BUDDHAS, LENINS, TAIGA AND THE ENDLESS MAJESTY OF THE BAIKAL

February 02 ⇾ February 09
July 01 ⇾ July 08

In addition to our regular group departures to Buryatia, we also offer tour services for private travel parties and lone wolves alike. As a traveller-oriented boutique operator, tailored trips and bespoke adventures are our bread and butter. Get in touch for more info on our Bespoke Buryatia Tours! 

DAY 1 tO DAY 2 — Ulan Ude

Meet-and-greet at Ulan Ude International Airport, transfer to our hotel of choice, and introductory briefing about Buryatia and its unique culture.

The following day will be entirely devoted to the urban exploration of Ulan Ude, the little-know capital of Buryatia.

During our sojourn in town, we'll also visit the villages of Ivolginsky and Atsagat, home to two of the most important datsans (temples) of Buryat Buddhism and major pilgrimage sites for every Buddhist across Russia and the former Soviet Union.

Overnights in Ulan-Ude.

DAY 3 TO DAY 4 — Baikal Lake

After breakfast we'll depart from Ulan-Ude and slowly travel along the eastern shore of the mighty Baikal Lake.

We'll spend two entire days gallivanting around the villages, bays and coves scattered along the pristine eastern shores of the Baikal.

Highlights will include: secluded bights, white-sand beaches, boat trips in summer, ice driving in winter, and an all-inclusive excursion to the remote Holy Nose Peninsula.

During your time in the area, you'll have also the unique chance to meet with the local Buryat people, who will share with you their food, their home and the mystic secrets of their culture.

Meals and overnights in local guesthouses.

DAY 5 — Barguzin Valley

We'll spend the fifth day of our tour travelling across the Barguzin Valley, also known as the little Tibet of Siberia for its concentration of temples, shrines and pilgrimage sites.

During our journey through the valley, we'll visit several traditional villages inhabited by both Buryats and Evenks, a formerly nomadic Tungusic people spread across much of Northern Asia.

In the afternoon we'll then head back south towards Ulan-Ude for a well-deserved good night’s sleep in the city.

Overnight in Ulan-Ude.

Bespoke Experiences • Cultural full immersion with a local Buryat family on the eastern shores of the Baikal Lake and traditional Siberian banya session in Kultuk or Arshan.

DAY 6 — Southern Shores  

We'll leave Ulan-Ude in the morning and travel along the southern shore of the Baikal Lake up to the fascinatingly desolate village of Babushkin, named after the early bolshevik revolutionary Ivan Babushkin, before continuing by train along the world-famous Baikal Panoramic Railway.

The train will stop en route in several pretty wooden hamlets, lakeside resorts and Soviet industrial towns such as Mishika, Tankhoy, Murino, Baikalsk and Slyudyanka.

In the late afternoon we'll eventually reach the Soviet-era vacation retreat of Kultuk.

Overnight in Kultuk.

DAY 7 — Tunka Valley

Today's we'll travel southwest towards remote areas bordering to Mongolia, heading for the secretive Tunka Valley, renowned for its postcard landscapes and a curious mixture of ancient Buddhist stupas, traditional Russian hamlets and Soviet mountain retreats.

We'll move at slow pace enjoying the gorgeous nature and the historical-cultural hallmarks of the region such as the Soviet observatory of Badary and the traditional Buryat village of Zhemchug.

In the afternoon we’ll then reach the Arshan, a lovely spa-town backed by the dramatic, cloud-wreathed peaks of the Eastern Sayan.

Once in Arshan, you can either relax at the mineral-rich hot springs this village is famous for or — if fit enough — engage in one of the many (extreme) sport or trekking activities offered by the local resorts.

In the evening we'll all indulge in local gastronomic and cultural pleasures: Buryat dumplings, dried fish, fresh beer and reinvigorating banya (Russian sauna) sesseions.

Overnight in Arshan.

DAY 8 — FAREWELL TO BURYATIA

After sharing a last Buryat meal together, we'll take care of your transfer to either Irkutsk International Airport or Ulan-Ude International Airport for your flight back home.

End of the tour.

1690 €

INCLUSIONS
Double/twin-room accommodation (breakfast included), private transport in Buryatia (car/minivan), all entrance fees, English-speaking guiding service, 24/7 on-site and remote assistance.

EXCLUSIONS
Single supplement, international flights, main meals (lunches and dinners), extra drinks, visa fees (if required), tips, travel insurance.

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