This tour takes you from Irkutsk to the Tunka Valley at the foot of the Sayan Mountains. You walk to the Kyngarga River waterfalls near Arshan village and finish with a soak in open-air hot springs at Zhemchug (Pearl), open all year round.
Group: 1-10
Season: All year round
Language: English
Tour type: Hot Springs, Nature and Wildlife, Shaman tour, History and Culture
Tour price: from 10,000 rub per person
Why go to Arshan and the Tunka ValleyArshan is a mountain village in the Tunka Valley, Republic of Buryatia, at the foot of the Eastern Sayan Mountains. The name comes from Sanskrit rasayana and is used across Mongolia, Buryatia, Altai and Tuva for a mineral spring. The mountain river that runs through the village is called Kyngarga, “drum” in Buryat, because you can hear it from every corner of the village. The village is about 210 km from Irkutsk, in the Tunka Valley of the Republic of Buryatia. Read more in our Arshan and Tunka Valley guide.
The valley is also one of the most historically rich corners of the Baikal region. Numerous sacred places, some about a thousand years old, lie along the Irkut River, and local legends say Genghis Khan’s army once passed this way. In snow-capped winter and green summer alike, the scenery reminds many visitors of Tibet or the Alps.
Times are approximate and depend on weather and road conditions.
08:00 
Hotel pick-up in Irkutsk
08:30 🛣 Drive along the Kultuk highway towards the Tunka Valley. Photo stop near the southern tip of Lake Baikal is possible
11:30 
Lunch stop at a roadside café with local dishes (meal not included)
12:30 Arrival in Arshan; visit the Mongolian goods market (wool and cashmere products)
13:00 
Hike along the Kyngarga River to the Arshan waterfalls (the first one is about 1.5 km from the resort), maximum elevation 800 m above sea level
15:30 🍽 Late lunch with Buryat dishes (not included)
17:00 
Drive about 20 km (30–40 minutes) to Zhemchug (Pearl) village; hot springs soak, 10–25 minutes per bath, water about +55 °C
19:00 Departure to Irkutsk, arrival in Irkutsk about 22:30–23:00
Please note: The tour can be combined with a visit to a local Buryat shaman (see “Optional add-on”). Ask us when booking so we can adjust the timing.
Zhemchug (Pearl) is a hot spring area on the banks of the Irkut River, about 20 km from Arshan, open all year. The mineral water contains calcium, sulfates and sodium. Guests usually stay in a bath for 10–25 minutes. Bathing in an open pool in winter, with steam rising in −30 °C air and snowy peaks around you, is the most memorable part of the trip.
Health note: hot mineral baths are not recommended during pregnancy or for people with heart or blood pressure conditions. Please check with your doctor before the tour.
1 pax 35,000 RUB
2 pax 18,000 RUB
3 pax 13,000 RUB
4 pax 11,000 RUB
5 pax 10,000 RUB
>5 guests send a request
What is included
Not included
What to bring
Optional add-on: visit to a Buryat shamanMeet a local shaman and learn about the traditional beliefs of the Buryat people, who have lived in this region for centuries. 10,000 RUB per person.
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