5 days
Fixed dates
10 people
from 6 years
Basic
Guest house or camp site, Hotel
Russian
Gastronomy, Excursion tours
Winter Baikal is the most suitable place for the New Year holidays and Christmas! On this journey you can truly feel the atmosphere of magic and wonder. Walking through the snowy taiga, bizarre ice patterns, fantastically bright sunsets. Here you will spend 5 days filled with exciting entertainment and make your deepest wishes - they will definitely come true!
A kaleidoscope of impressions and tranquil views of winter Baikal.
The tour program is designed in such a way that you have time to see the most interesting things, take part in exciting entertainment, learn a lot about the region - and at the same time you will have enough time for leisurely walks and contemplation of the surrounding beauties. You will see a panorama of Lake Baikal from above, walk on the clearest first ice, enjoy the view of the hilly Tazheran steppes, visit Olkhon Island and Cape Burkhan, surrounded by myths. You will be able to ride a Russian troika through the streets of a real 18th-century village and even virtually sink to the bottom of the lake in a bathyscaphe, meet a seal and skate on the largest natural skating rink on the planet. While visiting a Buryat family, you will learn about the traditional way of life, and in Irkutsk you will see the famous wooden frames. Many gastronomic adventures await you: you will try real Buryat buuzes and take part in a master class on their preparation, taste local teas, Tarasun and Khorzo, and taste delicacies from Siberian game.
And, of course, feel the Kiss of Baikal by taking a sip straight from a hole drilled in the ice. This group tour will be fun for the whole family. Join us to celebrate Christmas and make your cherished wishes in a fabulous atmosphere!
Double rooms of the “Deluxe Twin Baikal View” category. A modern hotel with comfortable and spacious rooms, from which a beautiful panorama of Lake Baikal opens. The hotel is located on a hill, so even a regular walk around the territory allows you to enjoy impressive views.
Double rooms of the “Standard” category. This is the only hotel on the island whose territory has direct access to the first coastline. Unique interiors made from natural materials, a park with unusual art objects, a restaurant with authentic local cuisine - you will find a peaceful holiday in unity with nature.
Deluxe double rooms. The global chain hotel is located in the city center, with easy access to all the main attractions of Irkutsk. Ergonomic stylish rooms, European level service, hospitality, comfort and a restaurant with a large selection of European and Russian cuisine.
Group gathering and meeting with the guide - until 9:45. Make sure your flight arrives on time.
After meeting at the airport we head to Listvyanka. On the way we will stop at the Taltsy ethnographic museum. This architectural and historical complex represents a real Siberian village of past centuries: taverns and fairs, folk entertainment and horseback riding! After the excursion, we will have lunch with local delicacies in a restaurant, enjoying the panorama of the Angara, and go to the observation deck “Chersky Stone”, where we will go up by cable car. Your first look at magical Baikal - from a height of 800 meters! A little free time for photos and a walk, and then transfer to the hotel. In the second half, you can stroll around Listvyanka on your own, go to the fish market, buy souvenirs for loved ones, or ride the Ferris wheel.
In the morning we go to the Baikal Limnological Museum - here you will see the seal, one of the symbols of Baikal, learn about the unique ecosystem of the lake, and also take a virtual dive to the bottom of Baikal on a bathyscaphe.
We will have lunch at the national cafe in the Golden Horde ethnopark. The menu includes the famous Buryat buuz and other traditional dishes according to recipes passed down from generation to generation. Our destination is Olkhon Island. The airship (hovercraft) “Khivus” will take us to it across the ice of the Olkhon Gate Strait. Get ready to take many incredibly beautiful shots of the Baikal ice and the shores of the strait indented with secluded bays! On Olkhon we check into a hotel, dinner on our own, free time.
After breakfast at the hotel, we head to Cape Burkhan, also known as Shamanka Rock.
This picturesque cape, crowned by a double-headed rock, is one of the nine shrines of Asia and is surrounded by many myths and legends. In front of the rock there are 13 serge ritual pillars, decorated with multi-colored ribbons. After a walk around the cape and the surrounding area, we go to a Buryat village. Here you will get acquainted with national traditions and way of life, dine on homemade dishes and try your hand at preparing real Buryat buuz. By 15:00 we return to the hotel and have free time. You will be able to spend a bright sunset in the magical atmosphere of the sacred island and make your deepest wishes. They will certainly come true!
We leave Olkhon and go to one of the bays of the Small Sea (the specific choice depends on the ice conditions).
Here you can walk on the very first, purest ice of Lake Baikal, enjoy its fantastic patterns and go ice skating. You will be initiated into Baikal travelers and take a sip of lake water straight from a hole drilled in the ice. During lunch in the national cafe there will be a tasting of national Buryat and Mongolian drinks: teas, tarasun (“milk vodka”), khorzo. Upon arrival in Irkutsk, there will be a short sightseeing tour of the festive evening city. Once you check into the hotel, you can celebrate Christmas on your own in the warm atmosphere of one of the restaurants in Irkutsk - our manager will help you choose and book a place in advance.
If the departure time allows, you can devote time to further acquaintance with Irkutsk. This is a very beautiful city of wooden architecture and the Decembrists, there really is something to see here - we will definitely suggest the most worthwhile places to visit.
We meet at the airport at 9:45 local time. Please take this into account when purchasing air tickets.
Average temperatures in January on Lake Baikal in January are -12, -15 degrees. Possible cooling down to -20 or warming up to -5. There are strong winds, take this into account when choosing clothes.
We recommend the tour for families with children aged 6 years and older. Travelers under 12 years of age receive a 10% discount.
We recommend the Ibis, Airhotel, Courtyard Marriott (Irkutsk City Center) hotels.
Ice conditions are unpredictable. Usually, by January, stable and durable ice forms in the bays of the Small Sea, so we plan to visit them, and you will have the opportunity to walk on the transparent ice of Lake Baikal.
There is no connection for only 2-3 hours during the transfer to Olkhon. The rest of the time, operators MTS, Megafon, Tele2 are available.
Ask questions to the tour coordinator
Tour from an official tour operator from the Rostourism register
