Baikal multiactive in winter: trekking, ice skating, “loaves” and bicycles

Baikal is a unique place. In winter, Lake Baikal also turns into the world's largest ice rink! We are sure that ice skating is the best and most interesting way to explore Lake Baikal in winter. In 6 days you will walk and drive about 190 km, see Olkhon Island from the east and west, Shamanka Rock and famous ice caves, grottoes and, of course, the ruler of winter posts on social networks – Baikal ice. 

And Baikal will delight you with amazing landscapes, creaking Siberian frosts and hearty gastronomy: we will show you the places where the most delicious bouzas are made in the area.

The format of the trip is a multicative tour (on foot, on skates, on bicycles, on off–road vehicles) with overnight stays at tourist bases and hotels.

Location

Russia, Irkutsk
from
$703
+ tickets to the starting point of the tour
No need to pay now
Duration
6 Days
5 Nights
Departures
  • Group departures
    • Dates for next season
    • 1 – 6 February, 2025
    • 8 – 13 February, 2025
    • 15 – 20 February, 2025
    • 22 – 27 February, 2025
or
Accommodation
  • Camp Site
    4 nights
Comfort
  • Basic+
Difficulty
Challenging
Does not require specific skills, but one must be in good health
Group
Up to 14 people
Minimum age
14 years old
Group meet at
Russia, Irkutsk
Contact the tour coordinator
Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)
Or text us in messengers

Tour highlights

Unusual format
Winter ice skating trip – in 5 days, accompanied by a guide, we will walk about 65 km
Vivid impressions
We will meet the sunset at the sacred Shaman rock at Cape Burkhan
The best places
We will see ice caves, grottos and the lord of winter posts on social networks – Baikal ice
Safety on the route 
We will have professional guide instructors with extensive experience and special training.
New skills
If you do not know how to skate, we will try to teach you, or you can walk in the "ice walks"
The "Voice" of Baikal
We will hear the sound of cracking ice, which creates an indescribable symphony of sounds

Itinerary

  • Day 1 - Irkutsk – Sakhyurt settlement

    Meeting at 07:45 – 08:00 in Irkutsk at the central railway station (3/1 Chelnokova Street). 

    Minibus transfer to the village of Sakhyurt (MRS) with stops on the way for breakfast (not included in the price). 

    Upon arrival – accommodation at the campsite, equipment delivery and introductory instruction on its use and safety during the tour. 

    After that, a walk to the Olkhonsky Gate Strait to practice skating on the ice of Lake Baikal. 

    Skating is not an obligatory part of the program: one instructor will lead the "skating" part of the group, and the second – on foot. 

    In the evening – dinner and a Russian bath.

    1 more photo
  • Day 2 - Sakhyurt settlement – Ogoy Island – Yalga village
  • Day 3 - Yalga Village – pad Idiba – Yalga Village
  • Day 4 - Yalga village – Cape Khoboy – Khuzhir village
  • Day 5 - Khuzhir village – Halgai village – Kharantsi village – Khuzhir village
  • Day 6 - The village of Khuzhir – Irkutsk
Difficulty
Does not require specific skills, but one must be in good health
Tour organizer's comments

The format of the trip is a multicative tour (on foot, on skates, on bicycles, on off–road vehicles) with overnight stays at tourist bases and hotels. The participants will carry their belongings (backpacks) with them (walking and / or skating part of the route) on special sledges tied to a belt with a long sling – this is a common and convenient way of transporting cargo in winter hikes on flat terrain. Daytime trips between camp sites are within the power of most active people.

We estimate the difficulty of the Baikal skating tour as "Average". If you do not have hiking experience, you do not burden yourself with systematic sports and all your travels before that took place in warm countries with accommodation in comfortable hotels, then it is worth thinking about. 

A winter multiactive on Lake Baikal, even with accommodation in comfortable camp sites, is a tour with serious running loads.

Special training is not required for participation, but it is worth remembering that the tour program provides for long hiking (optional - skating) in difficult weather and climatic conditions (low temperatures from -5 ° C to -35 ° C). Of course, before the start of the skating part of the program, we will conduct an instruction and training, but we strongly recommend that participants visit the ice rink or go roller skating at least 3-5 times 1-2 months before the tour date. If you realize on the tour that you can't skate, then you can walk. In this case, we recommend taking universal ice-walking crampons with you (suitable for any shoe).

Accommodation

Accommodation
  • Camp Site
    4 nights
Comfort
  • Basic+

The tour provides accommodation at regular tourist bases along the route, accommodation at camp sites (2 and 4-bed heated rooms, with a shower in the room, or a shower on the floor).

