A journey to the Baikal Lake

Baikal is a true treasure located in the Eastern Siberia. It is the deepest lake on the planet, the largest reservoir containing 20 percent of the whole fresh water reserves on Earth. The area occupied by Baikal is bigger than Belgium. This lake is sacred for many peoples inhabiting nearby regions. Tourists from all over the world come to see Baikal. If you visit the lake once, you will definitely want to come back. 

An itinerary to the lake can be planned from any large city of Russia or Mongolia. Here we offer as an example the version where the journey starts from the capital of Mongolia, the city of Ulaan Baatar. The tourist train will go from Moscow to Mongolia where it will meet its passengers.

Itinerary

ULAAN BAATAR – ULAN-UDE – BAIKAL – IRKUTSK – ULAAN BAATAR

Ulaan Baatar

Ulaan Baatar is the capital and the largest city in Mongolia. The museums of Ulaan Baatar hold the most interesting artefacts of the great Mongolian culture, and in the city and around it you can view wonderful monuments reminding of great Mongolian heroes such as Genghis Khan and Sukhbaatar.  Our fascinating journey starts here.

Places of interest

The museum of the history of the Mongolian state, the Choijin Lama temple museum, the Narantuul market, the huge depiction of Genghis Khan on the Bogdo Khan Uul Mountain, the mounted statue of Genghis Khan (40 km outside of the city).

Ulan-Ude

The capital of Buryatia, the city of Ulan Ude, is at the same time considered to be the capital of Buddhism in the Russian Federation. Most of the places of interest in this city are connected to the Buddhist culture.

Places of interest

The Steppe Nomad touristic complex, the monument to V.I. Lenin (the largest sculpture of V.I. Lenin's head in the world), the museum of ethnography of Transbaikalian peoples, the Rinpoche Bagsha datsan, the world-renowned Ivolginsky datsan (outside of the city).

The Baikal Lake

Besides being the best known lake in Russia, and perhaps in the whole world, and a place sacred for many peoples living near the lake, this place has a unique energy of its own. After you visit the Baikal Lake, you want to return here again and again. Traditionally for all tour groups we organise a picnic on the lakeshore and invite local musicians or folk bands.

Places of interest

The Baikal Lake, the Baikal museum, the Sealarium, the Cableway

Irkutsk

A wonderful and unique city, the capital of a region rich in fish and furs which has preserved wonderful examples of old wooden architecture. The city is located on the shore of the Angara River and serves as the gate to the great Baikal Lake.

Places of interest

The icebreaker museum Angara, the Volkonsky memorial house, the Irkutsk Decemberist museum, the Irkutsk sealarium, the Cathedral of the Epiphany, the Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Ulaan Baatar

We get back to Ulaan Baatar. Here the tourists say goodbye to the train and continue their way home by other means of transport.