Great Baikal. Winter Version

Destination: Lake Baikal

Geography of the trip

Difficulty

Comfort

12 Days

February - March

Highlights

Baikal crossing from the south to the north

Overnight in the pre-prepared tent camp in the centre of Lake Baikal - "BaikalNature Ice Camp"

Visit of the symbolic places of Lake Baikal

Visit of the northernmost and the southernmost points of Lake Baikal

Double crossing of thelake in the central and the northern parts

More than 800 km on the Baikal ice

More than 2000 km of the total itinerary

Bathing in the hot springs

Circular itinerary via the Republic of Buryatia and the Baikal–Amur Mainline

Tour Overview

Once you have made a decision to go for a travel to Lake Baikal, you have thought a great deal about places to visit. We have elaborated for you the unique tour that allows trying and seeing everything! You will see all types of landscape, all essential landmarks and all types of the Baikal ice: snowy fields, unlimited polished ice rinks, ice hummocks, ice coves and others. The total distance of the itinerary is more than 2000 km! For understanding the immensity of this tour, just take a look at the map!

Symbolically the first meeting with Baikal will be held in the southernmost point of Lake Baikal and the tour will end in the northernmost part near the stele “Northern Baikal”. When you will go on ice for the first time in the south part of the lake, you will get acquaintance with the Circum-Baikal railway. Moreover, you will pass by the Angara source by hovercraft. During this tour you will cross Lake Baikal twice. The first crossing will be in the deepest and widest central part of lake on the crystal ice fields. You will stay overnight in the BaikalNature Ice Camp in the geographical center of the lake. In the camp the unique activities are proposed: you can skate on the natural ice rink, to play ice hockey or to have a rest in Ice Bar. For those who want we propose to take Russian banya (sauna) and to dive in an ice hole. The second crossing will be in the north of Lake Baikal – the most under populated and hard-to-get part of the lake.

The special part of the tour is the rest in the Baikal corner of paradise far away from civilization – Khakussy hot springs. Besides that you will visit the symbolic places: Listvyanka village, Peschanaya bay, Olkhon island, Barguzinskiy and Chivikuysky golfs, Khakussy hot springs, Severobaykalsk city.

In the end of the tour you will go on train by the Baikal–Amur Mainline (BAM) – one of the biggest railway lines all over the world.

After this tour, you will be able to say that you know the winter Baikal!

Day 1
The southernmost point of lake Baikal
Irkutsk — Litsvyanka
Day 2
On Baikal ice by hovercraft
Listvyanka — MRS
Day 3
The biggest island of the Baikal lake
MRS — Olkhon island
Day 4
BaikalNature Ice Camp
Olkhon island — Baikal lake
Day 5
Baikal crossing
Baikal lake — Ust-Barguzin
Day 6
Day at leisure in the Baikal village
Ust-Barguzin
Day 7
Along the Eastern coast of Lake Baikal
Ust-Barguzin — Khakussy
Day 8
Hot springs in Khakusy
Khakusy
Day 9
The northernmost point of lake Baikal
Khakussy — Severobaykalsk
Day 10
Day in Severobaykalsk
Severobaykalsk
Day 11
Baikal–Amur Mainline on train
BAM
Day 12
Return to Irkutsk
Irkutsk

11:00
Meeting with group in the Irkutsk airport
Meeting with the group, your guide and driver in the airport. Acquaintance with the group and discussion of the tour's details. *You can choose the morning flight for taking the breakfast in one of the airport cafes or to arrive the day before. Please, contact us for the supplement overnight reservation.
11:05
Departure to the Kultuk village
Kultuk is a village and the bay of the same name situated in the southernmost part of lake Baikal. Near Kultuk village there is a view point of lake Baikal against a background of the majestic Khamar-Daban mountains.
13:00
Lunch in the cafe — Not included
You can taste the dishes of the local cuisine in the cafe with picture windows. The lunch is not included in the price, the payment on site in cash.
14:00
Departure by hovercraft to the Listvyanka village
We start our itinerary by hovercraft on the frozen lake Baikal. We go along the Circum-Baikal Railway, unique monument of engineering art of the end of 19th century. On the way several stops are provided in the most interesting and beautiful places. Passing by the Angara river source you can see the Shaman rock that is considered the natural monument.
17:00
Arrival to the Listvyanka village
Transfer to the hotel and accommodation. Rest.
19:00
Dinner in the hotel
Overnight in the hotel

