• Nice stopover for discovering Lake Baikal aboard a comfortable ship
• Alternation of activities: cruise, trekkings, cultural discovery
• Meeting a Buryat shaman

The tour is for all those who wish to undertake a trip with moderate physical involvement. There is only optional walking without major difficulties. The maximum duration is 1 to 2 hours, the group may be shared at any time and give up certain activities.

En fonction du déroulement de votre programme et des possibilités qu'offrent le lieu où vous vous trouverez, vous pourrez soit goûter au grand confort d'une chambre d'hôtel ou celui plus simple d'une auberge ou bien encore partager l'authenticité de la vie chez l'habitant en bénéficiant des commodités à l'extérieur ainsi que de dormir sous la tente.

This trip equally combines services that are dedicated specially for you with others, shared with other people outside your group such as some transport and excursions.

Destinations: Lake Baikal. Visited areas: Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Peschanaya Bay, Maloye More, Olkhon Island, Port Baikal, Circum-Baikal, Listvyanka

Tour start area: Irkutsk, end area: Irkutsk

Day 1

Meeting at the riverside station of Irkutsk ("Raketa").
10.00am Ship embarkation. Voyage up the Angara River towards Baikal Lake and the Circum Baikal Railway.
10.20am Breakfast.
01.00pm Lunch.
03.00–05.00pm Arrival at Tolsty ("Thick") Cape. Discovery of tunnels.
05.00pm Departure for the Peschanaya Bay (Sandy bay). The Peschanaya Bay is known for its trees "on stilts" - raised on their naked roots from where the wind blows away all the sand. Breathtaking view of the rocks and the beach with marble sand.
07.00pm Dinner
01.00am Arrival at the Peschanaya Bay.

Day 2

10.00am Breakfast
11.00am Walk in the bay. Ascent (260 m/850 ft) for a picturesque viewing point to enjoy an exceptional view of the surroundings (2h 30m walk) or trekking to the Babushka Bay ("Grandmother") to discover its white sand beach (1.5 km, 1.5-2 h walk).
02.00pm Lunch aboard.
02.00pm Coasting to the Sennaya Bay where a house of the forest guards of the national park can be found. Walk along the shore. Possible Russian banya – traditional bath house (for an extra fee).
06.00pm Departure for the Olkhon Island.
07.00pm Dinner.

Day 3

05.00am Arrival in the village of Khuzhir, the central settlement on the Olkhon Island.
09.00pm Breakfast.
10.00am – 02.00pm Visit to the village museum (at extra cost), discovery of sacred shaman rock, Burkhan, the residence of the Baikal god. Meeting a shaman and participation in a shaman rite.
02.00pm Lunch aboard. Tasting traditional Buryat cuisine.
03.00pm Departure for the Ogoy Islet across the Maloye More Strait (Small Sea).
03.15 – 05.00pm Discovery of the Ogoy Islet with its Buddhist stupa.
05.00pm Departure for Irkutsk.
06.00 – 07.00pm Diner aboard.

Day 4

08.00am Breakfast.
09.00am Arrival in Irkutsk. End of voyage.

BaikalNature ethics charter

Choosing BaikalNature as a travel partner you undertake together with us for travelling in full harmony with nature. As our name implies, BaikalNature is sensitive to the long-term health of the natural environment towards which we feel such affection. It is with great pleasure that we invite travellers to discover the region of Lake Baikal in all its manifestations and in maximum possible comfort. But as the environment is fragile we do it with conscious responsibility. Respecting its landscapes, fauna, flora and the way of life of its people is a priority for us as well as for our travellers.

Together with you we are ready to meet the challenge: all partakers of BaikalNature act as caretakers of the planet’s future. Thus, we eagerly join for initiatives of responsible tourism hoping for the Russian and Mongolian natural heritage protection to become a number one priority for the sake of the brilliant future of these lands.

The price is given per person for accommodation in a double cabin.

A single cabin costs 31,000 rubles.

A berth in a triple cabin costs 15,000 rubles.

The price does not include the entrance fee to the museum of Khuzhir.

Booking is made by paying a 50% deposit of the total cost.
The balance of 50% is to be paid 21 days before departure.
If late booking (made less than 21 days prior to departure), full payment is required at the time of booking.

The cancellation options are:

• up to 21 days before departure - 30% of the tour price,
• 20 to 15 days before departure - 50% of the tour price,
• 14 to 7 days before departure 70% of the tour price,
• less than 7 days before departure - 100% of the tour price.

It is hot in summer at Lake Baikal area. Nevertheless, you should always have something to put on, as weather in Siberia is very changeable.

