Gastronomic Tour
(to Lake Baikal)

Meeting at the airport. Transfer to the hotel.

Check in. Free time.

Optional: Dinner at the hotel.

OPTIONAL

DINNER OF NORTHERN RUSSIAN CUISINE IN THE RESTAURANT “EXPEDITION”

“Expedition. Northern cuisine” – a gourmet restaurant. Here guests are offered to enjoy the best in Moscow stroganina, appetizers from game, fish, meat and scallops, various tinctures of their own preparation. This is the first institution of the Northern cuisine of the capital, which has received worldwide recognition. Discovery Channel awarded the restaurant complex the highest award, highlighting it among other similar places.

Breakfast in the hotel. Meet your guide in the hotel lobby. Departure.

Moscow city tour with a visit to Red Square.

During the tour you will see Red Square, the reconstructed Manezhnaya Square with an underground shopping mall beneath it, the golden domes of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Novodevichy Convent occupying a picturesque spot in the curve of the Moskva river, the high-rises of the post-war era one of which houses the Moscow State University on the Sparrow Hills where you can enjoy a breathtaking panorama of the city.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

Transfer to the airport.

Optional: Evening flight Moscow – Irkutsk (economy class).

Transfer from the airport to the hotel. Early check-in to the hotel.

Free time.

Lunch in the restaurant “Trapeznikov” or similar.

Lunch – Russian cuisine. Russia is a multinational state, where each nation, having its own “signature” dishes, borrowed recipes and culinary tricks from neighbors, passing them on to them its secrets. Each region and region of Russia can boast of unique dishes. Despite the fact that many modern products (potatoes, tomatoes, corn, rice) were unknown in Russia for a long time, foreigners noted that the Russian table was the richest in the world, even among the common people. Russian cuisine does not require special knowledge and exotic ingredients, but it takes a lot of experience to prepare a truly delicious meal. So, experienced Irkutsk culinary art masters will take care of arranging a real holiday for you!

After lunch you will be invited for a city tour.

During the tour the guide will show you the city's historical center, you will get acquainted with the history of Irkutsk and will see the city's main streets, churches, famous buildings and monuments. You will hear the story of the Church of Savior, will learn who lived on the upper floor of the Moscow Gates and will make a photo stop near Kirov Square and the Angara River.

Dinner at a local restaurant. Culinary master class, 3 hours.

To everyone who goes to Irkutsk and wishes to see not only to the unique nature of the lake Baikal, but also to learn authentic traditions of the Baikal region. Particularity, to those who seek to uncover the secrets of culinary preferences of Siberians. In friendly relaxed atmosphere under the guidance of a professional chef, guests prepare their own lunch following Siberian recipes, learn the origins of dishes, cooking and serving secrets. Taste prepared dishes according to the rules of traditional Russian meal.

Back to the hotel.

Breakfast in the hotel.

Depart for Ust-Orda which is a centre of Buryat culture.

Ust-Orda is a village in the Irkutsk region, in which hereditary Buryats live – the indigenous population of the Baikal region. In the village you will visit the Ethnopark “Golden Horde”, created to preserve the culture, history and traditions of the Buryats. You will get acquainted with Buryat folklore, national games and shamanistic rites. You will also surely try dishes of the national Buryat cuisine in the most beautiful carved yurt of Russia.

Lunch in the complex during the visit.

During the tour you will have a look at Shamanic rituals. Buryatia has been famous for its hospitality since ancient times. Colorful national rites and ritual of blessing travelers are held with the participation of guests of the ethnopark, which allows you to fully immerse yourself in the culture of the people. Visitors of the ethnopark witness an interactive matchmaking scene.

Lunch – Buryat cuisine.

Due to the place of residence of the people and the nature of their activities, the food of the Buryats is incredibly environmentally friendly, clean and lacking the main scourge of our time – harmful additives, dyes, amplifiers. On their table there is only all the most useful, natural, and most importantly – delicious. Since ancient times, the dishes of the nomads have been hearty, fatty, rich. That is why the most popular of them contain at least one of these products, and most often – several at once: meat, milk, flour.

Back to the hotel. Free time.

In the evening you will be invited to a Mongolian restaurant “Kochevnik” or similar.

Dinner – Mongolian cuisine. From Baikal to Mongolia – literally “a stone's throw”. Mongolian food has always been determined by climate and economy, and differs markedly from other countries. The nomadic life associated with the need to drive animals to new pastures required an increased consumption of protein, the Mongolian food traditionally contains a lot of fat, it is distinguished by the predominance of meat and dairy products. The basis of the Mongolian national cuisine is made up of dishes made from dairy and meat products, as well as flour products. Various types of cheeses, curdled milk ... and drinks are prepared from milk. Foam is one of the most popular foods. Lamb is the most widely used meat product; boiling is the main method of heat treatment.

Breakfast in the hotel.

Visit to the Irkutsk museum-estate of the Decembrists.

Irkutsk regional historical and memorial Museum of the Decembrists is located in the heart of Irkutsk – its historical center. The Museum consists of two manors, memorial houses of the princes of S. P. Trubetskoy and S. G. Volkonsky. The partially recreated historical interiors of the houses feature unique memorial relics of the Decembrists. The pride of the Museum collection is the musical instruments that belonged to Maria Volkonskaya. Visitors are particularly fond of items from the bead collection, including beaded embroidery of the wives of the Decembrists E. I. Trubetskaya and M. N. Volkonskaya.

