Big Country Travel: Trips to Russia, Adventure Tours & Vacation Packages

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Spend unforgettable days on a winter tour of Lake Baikal and feel the beauty and energy of the great lake. Olkhon Island is a mysterious, magical and atmospheric island with a unique nature.

Olkhon Winter Island is a photographer's paradise! In winter, the island's landscapes are transformed beyond recognition compared to the summer and autumn views.

Do you want to bring home gigabytes of photos of ice, with ice, in ice? Then you are at the right place! Ice caves, as if descended from the pages of fairy tales, cosmic landscapes of endless winter expanses and all kinds of ice – from tiny pieces to giant icicles.

Location

Irkutsk

Sightseeing tours

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Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)

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Tour highlights

The shrine of Buddhism

We will see the Buddhist stupa of Enlightenment, which contains various relics brought from different parts of the world

Incredible Baikal ice

We will see the most beautiful ice, explore ice caves and grottoes

Ancient legends of Cape Khoboy

The hoboy fascinates, attracts, enchants. Here you will discharge the phones from the number of photos and videos.

The energy of Shamanka Rock

We will visit a very beautiful place on Lake Baikal, which carries powerful energy and is a shrine of Olkhon Island

Itinerary

Day 1 - The rite of meeting with Lake Baikal. Olkhon Island. Excursion to Cape Burhan
Our journey to winter Lake Baikal begins today!
At 09:30 we meet with the tour participants at Irkutsk airport, get acquainted and go to Olkhon Island.
The travel time takes 5-6 hours.
Arrival on the island, in the village of Khuzhir, accommodation at the hotel.
After a little rest, let's go on our first tour.
Today you will take a walk on the Baikal ice for the first time, listen to it crackle and experience incredible emotions!
We will walk on the ice around the Shaman, listen to local legends and take photos for memory.
After the walk, we return to the hotel, warm up, drink tea and have dinner.

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Day 2 - Excursions to Cape Khoboy, Sagaan Khushun rock complex
We continue our ice journey and go on a tour of the northern part of Olkhon.
On the way, we will make stops at the island of Kharantsi to see the ice caves and grottoes.
Every year they freeze in different ways, there are large caves decorated with huge icicles, and there are barely noticeable grottoes.
Then, on traditional UAZ loaves, we will continue our way across the ice of Lake Baikal to Cape Three Brothers to admire the ice statues.
A little more and we are in the very north of Olkhon, on Cape Khoboy!
Huge ice hummocks of beautiful blue color form around the cape every year.
Here the Small Sea connects with the Great Baikal, endless icy expanses open up in front of you.
Here we walk, take pictures a lot and have lunch outdoors.
After the tour, we return to the hotel in the village of Khuzhir.
*In the tour from January 3 to January 7, an excursion to the north of the island takes place on the island itself, it is possible to see all the expanses of Lake Baikal from the rocky capes of Three Brothers, Khoboy. There will also be ice exits and visits to caves in the area of Kharants Island along the route.
Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner are included in the price.

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Day 3 - Excursion to the south of Olkhon Island. Buddhist Stupa of Enlightenment
Today there will be even more ice, caves, grottos and excellent photo locations!
One of these locations is Ogoy Island.
The southern tip of this small island was named Dragon Rock or Dragon's Fang, now it is one of the most recognizable and popular photo locations of winter Lake Baikal.
Surely, you have already seen a lot of shots from this place and today you will be able to make your own!
We will also go up to the island itself to see the panorama of the Small Sea and visit the Buddhist Stupa of Enlightenment.
The methane bubbles of Lake Baikal are another of the goals of our route.
Bizarre methane bubbles frozen in ice come in different shapes and sizes.
We will look for them in small bays on the Small Sea.
We will also make stops at ice caves and other beautiful places along the route.
In the evening we gather for dinner and share our impressions.
*In the tour from January 3 to January 7, this tour is conducted without visiting Ogoy Island, because at this time there will not be an ice entrance to it yet.
Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner are included in the price.

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Day 4 - Free day
You have a free day today.
We have left you one free day in the program so that you can spend it on your own.
You can go ice skating or tubing, take a walk around Lake Baikal and meet the sunset on Shamanka.
The guides will also offer you options for possible trips for this day.
Breakfast and dinner are included in the price.

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Day 5 - Transfer to Irkutsk. Departure
Breakfast.
Transfer to Irkutsk, travel time is 6 hours.
The end of the program in Irkutsk (approximately arrival from 16 to 19 o'clock, Kirov Square).

Difficulty

Suitable for everyone

Accommodation

Hotel

4 nights

Comfort

Midscale

The tour provides accommodation in the Baikal mini-hotel on Olkhon Island or a similar hotel, in Standard rooms or partially furnished rooms of the Economy category.

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

The "Economy" option		Cost
Olkhon Island Hotel	2-3-bed room (shower and toilet on the floor for 4 rooms)	46 700
The surcharge for single occupancy is 8,000 rubles.
The "Standard" option		Cost
The hotel is about. Olkhon	2-3-bed room (shower and toilet in the room)	57 700
The surcharge for single occupancy is 12,000 rubles.

