This trip will allow you to have a marvellous stay on the largest island of Lake Baikal, Olkhon Island. We will devote two days to explore it by offroadster, from north to south, to admire its various landscapes. We will have one free day - to ride a bicycle and/or to bathe or to take a tan.

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. 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. Taiga covers the eastern shore of the island.

In Buryat myths and legends, Olkhon is the residence of the rigorous spirits of Lake Baikal. Olkhon was considered to be the centre of the shamanic world of the North where the Mongolian shamans fled from their persecutors in the days of Genghis Khan. Owing to its isolated location, the island became the last rampart of the shamans of North Asia. At the end of the XXth century the shamans of the Republic of Buryatia called Olkhon the cultural centre and the sacred cradle of the Buryats.

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. 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 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 Day devoted to the discovery of Olkhon by mountain bike – you can explore the island on your own. Several itineraries will be offered to you. Lunch in the homestead or picnic. Your guide will accompany you while biking. Homestead overnight in Khuzhir.

Day 5 Spare 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.