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Experience the different but similiar lives and cultures
of post communist brothers Russia and Mongolia. See
what have brought the great changes- "prestroika"
in the early 90s to the 2 countries. Walk through the
Red Square and the Arbats. You will travel the famous
Trans-Siberian railway from Moscow to Ulaanbaatar. Break
the journey to enjoy the Dark Pearl of Asia- Lake Baikal
and its surroundings. Then admire the wilderness and
nature beauty in Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve and Hustai
National Park of Mongolia, the land of miracles |
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Style: Traveller
Tour grade: No special training
needed
Duration: 13 days/12 nights
Tour dates:
Late May till October
Land price for 2012: per person
2 pax: 4500 USD
3 pax: 4245 USD
4 - 6 pax: 3960 USD
7 - 9 pax: 3690 USD
Included in the price:
- Full-time services of your local guides
in Moscow, Irkutsk, Lake Baikal and Ulaanbaatar.
- Sightseeing and cultural show admissions
according to the itinerary
- Entrance fees for protected areas and national
parks
- Private transfers and transports
- 0.5 day horse riding in Gun-Galuut Nature
Reserve
- Twin/double share accommodation where possible,
3* hotel in Moscow, Irkutsk, and twin/triple
Ulaanbaatar, best possible tourist camps in
Mongolia
- Train tickets from Moscow - Irkutsk and
Irkutsk to Ulaanbaatar at 2nd class cabin(4
berths in 1 cabin)
- All meals according to the itinerary except
in the train
- Visa support invitation letter where applicable
- Daily supply of bottled water
Not included:
- International Airfare
- Travel insurance.
- Items of a personal nature such as laundry,
drinks, camera or video fees at any sites
etc.
Note:
- Single supplement is available at 500USD throughout
the tour except in the train.
For price and included service, please
contact us at:
sales@selenatravel.com
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| Day
1 |
Arrival
to Moscow. Transfer to hotel 3* for check-in
(at noon). Orientation City tour (by bus) to get
introduced to the most important sites and views
of Moscow historical center. Lunch in a Russian
cuisine restaurant. Return to your hotel for some
rest before tonight's entertainment program. In
the evening, pick up for a transfer to the city
center. Attend Moscow Circus show. Return transfer
to your hotel for overnight. L
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| Day
2 |
Moscow.
Check-out of your hotel (late check-out
is available upon request). Leave baggage at the
reception desk. Transfer to the city center. Walking
tour around the Red Square to see the GUM, Historical
museum, Kremlin Wall, St Basils Cathedral (no
museum entries). Then, explore the very heart
of Moscow - the Kremlin Palace including the entry
to 1 of the Cathedrals and a guided visit to the
Armory Chamber which is the oldest Russian museum
with marvelous collection of royal treasures made
of gold and precious stones. Lunch in a restaurant.
After lunch take a tour of Moscow Metro system
and explore Arbat shopping street. You will enjoy
a slow pace walk along the Old Arbat pedestrian
street where you can shop for matryoshka dolls
and ushanka fur hats. Return to the hotel. Transfer
at night to the railway station for departure
by Trans-Siberian train. B+L
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H |
| Day
3-5 |
These
days are spent in the Trans- Siberian train to
Irkutsk |
T |
| Day
6 |
Irkutsk-Lake
Baikal. Arrival to Irkutsk, the capital
of Eastern Siberia. Lunch or late breakfast depending
on time of your arrival. This morning you will
enjoy a tour of the city including the Church
of our Savior and the Bell Tower as well as the
central market. Then, depart to Lake Baikal with
2-hour guided tour en-route to Taltsy Museum of
Wooden Architecture. Continue further to Listvyanka
settlement located in the Angara river source
from Lake Baikal. Stop at the viewpoint to see
the Shaman rock in the middle of the river source
and enjoy a local legend about young lady Angara
who ran away from her father - the old mighty
Baikal. Check in to a hotel for in Listvyanka
for rest and overnight. L |
H |
| Day
7 |
Lake
Baikal-Irkutsk. In the morning, take
a walking tour with your guide around the settlement,
visit the functioning Russian Orthodox church
of St. Nicholas-the-Miracle-Worker (the 19th century)
and the local fish and souvenir markets. Then,
proceed with guided excursion to Baikal museum
at the Limnological Institute which studies the
water and wildlife of the lake. Here you will
see the diverse collection of Baikal flora and
fauna as well as the exhibit of fresh-water aquaria
with many endemic Baikal species. After that,
take a cable car to the top of Chersky peak from
where one can enjoy breathtaking views on Lake
Baikal, the beginning of the old disused Circum-Baikal
railway track and the Khamar-Daban mountain range
of the lake opposite side. Depart back to Irkutsk.