09:00
Breakfast in the hotel
10:00
Transfer to the port
10:15
Departure by hovercraft to the MRS village
Travel by hovercraft on Baikal ice to the village named MRS on the shore of Small Sea. All journey will be on the ice. On the way we will make several stops in Sandy bay and near the rock Sagan-Zaba to observe the mountain relief and cave paintings.
13:00
Lunch box
14:00
Continuation of the way to MRS
16:00
Arrival to MRS
Check-in at your resort and rest.
19:00
Dinner at your resort — Not included
Overnight at your resort

09:00
Breakfast at your resort
10:00
Transfer to Olkhon island
Transfer to the village of Khuzhir – the main village on Olkhon island. En route, you will visit the Ogoy island - the biggest island of the Maloye More. On the top of the island there is the Buddhist stupa, that also named "The stupa of the clarification". Also, you will visit the Kobylia Golova half-island (Horse Head, Khorin-lrgi) with the length about 4 km. This half-island is very tight and cuspate. It's landscape and scarps are really impressive. The name stems from the fact that one of its capes is shaped like a horse's head.
13:00
Arrival to Khujir
Accommodation at the resort.
13:30
Lunch at your resort
14:00
Visit of Khujir
Excursion around the village, discovery of the Burkhan Rock, "place of residence of the Baikal's God" and one of the nine sanctuaries of Asia.
19:00
Dinner — Not included
Overnight at the resort

09:00
Breakfast at the resort
10:00
Transfer to the ice camp
Today you will go on the ice of the lake by 4x4. You will spend a night in the real camp on the Baikal ice situated in the geographic centre of the lake on the boundary between the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia. En route, you will visit the Belenkiy island (White), the habitat of thousand of gulls, you will stop near the cape Tri brata (Three brothers, Sagan-Hushun) with its picturesque ice caves and, of course, you will visit the most popular place of the island - the Khoboy cape. Here the giant ice-hummocks remind the radiating rays.
13:00
Picnic lunch
15:00
Arrival to the camp
The ritual of meeting and greeting where every participant of the group can try to bore the ice. The briefing. You have a possibility to spend a night on the ice of the lake Baikal over 1500 metres of the water column.
19:00
Dinner
Hot meals (food cooked on gas burner).
Overnight in the camp BaikalNature Ice Camp

09:00
Breakfast in the camp
13:00
Lunch in the camp
14:00
Time at leisure in the camp
For those who prefer the active rest, we suggest to go skating or to walk near the camp. The transparent ice, the ice-hummocks and breaks will allow you to make thousand of photos. If you are keen of the photo, we suggest you to wake up earlier and make photos of the Baikal ice in the morning sunshine. For those who like the measured rest there is an Ice bar - the special menu of the ice exotic things. The purest ice is everywhere - around you and even in your glass.
16:30
Departure in Ust-Bargouzin and accommodation in the guest house
19:00
Dinner — Not included
20:00
Russian banya
Overnight in the guest house

09:00
Breakfast
10:00
Time at leisure
This day you can stroll the Baikal coast or just have a rest in the homestay. For those who want we propose some optional excursions: - There are 7 islands in the Chivyrkuisky Bay, but we will visit the largest and most interesting of them, surrounded by ice grottoes and sokuyi. During the excursion, we will visit the Zmeinaya Bay, where everyone can swim in hot springs with temperatures up to 45 degrees (you need to take a swimsuit and towels with you). On the way back, we will get acquainted with the life of fishermen engaged in ice fishing for omul and grayling in a fishing village in the center of the Chivyrkuisky Bay. - "Dancing divinity" (The 2nd May of 2005, the image of the Saint Yanjima was appeared on the big bowlder near the Datsan of Barguzin in the siberian tayga. Now, this place became the pilgrimage destination of the faithful and tourists. The approximate duration is 6-7 hours).
13:00
Lunch
*For those who will go to excursion that day we propose lunch boxes or lunch-picnic will be organised during the excursion.
18:00
Russian banya
19:00
Dinner — Not included
Overnight in the guest house

09:00
Breakfast
10:00
Transfer to Khakussy
After the breakfast, we start our road to Khakussy. We go along the eastern coast of the lake to the north by the ice road. Firstly, we will cross the Chivykuysky Gulf. if the weather and the ice situation allow, we will visit the Zmeinaya bay for bathing in the hot springs.
13:00
Lunch
On route we will make a stop for the lunch with hot tea.
14:00
Continuation of the journey
The north-est coast of lake Baikal isn't populated and you will see only winter cabins for park rangers. There are no tourists and the access to these area is more accessible in summer during the navigation period.
18:00
Arrival to Khakussy
Accommodation at the resort. Rest.
19:00
Dinner
Overnight at the resort

