The awakening of Lake Baikal. Author's tour

We invite you to go on a trip to Lake Baikal in May! After all, it is at this time that the nature of the lake awakens after a winter sleep, and Baikal begins to free itself from ice. You can spend the whole day in the fresh air, watching and hearing how the Baikal ice breaks and cracks, see how snowdrops and crimson blossoms bloom on the mountains, and the first delicate vegetation appears.

You will see ancient Siberian manors, get acquainted with the fascinating natural sights of Lake Baikal, make multi-kilometer trips through endless steppes and gorges.

You will see with your own eyes everything that the higher power has created on Lake Baikal for thousands of years, hear legends and tales, get into the Baikal spirit, steam in a real Russian bathhouse and enjoy our hospitality!

Location

Irkutsk
from
$857
+ 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
    • 6 – 11 May, 2025
    • 21 – 26 May, 2025
or
Accommodation
  • Hotel
    5 nights
Comfort
  • Upscale
Difficulty
Easy
Suitable for everyone
Group
Up to 16 people
Minimum age
7 years old
Group meet at
Irkutsk
Contact the tour coordinator
Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)
Or text us in messengers

Tour highlights

May Baikal
We will watch the melting and cracking of the ice and inhale the spring steppe aromas
Quad Bike ride
We are waiting for an active outdoor recreation, with a breeze we will ride along the coast of the Small Sea
Juicy Buryat cuisine
Let's try hand-made bouzas, traditional Buryat shulen soup and homemade firewood
Russian bathhouse
How nice it is to steam in a real Siberian bathhouse, and the bravest will plunge into the waters of Lake Baikal!

Itinerary

  • Day 1 - Listvyanka. Ethnographic museum "Taltsy". The source of the Angara and the Shaman-stone. Tasting of Baikal fish. Baikal Museum

    We are glad to welcome you to Irkutsk, the capital of Eastern Siberia!

    The meeting takes place in 2 stages: the sign "Awakening of Lake Baikal":

    • airport at 8-8:30 inside the building at the exit to the city (opposite the baggage claim);
    • The railway station is at 9-9:30 on the street at the entrance of the Suburban ticket offices.

    After the meeting, we will go to a cafe for breakfast, after which our way will lie to the "gates of Baikal" – Listvyanka.

    Just 65 km from Irkutsk, on the shore of the sacred Lake Baikal, the village of Listvyanka stretches along a five-kilometer strip. 

    The objects to visit and get to know on this day will be: 

    The Taltsy Architectural and Ethnographic Museum is a unique collection of historical, architectural and ethnographic monuments of the XVII-XIX centuries. The museum is located on the picturesque bank of the Angara River in the Taltsinsky tract, on the 47th kilometer of the Baikal tract. Four historical and cultural zones of the Baikal region are retrospectively recreated here: Russian, Buryat, Evenk and Tofalar. 

    The source of the Angara and the observation deck at the Shaman stone. The source of the Angara River is the widest and largest in the world (863 m). In winter, up to 15 thousand waterfowl live in the polynya with a length of 5 to 15 km. This is the only ice-free winter camp in the whole of northern Asia. 

    There is also an observation deck with a view of the source of the Angara River and the legendary Shaman Stone. 

    There are many beautiful legends and legends associated with this place, and the stone itself is considered one of the symbols of Lake Baikal. 

    Arriving in Listvyanka, we will go to the local market, where we will buy the freshest fish for our Baikal tasting.

    Here you can also buy souvenirs for yourself and as a gift to your loved ones: Baikal pebbles with the image of a seal – the symbol of Lake Baikal, beads and other products made of semiprecious stones, birch bark and wooden products, souvenirs made of ceramics, soft toys, badges, magnets and other souvenirs. 

    Tasting Baikal fish with a local drink, you will not taste this in any restaurant. 

    After that, you will visit the current St. Nicholas Church. 

    Almost the only ancient architectural monument of Listvyanka in the middle of the XIX century. 

    Lunch at a restaurant overlooking Lake Baikal. 

    And now, one of the most important and most informative objects in Listvyanka is waiting for you – the Baikal Museum. 

    The Baikal Museum is a real scientific institute. 