Check-in Imperia 3* hotel for overnight. B+L
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Day 8
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Irkutsk departure. Early
transfer to the railway station for train 004/006
at 4:50 am local time to Ulaanbaatar. Sat,
Sun, Mon
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T |
| Day
9 |
Ulaanbaatar.
Arrival in Ulaanbaatar.City tour including Museum
of National History and the Museum of Natural
History. In the evening drive out of the city
to Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve. Transfer to Steppe
Nomads tourist camp |
Gc |
| Day
10 |
Gun-Galuut
Nature Reserve. Ride horses/hike to Mt.
Baits to view endangered wild mountain sheep Argali
and other wild animals. Visit to a nomadic family
to get basic knowledge of their everyday life.
Ger camp overnight |
Gc |
| Day
11 |
Gun-Galuut
- Hustai National Park. After breakfast
drive to Hustai National park. See the world's
only wild horse the Takhi aka Przewalski horse
after sunset. Enjoy the wilderness and the nature
beauty. Ger camp overnight |
Gc |
| Day
12 |
Hustai
- Ulaanbaatar. After breakfast drive
back to Ulaanbaatar. Visit Gandan Monastery. Shopping,
traditional folklore performance in the evening.
Hotel overnight |
T |
| Day
13 |
Departure
for home |
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RUSSIA
Red
Square was beautiful, and very safe,
at night in 1975. Criminals risked a one-way
ticket to Siberia!
The Saviour Tower can be seen
throughout Red Square and the Kremlin. It is
one of the main entrances to the Kremlin. The
tower was built in 1491 and the clock tower
was added in 1625.
Moscow
Circuis: No trip to Moscow would be
complete with out a night at the circus! While
these performers appear to be defying death,
they were secured by safety wires. No matter,
the show (and the ice cream) was excellent
The Arbat Street: The first
historical records of Arbat relate to the year
of 1493, the street was mentioned in an account
of a major city fire. Most probably, the street
name originates from the Mongolian word for
"Ten soldiers"-a military unit. In
the 19th century Arbat turned to be a favourite
neighbourhood for Moscow's nobility and creative
intelligentsia, it was believed to number one
noble for every seven ordinary residents. During
the Soviet times the traditional Arbat inhabitants
were eased out by a new class, the functionaries
of the Communist Party bureaucracy. In the mid
eighties Arbat became the first Moscow's pedestrian
street, the Old Arbat. Over the years the street
has developed into one of the most popular places
in Moscow, you may meet here buskers, street
artists, Krishna supporters, get into multiple
smart clothes and souvenir shops, cafes, cultural
centers, etc. Notable sights around Arbat are
Smolenskaya Square, where the western end of
Old Arbat leads out onto the Garden Ring road.
Gun-Galuut
Nature Reserve is truly the marvellous
combination of high mountains, colourful flowers,
pretty lakes, rivers and wetland waters with
its famous rare species. At the Nature Reserve
tourists can see and take pictures of the endangered
beautiful wild mountain sheep Argali the Big
Horns from the closest distance. In the reserve,
many locations provide great angles to view
rare waterbird species including the White Crane,
White napped crane, Swan goose, and the beautiful
Whooper swan. Horse riding in the mountains,
steppes and along the river is just awesome!
There is great fishing on the quiet Kherlen
River including Taimen, Pike, Lenok, Burbot,
Sturgeon. Visiting nomadic families will be
unforgettable beautiful experience as you will
love their faces with real smiles, true hospitality,
simple, unique and peaceful lifestyle. You also
can ride camel/yak or travel with camel/yak
carts. Sailing in a boat on the Lake Ikh-Gun
or the River Kherlen and swimming in the river
is a great way to relax. Rafting is well done
on the River Kherlen too.
Hustai
National Park is the place where the
wild Takhi- Przewalski horses have lived peacefully
since 1993 when they were reintroduced to their
native land Mongolia. Here we are able to see
and photograph these beautiful wild horses at
pasture and Red Deer, Wolf, Asian Marmot, various
species of waterfawls and prey birds etc., as
well. Gandan Monastery is one
of the highlights of Ulaanbaatar with its priceless
26 m sculpture of Buddha.
Mongolian
Folklore Concert is absolutely one
of the attractions of Mongolia. You will admire
the skills of throat singers, contortionists,
dancers as well as traditional Mongolian music.
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