info@baikalnature.com

The Joys Of Winter Baikal

This tour is not available and is archived.
Easy - nothing more than normal walking while sight-seeing
Moderately Easy - 1-3 hours of physical activity daily
Moderate - 3-5 hours of physical activity daily
Challenging - 5-7 hours of challenging physical activity daily
Extreme - 7+ hours of challenging/extreme physical activity daily
Difficulty
Basic — most of nights in tents or rooms with shared WC, some nights in comfortable rooms.
Standard — most of nights in comfortable rooms, some nights in tents or rooms with shared WC.
Upgraded — all nights in comfortable rooms.
Comfort
Highlights
  • Most get-to-know-local-people journey
  • Discovery of breathtaking sceneries
  • Multi-active travel in the heart of Siberia
Tour Overview

Winter on Lake Baikal is an ideal time to get a gulp of fresh air and take pleasure in the joys of the frozen lake. On the menu of this journey: dog sledding and snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and ice skating, cultural discoveries and excursion by 4x4. We invite you to follow the Baikal ice field and the paths of the Pribaikalsky National park and leave for meeting sumptuous sceneries and local population of Siberia.

Your journey will start in Listvyanka where you will visit main museums to get acquainted with the history of Lake Baikal, its unique flora and fauna and to take an unforgettable dog sled ride. The other part of your journey will be held in the very centre of the Baikal - on Olkhon Island, holy land for Buryat shamans. Discovery of sacred sites of the island by 4x4, cross-country ski-trekking, ice skating on the world's largest ice rink that is Lake Baikal, and tasting of omul, fish indigenous to the Baikal, - are the essence of this splendid travel. Days full of emotions are over, you will sleep in comfortable inns (except that one of Chernaya valley during the dog sled ride) and enjoy real Siberian banya.

Tour programme
  • Day 1
    Arrival in Irkutsk in the morning. Pick up at the airport / train station. Hotel accommodation. Rest. Walking city tour: central square and ice sculptures, wooden houses, the Decembrists museum.
  • Day 2
    At noon visit to the dog-sledding centre. We will meet the dogs and receive warm gear and all the instruction necessary to drive a dogsled. Start of our dog sled ride through taiga towards Chernaya valley (north of Listvyanka). Stop for lunch in the open air on the way. Arrival to inn situated several hundred metres (yards) from the lake shore. Rest, banya (Russian steam bath), dinner.
  • Day 3
    Return to Listvyanka by the frozen lake. Arrival in Listvyanka by 1.00 pm. Lunch in restaurant. Transfer to Irkutsk. Hotel overnight.
  • Day 4
    Morning leave for Olkhon island by car. Stops at picturesque places. In the afternoon arrival to the strait of Olkhonskiye Vorota (Olkhon Gates), crossing of the strait over the ice. Arrival in Khuzhir, central village on the island. Accommodation in inn run by a villager, 200 metres (yards) from the shore. In the afternoon: walk to Burkhan rock. Village and port visit.
  • Day 5
    Morning drive to the north of the island following the west shore of Olkhon. Discovery of Sagan-Khushin and its icy grottos. Arrival to Khoboy Cape, northernmost point of Olkhon. Spectacular 360° view. Magic and mythic place feared by all Buryats. Lunch in the open air – hot meal to get warm! Depending on ice surface, ice skating on the frozen lake. Return to Khuzhir.
  • Day 6
    Day devoted to the ice fishing. Picnic in open air, tasting of fish soup. Return to Khuzhir, banya (Russian steam bath) in the evening.
  • Day 7
    Morning at leisure for skating on the ice of Lake Baikal (possible skate rental on the spot). Return to Irkutsk by car. Arrival in Irkutsk by 8 o'clock. Transfer to hotel.
  • Day 8
    Transfer to the airport / train station. Departure. End of the programme.
                  Detailed description
                  New departures available soon
                  Price includes
                  • English-speaking guide
                  • Russian-speaking guide services
                  • Accommodation as per itinerary
                  • Transport as per itinerary
                  • Meals
                  • Excursions and visits as per itinerary
                  • Reserves and national parks entrance permissions
                  • Ski rental
                  • Banya
                  • Letter of invitation
                  Price does not include
                  • Medical insurance
                  • Administrative registration
                  • Personal expenses and tips
                  • Visa fees and travel insurance
                  • Ice skate rental
                  • Transfer from airport / railway station on first day
                  • Transfer to airport / railway station on last day
                  • Optional activities
                  • Ropeway to Chersky Rock
                  For more info, please download the detailed description of the trip.
                  Note

                  Banya is included on Day 3 and 7.

                  Sign up for our emails!
                  Why subscribe? First, our newsletters are captivating! We are one of the few tour operators specializing in Russian and Georgian nature, who invests a lot of resources into photo and video-shooting. That’s why even sitting in the office, you’ll feel like you are making your way among arctic ices, walking along taiga valleys, admiring volcanos or looking in the mirror of crystal Baikal waters. Second, there is lots of useful stuff in our letters. The information about outstanding places, new routes’ descriptions, stories from expeditions and trips. And don’t worry, we write in an easy and entertaining manner. And finally, we’re not pushy. You will get all this beauty not often than once a month or two. So you’re gonna miss us!