Lake Baikal to Mongolia

Mystical Lake Baikal in Siberia and the great grasslands and wild Gobi of Mongolia are the extraordinary settings for this magnificent adventure. From vast Baikal, which astonishes travelers with its clarity and ethereal light, we travel overland to the Mongolian heartland, visiting nomads and exploring a remote monastery en route. The Gobi, home to Bactrian camels, dinosaur fossils, and the singing dunes of Khongoryn Els, is the “back of beyond” finale to our journey. Watching a Buryat shaman ceremony at Lake Baikal’s sacred Olkhon Island, exploring the legendary Flaming Cliffs, sleeping under the stars in a Mongolian ger camp—this is an epic cultural and natural history adventure.

Itinerary at a Glance

For a more complete description, Download Full Detailed Itinerary

Day 1
Irkutsk

In Siberia’s beautiful capital, once a hub of trade routes and later home to Russia’s political exiles, we explore the historic architecture, including wooden houses typical of Old Siberia.

Day 2
Lake Baikal / Olkhon Island

Serene Olkhon Island in Lake Baikal is full of legends and sacred to the local Buryat people. We explore the sweeping landscapes, attend a traditional Buryat shaman ceremony, and feast our eyes on ever-changing Baikal panoramas.

Days 3-5
Ust Barguzin / Ulan Ude

By hydrofoil, we cross Lake Baikal’s ethereal waters, looking for native freshwater seals by the Ushkaniye Islands. We disembark on the eastern shores at Ust Barguzin, an “end of the world” village in Buryatia. En route to Ulan Ude, we visit a village of Old Believers, a sect who split from the Russian Orthodox Church in the 17th century, and sense a transition from Europe to Asia in Buryatia’s Buddhist culture.

Days 6-8
Amarbayasgalant, Mongolia / Gorkhi Terelj

Crossing the border from Siberia into Mongolia’s grasslands, we visit summer nomad camps, remote and stunning Amarbayasgalant Monastery, and Gorkhi Terelj National Park. In our ger camps, the star-gazing is magnificent and we awake to brilliant sunrises and grasslands stretching to infinity.

Days 9-10
Ulaanbaatar

We explore the capital’s National Museum, with its dinosaur fossils, and Gandan Monastery, seat of Buddhism in Mongolia.

Days 11-15
Gobi Desert / Flaming Cliffs / Three Camel Lodge

Flying to the Gobi, we hike in the Yol Valley and visit the Flaming Cliffs, where the first dinosaur eggs were discovered. On a special two-day journey in the vastness of the Gobi, we explore from our ger camp below the 50-mile-long Khongoryn Els dunes, with a chance to ride Bactrian camels. Overnights on Days 11, 12, and 15 are at the award-winning Three Camel Lodge.

Days 16-17
Ulaanbaatar

After a cultural performance of Mongolia’s rich traditions, including hoomi singing, we depart on Day 17.

For a more complete description, Download Full Detailed Itinerary