4 days
Fixed dates
8 people
from 8 years
Average
Hotel
Russian
Excursion tours, Expeditions
Beauty is in the smallest details - bubbles and cracks that turn the ice into a work of art, and in breathtaking scales - giant hummocks and mysterious ice grottoes. A rich and full of vivid emotions program for those who want to get to know winter Baikal in a short time.
You will see the ice of the purest lake in the world in all its incredible manifestations: splashes and grottoes, frozen bubbles and graceful patterns.
Visit the famous bays and capes - in winter, the coastal cliffs of Lake Baikal look especially grandiose, decorated with huge icicles and ice splashes up to 15 meters high. You will also be able to skate and raft on an ice floe, be initiated into ice travel and visit the “sacred heart of Baikal” - Olkhon Island. We combine active entertainment with acquaintance with local culture and beliefs.
You will learn what “burkhanit” is and how to do it correctly, you will see a beautiful ritual of purification by fire and the Yekhor round dance, and you will hear mesmerizing throat singing. On the sacred island of Ogoy, you can make a wish and walk around the Stupa of Enlightenment (obligatory - an odd number of times!) to make it come true. In February-March, the tour program includes a visit to the first and only Arctic station on Lake Baikal.
In an atmosphere that recreates the times of exploration of the Arctic and Siberia in the 19th and 20th centuries, you will see unique under-ice tulips, walk through an ice tunnel, ride a Finnish sled and even be able to send a postcard from the very heart of Baikal! And, of course, you will bring back from your trip hundreds of photographs from photo zones created by nature itself. All tour locations are incredibly photogenic, so make sure to fully charge your phones, cameras and quadcopters 😉
Cozy rooms of the "Standard" category. The hotel is located just 700 meters from the lake, so each room offers an inspiring view of the Maloye More. At your service there is a restaurant, a lobby bar, a barbecue area, a sauna with a Tibetan bath and European-level service.
Double rooms of the Deluxe category. Laconic and functional interiors combined with an ideal location in the historical center of the city.
We start in Irkutsk - we will meet you at the airport before 9:30 on the first day of the program. After the meeting, we set off to the destination of our trip - Lake Baikal. On the way, we will stop at the Golden Horde ethnopark, where we will combine a delicious lunch of national Buryat dishes with immersion in the local culture. After lunch we will reach the main destination of the trip, Lake Baikal. Through the picturesque Olkhon Gate Strait, the shores of which are indented by numerous bays, we will reach Olkhon Island and check into a hotel. After resting a little and changing clothes, you will walk on the transparent Baikal ice for the first time. After dinner on your own, the guide will tell you about Baikal and our plans for the coming days, and introduce you to a map of the region.
After breakfast, we will go to the lake shore to board the Hivus airship (a large hovercraft).
On it we will go to explore the Small Sea - a narrow part of Baikal, separated from the rest by Olkhon. We will see capes Uyuga and Tsagan-Khushun, the islands of Izhilkhey and Oltrek, grandiose ice grottoes. You will also undergo a ritual of initiation into Baikal travelers and taste the purest water directly from the lake by drilling a hole and measuring the thickness of the ice. Where lunch will take place depends on the date of travel.
In January we have lunch at the art restaurant “Port Olkhon”, which serves traditional Buryat, Baikal and Siberian cuisine. After lunch, January travelers will go to the famous Shamanka rock (aka Cape Burkhan). From February to March, the program includes a visit to “Boro-Boro” - the first Arctic station on Lake Baikal! The menu includes smoked Angara trout, fish soup and Siberian pickles. Upon returning to the hotel, free time.
The final day’s program is no less rich in impressions!
On the airship we will visit many interesting places. On the uninhabited island of Ogoy we will take a walk to the Buddhist Stupa of Enlightenment. We will also see capes Khorgoy and Kobylya Golova. We will stop at Khubyn Island, whose caves turn into fantastic ice castles in winter. After lunch we will go to Big Baikal, to its most beautiful locations - Orso and Aya bays. Here, on the ice of incredibly deep shades, active entertainment awaits you: we will go sledding and ice skating and even play hockey! We’ll also take photos through the hummock and ride on it. Towards evening, it will be time to say goodbye to the region: you will travel by minibus to Irkutsk and check into a hotel.
If your flight time allows, you can take a walk around Irkutsk - our guides will be happy to tell you what is worth seeing and where the most delicious restaurants are. Please note that the journey from the hotel to the airport takes 30 minutes.
The group assembles and leaves at 10:00. Purchase tickets with arrival no later than 9:30 (local time).
2. Sun protection: cream with SPF 20 or higher, sunglasses.
3. Personal first aid kit.
4. Ice access - optional.
You can rent skates or bring them with you if you have enough space in your luggage ;-) 5. Photographic equipment.
6. Headlamp with spare batteries.
Most of our travelers are people 25-50 years old. The tour is suitable for children from 8 years old. Since no serious physical activity is planned, the program is also available to retirees.
This is not a dangerous and well-explored route. We closely monitor hiking and ice conditions and, if necessary, make adjustments to the program (this rarely happens). In addition, the guide and captain always have a first aid kit. We do not move away from civilization and, if necessary, we can quickly get to the nearest populated area. Take your compulsory medical insurance policy with you.
Dinners cost on average 1200-2500 rubles. For the rest, be guided by your plans: you can buy souvenirs, alcohol or medicine, or order a bathhouse.
Ask questions to the tour coordinator
Tour from an official tour operator from the Rostourism register
