Duration : 12 days / 11 nights / Irkutsk / Irkutsk
Difficulty : to
Transport : Accommodation :
Maximum group : 8 people
Price : 1 290 € 910 € All taxes included
Ref. : STD01
BAIKALNATURE BRINGS DOWN THE PRICE : we’ve just bought our own ship, we don’t rent others any more !
The ship is a kind of “Yaroslaviets” of 21 m long and 4 m wide. This kind of ship is widespread on Lake Baikal as it allows to sail free on the lake surface and makes it possible to land in soundings. Our ship is equipped with three 2-4 berth passenger cabins, kitchen, a shower cabin, a toilet room. Also there is hot water and 220v plugs on board. Astern a large parasol affords cover for a table where we will have lunch if the wheather is fine.
This wonderful acquisition will allow us “to breathe freely”… The cruise is the longest voyage and the most desired to discover Lake Baikal. It is evident: wild shores of the lake are often accessible only from water. All the time we had to rent ships for our cruises for crazy prices. Total cruises costs were quite expensive (for a trip to Siberia that is expensive itself) and almost all the profit went to our renters! With our own ship we will make our cruise accessible for turists with lower budget.
It is 100% BAIKALNATURE ship. We got it in the middle of April thanks to unexpected opportunity. It is being renewed now and going to be ready by June 15, 2008. Please accept our apologies, dear friends, for absence of photos, which we will able to show you as soon as the work is completed.
It is an unforgettable journey which makes discover Lake Baikal in summer very closely. We will show you the paradisiacal nooks and guide you to natural hiding-places, we’ll make you get acquainted with remote cultures telling about them.
Leaving the mouth of Angara, the river in the south of the lake, we will traverse the Baikal to the Solontsovaya bay, put out to sea and reach the opposite shore. There we will go on sailing along-shore, then will cross the lake on the diagonal to reach the strait which separates the largest island of Lake Baikal from the land.
We will return to the city by land to discover the steppes, the Buriat cuisine and the shaman culture. You will take part in a ritual of shamans! During this voyage we’ll fish, moor to picturesque places, go hiking, watch the nerpas and other animals * (depending on the season it is possible to see the brown bear), bathe, sunbathe, spend the evenings by the fire and dine on deck contemplating sunset! So we will have a splendid way more than 1200 km long! Then we will return to the land to discover terrestrial Siberia and our city - Irkutsk.
Short description :
Length : 22 metres
Width : 4 metres
Displacement : 40,4 tons
Draw : 1.2 metre
Crew : captain, engineman, cook, guide
Course of the programme :
Day 1Arrival in Irkutsk at about 8 a.m. *. Transfer to the port of the city. Boarding a boat, beginning of navigation: we go up Angara towards his exit of Baikal. Breakfast on board. Arrival to Listvyanka at noon, visit to the Museum of Baikal. Continuation of navigation. Overnight in the Dedushka creek near the Sandy Bay (Bukhta Pestshanaya).
* Please be sure that your plane arrives in Irkutsk not later than at 8 a.m.
Day 2 The first part of the trekking day * to the Babushka bay through the Sandy Bay. Discovery of the Sandy bay, a paradisiacal place of the Baikal. Flanked of two capes - « Malaya Kolokolnya » and « Bolshaya Kolokolnya » (Small and Large Bell-towers) which borders its amber sands, it offers an incredible view. The trees with the "stilts" (with the exposed roots) are the characteristic of bay. Ascent to two bell-towers. Lunch. Continuation of the cabotage. Visit to Sagan-Zaba rock and its cave paintings (2500 years old) located on the shore of the lake. Crossing up to Maloye More (Small Sea). Overnight in the Zagli bay, in the south of the Olkhon island.
* 3 hours of walk of an average difficulty, well traced path, near 100m of gradient.
Day 3 Visits * to ruins of the Kurykan Wall on the cape Khorgoy. Navigation in Maloye More. Visit ** of small Ogoy island and its Buddhist stupa. In the afternoon, visit to Kuzhyr, principal village of the Olkhon island. Visit of local museum devoted to the island and the Baikal. Discovery of Burkhan Rock, residence of God of the lake, one of the nine sanctuaries of Asia, sacred place for Buryats. Sailing along the Western shore of the island, overnight in the Budun bay.
* 30 minutes of walk without difficulty in the steppe.
** a few minutes of rise at the top of the small island, steep slope.
Day 4 Navigation as far as the marble Sagan-Khushin cape. Debarkation and excursion * as far as the cape Khoboy – the northern point of Olkhon. A spectacular view on 360°. Magic and mythical place, venerated by Buryats. Overnight in the Zama creek.
* 3 hours of easy step in the steppe without gradient, region very sunny and open to winds, steep slope on the descent in the cliff near the cape, misadvised to the persons sensitive to vertigo.
