Altai-Transsib-Baikal Tour18 Days | Novosibirsk, Biysk, Manzherok, Chemal, Teletskoe Lake, Chibit, Irkutsk, Olkhon, Khuzhir, Ust-Barguzin, Ulan-Ude

Meeting in Novosibirsk to begin Altai-Transsib-Baikal Tour. Transfer Novosibirsk - Barnaul - Biysk city (400 km) - a city built by the decree of the emperor of Russia Peter the Great in the 18th century. Biysk now has the status of the City of science and it is the main gateway to the Altai Mountains. Transfer Byisk - Lower Katun (125 km). On the way visit to the ethnopark "Altai. History of Russia", acquaintance with the white "Shaman", "The Main Tambourine of Altai" and the symbol of well-being of the local indigenous people - "Golden Baba". Accommodation in a tourist complex "Manzherok". Dinner.

Breakfast. Excursion on a cable-chairlift to the top of Malaya Sinyukha and to Lake Manzherok.
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.

Breakfast. Excursion to the Lake Teletskoе - the largest lake in the Altai and one of the largest lakes in Russia. The maximum depth of the lake is about 330 meters. The official name of the lake – Teletskoe – came from the name of Altai tribe – Teleuts – who lived here years ago. However local people called the lake Altyn-Kol, which means “Golden lake”. Many rivers and streams flow into the lake, but only one river – Biya - flows out. Visiting the Corbu waterfall, which is located at the foot of the Korbu ridge on the territory of the Altai State Nature Biosphere Reserve. The waterfall falls from a height of 12.5 meters. Seeing of the waterfall Kishte, Kamenny Zaliv. Lunch. Dinner.

Breakfast. Checking out. Excursion along the Chuiskij tract. Stop at the Seminskij pass (altitude 1800 above sea level). Excursion to Karakolsky nature park "Uch-Enmek" (20+20 km) – specially protected natural area. It includes natural, historical and cultural sacral complexes and objects, located on the total area of 60551 hectares at a height of 890-2900 meters. The natural park is famous for its burials and barrows, rock paintings and a complex of megaliths. Accommodation in the hotel on the territory of nature park "Uch-Enmek". Dinner with the traditional altaian cuisine degustation accompanied by folk programme - unique throat singing and playing traditional musical instruments.

Breakfast. Continuation of the excursion along the Chuiskij tract towards the Kuray steppe. The history of the tract goes back through centuries, when this road was a pack track, a branch of the Great Silk Road. It is included in the TOP-10 of the most beautiful roads in the world according to National Geographic. On the way, we overcome one of the most beautiful and highest passes called Chike-Taman which in Altaian language means “Straight foot”. This pass that looks like a steep and meandering road with sightseeing platform on top has been known since X century. And since 1996 it has been declared a natural monument of the Altai Republic. Photoshop in the north part of geopark "Altai", natural park "Chuy-Oozy" - the confluence of the biggest rivers of Altai nearby – the Chuya river and the Katun river - sacred place for altaian people. Lunch. Visit to the stone park Kalbak-Tash, viewing the rock paintings – petroglyphs: about 500 compositions, over 5 thousand drawings. Petroglyphs had been made during the period from the Neolithic to the Turkic eras. Accommodation in a tourist complex "Kochevnik" (Chibit). Dinner.

Breakfast. Excursion at the choice:
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.

Breakfast. Transfer Chibit (tourist complex "Kochevnik") to Gorno-Altaisk, 450 km. Dinner.

Breakfast. Transfer Gorno-Altaisk - Novosibirsk, 450 km.

Transfer Novosibirsk - Irkutsk.

Meet at Irkutsk the railway station accompanied by our English-speaking guide. Check-in to the hotel. 2-hour city tour by car. It starts at the historical part of the city: Epiphany Cathedral, the oldest stone-structure Church of our Saviour and the only Catholic Cathedral in Irkutsk, Polish Roman Catholic Church. The tour leads you through the Kirov Square and circus. You’ll have a ride along the main street of Irkutsk, the Karl Marks Street, to get to the Angara river embankment, where you’ll see the monument to Alexander III. Complete the tour with the visit to the district of historic wooden buildings. Free time.

Breakfast. Car transfer to the village situated only 60km away from Irkutsk - Listvyanka. On the way visit an open-air wooden architecture museum “Taltsy”. In the museum you’ll see the settlements of indigenous Siberian people of 17th-20th centuries. Some of the buildings presented in the museum were brought there from the villages that were flooded after building a dam in Irkutsk. A bus tour around Listvyanka on arrival. Tour to a local biological museum that has a set of aquariums. There is one with the only mammal representative - the Baikal Seal - in it. Walk up to a nearby view point. There you’ll get a chance to take panoramic pictures of Baikal from above. Enjoy your visit to a local 19th century wooden St.Nicolas church and a local fish market where you’ll see a great variety of fish. Check-in to a guesthouse. Free time.
Meals: breakfast

Breakfast. Transfer to Khuzhir village on Olkhon Island by car. After you get to Maloe More - the bay near the Olkhon Island (it takes about 3-4 hours), you will take a ferryboat to get to the Olkhon Island. On the opposite shore there will be Russian military 4X4 vehicles, which will take you to the mini-hotel in Khuzhir (it will take about 1 hour). Khuzhir is the main village of the Island with the population of 1500 people. Check-in to a hotel in the afternoon. Shower/rest. Enjoy the sunset on the Shaman cape near the Khuzhir village.
Meals: breakfast

Breakfast. A day long private trip to the northern part of the Olkhon Island by car. Visit to the highlights of the island, such as Peschanaya Bay, Sagaan Khushun cape and the mysterious Khoboi cape. You’ll be taken to the best view points of Olkhon Island where the guide will introduce you to the legends that this place holds. Enjoy lunch cooked by your guide on a camp fire. Return to the village.
Meals: breakfast, lunch

Breakfast. Explore Khuzhir by going to the museum of Olkhon Island and to the fish factory. Take a swim in warm waters of Baikal. Free time. A private boat transfer to the village situated on the eastern shore of Baikal – Ust Barguzin. You will cross Lake Baikal in its deepest and widest place! Check-in to the resort in Ust-Barguzin in the evening.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Breakfast. Enjoy a tour to the Barguzin Valley. This place is considered to be sacred for Buryats and as legends say that's where Genghis Khan’s mother was born. In the evening you’ll have a traditional Buryat dinner.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Breakfast. Transfer to Ulan-Ude. Check-in to the hotel in the late afternoon. Rest.