Virgin nature of Baikal (7 days, 6 nights)

Tour
 Virgin nature of Baikal

Day 

Program

Day 1 

Arrival in UU. Meeting, transfer to the hotel. Breakfast. Excursion to the Buddhist Temple Gandan Choinkhorlin (35 km from UU) with a student-monk (khuvarak); visiting the main temple, museum, library of buddhist manuscripts, sitting at the rite.

Tour around the city: the central square, old streets.

Dinner at the cafe «Bataray Urgo» (Buryat national meals). Departure to Barguzin (5-6 hours). Arriving in Barguzin — the first Orthodox settlement in Zabaikalie. Enjoy real Siberian hospitality: Siberian food, russian banya (bath-house). Night at the family.

Day 2 

Breakfast — great tour (260 km) along Barguzinskaya valley — the northern steppes of Asia. The valley is situated at the picturesque place — between two mountain ranges: Ikatski and Barguzinski. It is famous for its natural and historical monuments. The tour begins with Petrogliffs (rocky paintings, age 3000). Way will bring us to the Suvinsky Castle (Suvinsky Ostantsi) - an architectural miracle created by nature itself forming a picturesque group, reminding castles ruins with huge stone towers and narrow rocky ravine between them with the length about 200m and height 50m. There are a lot of nests of doves and swallows in the rocks.

Higher The Suva there is a place of admiration of Barguzin Buryats — The Stone Bull (a stone which looks like a bull where shaman rituals are taken place). Near the river Ina there is Stone Garden (10 km large stones which are grown from the land) Scientists still don't know the origin of such natural phenomenon. In the Japanese culture it is known as «Khiraniva» — «Philosophic Garden». At the Alginskoe Lake you will observe birds of prey: kites and goshawks. The historical museum of the village will tell us about the life of local people and fate of exiled Decembrists. Dinner in the village. Further on the most interesting begins -going on foot across the Barguzin range — the heart of Zabaikal taiga. Make a camp. Supper on fire. Overnight. (length:5 km. Height: 120m. trekking time: 2 hours)

Day 3 

Breakfast made on fire. Continue our crossing the range, stop at the most interesting and picturesque places. Lunch en route. Make a camp. Supper, overnight at camp. (length: 16 km; height: till the crossing point: 280m. Then descent: 240m; trekking time: 6 — 7 hours)

Day 4 

Breakfast made on fire. Continue our tour till the mouth of the river Bolshoi Chivirkui where ship is; dinner on fire. The Bolshoi Chivirkui is one of the most fishing rivers of the bay. While descending along the river one can see several kinds of fish right in the water. It is one of the nesting places of ducks. Their broods can be seen from June till the end of July. Transfer to Bay Fertik. Here we make a camp. Rest, supper, overnight at camp. (length: 8km; height: 160m; trekking time: 4 hours).

Day 5 

Breakfast. Crossing by boats to Ongokonskaya bay. Dinner on the coast. Transfer to Zmeinaya bay by boats. There are hot springs in Zmeinaya bay. At the spring's exit a wooden cabin for bathing has been built. Near the main cabin there are 4 griffins among shingle. The spring's water is hydrocarbonate — sulphate-sodium with smell and taste of hydrogen sulfide (from 10 till 23 mg/l). The local population uses the spring for treatment backache and different illness. Bathing in the springs. Transfer to Okunevaya bay. Accommodation in the families in Kurbulik.

Day 6 

Breakfast. Transfer on foot Kurbulik-Monakhovo (path along the coast. enjoy the walking at the most picturesque place where nature keeps its virgin beauty). Lunch en route or in Monakhovo. Transfer Ust-Barguzin by the bus 4WD (2 hours). Arriving in Ust-Barguzin, accommodation in the families. Supper, bathhouse. Overnight.

Day 7 

Breakfast. Transfer Ulan-Ude. Supper in the family Departure the next day by train or flight.