The stars are sparkling with diamonds.

Day 1

Meeting of the group at the airport of Irkutsk at 10.00. Day of the beginning of the journey and acquaintance with Baikal. Start it, we suggest from the village Listvyanka. Perhaps, one of the oldest settlements of Russians on the shores of the great lake, has turned into a tourist center, where each resident has several attractions, cafes and hotels, and several hundred tourists. Transfer to post. Listvyanka (65 km, ~ 1 hour).
We offer a sightseeing tour of Listvyanka with a visit to the observation deck at 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.
Accommodation and lunch at the Listvyanka Hotel.
To finish the day is 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 recommend dining in the cafe "Last century" (additional fee), the view from the window of which is wonderfully combined with the original menu, reflecting the whole flavor of Siberian and Baikal cuisine.
Meals: lunch.

Cities: Irkutsk, Listvyanka

Attractions: Shaman-stone, Baikal Museum

 

Day 2

Breakfast at the hotel cafe. 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.
Transfer to the pier (~10 min). On a large ferry, you will cross the source of the Angara River and find yourself in the port of Baikal (~ 40 minutes) - a large railway and river port, which can not be reached by car. But from here begins to move on a special tourist train on the Circum-Baikal railway - "Golden buckle Trans-Siberian", a stunning engineering and architectural monument of the early 20th century.
Transfer by tourist train to Pos. Sludyanka (~8 hours). Lunch on the train. 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.
Upon arrival in Slyudyanka transfer to the village of Utulik (~ 30 km). Hotel accommodation. Dinner.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Cities: Listvyanka, Slyudyanka, Utulik

Attractions: Circum-Baikal Railway (KBZhD), Hamar-Daban Mountain Massif

 

Day 3.

Breakfast at the hotel. Day of acquaintance with the city of Baikal. Excursion program. 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.
Lunch at the cafe.
Dinner at the hotel.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Cities: Baikalsk

 

4th day

Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, we go to another famous town on the coast – Slyudyanka, “the mineral pearl of the Baikal region”. Moving to Slyudyanka. Excursion program. 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 Shaman Cape - a sacred place for Buryats, Mongols, a natural monument, a popular holiday destination for tourists and the local population. In ancient times, religious ceremonies were performed here and it was called Ayha-Shuloun – a terrible stone. Lunch at the cafe.
Transfer to Arshan (~3 hours). 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 driving 120 km, we get to the village of Arshan, located at the foot of the overhanging mountain peaks, which makes it seem immersed in eternal shadow. Hotel accommodation.
Dinner at the hotel.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Cities: Slyudyanka, Arshan

Attractions: Museum of Minerals "Gems of Baikal", Cape Shamansky, Hamar-Daban Mountain Massif, East Sayan Ridge, Tunkin Valley, Tunkinsky Golt Ridge

 

5th day

Breakfast at the hotel. Walking tour. 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.
Dinner at the hotel.
Meals: breakfast, dinner.

Cities: Arshan

 

Day 6

Breakfast at the hotel. Excursion program. 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 the three 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.
Dinner at the hotel.
Meals: breakfast, dinner.

Cities: Arshan

Attractions: Tunkin Valley

 

Day 7.

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer by tourist transport to Irkutsk (210 km, ~ 5 hours). 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. A stop for photography on the observation deck of Kultuk, from where a fascinating panorama of southern Baikal and the mountains of Hamar-Daban opens.
And then to the suburbs of Irkutsk – Kultuksky tract with its serpentine mountain road, which inspires admiration and horror at the same time.
Hotel accommodation.
Meals: Breakfast.

Cities: Arshan, Irkutsk

Attractions: Mount Hamar-Daban

 

8th day

Breakfast at the hotel. 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, in the cafe 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.
Meals: breakfast, lunch.

Cities: Irkutsk

 

9th day

Breakfast at the hotel. The final day of the program and acquaintance with the ancient Siberian city of Irkutsk.
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 central market and the souvenir shop.
The estimated time of the end of the program is 13:00.
Meals: Breakfast.

Cities: Irkutsk

Attractions: Znamensky Monastery, Lower Embankment of the Angara