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Baikal Transit

Destination: Lake Baikal
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
Minimum age of the participant of this trip
5 Days
July - August
Highlights
  • Perfect travel option for those who take the Trans-Siberian
  • Discovery of the largest island of Lake Baikal
  • Crossing of the Baikal in its widest part
  • Most get-to-know-local-people journey
Tour Overview

This tour is an excellent opportunity to discover Lake Baikal for those who travel by the Trans-Siberian Railway and prefer not to pass the point of departure again. This route will make you explore the heart of Lake Baikal, Olkhon Island, Grand Baikal in its widest part, the largest gulf of the lake - Barguzinsky Gulf, the shoreline of Svyatoy Nos Peninsula, and the fishing village of Ust-Barguzin.

We will devote two days to explore Olkhon, the largest island of the lake, in order to get more deeply acquainted with it. When crossing the lake, we will sail in its largest and deepest part and you will be able to realize all the immensity and greatness of this Siberian Sea!

The road from Ust-Barguzin to Ulan-Ude, well-beaten track, follows in part the shore of the lake and then turns south towards the city through wild taiga. Many Buryat villages await us as we travel to the capital of Buryatia.

Tour programme
  • Day 1
    First meeting with lake Baikal
    Irkutsk — Khuzhir
  • Day 2
    Olkhone - heart of the lake Baikal
    Khuzhir
  • Day 3
    Baikal crossing from the west to east
    Khuzhir — Ust-Barguzin
  • Day 4
    Day in the Baikal village
    Ust-Barguzin
  • Day 5
    Ulan-Ude - capital of Buryatia
    Ust-Barguzin — Ulan-Ude
  • 09:00
    Departure for the Olkhon island
    Meeting at the bus station at 9.00 am. Leave for the island by scheduled bus. Lunch in a roadside cafe serving Buryat cuisine (not included, to pay on site).
  • 15:00
    Arrival to the Khuzhir village
    In the afternoon, arrival to the Khuzhir - the main village of the Olkhon island. Accommodation at the resort. You can go for a walk along the village and visit the Burkhan cape (Shamanka) - one of the 9 sacred places of the Asia then became the main point of the interest of lake Baikal.
  • 19:00
    Dinner at your resort
  • Overnight at the resort
Photo of the day
Route
Irkutsk — Khuzhir
Accommodation
Accommodation at the resort Shamanka
Twin room (economic)
Note

5 h transfer  (292km)

  • 09:00
    Breakfast at your resort
  • 10:00
    Free time
    Optional extra: excursion by 4x4 to Khoboy Cape, the northernmost point of the island. This drive will allow you to discover the splendours of Maloye More and its small islets. Walk to the cape. Picnic in the open air. Visit to small settlement of Uzury, in the east of the island. Drive through beautiful steppes, sand beaches, taiga, abandoned villages.
  • 18:00
    Russian banya Not included
    For those who want it's possible to take the Russian banya. The reservation and the payment is to be made on site.
  • 19:00
    Dinner at the resort
  • Overnight at the resort
Photo of the day
Route
Khuzhir
Accommodation
Accommodation at the resort Shamanka
Twin room (economic)
  • 08:00
    Breakfast at your resort
  • 09:00
    Transfer to the Khuzhir village berth
  • 10:00
    Embarkation on board
    Once the group is ready, you will navigate along the Olkhon island by the Maloye More. You will double the cape Khoboy and see the landscapes that aren't accessible from onshore. It's a good opportunity to make rare photos. Then you will cross the lake in its deepest and widest port till the Ust-Barguzin village.
  • 13:00
    Lunch Not included
    As the lunch will be on board, please, take all you need in advance. You can buy to eat in the shop of the island or to take a lunch box at your resort.
  • 14:30
    Arrival and transfer to the homestay
    Accommodation in the homestay.
  • 19:00
    Dinner
    The hot dinner with the host of the homestay.
  • 20:00
    Russian banya
  • Overnight in the homestay
Photo of the day
Route
Khuzhir — Ust-Barguzin
Accommodation
Accommodation in Ust-Barguzin
Twin room
Note

0.5 h transfer  (3km)

