TDM7. MOSCOW-IRKUTSK-ULAN-UDE-BAM-VLADIVOSTOK 

Type: Discvery

Duration: 18 days

Dates: Round the year

Group size recommended: 8-14PAX

Transportation: train, minibus/bus (15-22 pax).airplane.

 Day 2.  3-hour Moscow city tour: Red Square (Cathedral of St.Basil, Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, History Museum, Kremlin towers, Upper Trading Arcades (GUM), Lenin's tomb and necropolis), St.Sofia's Embankment (photo stop with panoramic view of the Kremlin), The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, New Maiden Convent, The Moscow State University campus a panorama platform on the Vorobiovy (Sparrow) Hills, Moscow boulevards, The Theatre Square with the Bolshoy Theatre and the Metropol hotel.Kremlin tour (grounds, cathedrals, Armoury). Transfer to the airport. Night flight to Irkutsk. (BLD)

 Day 3. Early morning arrival in Irkutsk.Transfer to hotel “Irkutsk”***. Accomodation. Breakfast.City tour of Irkutsk: you can see different sights illustrating the history of Russian state including the oldest brick building of the city – The Church of Our Saviour (17^th century). Museum of Decembrists: in the 19^th century some noble people (among them Prince Trubetskoy, Prince Volkonsky and others) were exiled to Irkutsk rigion after defeat of armed revolt in St.Petersburg on 14/12/1825 (“revolt of Decembrists”). Free time.(BLD)

 Day 4. Transfer to Listvyanka settlement at the Baikal Lake shore. On a route to Listvyanka visiting “Taltsy” Open-Air Museum of Wooden Architecture and Ethnography (authentic wooden buildings of the 17-19^th centuries carried away from different parts of the Irkutsk region were reassembled at one place presenting Russian, Evenk and Buryat way of living). Visiting Limnological Museum (the Baikal Ecology Museum). Listvianka settlement walking tour: St.Nicholas church, panoramic view from platform at “Tchersky peak”. Accommodation at the Baikal hotel *** (renovated rooms). (BLD)

 Day 5. Transfer to Olkhon Island. Accommodation in the recreation center. Optionally lunch in cafe. Walking sightseeing tour. Dinner. Free time (BD).

 Day 6. Excursion to Khoboy cape with a picnic at 08:00. Transfer to Irkutsk. Accommodation in hotel “Irkutsk”***. Free time. Dinner.(BLD)

 Day 7. Transfer to a train station of Irkutsk. Train #340/350 Irkutsk – Ulan-Ude (10:19-17:29, not branded trains). Day trip by train along the Southern coast of Baikal Lake – the most picturesque part of Transsiberian Rail Road. Transfer to hotel Saagan Morin”*** in Ula-Ude. Accommodation. (B)

 Day 8.Tour toDatsan (Buddhist temple) in Ivolginsk (35 km from Ulan-Ude) built in 1945 – the main active religion centre of Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism) in Russia. Nowadays the Ivolginsky Datsan is the residence of the leader of Russian Lamas. Transfer to hotel. Overnight in hotel. (BLD)

Day 9. Transfer to the airport. Morning departure for Nizhneangarsk - city in 23 km to the northeast from Severobajkalsk. (09:10, flights only on Tuesday, Thursday). Arrival in Nizhneangarsk (10:40). Transfer to Severobaikalsk, hotel “Zolotaya Rybka”***. Accommodation. Sightseeing tour with visiting thermal spring. Free time. (BLD)

 Day 10. Check-out until 12:00. Transfer to the train station for beginning BAM tour. Departure for Tynda (13:40, not branded train #76, only odd days). (B)

 Day 11. Arrival in Tynda. (17:25) Transfer to another train Tynda-Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Departure for Komsomolsk-na-Amure (18:15, not branded train #964)

 Day 12. on train.

 Day 13. Arrival in Komsomolsk-na-Amure (07:44). Transfer to hotel “Voskhod”3***. Accommodation. City tour with visiting local history museum. Lunch in local cafe. Free time. Dinner in the hotel. (BDL)

 Day 14. Transfer to the riverside station. Morning departure for Khabarovsk by m/s “Meteor”. Packed lunch. Evening arrival in Khabarovsk. Transfer to hotel “Intourist” 3*. Accommodation. Dinner.(BDL)

 Day 15. After breakfast city tour with visiting museum-aquarium of Amur river fish. 11:30 departure from the city in Nanai village Sikhachi-Alyan. 13:00 Arrival at Sikhachi-Alyan, lunch. Visiting Ethnographic Museum, a museum of ancient dwellings in the open air. Children folkkontsert, viewing petroglyphs (rock drawings of 12 th century). Return to the city, dinner. Transfer to the railway station. Departure for Vladivostok (branded train #06 21:00).(BDL)

 Day 16. Morning arrival in Vladivostok. Transfer to hotel Vladivostok 3*. Accommodation. Breakfast. City tour with visiting Vladivostok Fortress. Lunch in the city cafe. Free time. Dinner in the hotel.(BDL)

 Day 17. Breakfast. Morning transfer to the Gajvoron settlement (4 hour in one way) and visiting Siberian tiger Nursery. (Research kennel located in Gayvoron sattlement, at a distance of 300 km from Vladivostok. There are three individual of Amur tigers and other animals of Far Eastern region. The boss - Victor Yudin, Senior Fellow, candidate of biological sciences, head of the Zoological Center, studying the habits of Amur tiger and other wild animals more than 20 years.) Lunch in the local cafe. Return transfer to Vladivostok. Dinner in the hotel. Overnight in hotel.(BDL)

 Day 18. Check-out until 12:00. Transfer to the airport. Departure from Vadivostok. (B)

 Legend: B – breakfast, L – lunch, D - dinner

 All the times are local

 

Costs 2012: on request

 Included:

• visa

• insurance

• meals in trains

• luggage rooms in hotels, airports and train stations

• early check-in, late check-out

 Supplements:

• SGL accommodation + 317 EUR per person (including a “forced” SGL)

• train tickets 1^st class (TWN compartment) on trains + 369 EUR per person

• air ticket from Moscow to Irkutsk from 280 EUR

• air ticket from Ulan-Ude to Nizhneangarsk from 152 EUR

• accommodation in hotels 4* (in Moscow, Irkutsk, Listvyanka, Ulan-Ude, Vladivostok) +336 EUR per person (SNGL accommodation in hotels 4* +502 EUR per person)

Note:

• Thursday is day-off at Moscow Kremlin museum

• Flights from Ulan-Ude to Nizhneangarsk (23km from Severobaikalsk) only on Tuesday and Thursday.

• In Siberian tiger Nursery photography is strictly prohibited.

All the costs are valid at the date of publication and are subject to reconfirmation at the time of booking

Train tickets and their costs are guaranteed if to book not less than 60 days before the departure