Irkutsk – Listvyanka - Circum-Baikal railway (CBR) - Small Sea - Olkhon island – Irkutsk

Overview

• Tour description: Mantra Tourus is the leader in Tourism in Russia. Visit the best places in Russia. Plan your Baikal winter tour, take the Baikal Lake tour and travel to Irkutsk.

• Tour level: Comfort

• Tour duration: 7 days / 6 nights

• Accommodation:
Irkutsk city: hotel "Europe" / hotel "Irkutsk"
Small Sea: eco-hotel "World of Baikal"

• Excursions:
Ethnographic Museum "Taltsy"
Baikal Museum with aquariums
A walk along Listvyanka
Circum-Baikal Railway - by boat (5 hours water trip)
Walking tour along the coast of the Small sea Baikal
Car tour to Olkhon Island (to Cape Khoboy)
Safari to Tazheransk plain
City tour of Irkutsk city

• Food: 2 times a day

• Additional conditions: Additional payment for a single room - 14,500 rubles

• Seasons: Summer - Autumn

• Tickets: From Home Country to Destination Round trip

• Transportation: Included

Program of the tour

Day 1

Welcome to the city of Irkutsk!

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• Meeting at the airport with a sign "MANTRA TOURUS".
• Introduction to the guide.
• After collecting the group, transfer and check-in to the hotel, Breakfast is included.
• After hotel check-in and rest we go for the first meeting and introduction Lake Baikal to the village Listvyanka.
• The village Listvyanka is located at the source of the Angara river and stretches along the shore of lake Baikal for 5 kilometers. The village got its name because of many larch trees growing around it.
• Listvyanka can be called the gates of lake Baikal, this is a place where the introduction of a great lake Baikal begins for many tourists.
• On the way, we will visit the open-air ethnographic Museum "Taltsy". The Museum recreates the cultural and everyday life of the Siberian village of the 17th and 19th centuries.
• Here you will see houses of wealthy peasants, the Spasskaya tower of the Ilimsky prison, the Parish Council, the parish school, the Church of the Kazan icon of the mother of God of the 17th century. What is particularly interesting is that each courtyard of the Museum has its own exposition, you can go to each house and plunge into the atmosphere of those times.
• Lunch time - on your own.
• After visiting the Museum, we continue our way to Listvyanka. First, we will meet the Shaman - a stone with myths and legends. Many people know the legend of the love of Angara river and Yenisei river.
• After we will visit the Baikal Museum, where you will meet the inhabitants of the lake. Seal gamarus, gobies, sponge – these are amazing organisms that live in the lake.
• Walk along Listvyanka with a visit to the fish market and souvenir market.
• Returning back to Irkutsk city.
• Dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Day 2

Excursion along the Circum Baikal railway (CBR) by a boat

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• Breakfast at the hotel is included.
• A very busy, interesting and long excursion day.
• Excursion along the Circum-Baikal railway (CBR) by a boat.
• The railway track along the shore of lake Baikal was built on 30th September, 1904, and 15th October, 1905, permanent traffic was opened.
• Tunneling was carried out mainly manually using explosives. The daily speed of penetration was 40-50 cm. 424 engineering structures, including 39 tunnels with a total length of 8,994 m, were built on 84th km of the road from Kultuk station to Baikal station. 14 km of retaining walls, 47 stone and 3 iron galleries were built in places that are prone to collapse.
• In terms of volume, complexity and cost of work, this section had no equal among the Railways of Russia. Before the revolution, it was called the "Golden buckle of the steel belt of Russia", the buckle - because it connected the Trans - Siberian railway that was torn apart by lake Baikal, and the Golden-because the cost of work it surpassed all existing roads in Russia.
• Lunch.
• Way back to Irkutsk city.

