Russia

Itinerary

• Days 1-2: Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia)

  The trip begins in Mongolia’s capital and largest city, Ulaanbaatar. Here you’ll tour the monumental Gandan Monastery and learn about the traditional nomadic culture of the region at the National History Museum.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • The main temple of the Gandan Monastery, which houses an 85-foot-tall, 20-ton, gold-gilded statue of Migjid Janraisig, a Buddhist bodhisattva
  • The National History Museum’s extensive collection, ranging from petroglyphs to traditional costumes to correspondence between the pope and Genghis Khan
• Days 3-6: Gobi Desert, Country Naadam Festival

  Make the one-hour flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad and transfer to Three Camel Lodge, Mongolia’s premier eco-lodge, where you’ll spend three nights in a well-appointed ger (a traditional yurt) while exploring the Gobi Desert.  Adventures include touring Togrogiin Shiree and the Flaming Cliffs, two major paleontological sites; sharing tea with a nomad family; looking for ibex, snowcocks, golden eagles, and the other wildlife that inhabit shady Yolyn Am Canyon; and riding a camel over the sand dunes of Moltsog Els. On the final full day, attend a country Naadam Festival – a joyous annual competition held throughout Mongolia that showcases traditional wrestling, horse racing, and archery.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • Togrogiin Shiree, where the famous “Fighting Dinosaurs” fossils were uncovered
  • The luminescent Flaming Cliffs, one of the world’s most renowned paleontological sites where dinosaur eggs were discovered by Roy Chapman Andrews, a real-life inspiration for Indiana Jones
  • The wildlife of cool Yolyn Am Canyon
  • Sharing tea with a nomad family and riding a camel with a local herder
  • Attending a country Naadam Festival, Mongolia’s annual summer celebration
• Days 7-10: Irkutsk (Russia), Listvyanka

  Fly from Ulaanbaatar to Irkutsk to begin the Siberian part of the itinerary. A tour of this surprisingly sophisticated little city includes a classical music performance at the Decemberist House Museum, one of Irkutsk’s best-preserved historic homes. Continue to the town of Listvyanka, set along the shores of UNESCO-listed Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest and oldest freshwater lake. Learn about the lake’s unique ecosystem at the Baikal Museum, where an aquarium is home to two nerpas – a species of freshwater seal found only at the lake. Then get out on the water with a private cruise that follows the cliff-hugging path of the old Circumbaikal Railway.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • The Decembrist House Museum, the preserved home of one member of a group of failed 19th century revolutionaries who settled in Irkutsk following their terms in Siberian labor camps
  • Little Listvyanka village and its Baikal Museum, which includes aquariums displaying the lake’s unique marine life
  • A private cruise of Lake Baikal, with stops to examine the tracks and tunnels of the beautifully situated Circumbaikal Railway
  • The 166-acre Wooden Architecture Museum, a collection of authentic Russian and indigenous buildings from the 17th to the 20th century
  • A visit to Husky Hut, Listvyanka’s training center for Siberian huskies
  • An optional banya – an authentic Russian steam bath – in Listvyanka
• Days 11-12: Trans-Siberian Railway, Ulan Ude

  From Irkutsk, board the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway and travel along one of its most scenic stretches leading to Ulan Ude, capital of Russia’s Buryat Republic. Stop in at the local market and then tour Ivolginsk Datsan, the center of Buddhism in Russia where young llamas from all over the country come to live and study. Make a trip outside of town to visit a village of Old Believers – a religious group that rebelled against changes to the Orthodox liturgy in 1652 and were exiled to Siberia. In their isolated enclaves, they’ve preserved 17th century styles of clothing, architecture, and music. UNESCO includes this unique community on its List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • A ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway, passing through taiga (subarctic forest) and stopping at small villages
  • The main temple of Ivolginsk Datsan, filled with decorative silks, painted woodwork, and precious stones
  • A home-cooked dinner with a group of Old Believers
• Days 13-16: Ust-Barguzin, Olkhon Island, Irkutsk

  Return to Lake Baikal, winding through Zabaikalsky National Park – which includes the eastern shores of the lake and the southern Barguzin Mountains – and ending the day with a homestay in the fishing village of Ust-Barguzin. Boat across Lake Baikal to search for freshwater seals around the Ushkaniye Islands, and then spend the night on Olkhon, Baikal’s largest island, where the indigenous Buryats believe the lake’s gods live. Ferry back to the mainland, return to Irkutsk, and mark the trip’s final night with a farewell dinner.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • Zabaikalsky National Park, a preserve for the natural beauty of Lake Baikal’s eastern shores
  • Getting a taste of local hospitality through dinner and an overnight with a family in the fishing village of Ust-Barguzin
  • A boat ride to the Ushkaniye Islands to look for nerpas, Lake Baikal’s freshwater seals
  • Overnight on Olkhon Island, sacred to the local Buryats