ADVENTURE / BAIKAL To the Valley of Volcanoes

Morning arrival in Irkutsk from Moscow, meeting and assistance at the airport or railway station. A city tour of Irkutsk with a visit to the most atmospheric sites – Znamensky cathedral. Check-in at a hotel (***, in double rooms) in Irkutsk. Lunch.

Visit by bus to the open air Taltsy Ethnography Museum (30 min one way), guided tour of the museum grounds to get to know the traditions of Siberian wooden architecture and lifestyle in the 17-19c.

Return to Irkutsk to the hotel, dinner. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast. Time at leisure, check-out. Start off towards Siberian taiga and mountain peaks with a long transfer (total over 500 km) to the starting point of our trekking tour.

First transfer by coach to Kultuk settlement, the southernmost point of Lake Baikal (2 h), with a stop on the way to enjoy a magnificent view of Baikal, the deepest and purest freshwater lake on earth, and taste smoked local fish. Lunch in a road-side café.

Further transfer along the picturesque Tunka valley famous for its thermal springs stretching for 200 km between the soft curves of the Khamar Daban mountain range and Tunka Goltsy, with a stop on the way at the place of worship of local nature spirits. Enjoy a wonderful view of the sharp ridges of the Eastern Sayan with its magnificent Munku-Sardyk peak (3491m).

Go past Arshan village, a local spa resort, and small Mondy settlement to Orlik village next to the border with Mongolia, and finally to Khara-Khuzhir and observe on the way how the Oka river changes from a small creek into a tumultuous whitewater river.

Set up a tent camp. Dinner cooked over campfire and overnight in tents.

Breakfast. Take a ride by a Russian off-road truck (ZIL or URAL) along a dirt road up the Sentsa river valley to the Hoyto-Gol springs, hot springs and small basins of hot water of +29C- +33C traditionally used by Mongolians and Tuvans for treating rheumatic problems and nervous breakdowns.

Lunch, dinner, overnight in tents.

Breakfast. Start our trekking adventure to the Valley of Volcanoes. Going up over a pass of 2350m to scenic ancient Peretolchin volcano with its lakes inside and bright alley of trees around the crater. Lunch on the way

Set up a tent camp at the foothill of the volcano. Dinner, overnight in tents.

Day trekking distance: 18 km

Breakfast. Full-day radial trekking tour across the lava field to the volcanoes Kropotkin and Stary (latter consisting of 3 ruined and merged cones). Ascending the trails, we can look into the volcano craters. After lunch we can go up the peak from where opens a wonderful panoramic view. Return to the camp tent.

Day trekking distance: 15-18 km

Breakfast. Going down to the Sentsy valley and Hoyto-Gol hot springs. Lunch as a snack on the way. Dinner cooked over ampfire and overnight in tents next to the springs.

Day trekking distance: 18 km

Rest day. Time to enjoy a rest and relax in the hot springs.

Hot lunch. Thanks to the local nature spirits at the traditional worship place for a good trip in the mountains. Dinner cooked over campfire and overnight in tents

Breakfast. Transfer by an off-road car down the Sentsa river valley back to its mouth. Lunch, dinner, overnight in tents

Breakfast. Packing and leaving by bus for Irkutsk. On the way stop in Zhemchug to visit the local hot springs or take a mud and mineral bath or take a ride by horse (at your own expense). Lunch in a roadside café.

Evening arrival in Irkutsk, check-in at a hotel (***). Gala dinner. Overnight

Breakfast. Transfer to the airport for morning departure for Moscow