Camp sites along the route 4 nights
The usual tourist bases ("standard" with amenities in the room and, in one case, on the floor), with wooden houses or one large house with electric heating. Accommodation for 2 people (by family or gender) in a room with a bathroom. The exception is an overnight stay in Yalga village, where the cottage has only 4-6-bed rooms, and the facilities are located on the floor.

Tour conditions

Group
up to 14 tourists
Minimum age
14 years old
Duration
6 days 5 nights
Group meets at
Russia, Irkutsk

Included in price

  • meals on the route: dinners in hotels from the first to the penultimate (fifth) day of the tour, "walking" snacks (hot tea/coffee, cheese, sausage, bacon, bread, sweets) from the second to the fifth day of the tour and breakfasts in hotels from the second to the sixth day of the tour. The organization of breakfasts and dinners is provided by the accommodation facilities;
  • minibus transfer Irkutsk – Sakhyurt and Khuzhir – Irkutsk;
  • accommodation at camp sites (2 and 4-bed heated rooms, with shower in the room or shower on the floor);
  • rental of specialized equipment: sledge, helmet, protection kit (knee pads and elbow pads), group thermoses;
  • bicycle rental in the village of Khuzhir;
  • sauna at the campsite of the village of Sakhyurt;
  • extended group first aid kit;
  • the work of the guides-instructors.

Paid extra

  • air and railway tickets to Irkutsk and back;
  • accommodation in Irkutsk on the day of arrival and on the day of departure
  • meals not specified in the program;
  • insurance;
  • skate rental (we recommend you to take your skates, rolled at your home rink).

It's important to know

Personal equipment you need for the tour

The set of equipment and clothes listed below must be mandatory for each of the participants of the Baikal skating tour. The organizers have the right to prevent a person from participating in the tour in the absence of the specified equipment or its analogues. Optional equipment is marked in the list accordingly:

Clothes:
To all of the following, you can mentally add "warm / oe /th"
- a headdress covering the ears (windproof)
- fleece tube scarf (aka "buff")
- thermal underwear (pants and long sleeve T-shirt) made of merinos wool or polartec fleece
- thick fleece (fleece density from 300 g/m2)
- winter jacket (with a hood and covering the ass) for little active excursions
- windproof "running" jacket for ice skating transitions
- winter pants (similar to a jacket in terms of thermal insulation properties), you can ski
- five-fingered gloves (thick fleece or ski gloves)
- tops (these are special mittens worn over gloves, most often made of windproof fabric with insulation)
- underpants (can be made from merinos wool)
- insulated socks (preferably fleece or special for tracking)
- trekking boots (necessarily with a high ankle boot)

Equipment:

- ice skates (walking, hockey type, or hockey);
- pads on the sole of the shoes "Iceholes" (a rubber plate with spikes) or their more serious version - ice-walking cats (not to be confused with climbing cats).
- sunglasses or ski mask with a high degree of UV protection, sunscreen, lipstick
- thermos from 0.5 liters (it is a thermos, not a thermocup) for individual use.
- backpack from 70 liters (it is a backpack, because you can not put a suitcase in a travois and on your back, if necessary, you will not throw it)
- mug, spoon and bowl

Here is a list of optional, but recommended equipment:
- bath/shower slippers
- swimming trunks/swimsuit
- balaclava to protect your face from wind and sun
- towel for shower and bath
- hob (foam, podzhopnik, polyurethane seat - whatever they call it)
- chemical heating pads for heating the body and batteries of electronic equipment

Are plane tickets included in the price of the tour?
Is insurance included in the price of the tour?
Are there any restrictions on participation in the tour?
How do I get to the starting point of the tour?
How is safety ensured on the route?
I can't skate, what should I do?
How cold is it in February and March?
Is the ice strong?
How much do we skate per day?
What's with the connection? Which operators are catching?
What is a "sledge-travois"?
How are we going to eat?
Is it possible with children?
What kind of training is needed?

Dates and Prices

  • $703
    1 – 6 Feb, 2025 6 days 5 nights
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    No need to pay now
  • $703
    8 – 13 Feb, 2025 6 days 5 nights
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    No need to pay now
  • $703
    15 – 20 Feb, 2025 6 days 5 nights
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  • $703
    22 – 27 Feb, 2025 6 days 5 nights
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  • $703
    1 – 6 Mar, 2025 6 days 5 nights
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    No need to pay now