Baikal Adventures - Baikal Biking tour

Best season: May - September.

You will have your special bus or car for cargo and luggage transportation during all you trip.

"Baikal Biking tour"

Get up close and personal with nature in this environmentally and heart-friendly tour!
The bike route will take you west along the shore of Baikal through the Zabaikalsky National Park, covering a distance of about 160 kilometers by bicycle. The route passes by the deepest bay on Baikal—the Barguzin Bay, whose depth reaches around 1100 meters.
On the Sacred Nose peninsula wetlands areas, you will be able to see rare varieties of nesting and migrating birds.
In addition to the biking program, we have included in the tour a cultural part which will acquaint you with the unique history, culture, and way of life of the native peoples of the Baikal area. You will visit traditional houses, try Siberian and Buryat cuisine, and be treated to colorful folklore presentations. You will get to visit the fabulous Ethnographic Museum of Ulan Ude, the History Museum of Buryatia, and the Ivolginsk Datsan, which is the central Buddhist temple in Russia.

Tour programme:

1st Day. Arrival in Ulan-Ude. Transfer to Hotel. According to arrival time, refreshment followed by city guided tour with visit to the History Museum. Lunch at the local restaurant. Excursion to the Ivolginsky Datsan, the most important Buddhist temple in Russia. (40 km from Ulan-Ude). Visit to the Buryat Yurt to enjoy folklore entertainment and traditional Buryat dinner. Return to the hotel. .

2-4th Days. Morning departure for the starting point of a cycling route(145 km from Ulan-Ude) in the village of Gramyachinsk on the lake shore. For the next two days we ride along Baikal shores towards the village of Ust-Barguzin at the foot of the Sacred Nose Peninsula and pass by Siberian villages and farmlands, wonderful Baikal sceneries and taiga forest. Total distance that we cycle is about 120 km by a road varying from paved to dirt and forest trails. Tent accommodation on 2 and 3 days. In Ust-Barguzin we are rewarded by friendly and comfortable atmosphere in the homes of a typical Siberian family. Traditional Siberian cuisine and Russian banya.

5th Day. After appetizing countryside breakfast we cycle to the Sacred Nose Peninsula, the territory of Zabaikalsky National Park. While riding on the Chivyrkuisky Isthmus along the coalstline of the deepest Barguzinsky Bay we see unique natural ecosystem, habitat for many rare bird species such as white-tailed eagle and swan. Overnight in a tent camp in Monakhovo at the shore of Chivyrkuisky Bay (40 km).

6th Day. After breakfast a boat excursion to the hot mineral spring located in Snake Bay. Opportunity to try the hot mineral bath. Evening return to the isthmus for overnight in tents and dinner.

7th Day. Leisure and pleasure on the isthmus. Overnight in tents. Dinner.
*It is possible to organize boat excursion to visit Ushkany Islands (Zabaikalsky National Park), the home of the Nerpa seals. (6-7 hours).

8th Days.After breakfast we will climb the plateau of the Sacred Nose peninsular (1877 meters height). At the summit you will have a great opportunity for video-photo shooting of the panoramic views of Baikal. Evening return to the base camp for dinner and overnight in tents.

9th Day. Car excursion to the Barguzin Valley to see petroglyphs, the unique natural Suvo "Saxon" castle (130 km). Visit the sacred places “Bull Stone” the famous spot for worship of the people who live in the valley. Return to the friendly host families in Ust-Barguzin for dinner and overnight. Russian banya.

10th Day. After breakfast, departure for Ulan Ude (260 km). Lunch en route. Accommodation and lunch at the Hotel. Free time to get acquainted with the capital of Buryat Republic. Dinner in the local restaurant.

11th Day. Excursion to the open-air Ethnographic Museum. After lunch in the local restaurant visit to the Old-believers' village (a Russian religious group that split off from the Russian Orthodox Church in the seventeenth century) and introduction to the original folklore and cuisine of the 'semeisky' ethnic group. Return in Ulan-Ude. Final dinner at local restoran.

12th Day. Transfer to the airport for your departure after breakfast.


	Eco-activities and adventures in Siberia, Lake Baikal region and Mongolia