Transsib and Transbaikal

See more than just classical Transsiberian route! This itinerary includes the ride along BAM – Baikal-Amur railroad line - which brings us to the North of Baikal Lake, rarely visited by tourists and therefore its nature stayed unexplored and is very picturesque. It will take us about 10 hours to cross Baikal lake from its Northern shore to the Southern one by Hydrofoil and will enable us to see how beautiful and huge this lake is. This trip gives an excellent opportunity to get the feeling what a big country Russia is, to see geographical zones changing from the steppe to taiga - deep Siberian forest, to visit big cities and small villages. We will go through the territories populated by Russians, Tatars, Kazakhs, Buryats. The religions vary from Russian Orthodox, Buddhism, Islam to Shamanism as well as cultures and traditions.Another focus is the legendary Trans-Siberian railroad. We will learn more about its history from the museums in Novosibirsk and Severobaikalsk and get the insider’s impressions being a passenger on a modern train going along the road connecting the West and East of the largest country in the world.

OUTLINE ITINERARY:
The following itinerary is intended as a working guide only and is a subject to variation as a result of changes in airline schedules, local conditions, weather and governmental restrictions. We reserve the right to alter (lengthen or shorten) the trek at any time if necessary.

Day 1. Arrive in Moscow. Transfer to the hotel.

Day 2. City tour and transfer to the train station. Depart by train to Yekaterinburg.

Day 3. On train. Arrive in Yekaterinburg in the evening.

Day 4. City-tour combined with the excursion «The last days of the last Russia Tsar» visiting Cathedral –on- the – Blood and Ganina Yama (the first burial place of tsar family). Depart to Krasnoyarsk.

Day 5. On train.

Day 6. Arrive in Krasnoyarsk. City tour in Krasnoyarsk. Hotel.

Day 7. Departure by train to Severobaikalsk.

Day 8. Arrive in Severobaikalsk. Sightseeing.

Day 9. Take Hydrofoil to Irkutsk (about 10-12 hours). Hotel in Irkutsk.

Day 10. Free time in Irkutsk. Drive to Listvianka visiting Taltsy – open-air museum of wooden architecture.

Day 11. Learn more about Baikal at the Limnological Museum and explore Listvianka village. Banya ( Russian sauna).

Day 12. Drive to Irkutsk Overnight train to Ulan-Ude.

Day 13. Sightseeing in Ulan-Ude. Visit to Ivolginsky Buddhist Monastery – the main Buddhist temple in Russia.

Day 14. Transfer to the airport for flight to Moscow or continue by train or flight to Mongolia.