The coast of Baikal: KBZD, healing springs of Arshan and a meeting with a shaman

1st

Day of the beginning of the journey and acquaintance with Baikal

We suggest starting from the village of Listvyanka.

Perhaps one of the oldest Russian settlements on the shores of the great lake.

From time immemorial Listvyanka was the Gate to Baikal.

Now it has turned into a tourist center, with equipped sights, museums, cafes, restaurants, hotels and riding centers.

In Listvyanka, we will make a sightseeing tour of the village with a visit to the observation deck to the famous Shaman Stone, listen to the romantic legend of Baikal, visit the functioning Orthodox Church of St. Petersburg. Nicholas the Wonderworker is the patron saint of all travelers and navigators.

Those wishing to learn more about Baikal can go on an excursion to the Baikal Ecological Museum (additional fee), where many exhibits telling about the inhabitants of Baikal are collected, they can even be seen live in aquariums located in the museum.

For tireless travelers, there is an opportunity to ride a boat along Baikal (additional fee), walk or on quad bikes (additional fee), along the forest shore of this picturesque lake.

Pay attention to the purity of the water, the transparency of which can be assessed by looking at the water from the height of the coastal cliffs.

This busy day will end with a visit to the souvenir market, adjacent to the fish rows, where you will be offered all the variety of Baikal fish prepared in different ways.

We assure you, you are not faced with the temptation to try Baikal delicacies!

10:00 – Group gathering at the airport of Irkutsk. Transfer to post. Listvyanka (65 km, ~ 1 hour).
Hotel accommodation.
Meals included: Lunch at the hotel.
Sightseeing tour of Listvyanka.

2.

Ferry crossing to the port of Baikal. Transfer by tourist train to Slyudyanka. Excursion on Circum-Baikal Railway

Day of moving on various types of transport: water, rail, road.

And all this day to your left will be Baikal, so different, so big.

First, you will cross the source of the Angara River on a large ferry ship and find yourself in the port of Baikal, a large railway and river port that cannot be reached by car.

From here begins the transfer on a special tourist train on the Circum-Baikal railway - "Golden buckle Transsib", a stunning engineering and architectural monument of the early 20th century.

The trip is accompanied by a story about the history of construction, unique features of the road.

The number of tunnels and bridges on a fairly short stretch of the way is impressive when you remember the level of development of technology of that time – everything was built manually, capitally, for centuries.

By the evening you will be in the southernmost point of Baikal, at the foot of the majestic mountains of Hamar-Daban.

Transfer to the pier (~10 minutes). Passage by ferry to the port of Baikal (~40 minutes). Travel by tourist train to Slyudyanka (~8 hours). Upon arrival at the post. Slyudyanka, transfer to the hotel.
Hotel accommodation.
Meals included: breakfast, dinner at the hotel, lunch on the train.
Tour of the Circum-Baikal Railway.

3

Excursion program in Baikalsk. Mount Hamar-Daban

Day of acquaintance with the city of Baikal.

The city arose thanks to the pulp and paper mill, and thanks to it it became a symbol of the struggle for the ecology of Lake Baikal.

However, the main attraction of these places is not the infamous combine, but the magnificent nature and unique microclimate of Hamar-Daban.

In winter it is a Mecca for thousands of skiers and snowboarders, and in summer – for lovers of picturesque views and wonderful local strawberries.

Hotel accommodation.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner in the hotel, lunch in the cafe.
The excursion program in Baikalsk.

4.

Transfer to Arshan Resort. Tunkin Valley. Kultuk observation deck. Excursion program in Slyudyanka

After breakfast, we go to another famous town on the coast – Slyudyanka, “the mineral pearl of the Baikal region”.

Mica and marble are the main industrial minerals of these places.

But collected by hand barely fit in the private museum "Gems of Baikal" collector Zhigalov, where there are several thousand.

He will tell you about all the richness of these places, comparable only to the Urals.

Not far from the village for half a kilometer is issued in Baikal Shamansky Cape – a sacred place for Buryats, Mongols, a natural monument, a popular resting place for tourists and the local population.

In ancient times, religious ceremonies were performed here and it was called Ayha-Shuloun – a terrible stone.

And again moving along the hot asphalt of the road, passing along a wide valley between two mountain ranges: on the left - Hamar-Daban, on the right - Eastern Sayan.

