Day 1: Arrive in Moscow.
Transfer to the hotel. Overnight in the hotel.
Day 2: Moscow
City tour, visit the Kremlin. Transfer to the airport for the overnight flight to Abakan.
Day 3: Abakan-Kyzyl
Arrive in Abakan. Transfer to Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva Republic. En-route lunch in a road cafe. Accommodation at the hotel. Free time.
Day 4: Kyzyl
City tour, during the tour we'll visit the Buddhist temple and will have an opportunity to talk with a lama. Visit the National Museum of the Republic of Tuva where we can see the Scythian gold and other archeological artifacts from the world-known Arzhan kurgan. In the afternoon we can either visit stone cutter workshop and see the authentic art of cutting stones or visit the national musical instruments making workshop at the Center of Tuva Culture. Then we'll go to the mineral water spring “Seven Beavers” and see the shaman's cults. In the evening we'll visit the nomads yurts and learn about their life and culture. There we'll taste national food and listen to the throat singing.
Day 5: Tuva
Drive to the tourist lodge located at upper reach of the Maliy (Small) Yenisei (ca. 145km from Kyzyl). Walk in the forest, sail on boats observing rapids of the Maliy Yenisei. Banya, evening by the campfire in a good company. Overnight in small houses at the tourist lodge.
Day 6: Tuva
Excursion to the village of Old Believers, meet the locals and have lunch in the family. Back to Kyzyl. In the evening there is some time to visit souvenir shops. Overnight in the hotel.
Day 7: Krasnoyarsk
Morning flight to Krasnoyarsk – the third largest Siberian city. It is located on the Yenisei river – one of the greatest Siberian rivers. After the accommodation in the hotel we'll take an excursion to the Krasnoyarsk Dam. One might have seen it on a 10-ruble note. At the observation point 'Tzar-Fish' there is a breathtaking panorama. Then we'll visit the funpark 'Bobrovy Log' to enjoy the views of Nature reserve park. Overnight at the hotel in Krasnoyarsk.
Day 8: Krasnoyarsk-Irkutsk
Transfer to the railway station for the train to Irkutsk. Overnight on train.
Day 9: Irkutsk-Listvyanka
Arrival in Irkutsk in the morning. Transfer to the Baikal shore village - Listvyanka. Accommodation at the guest house. Free time to explore the village. Visit the Baikal seal - Nerpa aquarium, thery make shows every hour. Banya in the evening.
Day 10: Listvyanka
Visit to the Limnological Museum and learn a lot about Baikal Lake – the biggest and the cleanest lake in the world. A boat cruise to the old Circum-Baikal railway track famous with its numerous tunnels.
Day 11: Listvyanka-Irkutsk
After breakfast drive to Taltsy museum to see the wooden architecture of the Baikal area. Then continue to Irkutsk. After lunch explore Irkutsk and visit to the museum of Volkonsky family – one of the noble families exiled here by Russian tzar after the uprising of 1825. Transfer to the railway station for the overnight train to Ulan-Ude.
Day 12: Ulan-Ude
Arrive in Ulan-Ude in the morning. Sightseeing in Ulan-Ude, including visit to Ivolginsky Datsan, the centre of Russian Buddhism. Overnight in Ulan-Ude.
Day 13: From Ulan-Ude there are several options for further journeys:
It is possible to fly to Moscow. There are direct morning flight Ulan-Ude – Moscow. Due to the time zones the plane will arrive in Moscow in the morning as well, so it's possible to get an international connection on the same day. It is possible to take train to Ulan-Baator (Mongolia), Beijing (China) or continue traveling across Russia to Vladivostok.