Tour guides Russia > Siberia

5 ideas for guided tours in Siberia

• Altai Mountains

  

  At the far edge of Siberia, the Altai Mountains unfold with deep valleys, peaks still snow-capped in spring, and open plains where the grass ripples in the wind. The road winds through a landscape that shifts without warning, from dense forests to rocky plateaus.

  The Chulyshman Valley impresses with its sheer cliffs and rivers carving their way forward. You follow the current—sometimes rushing, sometimes calm—occasionally surprised by the sound of a hidden waterfall just around a bend. It’s a place that stays in your mind long after you’ve left.

  Farther on, the Ukok Plateau holds traces of ancient peoples—burial mounds and standing stones scattered across the grass. The air feels light, almost thin, and the horizon seems endless. Silence reigns, broken only by gusts of wind carrying dust across the steppe.

  The people of this land, Kazakhs and Tuvans, keep their nomadic traditions alive. You spot yurts, a few horses, simple gestures passed down for generations. In the Altai Mountains, the encounters matter just as much as the landscapes.

• Yakutsk

  

  On the banks of the Lena, Yakutsk lives with its long winter—dry air, light catching on carved wooden façades. Frosted windows, market stalls that come alive when the temperature rises a little. A city that endures, and you feel it as you walk its streets.

  In the center, the Cathedral of the Assumption draws the eye with its pale domes and timeworn icons. You read a few notes about Yakutsk, look up again, the bells ring out, and the street returns to its rhythm.

  By boat in summer, or across the ice in winter, the Lena Pillars can be reached—towering stone walls rising over the river. The wind whistles between the limestone spires, the view is wide, and it leaves a simple but striking impression.

  Beneath a frozen hill, the Permafrost Museum leads through cold galleries filled with ice sculptures and the scent of minerals. Nearby, the Yakutsk Ostrog recalls the first fort, with reconstructed palisades and houses—a story of pioneers and river life. You step back out with numb hands, but with clear, lasting images.

• Olkhon Island

  

  In the middle of Lake Baikal, Olkhon Island stretches out like a long ribbon of arid hills, pine forests, and sheer cliffs. The tracks are dusty, sometimes sandy, leading to viewpoints that stay with you long after the trip is over.

  The Shaman Rock, standing across from the small village of Khuzhir, draws both travelers and locals. Sacred to the Buryat people, it’s still adorned with colorful ribbons tied to wooden poles, fluttering in the wind. A simple place, yet deeply moving.

  Farther along, the cliffs of Cape Khoboy drop straight into the dark water. The silence is broken only by the call of birds and the gentle slap of waves against the rock. On a clear day, you can see the opposite shore—so distant it feels almost unreal.

• Irkutsk

  

  Along the banks of the Angara River, Irkutsk still feels like a frontier town, with carved wooden houses standing alongside broad Soviet avenues. The mix is striking—old and modern side by side—and it’s perhaps this contrast that makes wandering the city so enjoyable.

  A little farther on, the Epiphany Cathedral rises with its white walls and colorful frescoes. The bell tower rings, some people step inside, others hurry past on the sidewalk. Nothing spectacular at first glance, yet the image lingers, especially when the evening light softens the façades.

  On the riverbank, the Taltsy Museum gathers old izbas, mills, and chapels saved from villages flooded by a dam. The wood creaks underfoot, the air smells of pine resin. Walking among these relocated houses, you can imagine the hard, forest-bound life of the past.

  And then there is Lake Baikal—immense, almost unreal—about sixty kilometers away. The water looks dark and icy, yet it pulls you in effortlessly. From Irkutsk, it is often the last stop before seeing this deep mirror that seems to reflect all of Siberia.

• The Kamchatka peninsula

  

  At the far edge of Siberia, the Kamchatka Peninsula reaches into the Pacific—wild, raw, and full of life. Volcanoes line the horizon, wide valleys stretch out, and rivers steam in places. Here, you feel far from noise, standing on a land still shifting beneath your feet.

  In the Valley of Geysers, columns of water and steam shoot skyward, then vanish as if nothing happened. The boardwalks creak, the air smells of sulfur, the light is dazzling—it’s a place that leaves a mark. Around you, the slopes remain unstable, and the weather can change in an instant.

  At Kuril Lake, the water takes on a milky-blue hue. When the mist lifts, brown bears fish for salmon, seemingly unbothered by onlookers—a simple yet unforgettable scene. Bird calls echo, a few boats slip past, then silence returns.

  Farther north, Klyuchevskaya Sopka towers over the volcanic range, a perfect cone of snow and ash. Black slopes bear the traces of lava flows, ash fields slow your steps, but your gaze clings to the view. After the effort, you find the hot springs of Datchniye—gentle steam rising, a well-earned rest on this wind-swept peninsula.