In this unique Tunkin valley you can see young volcanoes and old Buryat yurts, gray peaks of Tunkin Golts against the background of a piercing blue sky.

After traveling 120 km, stopping on the observation deck of Kultuk, we get to the village of Arshan, located at the foot of the overhanging mountain peaks, which makes it seem immersed in eternal shadow.

Moving to Slyudyanka. Transfer to Arshan (~ 3 hours).
Hotel accommodation.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner in the hotel, lunch in the cafe.
Excursion program in Slyudyanka.

5

Sightseeing tour of the resort of Arshan. Walking tour along the forest road to datsan - Buryat Buddhist temple

Today you will explore the picturesque surroundings of Siberian Switzerland.

It is better to make a tour of the village on foot, then you can see the details and trifles of the local lifestyle that are invisible from the bus window.

You will visit the healing mineral springs (take with you a mug or even a plastic bottle), the beautiful mountain river Kyngargu, walk through the park of the resort "Arshan" with its natural monuments, pick up a souvenir on the entertaining market, where souvenir rows coexist with sellers of local medicinal herbs literally from all diseases.

Next – walking tour along the forest road to datsan – a Buddhist temple, where you will be told about its history, the rules of behavior in datsans, Buddhism in Buryatia.

Hotel accommodation.
Meals included: breakfast, dinner at the hotel.
Walking sightseeing tour of Arshan.

6

Tour of the Tunkin Valley. Signatures of the Three Religions

Today we continue to explore the picturesque surroundings and get acquainted with the amazing Tunkin valley.

During the day you will not only see almost the entire valley, but also visit the iconic places of 3 religions, which are specially combined with the locals.

Orthodoxy will be represented by the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, shamanism – the sacred place of Tamkha-Baryash, where they ask for protection from the gods during their journey, Buddhism – the main datsan of Tunka, located near the resort village of Nilova Pustin, also known for its radon springs.

And during road crossings, the guide will not let you get bored, telling about the history of Tunky, the richest natural world, traditions and legends of these places.

Hotel accommodation.
Meals included: breakfast, dinner at the hotel.
Thematic tour of the Tunkin Valley.

7

Transfer to Irkutsk

I really do not want to return to the usual city life, bustle and bustle, so the fees are delayed.

But time is coming, the bus is waiting, time to leave.

The road to Irkutsk takes place in memories of the time spent, funny and amusing cases, interspersed with exclamations of surprise from the views outside the bus window.

On the way, stop for lunch at the cafe (for an additional fee).

And then to the suburbs of Irkutsk – the Kultuk tract with its serpentine mountain road, which is admired for its bends and the surrounding Siberian forest.

Transfer by tourist transport to Irkutsk (210 km, ~ 5 hours).
Hotel accommodation.
Meals included: breakfast at the hotel.

8.

Excursion program in pos. Ust Orda

After breakfast, we go to get acquainted with the traditional religion of the Buryats - shamanism for an excursion and entertainment program in Pos. Ust-Ordynsky is the capital of the Ust-Ordyn Buryat Autonomous District.

Here you will visit the local museum, telling about the culture, life, traditions and customs of Western Buryats, as well as meet with a real shaman and can take part in the performance of one of the ancient rituals.

And then, after all the ceremonies, you will be fed lunch, namely dishes of Buryat cuisine.

The exchange of impressions from the trip will make the return to the city of Irkutsk quick and imperceptible.

Transfer to post. Ust-Ordynsky (~75 km). Return to Irkutsk.
Hotel accommodation.
Meals included: breakfast in the hotel, lunch in the cafe.
Excursion program in Ust-Orde.

9.

Sightseeing tour of the city of Irkutsk. Excursion to the Znamensky monastery. Going home

Sightseeing tour of the city: a visit to the historical center, the Angara River embankment, architectural monuments.

Excursion to the Znamensky Monastery with one of the most beautiful cathedrals of Siberia, known for its iconostasis and burials on the territory (the tombs of the Decembrists, Grigory Shelikhov, etc.).

Visit the Ferris Wheel, from the height of which there is a panoramic view of the entire central part of the city of Irkutsk.

Visit the central market and the souvenir shop.

Meals included: breakfast at the hotel.
Sightseeing tour of Irkutsk. The estimated time of the end of the program is 13:00.