700 steps with shaman
(10 days, 9 nights, July 2015)  In this tour you will have great opportunity to visit Lake Baikal and also take part in III Interregional Ethno-cultural festival “Yordyn’s games”. You will see sacred rituals of local people and it will be possible to take part in buryat national round dance Yohor. Group of dancers move roundly slowly singing and shaking. Singing chorus singers move faster and faster and then steps transform into jumps. Open new for yourself together with Baikal Discovery. Good luck and have a good trip.
Day 1 – Arrival in Irkutsk
Day 2 – Transfer to Elantsy
Day 3 – Elantsy, transfer to Olkhon
Day 4 – Olkhon
Day 5 – Transfer to Listvyanka
Day 6 – Listvyanka
Day 7 – Listvyanka, Baikal Circum Lane, Irkutsk
Day 8 – Irkutsk, end of the program
Program
Day 1, July 3rd
Welcome to Irkutsk – capital of Eastern Siberia! Upon arrival you will be met by professional bilingual guide holding “Baikal Discovery” sign and he will help you with your luggage and organize transfer to the hotel. After check-in and rest we will have a sight-seeing tour visiting historical center of the city, Omen cathedral, grave of Russian Columbus Gregory Chelikhov and so one. You will have to take great pictures of some wooden houses built more than 100 years ago and have a look at monument of Russian tsar Alexander the 3rd. Lunch at the restaurant.
After lunch – excursion to museum of Decembrists and concert of Russian Romance. After concert – transfer to the hotel, dinner. Overnight.
Day 2, July 4th
After breakfast we are ready to depart to Elantsy Village (200 km from the city) to the festival place. Upon arrival – check-in at the hotel. Today you will see the ritual of great Tailagan – worship to the spirits of Baikal. After lunch we will visit the exhibition of local artists. Also it will be possible to have a look at different kinds of sport competition – rock sling, national fight, archery, horse riding. In the evening Folk contest will be presented to your attention. After dinner you may join to Ritual Round Dance Yokhor around the Yord rock. Group of dancers move roundly slowly singing and shaking. Singing chorus singers move faster and faster and then steps transform into jumps. The completion of this interesting day will be the ethno-styled disco.
Day 3, July 5th
After breakfast we depart to Olkhon island – the biggest one on Lake Baikal the nature of which is really unique. Upon arrival in Khuzhir (the biggest settlement on island) – check-in at the Nikita’s homestead. Lunch. Free time. You may spend this time for walk to Shaman’s rock known as Burkhan Cape.
The rock has a lot of legends and stories. Here shamans of Baikal area and even Mongolia held their tailagans (prayers). After Buddhism appeared here this rock has become the place for Buddhist rituals and ceremonies.
According to buryat traditions it is not allowed to approach close to the rock especially for females. Inside the rock there is a cave where sometimes shamans appeared surprisingly scaring the people. Shaman’s rock is one of 9 sanctities of Asia.
Near the rock there is a Youth Bay having swam in which you will look younger, of course if you believe.
Lunch at the homestead. After lunch – time for rest. From Khozhir beautiful sandy beach stretches to all Saraisky creek. It is absolutely on your hand.
Dinner. Overnight.
Day 4, July 6th
Today we are expected to have full-day tour to the northern extremity of island Olkhon – cape Hoboj. The cape is in the widest place of Baikal. Here there is a platform where shamans held their tailagans. From here it is quite often possible to see a seal – a unique fresh-water Baikal seal.
The road passes through natural boundary Peschanoe or Sandy (20 km to the north of settlement Huzhir), known for the picturesque sandy dunes. The constants of a wind blowing from the sea, transfer sand from coast and form sandy adjournment which in the form of high hills, ridges and dunes occupy the space about 3 sq. km. In 1950 ashore fishing settlement of 20 houses were constructed. By 1970 it was almost entombed under sand, and inhabitants have been compelled to leave settlement.
