Irkutsk (Listvyanka) – Ushkany Islands – Irkutsk on the Alexander the Great ship

In the morning we will reach the famous Olkhon Island, the "heart" of Lake Baikal. It is here that we will see the famous Shamanka Rock – one of the nine shrines of Asia, for sure, you have already seen it on postcards or on television – because this is the most famous Baikal landscape. 

The indigenous inhabitants of the Baikal region are Buryats, today we will touch their culture. Most Buryats practice either Buddhism or Shamanism

In the afternoon, at the sacred Shamanka rock, we have scheduled a meeting with a real Buryat shaman.

Very early in the morning, while Lake Baikal is still covered with fog, we will land on the Small Ushkany Islands. You will have the opportunity to visit the Baikal seal rookery and observe these cute animals in the wild (attention! payment is made on the spot to the national gamekeeper.the cost of the park is about 2500 rubles/person.)

We are on the territory of the Republic of Buryatia!

After lunch, we will arrive in Chivyrkuy Bay – here we will have enough time for sunny Baikal baths and swimming in Lake Baikal. And for those who still find Baikal water too cold, there are hot springs here that are useful for the treatment of sciatica and the musculoskeletal system.

In the morning, a bus will pick us up and we will go on an ethnographic tour "Sacred places of the Barguzin Valley".

On the territory of the valley there are a huge number of natural and religious monuments of great sacred importance. There is a peaceful coexistence of shamanic and Buddhist religious practices in the Barguzin Valley, so the locations that we will visit belong to both religions: The temple of the goddess Yanjima is a place of year–round pilgrimage from all over the world

Suva Saxony – compactly located rocks resembling the ruins of an ancient Gothic castle with huge stone towers and a narrow rocky gorge between them

Buhe shulun (Bull Stone) is a place of worship and rituals of local shamans, in addition, many legends are associated with the stone.

And we will also try the local Buryat cuisine!

In the morning, we will make a landing on the small island of Ogoy and visit the Buddhist Stupa of Enlightenment – a fairly modern landmark, but with an interesting history.

After lunch, we will approach the island of Olkhon, which we already know, but from its northern part.

We will make a landing at Cape Sagan-Khushun, where we will transfer to the colorful local UAZ – the only transport that never fails in the absence of asphalt, and go on an excursion through the northern part of Olkhon to Cape Khoboy. (Attention! additional excursion – about 4000 rubles/person.)

Our day will be full of hiking and beach holidays. We arrive at Akademicheskaya Bay, the Baikal Dunes recreation center. To begin with, we will go to Babushka Bay, passing by Sandy Bay (1.5 km., the difficulty level is low). Along the way, we will see "stilted" trees, and the goal of our route will be a beautiful sandy beach with an azure bay.

After lunch– an excursion to the Observation Rock (2.5 hours, difficulty level is average) to see the spectacular panorama of Lake Baikal. After returning– a Russian bathhouse on the shore of Lake Baikal.

The captain's dinner is waiting for you in the evening.

The end of the cruise. Before heading to Irkutsk, we will take a look at the fish and souvenir market.

At about 13:00 – arrival in Irkutsk.