09:00
Breakfast
10:00
Free day in Khakussy
Khakusi is a thermal station known for its hot springs and their waters whose temperatures are reaching 46°C. It is also an opportunity for you to bathe in the medicinal waters and draw strength from the surrounding environment.
13:00
Lunch in the resort
15:00
Free time for bathing
19:00
Dinner in the resort
Overnight in the resort

09:00
Breakfast
10:00
Baikal crossing from the east to west
We will go to the northernmost city of the lake Baikal - Severobaykalsk. You will cross the lake once again - from the est to the west in its north part.
13:00
Continuation of the road
En route we will visit the stele "North Baikal" situated on the lake's coast.
14:00
Arrival to Severobaykalsk
Accommodation in the hotel. Rest.
15:00
Lunch in the hotel
19:00
Dinner
Overnight in the hotel

09:00
Breakfast in the hotel
10:00
Time at leisure in the city
The Severobaykalsk city is situated in the valley surrounded by the Baikal Mountains. The city's foundation and the developping of the north baikal territory is related to the construction of the BAM (Baikal–Amur Mainline). You have possibility to stroll, to have a rest and to buy all you need for the train. As option, we propose the bathing in the hot springs "Goudzhekit". The thermal waters are located in the floodplains of Goudzhekit and come out of the ground at a temperature of 50°C. The waters of the hot springs are well known for their rich composition of silicic acids and alkalis properties.
20:30
Transfer to the railway station
Embarkation and departure.
Overnight in the train

11:00
Day in the train
Our itinerary passes by the the popular BAM mainline (Baikal-Amur Mainline), one of the biggest railroad in the world. Its construction began in 1938 and goes through the country for 4287km. The BAM mainline crosses the path of the legendary Transsiberian railroad before the two part from each other in Tayshet. This mainline was mainly built by prisoners from the labour camps, then, by volunteers. This is an opportunity for you to see with your own eyes a part of Russia’s History.
Overnight in the train

12:10
Arrival to Irkutsk
End of the programme. *The supplement transfer from the railway station to airport/hotel - 1600 roubles.

Detailed description

Departures

February, 25 2022

Start

March, 08 2022

End

Available: 4+

Status

2,210 $

Basic price per person

Price includes

English-speaking guide
Accommodation as per itinerary
Transport as per itinerary
Excursions and visits as per itinerary
Railway tickets in 2nd class
Sleeping bag in BaikalNature Ice Camp
Letter of invitation
Guide in the trains
Bathing in hot springs
Meals according to the program
Ice studs for shoes

Price does not include

Personal expenses and tips
Visa fees and travel insurance
Airline tickets
Optional activities
Transfers in Irkutsk
Transfer to airport / railway station on last day

For more info, please download the detailed description of the trip.

Note

Departure is guaranteed from 6 people. You can book the optional excursions in advance or on site with payment in cash. Single supplement (except an overnight in Baikal Ice Camp) - 13 550 roubles.

Reviews

voyage interessant mais peut être améliorer

All very well, thanks. I will publish in a month a full travelogue with lot of photos on my personal blog.

This guest did not leave a comment.

No reviews anymore or no reviews at all for this tour. Below reviews for destination:

Lake Baikal

This was a very good organised trip over the lake. I worked very well with Olga. It was a nice cooperation. some remarks: - The homestay in Ust-Barguzin could have been better. If I knew that there were two families and how the beds were divided, then I could have prepared the group and it would be less chaotic. - Some of the group were disappointed that we didn't walk all the way. On the first day

BaikalNature's reply

Thank you for your feedback! We would like to give you some comments about the tour. - Large groups always have to be divided into several houses, since it is not a hotel, it's a house of a local. Such number of places can’t be provided by one homestay. Please, feel free to ask us a better hotel, we are always ready to follow your requests. -Perhaps the drivers misunderstood you because of the lang

Nous avons grandement apprécié ce séjour hivernal autour du lac Baïkal. L'agence est très disponible pour nous aider à préparer le voyage et une fois sur place, notre guide a été aux petits soins, nous laissant tout le temps pour profiter du lac !

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