Great Baikal 2014

This tour is not available and is archived.

Difficulty

Comfort

Highlights

Tour the whole Lake Baikal

Bath in Baikal clear water

Hike the most picturesque footpaths in the Baikal area

Discover 80% of the lake's coastline

Meet with locals and enjoy traditional food

Tour Overview

You wish to discover Lake Baikal from south to north, west to east ? you would like to get a glimpse into the diversity and uniqueness of its area? You enjoy hiking and would be glad to travel the most picturesque footpaths along the lake? Join the adventure!

Along those 18 days you will alternate 2 to 3 days treks and transfers by car, by boat or by train. During this outstanding journey around the whole lake, you will discover stunning sceneries: steppes, river delta, sand dunes, cliffs, taiga – preserved fauna and flora and the rough but generous soul of Siberians.

While trekking, your own luggage and the common staff will be carried by jeep or boat so that you only have to carry a small bag with you and enjoy the nature!

On the first day of our journey, we will discover by train the south of the lake, travelling the famous Circumbaikal railway, “The gold buckle of Russia's steel belt”. The railway has been built in the 19th century very close to the shores and is truly an engineering masterpiece. In Port-Baikal, where the railway ends up, we cross Angara spring and arrive in Listvianka, a pretty siberian village.

From Listvianka, we hike 2 days trek through taiga and pasture, heading to Cape Kadilny.

We discover Pestchanaya sand bay, its pinewoods and its turquoise water on short walks.

We arrive on Olkhon Island – heart of the lake and buriat sacred land. During our 3 days trek, we discover the whole north of the island: steppe, sand dunes, cliffs and pasture.

We reach the North of the lake Baikal and travel the “Great Baikal Trail” 3 days long. Sand dunes and crashing waves let place to dense taiga, with moss and lichens as dominant ground vegetation.

We sail to Sviatoy Nos Peninsula, discover Chivyrkuy Bay, seabirds’ paradise!