Day 5 Cabotage to the Solontsovaya bay. The Baikalo-Lensky reserve. Meeting with the foresters. Excursion * in taiga, discovering of a tremendous waterfall nested in a gorge of rocks. Going up a little higher, we will discover a splendid point of view of the surface of the Baikal. If the weather is fine you will see the Ushkany islands, the peninsula Svyatoy Nos as well as the north of Olkhon. Overnight in the bay.
* 3 hours of rather grueling step in the taiga with strong gradient, barely drawn animals’ track, possible meeting with wild animals.
Day 6 Crossing of the lake (70 km). The Barguzinsky Reserve. Visit to hot water source at the Davsha village. The museum of Davsha will tell about the animals of the reserve and its history. Great collection of stuffed animals. Trekking * along with a forest ranger off the trail through a wild taiga and climb on the rock overlooking the bay. Be not surprised to see traces of bears and other animals... Descent to the Chivyrkuysky gulf. Overnight in the Zmeynnaya split. The bay with hot water sources.
* 1 hour of walk in the taiga, rather difficult, trekking absolutely out of path, 50 m of gradient, possible meeting with wild animals.
Day 7 The Chivyrkuysky gulf is surely the most picturesque of the Baikal. Its ingeniously drawn splits, its cliffs, his grandiose capes, its gathering of birds and places full of fish make it very delightful. Its shores at the time of shallow waters are warmed up with the sun and make it possible to bathe there. Fishing. Bathing in the hot water source of the Zmeynnaya creek (of « snake » - because of the colony of inoffensive grass snakes). Trekking * along the coast of the peninsula Svyatoy Nos to the Millionnaya bay. Visit to village of fishermen Kurbulik. The crew of the boat will remake the full with bread provisions, traditional bread which differs from that of the city. We will devote the afternoon to fishing in this full of fish gulf of the Baikal. Way to the Ushkany archipelago. Overnight at anchor near the Large Ushkany.
* 2 hours and half of easy walk in taiga, light gradient at the time of crossing of the cape, marked path, possible meeting with wild animals.
Day 8 Visit * to the island, climbing on the top of the island, astounding panorama on 360 ' on the whole lake and other islands. In option: possibility of making a visit on the small Ushkany islands to observe closely the nerpas (fresh water seals - endemic of the lake). Getting back by the Eastern shore of the Olkhon island to the strait Olkhonskiye Vorota (Doors of Olkhon). Overnight at anchor.
* 3 hours of walk in all, 200 m of gradient, average difficulty, not beaten track.
Day 9 Debarkation from the ship, way by minibus to Irkutsk through the Tazheranskaya steppe, taiga and meadows. Meeting with a shaman, discovering of shamans’ practices. You will take part in a shamanic rite! Arrival in Irkutsk, lunch in the restaurant of Buryat/Mongolian cuisine. Accommodation at the hotel. City tour of Irkutsk. Visit to the museum of Decembrists. Historical centre, churches and wooden houses. Dinner in the restaurant. The evening animated by a folk group, traditional Russian songs. Overnight home-stay.
Day 10 Departure to the Taltsy museum in 50 km of Irkutsk: traditional Russian architecture in the open air. Lunch inside the museum, atmosphere of the XIXth century! Return to Irkutsk, visit to association of craftsmen of Irkutsk region. You will make a box in bark of birch yourself!! Exposure of their products of craft industry which you could acquire on the spot. Dinner prepared by these talented people! Fiesta! Overnight home-stay.
Day 11 Free day (reserved in case of possible gap of program because of weather conditions during the navigation). Possibility of making a shopping in the city. English-speaking accompaniment is at your disposal. In the evening, meeting at the restaurant to party! Overnight at the home-stay.
Day 12 Transfer to the airport or the station. Departure.
NB : The order of visits can be inverse depending on the date of your departure. Uneven departures follow indicated programme, the sequence of the programme of even departures is reversed. To specify at the inscription
Tour price :
910 € per person for all departures
Departure schedule :
Eight cruises will be organized in 2008 :
1. Tuesday, May 20 to Saturday, May 31 2. Tuesday, June 03 to Saturday, June 14 3. Tuesday, July 01 to Saturday, July 12 4. Tuesday, July 15 to Saturday, July 26 5. Tuesday, August 05 to Saturday, August 16 6. Tuesday, August 19 to Saturday, August 30 7. Tuesday, September 02 to Saturday, September 13 8. Tuesday, September 16 to Saturday, September 27
Price includes : Accommodation, transport, three meals a day BaikalNature Insurance Entrance permissions to reserves and national parks Administrative registration in Irkutsk Excursions and visits mentioned in the program English speaking guide services Evening entertainment by folk ensembles
Price does not include : Transport facilities out the programme Visa fees and travel insurance Personal expenses and gratuities Lunch of the free day in Irkutsk
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Accommodation : 
Accommodation, transport, three meals a day
The maximum number of participants in this trip is 8, PLEASE do not put off your booking !
