrounding landscapes.
Lunch at local restaurant
Process to Ulan Ude train station.
By train along the Trans-Siberian route to Irkutsk.
Arrival in Irkutsk train station, transfer to hotel.
Overnight at hotel
Meeting with guide at the lobby
Sightseeing in Ulan Ude - the capital city of the Republic of Buryatia, Russia.
Its development from a small Cossack fortress on the banks of the Uda River to a prominent merchant town on the Great Tea Road and to a capital of an ethnic minority region of Russia.
Explore the streets of the Old Town lined with centuries-old traditional Siberian houses, see the Merchant Quarter, and visit a Buddhist temple – the Rinpoche Bagsha Temple situated on the top of a hill with a breathtaking panoramic view of the city, its rivers, and surrounding landscapes.
Lunch at local restaurant
Process to Ulan Ude train station.
By train along the Trans-Siberian route to Irkutsk.
Arrival in Irkutsk train station, transfer to hotel.
Overnight at hotel
Day 7
Breakfast at hotel
Check out!
Meeting with guide at the hotel
Transfer to the airport
Check out!
Meeting with guide at the hotel
Transfer to the airport
Transfers upon arrival and departure
Transportation to/from the excursions by a modern AC coach during the whole roundtrip with all modern facilities on board (CD player, video, microphone & bar).
Hotel accommodation
Meals according the program
Local English-speaking guides for all arrival dates
Mentioned visits and entrance fees
Train tickets
Included:
Not included:
International flights
Additional excursions or transfers
Accommodation in a single room
Extra night stay at hotel
Tips and porterage at the airport and
railway stations
railway stations
The cost starts from
1500$
pp ½ DBL
Views of Baikal
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