Siberian Odyssey: Legends of Tuva, Lake Baikal & Buryatia
Explore South Siberia, a remote and atmospheric land where mounted Scythians thundered across the steppe long ago, leaving behind grave mounds and golden ornaments. Meet Turkic Tuvan and Khakass people, whose Mongolian neighbors imbued them with Buddhism, shamanism and khoomei, or throat-singing; and the Buryats of UNESCO-listed Lake Baikal, the deepest and most ancient lake on Earth.
Days 1-4: Moscow, Abakan, Shushenskoe
Assemble in Moscow, then fly to Abakan, capital of Khakassia, a small South Siberia republic within the Russian Federation established by Turkic speaking tribes in the 8th century. On the way to Kyzyl, stop in Shushenskoye, an obscure Siberian village where Lenin was exiled. Continue overland through the foothills of the Sayan Mountains to Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva.
Days 5-6: Tuva
Explore remote and beautiful Tuva whose people have adopted many of the cultural
traditions of Mongolia. Attend a shamanist ceremony and discover Tuvan throat-singing, an eerie-sounding musical form in which one person produces several sounds simultaneously. Visit the famous Arzhan II excavations in Turan, in a place known as the "Valley of the Czars," where ancient Scythian horsemen buried their royalty in rich kurgans.
Days 7-10: Krasnoyarsk, Trans-Siberian, Irkutsk, Olkhon Island, Listvyanka
Fly to Krasnoyarsk and take an overnight ride on the fabled Trans-Siberian Railway to Irkutsk. Hydrofoil over Lake Baikal to forested Olkhon Island, where indigenous Buryats believed the lake's gods to have lived. Search for elusive fresh-water seals off the island's shores and try an authentic Russian banya in lakeside Listvyanka.
Days 13-16: Ulan Ude, Moscow
In the capital of the Buryat Republic, visit Russia's most important Buddhist monastery and enjoy a farewell banquet with modern-day Old Believers, descendents of those exiled here for refusing to give up their 17th century beliefs. Fly back to Moscow for a final overnight.
Trip Details
| Length of Trip: |
16 Days |
| Departures in 2010: |
1 |
| Dates: |
August 7-22 |
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| Land Tour Cost: |
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| 5-12 travelers |
$6,995** |
| Partial Single Supplement |
$795* |
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| No Hidden Costs! |
| **Land tour cost includes internal flight costs which are subject to change; see the Descriptive Daily Itinerary for details. |
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MIR Signature Features
- Experience a traditional shaman ceremony in remote Tuva
- Discover the other-worldly sounds of throat-singing
- Explore Olkhon Island, the largest island in Lake Baikal
Map - Click to Enlarge
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| Days 1-2: |
Moscow |
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| Day 3: |
fly to Abakhan |
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| Days 4-6: |
exploration of Tuva |
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| Day 7: |
fly to Krasnoyarsk |
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| Day 8: |
overnight train to Irkutsk |
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| Day 9: |
Irkutsk |
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| Days 10-11: |
Olkhon Island |
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| Days 12-13: |
Listvyanka |
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| Day 14: |
Ulan Ude |
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| Day 15: |
fly to Moscow |
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| Day 16: |
depart Moscow |
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| 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
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| 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)
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| Kharlun (Buryat) Village |
Local history museum, school visit |
Suggested Extensions
MIR can arrange for an extended program in Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Baltics or elsewhere in Eastern 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.
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