This is one of the best destinations if you have four days. To discover Olkhon means to discover the heart of Lake Baikal. This trip is a classical programme to explore the largest island of the lake and to wonder its sights.

The island is the geographical, historic and sacred heart of the lake, the land of legends and traditions. Olkhon is the largest island of the lake. It is a part of the chain of mountains hiding in deep waters of the lake.

Located in the centre of the lake near its deepest point (1637m), only Olkhon combines all the diversity of landscapes of the Baikaly. It is a particular area with its microclimate, its fauna and its perfect flora. The island is 72 km long and 15 km wide with the surface of 730 km². Shore line is an alternation of cliffs and sandy bays, forests change into steppes where the winds of Lake Baikal work like skilful artists...

Day 1 Early in the morning departure to the island. Lunch on the way in a Buryat restaurant. Stops in picturesque places on the way. We will also stop to blandish the local spirits, to ask their benevolence during the trip. At noon: arrival on Olkhon. Arrival in Khuzhir, the main village of the island. Accommodation in the homestead kept by a resident of the village, 200 metres away from the shore. In the afternoon: discovery of Burkhan rock. Walking around the village, visiting port.

Day 2 Passage by offroadster to the south and to the east shores of the island: Kurykanskaya wall, the salt lake Shara-Nur. Lunch in the open air. Return to Khuzhir on foot (3 hour hike through taiga and steppe) or by car. Banya in the evening in the homestead (Russian bath).

Day 3 After the breakfast: cabotage by boat to Khoboy Cape*, the northern point of the island. It will allow you to discover the beauty of the Maloye More (Small Sea) and its islets. Walk to the cape. Picnic in the open air. Return to Khuzhir by offroadster, on the way: visit to Uzury, a small hamlet in the east of the island. The picturesque way passes through steppes, sandy beaches, taiga, abandoned villages. Homestead overnight in Khuzhir.

Day 4 Free time in the morning. In the afternoon return to Irkutsk by sheduled bus. Arrival in Irkutsk at about 8 p.m. Transfer to the station, to the airport or to the hotel. End of the programme.