If you plan your trip in May or September, please feel free to bring your hat, gloves and windbreaker jacket in case of snow or rain.

June is also pretty cool.

July and August are the hottest months, which offer you temperatures of 25 ° - 35 ° at daytime and 15 ° - 18 ° at night. On the shores of Lake Baikal, like in the Alps, you should wear T-shirts and shorts in the sunny afternoons, sweaters and jackets in the cool evenings.

We recommend you to pack all your stuff in two bags: a small backpack and a large travelling bag.

SMALL BACKPACK: will be useful for carrying your personal belongings during the day (camera, film, personal medication, bottled water, etc.) You will also use it as hand luggage during air travel for all your heavy (to lighten the travel bag in the luggage compartment), fragile (camera, etc.) and necessary (toilet bag, etc.) things.

BIG TRAVEL BAG or BIG BACKPACK: must contain the rest of your stuff. It will be in the luggage compartment during the flight. It will be transported by vehicles.

4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners.

You need a tourist visa to travel to Russia. It can be issued for a maximum period of 30 days. Your passport has to be valid for at least six months after the expiry date of your visa and to have at least two blank pages.

Documents to provide consular services:

You must first obtain a letter of invitation. BaikalNature offers visa support and has created "BaikalNature letter of invitation" package to that end. If you buy a BaikalNature tour, this package is absolutely free; when you buy any other BaikalNature service, you will have to pay for this package. For more information, please see "Visa Support " and "Russia Invitation Letter."

  Besides, you will need:

• a photocopy of passport pages containing the photo,
• a visa application form (completed on computer or with a black ballpen) available for download on the Russian Embassy website in  "visa information" rubric,
• a color photo for documents, 3.5 x 4.5 cm, to stick on the visa application form,
• a tourist voucher certifying that all travel services were paid in full,
• a detailed program of the trip (only if your stay exceeds 15 days),
• travel insurance, provided by nsurance company, which protects you throughout your trip .

For more information, please see "Do I need a tourist visa to travel to Russia or Mongolia?" of our FAQ.

The Russian currency is ruble. In all cities and many large villages of Russia, you can easily withdraw rubles, using a Visa or MasterCard, from ATMs, located in banks, department stores or hotel lobbies, some of them are open 24 hours a day. If you have euros or dollars with you, exchange offices will allow you to change them easily in the cities, seldom in the countryside. However, it can be difficult to exchange traveler's checks, even in cities.

All persons who compose the BaikalNature travel team (guides, drivers, cooks, etc.) are paid a decent wage for their services and do not expect any tips from you. So you have no obligation to leave anything. If you really want to express your satisfaction by leaving a gratuity, and if it is in foreign currency, be aware that torn or glued coins and banknotes cannot be exchanged. Anyway, thank you for your tips, left at your discretion in envelopes.

You need to get a health examination before a great trip. Consult your doctor. Get a dental checkup. If you have health problems that could worsen during the trip, make sure you have taken all your medications with you.

It is advisable to keep the following vaccines valid:

• diphtheria,
• tetanus,
• Polio.

Tick-borne encephalitis is present in areas of forest, taiga where ticks are the carriers of encephalitis between May and July. As of August, they are no longer carrying the virus. If you do not get vaccinated, you should follow the basic precautions, including:

• protective clothes
• use of repellents
• daily check of the skin.

It is also possible to take out special insurance covering the analysis of the insect and vaccines.

Provide a first aid kit that includes among other items:

• aspirin or paracetamol,
• anti-diarrheal tablets,
• antiseptic,
• adhesive plaster,    
• sterile pads.

If you have individual diseases, make sure you have taken your medications.

La sécurité est notre objectif primordial et aussi la réputation de notre agence à long terme. Une pharmacie adaptée aux conditions du voyage est à disposition du guide.

No particular physical condition is required.

In addition to your personal insurance, you have an opportunity to purchase local insurance. Please, do not hesitate to ask us about our services.

You can contact BaikalNature by:

• phone: 00 7 3952 97 45 01 or 00 7 3952 20 95 19
• fax: 00 7 3952 206 873.

In addition, you will be sent the telephone number of your correspondent staff who you can reach 7/7.

Professional Guarantees: BaikalNature LLC (ООО "БайкалНейче") United Federal Register of Tour Operators number: MBT 007826 Financial Guarantee: JSC "Insurance Group MSK" (Открытое акционерное общество "Страховая группа МСК") Insurance contract N ОТА/5301/000235 from 01/12/2011. Amount of coverage: 10 000 000 RUB. Legal and actual address: BaikalNature LLC 119А Dekabrskikh Sobytiy Str., office 13
664007 Irkutsk Russia.