• Historical and cultural exploration of Eastern Siberia and Mongolia through their capitals
• Excellent English-speaking guide during all your journey
• Acquaintance with Russian, Buryat and Mongolian cultures
• Discovery of three different religions: Shamanism, Buddhism, Orthodoxy
• Accessible to everyone
• On the route of the Transmongolian

The tour is for all those who wish to undertake a trip with moderate physical involvement. There is only optional walking without major difficulties. The maximum duration is 1 to 2 hours, the group may be shared at any time and give up certain activities.

En fonction du déroulement de votre programme et des possibilités qu'offrent le lieu où vous vous trouverez, vous pourrez soit goûter au grand confort d'une chambre d'hôtel ou celui plus simple d'une auberge ou bien encore partager l'authenticité de la vie chez l'habitant en bénéficiant des commodités à l'extérieur ainsi que de dormir sous la tente.

This trip equally combines services that are dedicated specially for you with others, shared with other people outside your group such as some transport and excursions.

Destinations: Lake Baikal, Mongolia. Visited areas: Irkutsk Region, Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Listvyanka, Slyudyanka, Buryatia Republic, Ulan-Ude, Ulan Bator Province, Ulan Bator, Töv Province, Khustain nuruu Nature Reserve, Övörkhangai Province, Kharkhorin

Tour start area: Irkutsk, end area: Ulan Bator

Day 1

Meeting at the airport and transfer to homestay. Rest. Lunch. City tour of Irkutsk. Discovery of old wooden houses, churches, the Decembrists museum, central marketplace and mall.

Day 2

Morning leave for Listvyanka village on the shores of Lake Baikal. Visit to Taltsy - museum of traditional Siberian architecture in the open air. Stop at the Baikal museum in Listvyanka. Visit to the market with its typical saleswomen of omul, salmon-like fish indigenous to Lake Baikal. Opportunity to taste smoked omul. In the afternoon there is possibility to explore the surroundings, hike up to Chersky Rock, rest on the shores of the lake. Inn overnight.

Day 3

Crossing of the lake towards Port Baikal by ferry or hovercraft depending on season.
Journey by comfortable train of the Circum-Baikal Express up to Slyudyanka. The Circum-Baikal Railway between Port Baikal and the village of Kultuk is 84 km (52 mi) long and includes 424 diverse engineering constructions with 39 amazing tunnels among them. During this all-day excursion we will enjoy the unique, second to none in the whole world look of the Circum-Baikal Railway that combines complex architectural constructions with extremely picturesque shore landscape of the lake.
In the evening we will visit the Museum of minerals in Slyudyanka, have a dinner and board on the night train to Ulan-Ude.

Day 4

Early morning arrival in Ulan-Ude, transfer to homestay, breakfast, rest. Walking city tour and visit of the museum of History of Buryatia. Lunch animated by a folk group at the restaurant with traditional Buryat cuisine, you will be served in real yurts! Visit to Ivolginsky Datsan, Buddhist temples complex outside the city located in a picturesque steppe. Discovery of Buddhist culture. This Datsan serving the most important place of worship in Buryatia is the centre of Buddhism in Russia.

Day 5

Leave for the village of Old Believers. We will visit traditional houses, enjoy a folk concert, participate in games and customs. Lunch in the village. Return to Ulan-Ude.

Day 6

6.55am Transfer to railway station. Departure for Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia, through Siberian taiga and upper-Asian steppe.

Day 7

Early morning arrival at Ulan Bator railway station, transfer to hotel, breakfast and rest. City tour, visit of Gandantengchilin, the main Buddhist centre in Mongolia, visit of the factory of cashmere. Lunch at restaurant. Visit of museum of the National History. Traditional Mongolian Show with dancing and singing is waiting for us in late afternoon.

Day 8

Drive to the Khustay National Park and see the Przewalski Horse, the Asian prehistoric wild horse. Enjoy horse riding and photographing the charming landscape and wildlife. Visit of prehistoric steles.

Day 9

Transfer to Kharkhorin to visit the symbolic ruins of Karakorum, which was the capital city of the Great Mongol Empire founded in the 13th century by Genghis Khan. We will also visit the oldest Monastery Erdene-Zuu built in 1586, with 108 stupas. Overnight in tourist camp.