Day 1
Arrival in Irkutsk. Metting with your driver and transfer to the hotel. Check-in at 12h00. Your hotel is situated in the historical block (block 130), where you can find typical buildings of the XVIIIth century in Siberia. Free time.
Day 2
Breakfast. Transfer to the railway station of Irkutsk. Departure by the train "Elektrichka". On the station Temnaya Pad, we get off the train. Trekking by the Angasolka valley till the lake. Picnic on the open air. We advance along the Baikal shore admiring beautiful works of art of the Circumbaikal. Arrival on the Sharyzhalgay Resort. Check-in. Dinner and overnight.
Day 3
Breakfast. Visit of the outskirts. Lunch on the resort. Departure on the local train to the Port baikal. We cross the river on the ferry. Arrival in Listvyanka. Visit of the village. Check-in. Dinner and overnight.
Day 4
Breakfast. 10:00 - Start of the trekking to the Bolshiye Koty village. The first kilometres pass in the taiga, then we we will follow the Baikal shore. Picnic on the open air. Arrival to the village in the afternoon. Installation. Dinner and overnight.
Day 5
Breakfast. Walking around village. We continue the trekking. Discovery of the rock Skriper known by its cavity where the archaeologists found the objects for the hunting and crockery's fragments of the iron age. Lunch in the picturesque bay. We continue our trekking till the Natural reserve Pribaikalsky. Installation in the house of forester guards. Dinner and overnight.
Day 6
Breakfast. 09:00 - Embarkation on the private boat. Departure to Peschanaya Bay. Trajet jusqu'à la baie Pestchanaïa (4 hours). Arrival to the recreation centre Baikal Dunes. Instalation and lunch. In the afternoon, short trekking to the islet "Baklany Kamen" (Cormorant's rock). This island is the southest one that is populated by the cormorants and gulls. Return to the Peschanaya Bay. Dinner and overnight.
Day 7
Breakfast. Small hike* to Babushka bay. Discovery of famous "stiltpines" - pines with naked roots because of wind blowing away all the sand around and under the roots. Lunch or lunch-box to eat on board 13:00 - boarding onto hydrofoil. 17:05 - Arrival in Khuzhir on Olkhon Island. Installation at the homestead. Small walk to Shaman Rock. Dinner and night.
Day 8
Breakfast. The second trek starts. We walk along the western shore of the island across steppe and sand dunes. Warm lunch cooked by the support team nearby Bayan-Shungen Bay. We head to Peschanoye settlement, where Staline built a gulag. Nowadays this gulag does not exist anymore, it sank in the sand. Warm dinner and overnight in tents on the beach.
Day 9
Breakfast. Trek goes on, heading to the northernmost point of the island: Cape Khoboy. Warm lunch cooked by the support team nearby Usyk settlement. Discovery of Sagan-Khushun's Cape (Three brothers' Cape)*. Warm dinner and overnight uin tents nearby Cape Khoboy (Cape of the Canine, sacred land of the buryat people).
Day 10
Breakfast. Last day of trek. Discovery of Khoboy Cape, the northernmost point of the island. We head now to the eastern part of the island. Discovery of Lovers Cape. We walk through steppes and pastures. We pass two hills and climb on tiny Mount Tolgo/ Breathtaking panorama on the whole island. Arrival at the weather station of Uzuri. Lunch. Installation at the homestead and free afternoon. Dinner and night.
Day 11
Breakfast. Transfer to Zagli Bay, the sunniest spot on the island (about 3 hours drive). Lunch-box. 14:20 - Boarding onto hydrofoil. Journey to Severobaikalsk, in the northern part of the lake. This city was built in order to facilitate the building of the Baikal-Amur-Magistral (BAM) railway. 20:40 - Arrival transfer to the hotel. Installation, dinner and night.
Day 12
Breakfast. 09:00 - Transfer to Nijneangarsk. Stops near the stele of Severobaykalsk and near the stele of Evenks from the north of the lake. Excursion to the museum of Evenk culture. We will participate in the ritual of the purification. We will taste the traditional cuisine, will see the performance of national danсes. Departure to the river Kichera, the northernmost point of the lake. Embarkation on the private boat and departure to the Dagari bay. 14:00 - Lunch that we will prepare all together. Start of the trekking to the Tokshaki cape (about 12 km). Arrival at about 19:00. Dinner and night.
Day 13
Breakfast. Transfer on the boat to the cape Nemnyanka (about 12 km). 14:00 - Lunch that we will prepare all together. Trekking from the cape Tokchaki to the bay Frolikha (about 8 km). Arrival to the cape at about 17:00. Rest. Hot dinner. If you want, we will walk till the mouth of the river Frolikha. Overnight.
Day 14
Breakfast. Transfer on the boat from the mouth of the river Frolikha to the Ayaya bay. 14:00 - Lunch that we will prepare all together. Walking around the Frolikha lake. The water of this lake is inhabited by the loach, the fish that is inscribed in the Red List. Return to the Ayaya bay. The bears are wide spread in the region and may be we will meet one of them in the dense fog of the morning. Dinner and overnight.
Day 15
Breakfast. 10:00 - Trekking to the Toukalaragdi cape starts. 14:00 - Lunch that we will prepare all together. Transfer on the boat to the Hydrotherapy centre Khakusy. Bathing in the hot springs. Installation, dinner and overnight.
Day 16
Breakfast. 10:00 - departure on the boat to Davsha. Excursion to the Davcha museum. 14:00 - Lunch that we will prepare all together. In the afternoon, departure in the speed boat to Monakhovo (about 85 km). Transfer to Oust-Bargouzin. Dinner and overnight in the homestay.
Day 17
Breakfast. Free day (possibility to make an excursion - fro extra payment). Dinner and overnight.
Day 18
Breakfast 9:00 - Transfer to Ulan-Ude (about 4 hours). Lunch. Free afternoon in the city centre. Optional: Visit of Ivolginsk Datsan (Buddhist temple), which is the centre of Buddhism in Russia. Dinner. In the evening, transfer to the railway station. Installation in the train to Irkutsk. Overnight in train.
Day 19
To 8:00 - arrival at the railway station of Irkutsk. End of the program.

Detailed description

New departures available soon

Price includes

English-speaking guide
Accommodation as per itinerary
Transport as per itinerary
Meals
Excursions and visits as per itinerary
Reserves and national parks entrance permissions
Banya
Luggage transport
Letter of invitation
Camping outfit rental

Price does not include

Medical insurance
Administrative registration
Personal expenses and tips
Visa fees and travel insurance
Transfer from airport / railway station on first day
Transfer to airport / railway station on last day
Optional activities

For more info, please download the detailed description of the trip.

Note

Supplement for accommodation in single room Days 1,3,6,7,11,15,17: 12 550 RUB If the number of participants is less than 6, the following supplement is applied: - group of 2 - 74 620 RUB / pers. - group of 3-4 - 23 820 RUB / pers. - group of 5 - 9 160 RUB / pers.

United Federal Register of Tour Operators number : PTO 009402 | Registered Trademark Certificate number: 552709

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