• Almost complete isolation
• Discovery of wild nature of the reserve where any human activity is forbidden
• Possibility to see wild animals

Moyenne - 3-5 heures d’activité physique par jour.

During this trip you will alternate nights spent in inn where you can enjoy simple comfort, with more rustic overnights at homestay or even in tents.

Tous les services fournis sur une base exclusive pour le groupe.

Destinations: Lake Baikal. Visited areas: Irkutsk, Tazheranskaya steppe, Krestovsky Cape, Maloye More, Baikalo-Lensky Nature Reserve, Pokoyniki Cape, Ushkany Islands, Listvyanka

Tour start area: Irkutsk, end area: Irkutsk

Day 1

Meeting in the city centre. Accommodation in guesthouse. Rest. Lunch in homestay. City tour: historic centre, old churches, wooden houses. Excursion in the Decembrists museum. Dinner in homestay.

Day 2

Morning departure to Krestovsky Cape. We will head north-east of Irkutsk through Russian and Buryat countryside. The landscape of wheat fields will change into Siberian taiga and then - steppe. We will stop at picturesque places several times for making offerings to the spirits of the places. On the way visit to the national Buryat museum. Lunch in a roadside cafe serving Buryat cuisine. Arrival to Krestovsky Cape, accommodation at local farm with cordial atmosphere. Walk in surroundings. Homestay overnight. Banya in the evening.

Day 3

Morning transfer to Kocherikovo cape following the west shore of Lake Baikal and the strait of Maloye More (170 km/105 mi). Boat embarkation and journey to forestry officers of the Baikalo-Lensky nature reserve on Pokoyny cape (40 km/25 mi). Dinner and night at forestry officers' place.

Day 4

Possibility to fish in the morning. Departure, heading for the upper Lena. Crossing of Solntsepad pass (1240 m/4070 ft), wonderful view of Lake Baikal and the valley of the Lena river. Night in winter hut on the shore of beautiful small lake called emerald and located deep in taiga. This lake is abundant in fish: slug and grayling of the Lena river came to the lake by fault in the rock linking it with the river. In the evening fishing and dinner by bonfire.

Day 5

Trek continues towards the source of the Lena river following the valley of the river. Smooth itinerary with no elevation changes traverses shallow streams. Night in winter hut, 2 km from the source.

Day 6

Climb towards the source of the Lena. Discover of small beautiful lake with a chapel at the lakeside and ponds of the taiga. Night in winter hut.

Day 7

Proceeding through wild taiga and ponds, we will reach the Lena of Shartla valley, tributary of the Big Lena. Possible to see wild animals: bear, elk, stag. Night at abandoned geological station.

Day 8

After breakfast we will discuss our agenda to go down to the lake: Pokoynaya valley, Shartla valley or Ryty valley. Choice of itinerary depending on weather conditions. Then our small boat will take us back to Pokoyny cape. In the evening banya.

Day 9

Sail to Ushkany Islands (30 km/17 mi) to observe freshwater seal of Lake Baikal (disembarkation near seal colony is paid – 1000 – 2000 RUB/pers). Discovery of the weather station, unique fauna and flora. In the evening return to Pokoyny cape.

Day 10

All day is spent on way back to civilization of Irkutsk city, first by boat to the village of Kocherikovo, then by car to the city. Homestay overnight.

Day 11

Discovery of the village of Listvyanka, a Baikal mecca for tourists. Discovery of open-air museum of wooden architecture - Taltsy and the Baikal museum. Walk at the lakeside, local souvenir and fish market where one can find endemic fish of the lake - omul. Return to Irkutsk. Homestay overnight.

Day 12

Transfer to the train station or airport (not included). End of the programme.

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.

Disembarkation on the Ushkany Islands to see the seals is not included (1000-2000 RUB per person).

Breakfast on Day 1 and lunch/dinner on Day 12 are not included.

Booking is made by paying a 30% deposit of the total cost.
The balance of 70% 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 BACKPACK: must contain the rest of your stuff. It will be in the luggage compartment during the flight. You will bring it during some days of the trekking.

11 breakfasts, 11 lunches, 11 dinners.

At restaurants and homestays in cities, traditional cuisine consists of local specialties.

Cold lunch and hot dinner, cooked on an open fire in the evening.

Some hotels and inns offer laundry services for a variable sum of money. It is sometimes possible to use laundry services at homestay (when there is running water) for a fee.

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.

No compulsory vaccination.

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.

First-aid kit, satellite phone, walkie-talkie are available at your guide.

A good 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.