Siberia, Mongolia & Tuva:
Ancient Songs & Stories
This unparalleled cultural adventure brings us together with Tuvans, Mongols, Buryats and Old Believers as we follow the nomad's path overland through obscure and remote regions in the center of Asia. Along the way we experience the resonant songs of throat-singers, the strong harmonies of the oldest Orthodox hymns and the chants of Buddhist monks. It is now available as a private journey. If you would like to travel to Tuva on a group tour, consider Siberian Odyssey: Legends of Tuva, Lake Baikal & Buryatia.
Days 1-3: Moscow, Abakan, Shushenskoe
Assemble in Moscow, then fly to Abakan and visit the village of Shushenskoye, where Lenin spent three years in exile. Continue overland through the foothills of the Sayan Mountains to Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva.
Days 4-7: Tuva
Tuva, the centerpiece of this journey, is a remote region near the Mongolian border that is more ethnically Mongolian than Russian. Spend four nights in Kyzyl, learning of Buddhist and shamanist traditions, and discover Tuvan throat-singing, an eerie-sounding musical form in which one person produces several sounds simultaneously. Visit Turan, in the Valley of the Czars, where rich Scythian burial mounds have been found.
Days 8-13: Irkutsk, Listvyanka, Lake Baikal, Ulan Ude
Take a boat ride on deep Lake Baikal and spend the night in a lakeshore lodge in the village of Listvyanka. Tour the Siberian "capital," Irkutsk and its sister city, Ulan Ude, capital of the Buryat Republic and center of Buddhism in Russia. Travel the back roads between Ulan Ude and the Mongolian border to visit a native Buryat settlement and a village of Orthodox Old Believers.
Days 14-16: UlaanBaatar, Terelj
An overnight train delivers us to Mongolia where we visit a Buddhist monastery. Venture to the grasslands of Gorkhi-Terelj National Park to experience traditional ger living and interact with local nomads. Return to UlaanBaatar where a Mongolian folk show accompanies a farewell dinner.
Trip Details
MIR Signature Features
- Experience a traditional shaman ceremony in remote Tuva
- Discover the other-worldly sounds of throat-singing in its native lands
- Meet the gaze of the largest Lenin head in the world in Ulan Ude
Map - Click to Enlarge
| |
| Day 1: |
Moscow |
|
| Day 2: |
fly to Abakan |
|
| Day 3: |
drive to Shushenskoe Village |
|
| Days 4-7: |
exploration of Tuva |
|
| Day 8: |
fly to Krasnoyarsk, train to Irkutsk |
|
| Days 9-11: |
Listvyanka at Lake Baikal, overnight train to Ulan
Ude |
|
| Day 12: |
Ulan Ude |
|
|
| Day 13: |
drive to Naushki, overnight train to UlaanBaatar |
|
| Day 14: |
UlaanBaatar |
|
| Day 15: |
Terelj National Park |
|
| Day 16: |
UlaanBaatar |
|
|
| Moscow |
Red Square, St. Basil's Cathedral at night, Kremlin and Armory Museum (UNESCO World Heritage site), Cold War Museum, Arbat Street |
| Abakan |
Gateway to Tuva |
| Shushenskoye |
State Ethnographical Museum, site of Lenin's pre-revolutionary exile |
| Kyzyl |
Geographic Center of Asia, shaman ceremony, Regional Museum of Tuva, Valley of the Czars and Scythian Tombs at Turan, Museum of Russian Colonists, performance of Tuvan throat singing |
| Irkutsk |
World War II Memorial, Alexander III monument, icebreaker Angara, Decembrist Museum, Museum of Wooden Architecture
|
| Listvyanka Village |
Lake Baikal (UNESCO World Heritage site), Limnological Museum, St. Nicholas Church, Chersky Mount, authentic Russian banya |
| Ulan Ude |
Ivolginsk Datsan, Tibetan medicine clinic, largest Lenin-head in the world, Buddhist Art and History Museum, UNESCO-listed Trans-Baikal Semeiskie (Russian Old Believers)
|
| Kharlun (Buryat) Village |
Local history museum, school visit |
| Terelj |
Mongolian National Park, beautiful alpine landscapes |
| UlaanBaatar |
National Museum of Mongolian History, Gandan Monastery |
Suggested Extensions
MIR can arrange for an extended program in Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Baltics or elsewhere in Europe before the tour begins, or in Mongolia or China at the conclusion of your tour. You may wish to stay on in Mongolia to visit the Gobi, or enjoy a Yangtze River cruise in China. Please call us for suggestions.
|