Day 10

After breakfast, drive back to Ulan Bator (5.30 maximum by 4x4) and free time (shopping, walk downtown...) Dinner not included.

Day 11

Transfer to railway station or airport.

BaikalNature ethics charter

Choosing BaikalNature as a travel partner you undertake together with us for travelling in full harmony with nature. As our name implies, BaikalNature is sensitive to the long-term health of the natural environment towards which we feel such affection. It is with great pleasure that we invite travellers to discover the region of Lake Baikal in all its manifestations and in maximum possible comfort. But as the environment is fragile we do it with conscious responsibility. Respecting its landscapes, fauna, flora and the way of life of its people is a priority for us as well as for our travellers.

Together with you we are ready to meet the challenge: all partakers of BaikalNature act as caretakers of the planet’s future. Thus, we eagerly join for initiatives of responsible tourism hoping for the Russian and Mongolian natural heritage protection to become a number one priority for the sake of the brilliant future of these lands.

- Meals on Day 1 (lunch), 6 (lunch and dinner), 7 (breakfast and dinner), 10 (dinner) are not included in the price.
- Departure on Tuesday and Friday.

Booking is made by paying a 30% deposit of the total cost.
The balance of 70% is to be paid 21 days before departure.
If late booking (made less than 21 days prior to departure), full payment is required at the time of booking.

The cancellation options are:

• up to 21 days before departure - 30% of the tour price,
• 20 to 15 days before departure - 50% of the tour price,
• 14 to 7 days before departure 70% of the tour price,
• less than 7 days before departure - 100% of the tour price.

We recommend you to pack all your stuff in two bags: a small backpack and a large travelling bag.

SMALL BACKPACK: will be useful for carrying your personal belongings during the day (camera, film, personal medication, bottled water, etc.) You will also use it as hand luggage during air travel for all your heavy (to lighten the travel bag in the luggage compartment), fragile (camera, etc.) and necessary (toilet bag, etc.) things.

BIG TRAVEL BAG or BIG BACKPACK: must contain the rest of your stuff. It will be in the luggage compartment during the flight. It will be transported by vehicles.

You will need in Russia and Mongolia in winter:

• to protect yourself from the cold weather;
• to protect yourself from the wind;
• to protect your feet from moisture;
• to protect yourself from the sun's reflection from ice and snow.

Allow the system of "three layers":

• The first layer, called "second skin", determines the performance of the other two layers. It will transport sweat to the next layer and dry quickly to avoid cooling after exercise. Therefore forget the cotton retains moisture in the skin and choose underwear in synthetic fabrics.
• The second layer must keep the heat of the body as long as possible. Warm synthetic or mixed (wool or fleece turtleneck sweater) fabrics, that dry quickly, are preferable.
• The third layer should protect you against wind and moisture. Choose a jacket, long enough, 100% waterproof, preferably with hood.

It is hot in summer at Lake Baikal area and in Mongolia. Nevertheless, you should always have something to put on, as weather is very changeable.

If you plan your trip in May or September, please feel free to bring your hat, gloves and windbreaker jacket in case of snow or rain.

June is also pretty cool.

July and August are the hottest months, which offer you temperatures of 25 ° - 35 ° at daytime and 15 ° - 18 ° at night. On the shores of Lake Baikal, like in the Alps, you should wear T-shirts and shorts in the sunny afternoons, sweaters and jackets in the cool evenings.

ATTENTION! The list of equipment varies with the season of travel!

9 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners.

At restaurants and homestays in cities, traditional cuisine consists of local specialties.

In the canteen at the inns, fresh local products.

Some hotels and inns offer laundry services for a variable sum of money. It is sometimes possible to use laundry services at homestay (when there is running water) for a fee.

You need a tourist visa to travel to Russia. It can be issued for a maximum period of 30 days. Your passport has to be valid for at least six months after the expiry date of your visa and to have at least two blank pages.

Documents to provide consular services:

You must first obtain a letter of invitation. BaikalNature offers visa support and has created "BaikalNature letter of invitation" package to that end. If you buy a BaikalNature tour, this package is absolutely free; when you buy any other BaikalNature service, you will have to pay for this package. For more information, please see "Visa Support " and "Russia Invitation Letter."

