Why go?
See the legendary ice of the cleanest lake in the world, shrouded in myths and legends, and do it in comfort.
Adrenaline and exotic
Baikal is a true legend, a whole world with diverse nature and contrasting landscapes that are impressive at any time of the year. In winter, it is an endless expanse of ice with unique patterns and frozen air bubbles, ice grottoes and splashes. Here it is very easy to find a balance between quiet contemplation and active recreation: admiring sunsets, conquering slopes and cutting through ice, immersing yourself in culture...
Maximum comfort
Unconventional and hard-to-reach places are not a reason to give up comfort and resign yourself to the harsh romance of camping! We conduct VIP-level tours and provide comfortable delivery to all locations. Depending on the chosen program, we are ready to offer business-class cars, a Bell 429 helicopter, hovercraft, and powerful travel trailers. We also organize accommodation in the most luxurious hotels and chalets.
Personal program
We will take into account all the nuances and prepare an individual travel plan: a special menu, activities to choose from, non-standard routes... And most importantly - 24/7 support from professionals in their field! You can relax and forget about organizational issues - enjoy an adventure that will win the hearts of even the most experienced travelers.
Baikal
Baikal is an unusual, sacred lake. This is a place of power, full of secrets and unexpected discoveries. The landscapes of its coastline are varied and amazing: there are endless forests, fields and steppes, majestic mountains, beaches, bays and bays... And Baikal is also home to numerous and very different islands: from the sacred Olkhon to the gloomy Zamogoy.
The transparency of the water on Lake Baikal is 40 meters: if you throw a coin into the lake, you can trace its fall in the water all the way. In winter, this incredibly clear water freezes, without losing its transparency and creating amazing patterns of cracks and frozen bubbles. While traveling around the lake and its surroundings, you will be able to get acquainted with all the diversity of Baikal ice, see the legendary islands of Olkhon and Ogoy, Peschanaya and Aya bays, the Khamar-Daban mountain range and other unique territories.
Winter season on Lake Baikal: from February 1 to April 30.
Available transport: comfortable Toyota and Hyundai minivans, prepared Land Cruiser SUVs, Mi-8 and Eurocopter 350 helicopters, trakols and airships
Olkhon Island
This island is considered the largest of the 26 islands of Baikal, its area is 730 square km. The nature of Olkhon is as diverse as the landscapes around the entire huge lake. There are steppes, deciduous and fir forests, steep cliffs, bays and sandy beaches. The island is also famous for its history. People have lived on it since the Paleolithic era, and it is rightfully considered one of the most important centers of northern shamanism.
Peschanaya Bay
Difficult to access, but still one of the most famous attractions of Lake Baikal. The highlight of this location is the stilted trees. Water washes away and wind blows sand out from under trees, so their roots are located on the surface and not in the ground. In summer, the bay is a good option for a beach holiday, and in winter, you can observe incredibly beautiful phenomena here: methane bubbles frozen in ice and fantastic splashes of ice on the rocks.
Ogoy and Zamogoy Islands
Two islands located next to each other. Despite their proximity, Ogoy and Zamogoy are polar opposites in their energy. Ogoi, with its Buddhist stupa of enlightenment, has been uninhabited throughout its history. This is a place of power with stunning nature. Zamoga is considered by locals to be a dark island due to the fact that leprosy patients used to live here. It is not visited often, but there is a chance to see Baikal seals (not guaranteed).
Aya Bay
One of the most picturesque bays of Lake Baikal - endless space, unearthly beauty... and a must-see on any trip! These fantastic landscapes will take your breath away: it’s not for nothing that the word “Aya” means “beautiful.” This is a masterpiece created by nature itself and remained untouched for many centuries. A hundred meters north of the bay there are rock paintings-petroglyphs that date back to the 3rd-5th centuries AD.
Circum-Baikal railway
The Railway is a monument of engineering: on a short section of 89 km, 424 engineering structures were erected, including 39 tunnels, 47 stone and 3 iron galleries. In terms of volume, timing, complexity and cost of work, this section had no equal among Russian railways. However, the Circum-Baikal Railway is not only engineering attractions, but also numerous natural monuments.
Snezhnaya River
One of the largest full-flowing tributaries of Baikal with a unique landscape stretching along the banks. The river got its name because of the icy clear water, which does not warm up even in the hottest summer months: it was born under centuries-old snow on the peaks of the Khangarul ridge. You can also find excellent fishing here, including winter fishing: the river is home to grayling, lenok, taimen, pike and perch.
