NEW! Mongolia & the Gobi Desert (2012)

After breakfast in Ulaanbaatar, transfer to the airport for a flight to Ulan-Ude, one of the largest cities in eastern Siberia and capital of the Russian Republic of Buryatia. Upon arrival, transfer to our hotel and then we enjoy our first evening in Siberia with dinner at a local restaurant.

After breakfast and a brief orientation walk of our surroundings, we drive to Ivolginsky datsan, Russia’s most important Buddhist monastery. The main temple of Ivolginsky is decorated with silks, painted woodwork, and precious stones. Buddhism, which was introduced hundreds of years ago to Buryatia, is once again flourishing in the region after being suppressed by the communists for many years. We’ll enjoy a guided tour of the monastery, and listen in on some morning prayers by the resident monks.

Our drive back to Ulan-Ude will take us past a remarkable monument dominating the town square. Weighing in at 42 tons and some 25 feet high, it is the largest head of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin ever built. The rest of the afternoon is free for individual pursuits, and your Trip Leader can offer suggestions for activities in the area. Dinner is on our own this evening.

After breakfast, we drive outside the city to the Ethnographic Museum, a vast open-air complex featuring exhibits of the diverse people of the Trans-Baikal, from native Siberians such as Buryats and nomadic Evenks, to colonizers like the Cossacks and Old-Believers.

Afterwards, we head to an authentic village of Old-Believers, a Russian Orthodox Christian sect who fled persecution from doctrinal reforms of their church in the 17th century. Many Old Believers settled in this remote region of Siberia, where they continued to worship in the “old way” and preserve their culture, a colorful blend of Ukrainian, Belarussian, and Polish beliefs and folk tales. During our time in the village, we’ll learn about the fascinating history of the Old Believers, be treated to a performance of their unique form of polyphonic singing, and enjoy a delectable lunch of some of their favorite traditional dishes.

Upon our return to Ulan-Ude, the remainder of the day is free for individual pursuits. Dinner is also on our own this evening.

After breakfast, we transfer to the railway station for a day-long train journey to Irkutsk. Upon arrival, we drive to Listvyanka, a village on the shores of Lake Baikal. Set at the mouth of the Angara River, Listvyanka was originally settled in the middle of the 17th century by Russian Cossacks, local hunters, and fishermen. It developed as a port for merchants traveling between Asia and the West without losing its character as a fine example of country life in an authentic Siberian village. After dinner at our lodge, travelers may wish to relax at a banya, a traditional Russian sauna available for a modest fee.

After breakfast, we enjoy a drive through the village and its surroundings. We also head outside Listvyanka to visit St. Nicholas Church, an Orthodox church constructed by a Russian merchant caught in a storm crossing Lake Baikal in the middle of the 19th century. Local legend has it that when St. Nicholas saved his life, the merchant had the church built to honor this patron saint of sailors and fishermen.

Then we visit a museum devoted to history of Lake Baikal exploration and its flora and fauna. As the largest (a surface area of 12,000 square miles), deepest (over a mile in spots), and oldest (20-30 million years) freshwater lake in the world, Lake Baikal holds one-fifth of the world’s fresh water (and it’s drinkably pure). Baikal is also home to thousands of endemic plants and animals, many of which can be found nowhere else in the world. At the museum’s aquarium, we’ll see many of these creatures, including the nerpa, a unique freshwater seal that is the only mammal living in Baikal.

After lunch at a local restaurant, the rest of the afternoon is at leisure. Or, you may join an optional boat ride tour on the crystal-clear waters of crescent-shaped Lake Baikal. Dinner is on our own this evening.

After breakfast, we depart for Irkutsk. En route, we stop at Taltsy, an open-air museum featuring Siberian wooden architecture, including fine examples of traditional dwellings of Evenks and Buryats.

Upon our arrival in Irkutsk, we enjoy a brief driving tour to take in some of the city highlights. Founded in 1661 as a Cossack garrison, Irkutsk developed into a haven for Russian artists and nobles exiled to Siberia for their part in the December 1825 revolt against Tsar Nicholas I. We’ll see several of the surviving 19th-century wooden houses adorned with ornate, hand-carved decorations amidst the Soviet apartment blocks in Irkutsk. We also stop at Gagarin Embankment, a tree-lined park along the Angara River, and the Cathedral of the Epiphany, a Baroque-style church completed in 1723.

After lunch on our own, our discovery of Irkutsk continues with a visit to the Decembrists’ House Museum, a one-time private mansion of exiled noble Sergey Volkonsky. This evening, we gather for a Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant.

After breakfast, we depart for the airport for our return flights home via Beijing, China. Please note: Travelers on September departures stay overnight at a hotel in Beijing (with an additional breakfast), and will return to the U.S. on Day 8.