Tour Itinerary

Amazing tour with winter Baikal nature!

Day 1. Irkutsk – Listvyanka – Chersky Stone – Angara – Khamar-Daban – Husky kennel – Dog sledding (lunch, dinner)
Arrival to Irkutsk. Meeting with the guide at the airport. Departure to Listvyanka settlement on the shore of Lake Baikal (1 hour on the way).
Citytour. We visit the observation deck "Chersky Stone" by chair lift. The observation deck offers amazing views of the Listvyanka village, Port Baikal, the source of the Angara, the Khamar-Daban Mountain range. Then we have lunch at a restaurant with amazing views of Lake Baikal. Then we have a trip to the Husky kennel. Acquaintance with the Baikal Husky. Baikal Husky born on the shores of the great lake Baikal. Their progenitors are Alaskan Huskies and sledding mestizos (mixture with beautiful sledding). Dog sledding.

Day 2. Listvyanka – Hivus – Bolshoye Goloustnoye – Peschanaya bay – rocks Bolshaya and Malaya Belfry – Olkhon Island (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Breakfast in the hotel. Check-out. Meeting with the guide. Transfer to the departure point of Khivus. Hhivus is a hovercraft, also known as an air-cushion vehicle. Departure on a journey across the ice of Lake Baikal to Olkhon Island. On the way we visit Bolshoye Goloustnoye to the famous bubbles. Amazing methane bubbles frozen at different levels are like futuristic skyscrapers! Then we go to Peschanaya «Песчаная» bay. This is one of the most beautiful and famous places on the lake. The semi-oval of the Peschanaya bay is framed by the rocks Bolshaya and Malaya Belfry. During the tour we have a picnic on the ice of Lake Baikal with champagne and snacks!

Day 3. Olkhon Island – Khuzhir – Rock Bogatyr – Shaman rock – Cape Khoboy (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Breakfast in the hotel. Meeting with the guide. Journey by car UAZ along a rural locality (a settlement) Khuzhir. Rock Bogatyr (fabulous ancient superhero) and observation platform. Excursion to the sacred Cape Burkhan (Shaman rock) with is one of the nine shrines of Asia. There is a through cave in the rock where according to legend the spirit of the owner of the island lives in this cave. Having visited this place, you will be recharged with the natural energy of Baikal for a long time. Further, our path will run to the northernmost point of the island – Cape Khoboy. This is a place of extraordinary energy and beauty. Outdoor picnic lunch this a magic fish soup and smoked Baikal fish, sagudai and warming cranberry tincture! During the tour you will be able to see bizarre ice splashes, ice caves and grottoes against the backdrop of majestic rocks. Of course, you will be delighted with the unique blue ice!

Day 4. Olkhon Island – Ogoy Island – rock Dragon – Irkutsk (breakfast, lunch)
Early meeting with the guide at the hotel reception. Transfer to the departure point of Khivus. Sunrise on Ogoy Island. We drive on Hivus across the ice towards the largest island of the Small Baikal Sea named Ogoy. We visit the Buddhist Stupa of Enlightenment containing a statue of the Feminine form, which is the mother of all Buddhas. Take interesting photos of the rock "Dragon". This rock is the most recognizable on winter Baikal.

Overview

Visa: citizens of 58 states that hold all types of passports are eligible for visa-free entrance to Russia for a period up to 14 days (you can see the list on the official website), citizens of the 52 countries will be able to obtain a single e-visa of up to 16 days (you can see the list on the official website)

Schedule

Fees

Payment schedule: 5% – at booking, 95% – 15 or 30 days prior to arrival.

Payment methods:
- bank transfer in USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, AED, ILS, DKK etc.
- credit/debit card online on our website

Fees include

- accommodation:
Listvyanka village 1 day in Hotel "Valley of Dreamers"
Olkhon Island in Khuzhir 2 nights in Baikal Wood Eco Lodge & SPA hotel – Suites room

- transfers according to the tour program, incl.:
by UAZ to Cape Burkhan and Cape Khoboy
by Hivus to meet the sunrise on the island of Ogoy

- food: according to the program

- necessary permits to visit specially protected natural areas

- Excursions:
Citytour of Listvyanka
Ascent by cable car
Dog sledding
Journey on Khivus to Bolshoe Goloustnoye to the famous methane bubbles and Peschanaya Bay, ice passage to Olkhon Island
visiting to the bathhouse in the hotel with a hot tub on the fresh sea

- guides speak Spanish or English

Fees exclude

- airfare to Irkutsk city and return

- meals not specified in the program

- insurance of the risk of cancellation or interruption of the trip (we have approximately 3% of the cost of the contract, if desired)

- personal spending

- early check-in or late check-out in hotels

- accommodation in Irkutsk hotels before and after the end of the program.

Travel tips

The best time to visit Lake Baikal in winter – from February 10 to March 8. In January, the ice finally hardens, gains strength, becomes transparent, and in early February (usually in the 2nd week) the official ice crossing is opened at island Olkhon . Earlier these dates, the ice is not guaranteed strength, and later snowstorms begin, it warms up, and the ice grows dull.
The period of freeze-up is on average from January 9 to May 4. Baikal freezes as a whole, except for a small, 15 – 20 km long, section located at the source of the Angara. The shipping period for passenger and cargo ships is usually June to September; research vessels begin navigation after the opening of the lake from the ice and end it with freezingm of Lake Baikal, that is, from May to January.
By the end of winter, the ice thickness on Lake Baikal reaches 1 m, and in the bays – 1.5 – 2 m. In severe frost, cracks that have the local name " back cracks '' break the ice into separate fields. The length of such cracks – 10 – 30 km, and width – 2 – 3 m. Fractures occur annually in approximately the same areas of the lake. They are accompanied by a loud crackle, reminiscent of thunder or cannon shots. It seems to a person standing on the ice that the ice cover is bursting just under his feet and he will now fall into the abyss. Thanks to cracks in the ice, fish on the lake do not die from lack of oxygen. Baikal ice, in addition, is very transparent, and the sun's rays penetrate through it, therefore planktonic algae, which release oxygen, develop rapidly in the water. On the shores of Lake Baikal you can see ice grottos in winter.

Map