Khamar-Daban
Khamar-Daban is a mountain range in the Baikal region. We will see these majestic mountains in the Mamai River gorge. The power and beauty of nature here is amazing: you will see mighty centuries-old cedars, huge boulders of stone, gentle and steep slopes covered with snow... These slopes can be conquered on a snowboard or alpine skiing, and if you dream of a contemplative holiday, simply explore the surroundings from a helicopter.
Boro Boro
A real polar station in the heart of Lake Baikal! In an atmosphere reminiscent of the exploration of the Arctic and Siberia in the 19th and 20th centuries, you will see live tulips growing in the ice, walk through an ice tunnel, ride a Finnish sled, send a postcard to friends and family, and taste delicacies from the chef ! A visit to the station will be equally interesting for both adults and children - it is a completely unique experience.
Tazheran steppes
A unique natural complex that is very easy to miss during an independent trip to Lake Baikal - but not with us! These steppes are notable for their landscape: from sand dunes to relict spruce forests and salt lakes. Here you can also find shamanic shrines, mysterious petroglyphs and caves. Along the steppes along the coast of Lake Baikal there are many beautiful secluded bays.
Pribaikalsky Park
An ideal place to get acquainted with the fauna of Lake Baikal. The park maintains a population of wild animals: specialists care for young animals, treat sick animals and feed cubs left without parents. Animals come very close: this is a great chance to take beautiful shots of deer, wild boar, wild goat, yaks, chipmunks and birds, of which there are 303 species in the park.
How to go on the perfect VIP tour of Lake Baikal
Tour program of your choice
Arrival at Baikal
You will land at Irkutsk airport. Your guide will meet you and the journey begins! From now on, you will be surrounded by care and attention every minute. Possible options:
- Meeting at the airport business lounge
- Meeting at the gangway
We organize transfers by business class car or helicopter. On the first day of your stay in the region, you can organize various activities of your choice: stay in Irkutsk and explore the city with a guide, go to Listvyanka or Olkhon for your first meeting with Lake Baikal. If the transfer to the lake is organized by car, along the way we can make stops at picturesque places and observation platforms, and visit the Taltsy Museum of Wooden Architecture, located in the open air.
Today it is important to acclimatize and relax after a long flight, so we suggest spending this day in a relaxed manner. Once at the hotel, you can visit the Russian bathhouse and dine in the restaurant.
Comfort
First meeting
Waiting for adventure
Hotel Anastasia Lake View 4*
The hotel is located on the shores of Baikal - you can enjoy magnificent panoramic views of the lake, the source of the mighty Angara River, Shaman Stone and the peaks of Khamar-Daban.
The hotel complex is built mainly from valuable tree species - Siberian pine, ash, oak.
Rooms with luxurious furnishings that meet the highest international standards. The service standards and cuisine will satisfy even the most demanding guests. Also at your service is a Russian bathhouse, stylized as a majestic frigate, a Finnish sauna, an outdoor swimming pool, and a yacht pier.
Helicopter ride to Olkhon
If Baikal is the “blue heart” of Siberia, then Olkhon is the heart of Baikal. We suggest making your first acquaintance with the most famous Baikal island from a bird's eye view! Along the way, flying over the lake, you will see all the variety of patterns of Baikal ice from the most favorable angle. During the flight and after landing, you will find breathtaking panoramas, a variety of landscapes and a powerful charge of Baikal energy. A guide will accompany you throughout this excursion. He will tell you about many legends and the rich history of Olkhon Island and answer any questions.
The program also includes a national lunch cooked over a fire: fish soup made from local fish, vegetables and Baikal berries, and traditional drinks. The duration of the excursion is from 2 hours.
Food: fish soup made from fresh Baikal fish.
Transport: helicopters Airbus Helicopters H130 (EC130 T2), Airbus Helicopters H125 (AS350B3e), Robinson R-44, Bell 206 B3, Bell 206 Long VIP
Diverse landscapes
Northern shamanism
Lunch with smoke
Listvyanka and ice rafting
One of the most exotic activities on winter Baikal is ice rafting on the Angara River! Today we invite you to go to the village of Listvyanka, one of the most cozy and interesting settlements on Lake Baikal. Here is the Baikal Museum, which we can visit if we wish to learn more about the amazing fauna of the lake and even make a virtual dive to the bottom in a bathyscaphe.
The main event of this day will be rafting along the Angara. It takes place on a pre-cut ice floe under the control of a hovercraft. The entertainment is completely safe and organized taking into account the requirements of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The path will run from Baikal downstream of the Angara; during the rafting you will not only contemplate snow-covered landscapes, but also taste local drinks. Please note: This event requires certain weather and ice conditions.
