In the Heart of Siberia

The second day will start with a visit to the local scientific city Akademgorodok. Akademgorodok is one of the biggest scientific and educational centers in Russia. It is a real temple of science, a lot of research institutes are located there. Moreover, this scientific city has its own forest, sea and special atmosphere. You’ll have a chance to see the famous Geology Museum at Geology Research Institute, Open-Air Train Museum where a collection of the old Trans-Siberian trains is held, and the Ob reservoir – an artificial sea.

After lunch, you will take an overnight train to the second city of our journey – Krasnoyarsk.

Krasnoyarsk is one of the oldest cities of Siberia and the most eastern millionaire city in Russia. Its history covers four centuries during which Krasnoyarsk has grown from a small Cossack prison to what we can see nowadays. The city has a favorable location, high economic, scientific, and cultural potential. Despite the presence of many industrial enterprises, the ecological situation and urban development are on a worthy level here, therefore Krasnoyarsk is usually put as an example to other Russian megacities.

In the morning you will have some free time to rest and after lunch the guide will tour you around the city. You will see the Yenisei, the biggest river in Russia, and the 5th biggest river in the world. The river divides Krasnoyarsk into 2 rather different parts. This difference can be seen not only in the appearance of the city but even in the mentality of its population. Later on, you will have dinner with a cooking master class under the supervision of local professional chefs.

On the fourth day, you will continue to discover Krasnoyarsk. You will visit the Region History Museum – one of the oldest museums in Siberia and the largest museum complex in Russia.

In addition to the Region History Museum, it is worth visiting the museum-steamer “St. Nicholas”, which belonged to the industrialist I.M. Sibiryakov and in those days was the fastest ship on the Yenisei River. The wardroom and other rooms have been well preserved till the present day.

Among other attractions of Krasnoyarsk is Karaulnaya Mountain with the Paraskeva Pyatnitsa chapel, which can be seen from any corner of the city. Near the chapel, you can see a cannon that fires a blank shot at noon. After the excursion, you will travel to the famous local reserve “Stolby / Pillars” where you can enjoy the view of the unique natural rocks that gave their name to the reserve. This reserve is often called the lungs of Krasnoyarsk. And it really is. Untouched taiga generously gives fresh air to this industrial giant of Siberia.

The fifth day of our trip will start at midnight. You will check out from the hotel and head to the night tour around Krasnoyarsk.

Magical musical fountains and panoramic views of the city will touch your heart and impress you very much. Afterward, you will proceed to another city of the route – Irkutsk, which is famous for the Baikal lake – the largest freshwater lake on Earth. You will spend the whole day on the board of the train and arrive in Irkutsk late in the evening.

The morning will be highlighted with a city tour. Irkutsk is a rather old historical city, located in the east of Siberia in the picturesque valley of the Angara River. The city keeps over 680 cultural monuments, including churches, monasteries, merchant “lace” houses, stone and wooden estates. In some places, its appearance resembles St. Petersburg.

The later transfer takes you to Olkhon – the largest and the most famous island of Baikal. If Baikal is the heart of Siberia, then Olkhon is the heart of Baikal. It is the land of shamans and legends. Everyone who comes here finds something for himself: someone gets pleasure from enjoying the beauty of nature, incredible sunsets, and sunrises, someone immerses in the uniqueness of the Buryat culture, shamanic rituals, and local cuisine, and others alone with nature can find harmony with themselves.

After lunch, you will head to the village of Khuzhir – the main settlement on Olkhon. The population of Khuzhir is small, a little less than one and a half thousand people. You will spend a night in one of the tour lodges there.

Today you will spend almost the whole day on the cruising trip. The boat will take you to the Monachovo village – the entrance point of Zabaikalsky national park where you will be impressed by unique natural areas, stunning landscapes with big opportunities for leisure, educational, and sports tourism. The Flora and fauna of the national park are extensive, some species of animals, birds, and plants are listed in the Red Book. You can meet here hares, bears, ermines, elks or deer.

At the end of this saturated day spent amid nature, you will have dinner with some specialties at the host family and have a unique experience of the real Russian banya.

The eighth day begins with a transfer from Irkutsk to the last city on our route Ulan-Ude – the capital of the Republic of Buryatia. The city is one of the eight so-called pairs of antipode cities in the world, which means that Ulan-Ude is located at a diametrically opposite point on the Earth concerning the South American Puerto Natales, located in Chile.

After lunch at the yurt restaurant and check-in at Sagaan Morin tour complex, the guide will tour you around the city and show all major sites that are reflecting the unique culture of the region. Founded in the 17th century, Ulan-Ude developed slowly due to the influence of neighboring regions, but it managed to preserve the national Buryat flavor. For the above reason, the sights here differ very much from the legacy of communism, like the huge head of Lenin, and echoes of tsarist Russia, like the triumphal arch, to the examples of the unique Buddhist culture of the republic, like temples and ethnographic museums.

Today you have a visit to the Buddist temple – Ivolginsky Datsan. Datsan is a monastery-university in the Buddhist tradition. It includes several temples, an educational institution, and even a greenhouse with plants sacred to Buddhists. The main shrine of Datsan is the imperishable body of Lama Etigelov, this phenomenon goes beyond science and medicine and allows you to touch something eternal and unknown.

After lunch, you will have a tour around the village of Old Believers. For 250 years, their unique community has been flourishing in Buryatia. In the 18th century, Russian Empress Catherine the Great ordered to send all Old Believers to Siberia. Almost 35,000 people had to start a new life in a new place. Due to the complete isolation and isolation of religious views, they were able to preserve their ancient culture in its original form. So during the tour, you’ll take part in ritual funny games, like a joking wedding, listen to polyphonic songs and have dinner with a local family.

On the penultimate day of our trip, you will leave Ulan-Ude. Day train takes you to Irkutsk from where on the next day early in the morning you will take a flight home. Hope this journey will bring you a lot of positive emotions and impressions, and you want to come back to learn more about mysterious Siberia with KMP Group.