  Besides, you will need:

• a photocopy of passport pages containing the photo,
• a visa application form (completed on computer or with a black ballpen) available for download on the Russian Embassy website in  "visa information" rubric,
• a color photo for documents, 3.5 x 4.5 cm, to stick on the visa application form,
• a tourist voucher certifying that all travel services were paid in full,
• a detailed program of the trip (only if your stay exceeds 15 days),
• travel insurance, provided by nsurance company, which protects you throughout your trip .

For more information, please see "Do I need a tourist visa to travel to Russia or Mongolia?" of our FAQ.

You need a tourist visa to travel to Mongolia. It can be issued for a maximum period of 30 days. Your passport has to be valid for at least six months after the expiry date of your visa and to have at least two blank pages.

Documents to provide consular services:

• a visa application form (completed on computer or with a black ballpen),
• a color photo for documents, 3.5 x 4.5 cm, to stick on the visa application form,
• invitation,
• travel insurance, provided by nsurance company, which protects you throughout your trip .

For more information, please see "Do I need a tourist visa to travel to Russia or Mongolia?" of our FAQ.

The Russian currency is ruble. In all cities and many large villages of Russia, you can easily withdraw rubles, using a Visa or MasterCard, from ATMs, located in banks, department stores or hotel lobbies, some of them are open 24 hours a day. If you have euros or dollars with you, exchange offices will allow you to change them easily in the cities, seldom in the countryside. However, it can be difficult to exchange traveler's checks, even in cities.

The Mongolian currency is Tugrik. In Ulan Bator, you can safely withdraw tugriks, using a Visa or MasterCard, from ATMs, located in banks, department stores and hotel lobbies. You also will exchange your euros or dollars easily in many exchange offices. However, it can be very difficult to exchange traveler's checks. Outside of Ulan Bator, even in towns, money withdrawal and exchange are much more difficult.

All persons who compose the BaikalNature travel team (guides, drivers, cooks, etc.) are paid a decent wage for their services and do not expect any tips from you. So you have no obligation to leave anything. If you really want to express your satisfaction by leaving a gratuity, and if it is in foreign currency, be aware that torn or glued coins and banknotes cannot be exchanged. Anyway, thank you for your tips, left at your discretion in envelopes.

No compulsory vaccination.

You need to get a health examination before a great trip. Consult your doctor. Get a dental checkup. If you have health problems that could worsen during the trip, make sure you have taken all your medications with you.

It is advisable to keep the following vaccines valid:

• diphtheria,
• tetanus,
• Polio.

Tick-borne encephalitis is present in areas of forest, taiga where ticks are the carriers of encephalitis between May and July. As of August, they are no longer carrying the virus. If you do not get vaccinated, you should follow the basic precautions, including:

• protective clothes
• use of repellents
• daily check of the skin.

It is also possible to take out special insurance covering the analysis of the insect and vaccines.

Provide a first aid kit that includes among other items:

• aspirin or paracetamol,
• anti-diarrheal tablets,
• antiseptic,
• adhesive plaster,    
• sterile pads.

If you have individual diseases, make sure you have taken your medications.

La sécurité est notre objectif primordial et aussi la réputation de notre agence à long terme. Une pharmacie adaptée aux conditions du voyage est à disposition du guide.

No particular physical condition is required.

In addition to your personal insurance, you have an opportunity to purchase local insurance. Please, do not hesitate to ask us about our services.

You can contact BaikalNature by:

• phone: 00 7 3952 97 45 01 or 00 7 3952 20 95 19
• fax: 00 7 3952 206 873.

In addition, you will be sent the telephone number of your correspondent staff who you can reach 7/7.

Professional Guarantees: BaikalNature LLC (ООО "БайкалНейче") United Federal Register of Tour Operators number: MBT 007826 Financial Guarantee: JSC "Insurance Group MSK" (Открытое акционерное общество "Страховая группа МСК") Insurance contract N ОТА/5301/000235 from 01/12/2011. Amount of coverage: 10 000 000 RUB. Legal and actual address: BaikalNature LLC 119А Dekabrskikh Sobytiy Str., office 13
664007 Irkutsk Russia.