Lunch in the restaurant “Ohotnikov” or similar.

For several centuries, one of the main occupations of Siberians remained hunting and fishing, so special preference was given to dishes from game and fish. Native local traditions were continued in the Irkutsk restaurant. Stuffed wild animals, antlers, forest landscapes that adorn the walls of the restaurant give the restaurant a unique flavor. Its main feature is an abundance of exclusive dishes from game and Siberian fish. Various types of fish are presented here: lightly salted, cold smoked, raw frozen (stroganina), baked with sauce, steaks.

City tour in Irkutsk (Karl Marks str., “Irkutsk Sloboda”).

Excursion around the Irkutsk Sloboda. Irkutsk is included in the number of historical settlements of Russia that have preserved the old planning and buildings. The city on the Angara is distinguished by a strong connection between the past, the present and the future. Having visited the Irkutsk Sloboda – a historical quarter recreated for the 350th anniversary of Irkutsk – you will see several dozen monuments of architecture and history of the city. This is a rare and, on such a scale, a completely unique example of the reconstruction of historical buildings in Russia. During the excursion, you can see with your own eyes the elegant wooden Irkutsk of the 18th-19th centuries.

Dinner will be organized in the restaurant “Rassolnik” or similar.

Dinner – Russian cuisine. Russian national cuisine differs significantly from most of the world's culinary traditions. Russian cuisine food is simple, nutritious, affordable. For the dishes, ordinary products and simple cooking methods are used. Russian cuisine was formed under strong religious influence. The large number of posts has led to the creation of two categories of the same dishes: lean and moderate. For the first, fish, cereals, vegetables, mushrooms were used, and soups were especially popular for cooking. Traditionally, these are hearty, thick, rich dishes of meat, fish, vegetables and sometimes cereals. The most famous soups of Russian cuisine are cabbage soup, rassolnik, borscht, botvinya, and fish soup. For the latter, a wide variety of meats were used. In addition to traditional pork, beef and poultry, game was popular - meat obtained from hunting. You will taste several national dishes of Russian cuisine and will be able to plunge into the atmosphere of the deep taiga in the Okhotnikov restaurant and the atmosphere of Soviet times in the Rassolnik restaurant.

Breakfast in the hotel. Check out.

Depart for the ethnographic museum “Taltsy”.

It is an old Siberian village dating back to the 18-19th century, reconstructed on the bank of the Angara River. The complex includes a wooden tower of the Ilimsky fortress, a church of the 17th century, a Siberian tavern, a settlement of the Evenk people.

Departure to Listvyanka.

Listvyanka is a small settlement on the south-western coast of Lake Baikal, one of the most popular places in the area and a wonderful starting point for a tour of Baikal.

Visit Baikal museum with virtual dive.

Take a visit to the only museum whose exposition introduces the history of the study of Lake Baikal, its animal and plant life. Here you can see Baikal fish, stuffed birds and animals, samples of bottom sediments and Baikal minerals, various artifacts found during scientific field expeditions. In the museum you will see the life of the Baikal fauna in aquariums: giant omuli, whitefish, young sturgeon and two charming and swift seals - the most famous endemic of the lake. The museum has an interactive attraction: with the help of a virtual bathyscaphe, an immersion takes place at the bottom of Lake Baikal to its deepest point – a depth of 1642 meters. During descent and ascent, one can trace how the bottom and living inhabitants change.

Lunch in the restaurant “Sval” or similar. You will try a food of Siberia and Baikal.

There are legends about Baikal cuisine, and omul is considered one of the most delicious fish. The menu of local residents was influenced by the way of life – for a long time, local people ate the gifts of the taiga and the lake. Therefore, the local cuisine is an amazing combination of game, fish and taiga seasonings. The main pride of Baikal cuisine is various dishes from local fish, which you can order and try here.

Check in the hotel.

Visit funicular railway to get to the observation point “Chersky Kamen” to enjoy a wonderful view.

Boat cruise, 1 hour.

An hour-long boat trip runs along the coast of Lake Baikal, which allows you to admire the magnificent view of the lake. From the water you will see the whole Listvyanka, the world famous hotel “Baikal”, the port of Baikal, where the restored railway station is located, more than 100 years old, you will see the famous Shaman-stone, which, according to legend, was thrown by Father Baikal at his daughter Angara so that she would not fled to the Yenisei.

As part of a walk, together with a guide, we suggest visiting the largest and most famous fish market on Lake Baikal, which is located in the center of Listvyanka village. Here you can buy all kinds of Baikal fish, dried or smoked, as well as many unique souvenirs.

Gala dinner in the hotel`s restaurant “Krestovaya Pad” or similar.

Dinner – cuisine of the Baikal region. For a long time the peoples of Siberia were fed with the gifts of the taiga and the lake. The dishes prepared were not varied, but nutritious and practical. Hunters and fishermen know many exotic recipes for cooking on a fire, using hot stones and coals. The extracted meat and fish were smoked, dried and salted for future use. They made supplies of berries and mushrooms for the winter. The combination of fish, game and taiga spices distinguishes the Siberian table from European cuisine. The main ingredient in traditional “Baikal” cuisine is Baikal fish – omul, whitefish, grayling, sturgeon.

Breakfast in the hotel. Check out.

Transfer to the Irkutsk airport.

End of the tour.

Optional: Flight Moscow – Irkutsk (economy class).