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Circum-Baikal Rail Road

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
1 Day
May - October
Highlights
  • Fascinating discovery of genious architectural constructions of the Circum-Baikal Railway
  • Opportunity to enjoy enchanting Baikal sceneries all along the route
  • Discovery of small traditional villages on the shores of Lake Baikal
Tour Overview

We invite you to a unique excursion along the Circum-Baikal Railway - a monument of engineering architecture of the late 19th century.

The Circum-Baikal Railway, built between Port Baikal and the village of Kultuk, 84 km long, unites 424 engineering structures, including 39 tunnels, with a total length of 8994 m. The tunnels and stone galleries of the Circum-Baikal Railway are unique in that they were built according to non-standard designs and were not subsequently rebuilt, preserving the original design architects and engineers of the early 20th century.

In terms of volume, complexity and cost of work, the Circum-Baikal Railway had no equal among Russian railways. Before the revolution, it was called the “Golden Buckle of Russia’s Steel Belt”: a buckle because it connected the Trans-Siberian Railway, which had been severed by Lake Baikal, and a gold one because the cost of work surpassed all existing roads in Russia. The road also justifies its name thanks to its unique appearance, which has no analogues in the world, combining a complex architectural complex and picturesque coastal landscapes of the lake.

The rich excursion program will definitely be remembered for a long time! Tourists of any age and level of training can participate - there are no restrictions!

Tour programme
  • Day 1
    Excursion by the Circum-Baikal Railway
    Irkutsk
  • 07:45
    Departure of the train from Irkutsk-Passazhirsky station
    Arrival to the railway station of Irkutsk. The boarding starts 15 minutes before the train leaves. The number of the railway line is indicated on the display.above the way out to the platform. The train goes without stops to Slyudyanka.
  • 10:00
    Breakfast Not included
  • 10:20
    Arrival to Sludianka
    The stop lasts 30 minutes and you have possibility to go for a walk. The interesting fact of Sludianka is that it's railway station building is the only one that built of the pink and white marble.
  • 10:30
    Excursion programme
    Here the excursion programme begins — with sightseeing stops and leaving the train accompanied by guide. During the excursion we will visit: the Angasolka village, Polovonnaya station, the unique architectural complex "Italian wall" and the station Ulanovo (Khvoynaya).
  • 13:00
    Lunch Not included
  • 17:20
    Arrival in Port Baikal
    Visit to the old building of the railway station. Taking a ferry to Lystvianka. Boarding bus and departure to Irkoutsk.
  • 19:00
    Dinner Not included
  • 20:00
    Arrival to Irkutsk
    End of the programme.
Photo of the day
Route
Irkutsk
Detailed description
New departures available soon
Price includes
  • Russian-speaking guide services
  • Accommodation as per itinerary
  • Nature reserves and parks entrance permissions
Price does not include
  • Transport a per itinerary
For more info, please download the detailed description of the trip.
Note

The price indicated is for 1 adult (non-resident) - mountain side location. Permission to visit the Pribaikalsky National Park is included. You can book a place near the window face Lake Baikal: supplement of 1 700 roubles / per person. Baggage is paid additionally - 400 roubles. Some departures are carried out in the OPPOSITE direction. Depending on the schedule, the excursion is carried out by electric train or diesel locomotive. In summer it is also possible to order meals (June-August).

Reviews
4.75
4.75
Total score
5.00
Work of BaikalNature office before and during travel / customer support
Quality of accommodation
5.00
Quality of transport / transfers
4.00
Quality of meals
5.00
Friendliness and professionalism of guides / management
Quality and originality of visits / attractions / events
Mariana
From 30 July 2019 to 30 July 2019
Destination: Lake Baikal
Would you like to travel with BaikalNature again? Yes!
This guest did not leave a comment.
4.00
4.00
Total score
4.00
Work of BaikalNature office before and during travel / customer support
Quality of accommodation
3.00
Quality of transport / transfers
Quality of meals
5.00
Friendliness and professionalism of guides / management
Quality and originality of visits / attractions / events
Ofer
From 24 July 2015 to 24 July 2015
Destination: Lake Baikal
Would you like to travel with BaikalNature again? Yes!
Our guide was very knowledgeable and sooke good English. Overall it was a good experience.
4.50
4.50
Total score
5.00
Work of BaikalNature office before and during travel / customer support
Quality of accommodation
Quality of transport / transfers
Quality of meals
Friendliness and professionalism of guides / management
4.00
Quality and originality of visits / attractions / events
Diana
From 10 May 2014 to 10 May 2014
Destination: Lake Baikal
Would you like to travel with BaikalNature again? Yes!
We were not greeted nor was any attempt make to interact with us at all.Maybe because we did not hire an interpreter?. We had your excellent road book.
BaikalNature's reply
Dear Diana, In fact, the excursion takes place in the train and nobody is supposed to meet the participants. The actual excursion (with storie
  Read more
3.83
3.83
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
3.00
Quality of meals
3.00
Friendliness and professionalism of guides / management
5.00
Quality and originality of visits / attractions / events
Roy
From 4 January 2014 to 6 January 2014
Destination: Lake Baikal
Would you like to travel with BaikalNature again? Yes!
Hi - while I did not do a full excursion with Baikal Nature, I appreciated the assistance from the company
No reviews anymore or no reviews at all for this tour. Below reviews for destination:
4.83
4.83
Total score
5.00
Work of BaikalNature office before and during travel / customer support
5.00
Quality of accommodation
4.00
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
Laura
From 29 February 2024 to 10 March 2024
Destination: Lake Baikal
Custom tourGrand Nord du Lac Baïkal
Would you like to travel with BaikalNature again? Yes!
Préparation du voyage d’un grand sérieux, attention particulière à répondre aux besoins exprimés (grands espaces sauvages peu visités), disponibilité et fiabilité mêlées d’une agréable sympathie! Lors du séjour, la communication a été facile. Le voyage en transsibérien, l’accueil a Oust Bargouzin et le road-trip avec Alexander Beketov comme guide ont été mes moments préférés; son expérience est
  Read more
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