Siberia: Winter tour features sled dogs and shamans
Hear the word “Siberia†and you think despair and desolation, but hardy travelers on Mir Corp.’s Siberian Winter Escapade will discover that it is actually a land of great beauty.
The eight-day tour begins (and ends) in Irkutsk, one of Siberia’s largest cities and home to beautiful rebuilt churches and 19th century architecture. Then it’s on to Lake Baikal -- the oldest and deepest lake in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site -- for dogsled racing, ice fishing, snowmobiling and steaming in a traditional Russian banya, or sauna.
Other highlights include a hovercraft ride over Lake Baikal to see Bronze Age petroglyphs, a Baikal horse ranch and sacred Olkhon Island for a sunrise shaman ceremony. Group size is limited to 12.
Dates: Feb. 21-28
Price: $4,695 per person, double occupancy; single supplement $595. Includes accommodations, most meals, English-speaking tour manager, local guides and entrance fees. International airfare not included.
Info: Mir Corp. (800) 424-7289
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