The name of cape and rock came from Buryat word "canine". The shape of the rock also reminds a female profile with a bust. Therefore sometimes they call her the Rock maiden. The legend about which you will be told by the guide during visiting of this place is connected with it. The trip will remind more jeep-safari since the road passes on wood, sandy fields and steppes without a firm covering. Especially it is difficult to drive there after rains. Therefore here there is a basic way of moving – off-road cars UAZ.
While we will take pictures of rock towering over water our instructors will prepare picnic for us. Having tried fish soup and smoked fish, we will continue a way to the island East side where we will visit small village Uzury. One of the Baikal meteorological stations was set up here. Further we will visit one of the rocks of east coast from which it is possible to see the East side of island.
Go back to manor. Dinner. Bonfire evening.
Day 5, July 7th
After breakfast you will have free time before departure. We go to quayside to take a boat for transfer to Listvyanka. On cruise you will have a chance to enjoy beauty and charm of the lake and take good pictures. Upon arrival to Listvyanka – check-in at the hotel. Dinner.
Day 6, July 8th
After breakfast we depart for a tour of Baikal Ecology Museum of Limnological Institute which has a large display of unique exhibits of the lake’s flora and fauna, see an interesting video about Lake Baikal and also visit the Baikal fresh water seal aquarium. Lunch.
After lunch we go to visit open-air architecture-ethnographic museum Taltsy. Museum Taltsy is unique set of monuments of history, architecture and ethnography of XVII-XIX centuries. In a museum complex it is open-air recreated four historical and cultural zones of Pribaikalye: Russian, Buryat, Evenki and Tofalary. Here everything is real. After excursion – transfer back to the hotel. Dinner. Overnight.
Day 7, July 9th
After breakfast we will be transferred to ferry station and ferry to Port Baikal. There we will take a tourist train. Our destination for today is Slyudyanka settlement situated on south-eastern shore of the lake. During this travel along the shore we will make stops in the most picturesque places of the Baikal Circum Rail Lane which is a monument of architecture and engineering art of 20 century.
Long tunnels, stone galleries and retaining Italian walls are punched directly in rocky clips hanging over Baikal.
In the evening – arrival to Irkutsk, transfer to the hotel, check-in, dinner, overnight.
Day 8, July 10th
After breakfast transfer to the airport. Departure from Irkutsk.
Have a good trip!!
Cost of the tour per person in group of: 6-8 pax - 910 EUR 9-12 pax - 840 EUR 13-17 pax - 785 EUR 18-25 pax - 750 EUR
Included services:
• Guide
• All transfers according to the program
• Museum entrance tickets
• Food (according to the program)
• Tickets for ship to Listvaynka, Train to Baikal Circum Lane Express
Additional program:
After the main program you may visit Mongolia where one of the most important events Naadam will be celebrated. On 11-12 of July the festival of Three Male Games (shooting, archery, horse riding) will be organized.
These days messengers from different areas of Hovsogol will arrive to Ulaanbaatar to take part in contest. During the festival we will see a lot of new and interesting, try traditional Mongolian dishes, see national dance.
Day 1, July 10th After breakfast transfer to the airport. Departure from Irkutsk to Ulaanbaatar. Upon arrival – transfer to the hotel, check-in. Free time. Dinner.
Day 2, July 11th
After breakfast at the hotel restaurant we depart to the place of festival beginning. After gala ceremony – lunch at the restaurant. After lunch you will see the archery contest. After dinner we may walk in night Ulaanbaatar.
Day 3, July 12th
After breakfast we go to the stadium to see riding of 2-year-old horses Daaga in trial of 10 km and 5-yer-old horses in trial of 25 km. Atmosphere of celebration and exciting spectacle will not leave you indifferent.
Lunch at the restaurant. Free time, gala ceremony of Festival close. Dinner, overnight.
Day 4, July 13th
After breakfast transfer to the airport, departure from Ulaanbaatar.
Have a good trip!!
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