It is located on the island of Olkhon in the picturesque area of the village of Khuzhir, 150 m from Lake Baikal. Due to the excellent location of the hotel, the most important sights of the island – Shamanka Rock and Sarai beach, as well as all the necessary infrastructure: cafes, shops, souvenir shops, etc. are within walking distance for tourists.

The rooms are decorated in a rustic style and offer views of Lake Baikal, the beach and the coniferous forest. It offers a cafe with panoramic views of the lake, free Wi-Fi. 2-bed rooms of the "Standard" category (with shower and toilet in the room) and 2-3-bed rooms of the "Economy" category (shower and toilet on the floor for 4 rooms) are offered for accommodation.

The rooms are located in wooden buildings and are heated in winter (central heating), furnished with comfortable, cozy furniture: two single or one double bed, desk, chairs, wardrobe or wardrobe, mirror, TV. The 3-bed rooms have an extra single bed.

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Tour conditions

Group

up to 15 tourists

Minimum age

5 years old

Duration

5 days 4 nights

Group meets at

Irkutsk

Included in price

meeting at 09:30 am (local time) at the airport or at the railway station in Irkutsk;
accommodation in a hotel on Olkhon in a standard or economy room;
transfer Irkutsk – O. Olkhon – Irkutsk;
meals according to the program:
- Day 1 – dinner;
- Day 2, 3 – breakfast, lunch-picnic, dinner;
- Day 4 – breakfast and dinner;
- Day 5 – breakfast;
car tour to Cape Khoboy;
car tour to Cape Ogoy and Cape Khorgoy;
excursion to Cape Burhan.

Paid extra

air and railway tickets to Irkutsk and back;
transfer at the end of the tour to hotels, railway station, airport, etc.;
meals at roadside cafes;
additional services not specified in the program, or specified in the program for an additional fee.

It's important to know

boots or boots designed for severe frost;
a hat with the ability to cover the ears;
warm, windproof gloves;
ice floats (rubber, worn on any shoes), or crampons on shoes from slipping;
a warm jacket;
a warm sweater or fleece jacket;
pants (ski pants are available);
socks (thermal socks and woolen ones);
thermal underwear;
sunglasses;
lantern;
the lipstick is hygienic.

It is necessary to have an identity document with you. It is forbidden to transfer your documents confirming the right to travel to other persons.

Every tourist is obliged to:

Do not be late for the departure of the train / bus / ship.
Do not carry substances that threaten health and life (flammable, narcotic, etc.).
Observe the rules of travel on the bus: it is forbidden to drive drunk and smoke in the cabin.
Fulfill the requirements of the group leader, the guide.
Observe the moral and ethical norms of tourist behavior, be disciplined and polite.
Follow the rules of excursion service, take care of historical and cultural monuments.
Follow the rules of nature protection and fire safety.
Observe your own safety measures and understand what responsibility the manager bears for you.
Take care of property in places of residence, on the bus: in case of breakdown or loss of hotel property (recreation center), rental property, etc., as well as in case of fire due to your fault, you bear all responsibility for the damage caused yourself.
Follow the rules of staying at the hotel (at the recreation center), do not break the silence after 23:00.
Promptly inform the travel director or his deputy about the deterioration of health or injury.
Follow the safety rules on ice, avoid hypothermia - keep in mind the low air temperature during this period.

We remind you:

The head oversees the implementation of the excursion program, therefore, adult tourists, if they deviate from the excursion program of the group, should inform the head, inform the time and place of joining the group and leave contact numbers.
Check whether the points of stay under the program are included in the service area of the mobile operator you need at the offices of the relevant companies (MTS, Beeline, Megafon, etc.) before making the trip.
It is not recommended to leave the hotel after 24 hours.
If you are a vegetarian or have strict restrictions on taking a particular food, you must inform us in advance to be able to coordinate a separate menu.
There are no banks or ATMs on Olkhon Island, so take cash in advance.
Local time: Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude +5 hours from Moscow.

Dates and Prices

from
$460

3 – 7 Jan, 2025 5 days 4 nights

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23 – 27 Jan, 2025 5 days 4 nights

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30 Jan – 3 Feb, 2025 5 days 4 nights

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6 – 10 Feb, 2025 5 days 4 nights

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13 – 17 Feb, 2025 5 days 4 nights

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20 – 24 Feb, 2025 5 days 4 nights

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27 Feb – 3 Mar, 2025 5 days 4 nights

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from
$460

7 – 11 Mar, 2025 5 days 4 nights

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11 – 15 Mar, 2025 5 days 4 nights

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from
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15 – 19 Mar, 2025 5 days 4 nights

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Reviews

TR
Tatiana Rubtsova

26 Dec, 2024

about provider

The organization was excellent—we were warmly greeted right on time, and the hotel was fantastic!

26 Dec, 2024
V
Valentina

25 Dec, 2024

about provider

Everything was excellent! The tour arrangement, the preparation of accompanying documents, and the support throughout the process were all top-notch. Thank you!

25 Dec, 2024
NK
Natalia Kaloshina

25 Dec, 2024

about provider

We sincerely thank the team at Big Country and the host team for their support during a challenging situation, which made it possible for our trip to happen.

25 Dec, 2024

The winter charm of Olkhon