Day 3

Excursion along the coast of the Small Sea

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• Breakfast at the hotel is included.
• After Breakfast-departure to the coast of the Small Sea (minibus, 250 km, 4-5 hours).
• During the trip, the landscape outside the window will change from urban to endless plains, green taiga forest and finally, the rocky shores of lake Baikal.
• Arrival to the eco (bungalows) hotel “World of Baikal”, check-in.
• Lunch time (lunch is included) and a short rest.
• Walking tour along the coast of the Small Sea.
• In Buryat, the Small sea sounds like “Narin Dalai”, which means Narrow sea. This narrow Strait is separated from the "Big Baikal" by Olkhon island. The climate of the coast is ideal for rest: it is not often rainy and most of the time it is sunny.
• This part of the lake (including Olkhon island) represents all the natural zones of the Baikal coast, changing from one to another: there are plains, gorgeous sandy and pebble beaches, steep cliffs, mountains and taiga forest... During our excursions, you will see by yourself how beautiful and diverse the nature of the Small sea.
• During the tour, you will learn about the legends of our saint lake. The guide will tell you interesting facts about Lake Baikal, its flora and fauna, Olkhon island, and the Olkhon gate.
• Back to Hotel.

Day 4

Whole day car tour to Olkhon island and Cape Khoboy

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• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Whole-day car tour to Olkhon island and Cape Khoboy.
• We can say that Baikal is the blue heart of Siberia, and Olkhon is the heart of lake Baikal. The island is the geographical, historical and saint center of the lake - the center of ancient legends and historical legends.
• So, Cape Burhan is an unusual rock that has been revered by the indigenous population of the island since ancient times. Currently, it is considered a state natural and historical monument, and in ancient times, religious sacrifices were made here to the owner of the island, who according to legends lived in the cave of the Cape. The history of Burhan attracted the attention of not only domestic but also foreign archaeologists. In the 70s of the last century, a joint Soviet-American expedition worked here, one of the results of which was the hypothesis about the Asian origin of the native population of North America. Many archaeological findings and discoveries have also been made in this area.
• The purpose of our trip - Cape Khoboy is located near the widest point of lake Baikal (79.5 km), and in clear weather, you can see the opposite shore, the mountainous contour of the Peninsula “Saint Nose”. On the Cape there is a platform where Olkhon shamanic ceremonies are performed.
• Back to Hotel.

Day 5

Safari Tazheran steppes

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• Breakfast is in the hotel (included).
• Safari Tazheran steppes.
• The tour starts from the hotel and the first object of visit will be the Azure Bay, in sunny weather its waters resemble the azure sea coast.
• Further, passing numerous ups and downs, the group falls into gorge of the Snake. Do not be afraid, there are no snakes here, just the gorge itself resembles the trail of a crawling snake. The gorge will lead to the Bay with the same name and if you are lucky, you can see the Baikal seal.
• After that, we will have to climb to the top again, to the top of mountain Tan Khan. This is the highest point of the Small sea coast. A fantastic view opens from this point: Olkhon island, numerous bays, the Islands of the Small sea, the endless Tazheran steppe.
• We will get to know more about the Valley of the stone spirits! You will see a lot of fancy stone sculptures of various size and shape. (the duration of the trip is 4-5 hours).
• Back to the hotel.
• Lunch is in the hotel (included).
• Afternoon is free time.

Day 6

Transfer to Irkutsk

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• Breakfast is in the hotel included.
• Transfer to Irkutsk (250 km).
• On the way, lunch is included – national food.
• Upon arrival to Irkutsk city, a sightseeing tour.
• Irkutsk is the Capital of Eastern Siberia, "Siberian Paris", as it was called, the city of merchants and Decembrists ... Churches, mansions, old houses. Everything has its own story, interesting, sometimes sad, heroic, exciting. We will introduce the history of the city.
• End of the program.

Day 7

Check out and Departure

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• Breakfast is in the hotel included.
• Check-out time is 12:00 pm.
• Transfer to the airport.

Included

• Free Wi-Fi during the entire trip
• English-Speaking guide Our guides
• Photographer Services Include the work of a photographer and the creation of great pictures on your trip
• Round-trip air Travel Meeting at the airport
• Accommodation according the program
• Food according to the program 2 meals a day
• Transport and excursion services according to the program
• Entrance tickets for the program Taltsy Museum, Baikal Museum, Baikal national Park
• Boat trip 5 hours

Optional Value Added Services

• Bank Russian Debit Card with cash back on spending Additional 200 Rubles
• Travel Insurance As per the pricelist
• International Medical Insurance As per the pricelist
• Special Assistance and guide during the free time Car transportation included