
Group size: min. 5 persons
The Altai-Transsib-Baikal tour is an opportunity to learn the legends of the Altai Mountains, see Olkhon Island and the famous Lake Baikal, as well as get to know the locals.
You will visit the island of Patmos, the source of "living" and "dead" water, one of the largest lakes in Russia – Teletskoye, you will see mobile glaciers and petroglyphs that are several thousand years old.
The historical part of Irkutsk will amaze with old houses, Orthodox and Catholic churches. A visit to Ulan-Ude will be remembered for a Buddhist monastery, an Old Believer village and the performance of folk songs.
Tour itinerary:
Excursion to Chemal (90 km): Chemalskaya hydro-electric power station and the Patmos Island. Patmos is one of the most beautiful places in the Altai Mountains. There are a restored church commemorating St. John the Evangelist and the monastic cell of St. Makary Altaisky behind which you can see the rock with the indented image of Holy Mother. There is also a priory located opposite the island. The only way to the island of Patmos is a suspension bridge that connects the rocks of the island with the rocks on the bank of the Katun river. Another attraction of Chemal is the old Chemal hydroelectric station. Walking there you can also see the sources of "live" and "dead" water nearby. In the summer time thrill-seekers are attracted by the "bungee jump". Walking along the "goat" trail. Lunch. Alternatively, a trip to Che-Chkysh - a rocky canyon with waterfalls in the valley of the Katun river, located in the Gorge of Mountain Spirits, from which a magnificent panorama of the Katun opens. Dinner.
1) to Kyzyl-Chin that tourists called Mars (80+80 km). Photosession against the North-Chuysky ridge on the way. Walk along the «Martian» mountains and canyons of the Kyzyl-Chin stream. Exits of multi-colored clays on the surface evoke the sensation of another planet. Photostop against the background of North-Chujski mountain chain. Lunch. Excursion to the Geyser lake – rare in its beauty and purity. The lake is nonfreezing even in the winter time. It is an “earth eye eternally watching the space” that has amazing turquois сolour. You can see the round or oval blotchiness on the mirror surface of the lake that reflect the processes that happen at the bottom, where geysers come to life and spurt out the mixture of bluish clay and sand to the surface.
2) Whole-day long trekking with lunch to «Stone Mashrooms» (extra fee 120$). «Stone Mashrooms» are a fanciful land forms that appeared as a result of selective elution, erosion and rock weathering. These mysterious statues that are very high (up to 7 meters) but with narrow stipes (about half meter in diameter) are located in the canyon Akkurum, at the right bank of the Chulyshman river. One more interesting fact — these «mashrooms» are slowly moving downhill.
3) Whole-day long trekking with lunch to the glaciers of the Aktru valley. These glaciers are like-no-other unique natural phenomenon. Steady but mobile they constantly change mountain outlook, give birth and nourish rivers... Here, at the North-Chuysky ridge, they come really low allowing us to experience this wonder closer. Almost all types of glaciers are represented here: Big and Small Aktru are valley glaicers, Kupol and Vodopadny are plateau-shaped glaciers, Kar in Small Aktru is a corrie glacier. There are also a hanging glacier at the top of Kara-Tash («Tronov's Pants») and a corrie-hanging glacier «Stagiaire» (co-called «Container»). Most of glaciers are hard-to-reach even for mountain tourists and mountaineers. However it is safe to walk to the galcier Small Aktru and to the Light Blue Lake on the Big Aktru.
Returning to tourist complex. Dinner.
Meals: breakfast
Meals: breakfast
Meals: breakfast, lunch
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Meals: breakfast, dinner
Our company reserves the right to change the program leaving unaltered the amount of services. The duration of program components may be changed the day before the tour begins and during the tour. Some program elements that depend on organizations and services (road services, police, local administrations etc) that are beyond our control as well as on the weather conditions may be excluded.
Attention! The tour organizers don't take responsibility for conducting the tour in its entirety if tourists are late or don't come to the agreed meeting point. The cost of such tour day is not refunded.
Attention! When visiting acting churches and monasteries women should have their heads covered and not wearing trouses.
Accommodation:
City |
Hotels |
Lower Katun |
3 nights in tourist complex "Manzherok" or similar hotel |
Ongudaiskij rajon |
1 night in Ethnopark "Uch-Enmek" |
Ulaganskij rajon |
2 nights in a tourist complex "Kochevnik" |
Gorno-Altaisk |
1 night in a hotel |
Irkutsk |
1 night twin accommodation at the Angara hotel 3* |
Olkhon Island |
2 nights twin accommodation at the Baikalov Ostrog hotel |
Ust-Barguzin |
2 nights twin accommodation at the tourist resort Bargudzhin-Tokum |
Ulan-Ude |
2 nights twin accommodation at the Sagaan Morin hotel 3* |
- Transport services on a comfortable bus;
- Accommodation — 2-3 persons per room in tourist complexes and hotels, standard rooms with shower and WC;
- In high mountains hotels — shared facilities are on each floor;
- Food — (breakfast, lunch, dinner);
- Excursions according to the program;
- Entrance tickets;
- Insurance;
- Translations;
- Visa support documents.
- Transfer Novosibirsk - Irkutsk;
- Visit to russian sauna (from 10 y.e./hour);
- Extra food;
- Extra excursions (from 10 y.e./person);
- Private expenses.