Winter Baikal Week

Today, your long-awaited meeting with Lake Baikal will take place. 

We leave Irkutsk at 8:30. 

Upon arrival in the village of Listvyanka, we leave our things at the hotel and go to a meeting with Lake Baikal. 

Our trip will take place on a unique transport – a hovercraft – Hivus.

The Circum–Baikal Railway or the "golden buckle" of Russia is a must-visit point on Lake Baikal, because it is a unique monument of engineering art, known all over the world, and is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful railways in the world! 

You will be accompanied by a guide throughout the tour, who will tell you a lot of interesting historical facts, tales and legends, which are very, very much connected with the KBZHD.

Your lunch will take place outdoors with a view of Lake Baikal and the mountain peaks. 

In the evening, you will have a great opportunity to stroll through the coastal village of Listvyanka to buy Baikal fish and unusual souvenirs. 

• 8:00-9:00 Transfer Irkutsk – Listvyanka
• 9:00-9:30 We leave our things at the reception
• 10:00-15:00 Guided tour along the KBZHD on Khivus
• 15:00 Check-in at the hotel.

Meals: breakfast, lunch.

At 10:00 We will go to admire the beauty of the pure Baikal ice in the Sandy Bay. 

There are no roads to these places, and in winter you can only get there by helicopter or on ice, so we will go on the tour using the safest and most comfortable transport – khivus.

Along the way, we will stop at the most picturesque and beautiful places, and all the way we will be accompanied by a guide who will tell interesting and fascinating stories about Lake Baikal during the stops. 

Having refreshed ourselves, we go on to one of the main attractions of winter Lake Baikal – ice skating on the largest and cleanest skating rink.

Imagine: a huge smooth skating rink, created by nature, stretches tens of kilometers wide and hundreds of kilometers long! 

If you forgot your skates, we will provide them at your request (skate rental is paid additionally). 

And so, with a full baggage of impressions and with an overflowing memory of phones and cameras, we return to the hotel. 

• 10:00-15:00 Excursion to Sandy Bay on Khivus.

Meals: breakfast, snack on ice.

We will start with you at 6:00.

Today we have a long but interesting road ahead of us – we are going to Olkhon Island! 

Along the way, beautiful winter landscapes await us: the dense Siberian taiga, rich meadows, and endless steppes.

The journey will take 5-6 hours. 

There will also be a stop for lunch at a roadside cafe with Buryat national cuisine, where you will taste delicious local dishes: Buryat poses, buchler and other Baikal delicacies. 

After a hearty lunch, we continue our journey to Lake Baikal. 

At about 14:00 we arrive in Khuzhir (a village on the island of Olkhon), where we have comfortable accommodation at a recreation center, cozy rooms and a short rest after the road. 

Having gained strength, we go on: our big ice journey across Lake Baikal begins!

We will visit the most beautiful places of Lake Baikal: the Buddhist Stupa of Enlightenment on Ogoy Island, the ice caves of Olkhon Island, where unique natural creations are hidden for curious tourists – sokui. 

At 18:00 arrival at the recreation center and free time. 

Meals: breakfast, lunch.

After breakfast, packing and briefing, we get in the car and on the road! 

We are going on an excursion by UAZ car to the northernmost point of the island — Cape Khoboy. 

In winter, the road to the cape runs along the ice along the western shore of Olkhon. 

A fascinating ride on crystal clear ice, as if on an endless mirror path! 

Along the way, we will make several stops to take wonderful pictures of the Baikal ice and "wander around" (the famous Buryat ritual of appeasing spirits). 

We will explore Cape Khoboy from the ice, after which we will have lunch on the crystal ice of Lake Baikal. 

After lunch, you can go ice skating and have a photo shoot! 

If desired, we will try the famous cocktail "The Kiss of Baikal".

Return to the base in the evening, your free time. 

Meals: breakfast, snack, picnic on ice.

In the morning, we will definitely meet the most beautiful sunrise on Lake Baikal and once again go for a walk on the purest transparent ice, because after breakfast we will leave for Irkutsk.

We'll be on our way at 09:00. 

Today's day will be dedicated to getting to know the culture of the indigenous peoples of Lake Baikal – the Buryats. 

We will visit a very interesting place – the National Museum of the Ust-Ordynsky Buryat district.

The expositions of the regional state cultural institution reflect the history, culture, religion and way of life of the Buryats, the indigenous population of the region from the Paleolithic period to the modern period. 

After that, we will stop for lunch in the yurt, where we can taste the most famous dishes of this people. 

After such a rich cultural program, we return to Irkutsk. 

17:00 Approximate time of arrival in Irkutsk. 

You can choose an evening flight and fly home as soon as possible, or check into a hotel on your own, leave your things in your room and wander through the souvenir shops of Irkutsk, enjoying the atmosphere of the winter city. 

Additionally, we can arrange an individual transfer to the airport. 

Whichever option you choose, we will look forward to seeing you again – in summer, spring or autumn. 

After all, Baikal is beautiful at any time of the year! 

Meals: breakfast, lunch.