Meals: lunch in a cafe, treats during the rafting
Unique experience
Water expanses
Landscapes of Baikal
Peschanaya Bay – Aya Bay
We will visit two of the most picturesque Baikal bays: Peschanaya with fantastic stilted trees, as well as Aya Bay framed by hills and rocky cliffs.
The bays are interesting not only for the surrounding landscapes, but also because here you can see the diversity of Baikal ice: unique patterns and frozen air bubbles (methane bubbles). You can skate on the ice or even play hockey!
We will travel along the route using an unusual means of transport - an airship. Along the way, we will definitely make stops in picturesque locations: at Cape Mare’s Head, Skriper rock, Saagan-Zaba cliff, Cape Kadilny, etc. If you wish, you can visit the petroglyphs of the 3rd-5th centuries AD.
Transport: Khivus - hovercraft
Meals: lunch in a cafe, optional catering on ice
Cracks and bubbles
Unity with nature
Unusual transport
Hotel Bay Aya
An intimate hotel with a homely atmosphere is located near the Small Sea, near a picturesque bay protected from all winds.
The sandy beach is only 70 meters away! You will be able to enjoy breathtaking views of the wide crescent of the beach, the endless expanse of the great lake and the endless steppe.
This secluded place, filled with tranquility, is ideal for immersing yourself in the magical atmosphere of Lake Baikal. Fans of active recreation will appreciate the beach volleyball court and the provided sports equipment: balls, badminton, yoga mats. For guests who want to relax and unwind with their companions, there is a barbecue area and board games. A hot bathhouse will be the ideal end to the evening.
Circum-Baikal railway
The iconic section of the railway will impress those who are interested in engineering achievements and dream of exploring the route, which has been called the “Golden Buckle of the Russian Steel Belt.” A majestic testimony to the technological achievements of mankind did not destroy a unique ecosystem, but harmoniously fit into it! Therefore, along the entire journey you will be amazed not only by the galleries, bridges and tunnels, but also by the surrounding landscapes.
How exactly to explore the Circum-Baikal Railway is up to you, and we will organize any transport according to your wishes! You can view it from above by taking a helicopter excursion from Irkutsk or the Valley of Dreamers. You can see the legendary railway route from a vantage point - from Lake Baikal itself, cutting through its ice on snowmobiles or an airship. And, of course, we can arrange stops to see interesting areas up close and take beautiful shots.
Transport: helicopter, airship or snowmobiles.
Spirit of Travel
The majesty of nature
Rich story
Helicopter excursion to Khamar-Daban
Khamar-Daban is the main mountain range of the Baikal region, which is visible from many popular locations in the region: peaks in a bluish haze rise on the horizon and amaze with their grandeur, and the slopes are covered with picturesque forests. The Baikal Nature Reserve is located in the central part of the ridge, and the ridge is called the “Siberian jungle” for its incredible diversity of flora and fauna. At the same time, many interesting locations are easily accessible and do not require special physical preparation for trekking. You can organize fishing in the Snezhnaya River, including winter fishing, so that you can then taste fish soup from the fresh catch.
But Khamar-Daban will be of interest not only to nature lovers. The Mamai River Gorge is a real mecca for snowboarders and skiers. If you are into freeride and want to conquer the gentle slopes of Khamar-Daban, a helicopter can take you to one of the peaks along with your equipment. We will choose a suitable slope based on weather conditions and snow cover.
Food: fresh fish soup.
Transport: helicopters Airbus Helicopters H130 (EC130 T2), Airbus Helicopters H125 (AS350B3e), Robinson R-44, Bell 206 B3, Bell 206 Long VIP
Alone with nature
Adrenalin
Fragrant ear
Boro Boro Polar Station
“Boro-Boro” is the first Arctic station on Lake Baikal! Here, with love and attention to detail, the atmosphere of the times of exploration of the Arctic and Siberia in the 19th and 20th centuries has been recreated. At the station you can learn about the brave pioneers and try on their images: study old maps, observe the weather using instruments and put on sheepskin coats for the most colorful photos!
You can take memorable photographs at Boro-Boro not only as polar explorers. There are many unique and picturesque locations: for example, tulips growing right in the ice and an ice tunnel. There are active entertainments for every taste: sledding, ice bowling, ice skating, hockey... And as a souvenir of your visit, we suggest sending a postcard from the very heart of Baikal! For lunch you will find delicious local cuisine: smoked Angara trout, fish soup and Siberian pickles.
Conquest of the Arctic
Subglacial tulips
Flavorful dishes
Art Hotel Port Olkhon
An atmospheric hotel with local flavor, located on the very shore of Lake Baikal. The design of the rooms is stylized to match the Baikal nature - here you will feel a real unity with these magical places. The hotel is in close proximity to many attractions. At your service there is a bar, a restaurant serving European and Russian cuisine, and, of course, a beautiful sandy beach.
