In the afternoon, you will meet your guide for a 3-hour city tour of Irkutsk where you will learn more about the rich cultural history of the city through its museums, art galleries and theatres. See the snow-covered spires of the Cathedral of The Epiphany first-hand and take a winter stroll around the old town with its beautiful snow-covered wooden buildings, festive markets, and picturesque winter scenes of the Angara River embankment

After your tour of the city, you will be taken to your hotel for check-in and will have the rest of the evening free to rest and relax.

You will start the day with a visit to the Baikal Museum where you’ll learn more about the origins of the flora and fauna found around Lake Baikal. At the museum there are aquariums with fish from the lake and you can also see Nerpa – the only freshwater seals in the world!

Afterwards, you will take the chairlift to a nearby viewpoint where you can observe a stunning bird-eye-view on the southern part of the lake, offering the perfect photo opportunity before stopping for lunch at the museum restaurant.

In the afternoon, you can enjoy an exhilarating dog sledding experience through the Siberian taiga, followed by a trip to Listvyanka market where you can buy something for your friends and families and try the local specialty Omul at the famous fish market.

After your tour of Listvyanka, you will be able to check into your hotel and have the rest of the evening free to explore or relax as you see fit.

After breakfast, you will meet your guide at the hotel reception and head over to the Taltsy open-air museum of wooden architecture.

The Taltsy Museum was founded more than 50 years ago and during that time has become one of Siberia’s most important cultural sites exhibiting Siberian houses and buildings dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. At the museum you can see the houses of local people that lived there before Russians came to this part of Siberia, including a fortress of the first Cossacks that conquered the area and more.

In the afternoon you will stop for lunch at the museum cafe before continuing to the beautiful village of Arshan.

This small village is situated around 300km from Listvyanka at the foot of Sayan mountain range and is known as the ‘Siberian Switzerland’ due to its beautiful scenery and fresh mountain air.

In the evening, you will head to your hotel in Arshan to check-in followed by an evening meal in the hotel restaurant.

After breakfast, you will enjoy a tranquil walk along the river to a nearby waterfall before continuing to the Buddhist Datsan.

After your walk, you will get the chance to stop and try some local food before heading back to your hotel in the evening where you will enjoy a traditional festive dinner celebrating Russian Christmas.

You will stop for lunch at a local café before your driver takes you back to Irkutsk where you will spend the evening.