  • 09:00
    Breakfast
  • 10:00
    Day at leisure
    Optional extra: excursion to the Chivyrkuisky Bay and the Svyatoy Nos peninsula or to the natural hot springs. The Chivyrkuisky Bay is one of the warmest bays of the lake Baikal. Along its shore there are a lot of bays. In one of these bays there is a hot spring with the temperature about +60°C. Another sight of lake Baikal is the Svyatoy Nos peninsula. The summit of Svyatoy Nos peninsula reaches an altitude of 1878 m (6160 ft). At this altitude there is a tableland (zone of high-mountain tundra) from where you get a staggering view of isthmus of Svyatoy Nos, Chivyrkuysky and Barguzinsky Gulfs, and the Ushkany archipelago. It’s possible to reach the top by following a path beginning in Monakhovo village.
  • 13:00
    Lunch
  • 18:00
    Russian banya
  • 19:00
    Dinner
  • Overnight in the homestay
Photo of the day
On the top on the Svyatoy Nos Peninsula
Route
Ust-Barguzin
Accommodation
Accommodation in Ust-Barguzin
Twin room
  • 09:00
    Breakfast
  • 10:00
    Morning scheduled bus to Ulan-Ude
  • 14:00
    Arrival to Ulan-Ude
    Arrival in the city in the afternoon. End of the programme.
Detailed description
New departures available soon
Price includes
  • Accommodation as per itinerary
  • Transport as per itinerary
  • Banya
  • Letter of invitation
  • Meals according to the program
Price does not include
  • Medical insurance
  • 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

The guaranteed departure 4 participants. If there are less then 4 participants i the group, the price can be recalculated. For the individual groups from 4 participants, there are open departure dates. The price includes breakfast Day 2-5, lunch Day 4, dinner Day 1-4). Please, contact us for the information about the optional excursions. The bus transfers can be changed by the private cars.

Reviews
4.60
4.60
Total score
5.00
Work of BaikalNature office before and during travel / customer support
4.00
Quality of accommodation
4.00
Quality of transport / transfers
5.00
Quality of meals
Friendliness and professionalism of guides / management
5.00
Quality and originality of visits / attractions / events
Karine
From 16 August 2019 to 20 August 2019
Destination: Lake Baikal
Would you like to travel with BaikalNature again? Yes!
Le voyage était parfaitement bien préparé en amont avec Irina qui est de plus une personne très agréable. Juste, sur place, l'information sur les transferts est un peu floue. Merci beaucoup à toute l'équipe, j'espère trouver l'occasion un jour de voyager à nouveau avec vous !
No reviews anymore or no reviews at all for this tour. Below reviews for destination:
5.00
5.00
Total score
5.00
Work of BaikalNature office before and during travel / customer support
5.00
Quality of accommodation
5.00
Quality of transport / transfers
5.00
Quality of meals
5.00
Friendliness and professionalism of guides / management
5.00
Quality and originality of visits / attractions / events
Pierrette
From 29 February 2024 to 8 March 2024
Destination: Lake Baikal
Custom tourBaïkal Hivernal Classique
Would you like to travel with BaikalNature again? Yes!
Ce voyage, compliqué en cette période géopolitique critique, a été bien organisé en coopération avec le bureau, selon mes préférences, mes besoins. Tout a été prévu avec minutie. Accueil très chaleureux individualisé. J'ai été réellement bluffée et hyper satisfaite de toutes les prestations. Le personnel, guide et chauffeurs, est très professionnel, très attentionné, bienveillant et d'une qualité
  Read more
5.00
5.00
Total score
5.00
Work of BaikalNature office before and during travel / customer support
5.00
Quality of accommodation
5.00
Quality of transport / transfers
5.00
Quality of meals
5.00
Friendliness and professionalism of guides / management
5.00
Quality and originality of visits / attractions / events
Владислав
From 23 July 2023 to 27 July 2023
Destination: Lake Baikal
Would you like to travel with BaikalNature again? Yes!
Замечательный тур! Очень понравилось всё, начиная от организационных моментов, заканчивая самим путешествием, замечательным гидом Егором, удивительно живописными местами, супер устойчивыми байдарками и разнообразной погодой.
4.33
4.33
Total score
5.00
Work of BaikalNature office before and during travel / customer support
4.00
Quality of accommodation
4.00
Quality of transport / transfers
3.00
Quality of meals
5.00
Friendliness and professionalism of guides / management
5.00
Quality and originality of visits / attractions / events
Vanessa
From 21 February 2023 to 25 February 2023
Destination: Lake Baikal
Custom tourVoyage au lac Baïkal
Would you like to travel with BaikalNature again? Yes!
Un grand merci à Maria qui a su nous sortir de situations parfois vraiment très délicates
4.33
4.33
Total score
4.00
Work of BaikalNature office before and during travel / customer support
4.00
Quality of accommodation
4.00
Quality of transport / transfers
4.00
Quality of meals
5.00
Friendliness and professionalism of guides / management
5.00
Quality and originality of visits / attractions / events
Valérie
From 21 February 2023 to 25 February 2023
Destination: Lake Baikal
Custom tourVoyage au lac Baïkal
Would you like to travel with BaikalNature again? Yes!
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