    Here we will be able to look at the earthquake sensor, which records the movement of the earth's crust live, get acquainted with the history of Lake Baikal and look into its oceanic future. 

    Let's be surprised by the hundred-kilogram sturgeons and look at the epic. 

    We will personally get acquainted with the inhabitants of Lake Baikal – grayling, sturgeon, pike, hamaruses and gobies, omul and seal. 

    You will definitely have to be torn away from the latter by force. 

    Later in the evening, we will take you back to Irkutsk. 

    Check-in at the hotel, dinner. 

    Guide: Yes. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

    1 more photo
  • Day 2 - The small sea. Quad bike ride. Free time
  • Day 3 - Tazheran steppes
  • Day 4 - Olkhon Island
  • Day 5 - Irkutsk
  • Day 6 - Departure
Difficulty
Suitable for everyone

Accommodation

Accommodation
  • Hotel
    5 nights
Comfort
  • Upscale

The tour includes accommodation in hotels.

The cost of the tour for 1 person, depending on the accommodation, RUB.:

Double roomSingle room
85 800105 200
Baikal Forest Hotel or similar in Irkutsk 2 nights

4* Hotel. Baikal Forest/Marriott/Central or similar.

Baikal Forest Hotel is located in Irkutsk, 2.5 km from V. Bronstein Gallery. It offers a bar and private parking. The hotel has a 24-hour front desk, a restaurant and free Wi-Fi, as well as room service. Those who wish can book family rooms.

They are equipped with air conditioning, a desk, a kettle, a refrigerator, a safe and a flat-screen TV. The private bathroom is equipped with a shower. Towels and bed linen are provided in each room at Baikal Forest Hotel.

In the morning, guests can enjoy a buffet breakfast or a full English/Irish breakfast.

The hotel also has a snack bar and a business center.

Baikal Forest Hotel is 1.9 km from Volkonsky House and 2.9 km from Irkutsk Drama Theatre. Irkutsk International Airport is 6 km away. An airport shuttle service is available for an additional fee.

5 more photos
The Baikal World Hotel or similar on the Small Sea 3 nights

Tour conditions

Group
up to 16 tourists
Minimum age
7 years old
Duration
6 days 5 nights
Group meets at
Irkutsk

Included in price

  • accommodation according to the program:
    • in Irkutsk – 4* hotel (2 nights);
    • on the Small Sea – country hotel / 3 nights (fully equipped room)
  • meals – full board, starting with breakfast on the day of arrival and ending with breakfast on the day of departure, including:
    • tasting of Baikal fish;
    • lunch at a cafe of Buryat cuisine with tasting of local dishes;
    • final dinner at the Siberian cuisine restaurant;
  • transportation services according to the program:
    • transfer to the meeting / departure;
    • transfer Irkutsk – Maloe More – Irkutsk;
  • guided tour service according to the program:
    • sightseeing tour of Irkutsk;
    • full-day excursion to Listvyanka;
    • ATV tour along the coast of the Small Sea;
    • car tour "Along Tagheran to Anga – beyond the outgoing ice";
    • car tour to Olkhon Island (Cape Khoboy);
  • entrance tickets according to the program:
    • Taltsy Museum;
    • Baikal Museum;
    • Collection of the Baikal National Park;
  • visit to the bathhouse.

Paid extra

  • air or railway tickets to Irkutsk and back;
  • additional services of hotels and recreation centers;
  • alcoholic beverages.

It's important to know

Are tickets included in the price of the tour?

Air and railway tickets are not included in the price of the tour. You can purchase them yourself or contact us for help.

Is insurance included in the price of the tour?
How much do additional excursions cost?

Dates and Prices

The tour dates are not confirmed yet. Please, for clarification
  • $857
    6 – 11 May, 2025 6 days 5 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now
  • $857
    21 – 26 May, 2025 6 days 5 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now

Reviews

  • I
    Irina
    8 Nov, 2024
    about provider
    The trip was fantastic and filled with positive experiences. Thank you to the company for its customer focus and excellent organization! Appreciate the wonderful vacation!
    8 Nov, 2024
  • T
    Tatyana
    2 Nov, 2024
    about provider
    Excellent organization, a small group, and the guide's full attention.
    2 Nov, 2024
    6 more photos