Key Information: Tour Duration: 8
day(s) Group Size: 4
- 15
people Destination(s):Russia Specialty Categories:Railway TripsCultural Journey Season: January - December Airfare Included: No Tour Customizable: Yes Minimum Per Person Price: 565 Euro (EUR) Maximum Per Person Price: 565 Euro (EUR)
It takes us almost 4 days to reach the city of Irkutsk by train – you have a great opportunity to realize, what a big country Russia is. Same as most of the Siberian cities, Irkutsk first appeared on the map of Russian Siberia in the middle of the 17th century and soon it became the residence of the Siberian General Governor. Since 1898 the Trans Siberian railway has passed through Irkutsk.
The city has been a cultural capital from the rough Siberian frontier days and it still houses numerous onion-domed churches and boasts neighborhoods of classic wooden Siberian house with beautifully painted and carved shutters, many of them lopsided from decades of sinking in permafrost.Lake Baikal is the oldest and the deepest (1600m) fresh-water lake on the Earth, which contains 1/5 of the world's fresh water. There are more than 400 rivers flowing into the Lake Baikal, but only Angara river flows out of it. Lake Baikal amazes by its beauty. Local people never say “lake” they consider Baikal to be the “holy sea”. Enjoy Siberian hospitality and be sure to taste Baikal omul – special fish with some Russian vodka.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Moscow. Transfer to a hotel.
Day 2: City-tour of Moscow and visit to the Kremlin, which is a symbol of Russia in imagination of the most people of the world. In the evening we start our Transsiberian railroad journey and leave for Irkutsk.
Days 3-4: On train.
Day 5: Arrive in Irkutsk in the morning and drive directly to Listvianka – a village on the shore of Baikal lake. Sightseeing in Listvianka: a walk to the viewpoint and visit to the Limnological museum to learn more about the history of the lake, its flora and fauna.
Day 6: A boat cruise to the old round-Baikal railway track with its numerous tunnels. Picnic lunch.
Day 7: Drive to Irkutsk visiting Taltsy open-air museum of wooden architecture on the way. City tour of Irkutsk is followed by an excursion to the Museum of Count Volkonsky. In the evening enjoy a leisurely walk in the city center with its famous log houses decorated with beautiful carving. Hotel in Irkutsk.
Day 8: Transfer to the airport for flight to Moscow or make a trip extension and leave for Mongolia by train or flight to Ulaan-Baatar.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- All accommodation inc. breakfast
- Group land transfers as per itinerary
- Excursions and entrance tickets to the museums as in the program
- Russian entry visa support.