Maloye More by airship or trakol
If you want to see the Baikal ice in all its diversity, we invite you to go on an exciting journey along the Small Sea - the strait that separates the land from Olkhon Island. Here you will see amazing patterns on the surface of the ice, fascinating and non-repeating, and frozen air bubbles in the deep blue. And also - bizarre splashes on the rocky shores, as if frozen in motion, and mysterious grottoes with ice walls and “stalactites”. We will visit all the most beautiful locations: the famous “Dragon’s Tooth” on Ogoy Island, the capes of Kobylya Golova, Khorgoy, Three Brothers, and Khubyn Island.
You can explore the Small Sea on airships - hovercraft, or on trekols - amphibious all-terrain vehicles with six huge wheels. Both of these methods are comfortable and as safe as possible. If you wish, you can have a picnic on the ice, go ice skating or play hockey.
Incredible footage
Open spaces
Splashes and grottoes
Ogoy and Zamogoy Islands
Two legendary Baikal islands, so different and so unique, despite their similar names! We suggest going on Khivus - hovercraft - to Ogoj and Zamogoj. First we will make a landing on the island of Ogoy, where we will visit the Buddhist stupa of enlightenment. This snow-white structure, topped with a dome and spire, was erected in 2005 and became one of the most important symbols of Buddhism on Lake Baikal. A sacred place is suitable for making a wish. It is believed that if you walk around the Stupa clockwise a certain number of times, your wish will definitely come true!
Afterwards we will stop at the island of Zamogoj, associated with many dark legends. Zamogoj used to have a colony of lepers, so it is considered the opposite of Ogoj - a land with a sad history and a dark atmosphere. Here we have a chance to see seals. If desired, you can arrange fishing on this day.
Light and darkness
Buddhist relics
Make a wish
VIP Hotel Tsarskoe Podvorie
The hotel where Dmitry Medvedev stayed and where top managers of Gazprom and Russian Railways visited.
The Tsarskoe Podvorye is a recreation center of the highest level, where you will appreciate the ideal service and atmosphere of solitude, an island of comfort tens of kilometers from the nearest civilization. At your service - the Tsar's restaurant, a Russian bathhouse, a tennis court, a swimming pool and a real Turkish hammam!
Forge and husky
Friendly dogs, sled rides, cultural immersion and workshops - it can all be crammed into one day! We will go to a private estate, whose owners breed huskies and practice traditional crafts. Here you can take part in a master class on blacksmithing and learn the secrets of the masters that have been passed down from generation to generation. And then have a blast riding a dog sled as a passenger or musher (manager of the sled). The role of a musher is not very difficult at first glance - test yourself!
After interesting activities, you can warm up with aromatic tea and homemade pancakes. At the end of the day, we invite you to visit one of the most popular observation platforms on Lake Baikal - “Chersky Stone”. It is located at an altitude of 800 m, from where a magnificent panorama of the lake opens: Port Baikal, located at the source of the Angara, Shaman Stone, the Khamar-Daban mountain range in a bluish haze.
Friendly dogs
Traditions
Panorama of the lake
Choose the right format
Ready-made program or personal adventure?
Winter tour to Baikal Most Popular
from 190,000 ₽
per person / from 5 days- Accommodation in the best hotels
- Transfers by minivan or SUV
- Personal guide all days of the tour
- Visit to the Arctic camp "Boro-Boro"
- Walk on Khivus - hovercraft
- Excursion to the Golden Horde ethnopark
- Baikal bathhouse with birch brooms
- Skate rental;
- Lots of fresh Baikal fish
Premium tour with HIT
from 690,000 ₽
per person / 5 days- Accommodation in the best hotels
- Individual menu every day
- Transfer by SUV Land Cruiser 200
- Personal guide throughout the tour
- Rent of SVP "Mars-2000" VIP (hovercraft)
- Rafting on an ice floe – hovercraft “Khivus”
- Meeting with an active shaman on the ice of Lake Baikal
- Helicopter trip to Olkhon (optional)
- Baikal bathhouse with birch brooms;
- Ethnopark "Golden Horde" and traditional lunch
- and many pleasant surprises every day of the tour...
Personal Adventure Most Popular
individually
/ any groupAfter an interview with a regional expert (30-60 minutes), we will create a customized tour for you. The program you will receive is thought out to the smallest detail: timing, map of the day, menu, list of involved specialists. The tour can include all the best that Baikal has to offer - helicopter excursions, a yacht cruise, a flight across the entire lake, a high-speed airboat, jeep tours, ATVs or jet skis.
A solo adventure can be of any length.
Get the program Get the program
