Lake Baikal
Spring bird watching tour

Day 2
Breakfast at the hotel. Guided sightseeing tour of Moscow, including visit to the Red Square, the Kremlin and two museums. Lunch in the city. transfers to the airport, departure to Irkutsk at about 7.40 p.m. Night in the plane (5 hrs flight).

Day 3
List of birds see this day
Arrive in Irkutsk early in the morning (6.00 a.m). Accommodation at the hotel. transfers to the Novoleninskie marshes, birding. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 4
Drive from Irkutsk to the Sarma Delta. On the way, stop near salty lakes to watch migrating shorebirds: ruff, marsh sandpiper, wood sandpiper, sharp-tailed sandpiper. We will further drive to the Zunduk Cape along the Maloe Sea. There are a lot of beautiful views, white lime mountains, unique ancient steppes rich in relic and endemic plants. Overnight at the comfortable private tourist cottages. Here you are welcome with delicious food and Russian steam bath (banya).

Day 5
List of birds see this day
Excursions in the area of Zunduk Cape and then in the Sarma Delta. Delta of Sarma river, the northernmost section of the Pribaikal'sky national park, close to the Olkhon island, is a sample of northern Mongolian-type steppes and mountain taiga of northern type. Bays of the Maloe Sea, pebbly sea points and delta of the Sarma river are the stop place for many birds flying to tundra and Northern taiga.
we will have an excursion to see birds along the coast of the Maloe ("Small") Sea, along the picturesque Sarma gorge and in Zunduk cape area. In the evening, bus transfers to Olkhon island, overnight at the private hotel in Khuzhir village (quite comfortable rooms, but facilities are outside, banya).

Day 6
Tour about the ../images/aventures/b003a_map.htm" target="_blank" onclick="openWin4(this.href,this.target); return false;">Olkhon Island. Museum of natural history. Excursion about the island. Visiting the Shaman Cape. The bird species are the same that we met during the Day 3 . Olkhon is a nesting place for eagles and eagle owls. It is hardly possible to see inhabited nests of eagles, but the abandoned ones can be easily found. The golden eagle, imperial eagle and saker falcon can be found. Overnight in private hotels.

(Day 7, 13 days tour only)
Bus transfers from Irkutsk to the village of Tanhoi, where the office of the Baikal'sky Nature Reserve is located (5 hrs drive). Accommodation in the local hotel. Excursion to the dark coniferous taiga forest (cedar pine, fir). Look for thrushes, Siberian blue robins, grasshopper warblers. Dinner and overnight at the hotel (a typical hotel of Soviet type. Double accommodation, facilities inside).

Day 7 (16 days tour only)
transfers by motor boat across the Lake Baikal to the ../images/aventures/s102a_map.htm" target="_blank" onclick="openWin(this.href,this.target); return false;">Zabaikal'sky National Park. On the way, stop to visit the famous Ushakanii Islands where the rookery of endemic Baikal seal is located. transfers by motor boat to the Kurbulik area of Park (3 hrs), then by microbuses to the village of Ust'-Barguzin. Dinner and overnight in private hotels (comfortable guest rooms located in private houses, facilities inside, banya, delicious homemade meals).