Day Schedule

➤ Arrive Irkutsk

➤ Meet and greet at Irkutsk train station and transfer to your hotel

➤ Irkutsk guided city tour including a visit to the icebreaker “Angara” museum

Irkutsk

Continue your tour and proceed to Irkutsk. The city is well-known for its rich cultural heritage and stunning wooden architecture. Irkutsk served as an important stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway and was a hub for trade and cultural exchange. 

The city is renowned for its beautifully preserved wooden houses, many of which feature intricate wooden lacework, a hallmark of traditional Siberian craftsmanship. These historic buildings, which are scattered throughout the city, create a unique and charming atmosphere, giving the feeling of an open-air museum as you stroll through the streets.

Irkutsk is also famously situated on the banks of the Angara River, which flows out of Lake Baikal. The river adds to the city's scenic beauty and provides a peaceful backdrop for exploring its historic district. was once used as a place of exile for revolutionary noble men from St. Petersburg and Moscow, for their participation in riots or civil disobedience. Following their failed uprising against Tsar Nicholas I in December 1825, many Decembrist revolutionaries—high-ranking noblemen from St. Petersburg and Moscow—were exiled to Irkutsk, along with their wives and families. This influx constituted one of the largest population increases in Irkutsk's history. ​​​​​​​

The icebreaker "Angara" is a historic vessel that holds significant importance in the development of navigation on Lake Baikal. Built in 1900, it was the second icebreaker to operate on the lake, following the "Baikal," which was launched in 1899. The "Angara" played a crucial role in ferrying passengers and goods between the Baikal and Misovaya stations before the Circum-Baikal Railway was completed. It remained in active service on Lake Baikal until 1962, serving as a symbol of the region's transportation history. After being decommissioned, the icebreaker "Angara" was restored and transformed into a museum. On November 5, 1990, it was permanently moored at the pier near the Solnechny micro-district, where it continues to attract visitors as a historical monument and a reminder of the engineering feats in early 20th-century maritime technology. The "Angara" remains the most ancient surviving icebreaker of its kind, offering a glimpse into the history of icebreaking and navigation in one of the world's largest and most challenging freshwater lakes.