BAIKAL LANDSCAPES
Overview
Every tourist at least once in his life has to visit Baikal. It is not a secret that Lake Baikal is the largest and the deepest lake in the world. There are many mysteries and myths associated with Baikal. And if you want to check it up on your own experience its greatness and immensity, cross it from the West to the East, from North to South, so this tour is for you.
Tour duration - 12 days. During this time, you will see three capitals of Baikal - Irkutsk Severobaikalsk and Ulan-Ude, cross Baikal by hydrofoil boat, visit the heart of Lake Baikal – Olkhon island, observe live seals in the wild nature, swim in the hot healing springs, visit the Buddhism center in Russia - Ivolginski Temple (Datsan), take a train of the Trans-Siberian Railway and much more.
Dates of departures
According to individual requests
Itinerary
1st Day
IRKUTSK
Morning meeting at the airport / railway station with a nameplate “Baikal Vision”. Transfer to the hotel. Check-in.
Lunch in the restaurant at 13:00. Excursion with a guide in the historical center of Irkutsk: churches, the Decembrists' museum, old wooden houses, new entertaining zone “130 district”.
Free dinner. Your guide will advise you the best restaurant or cafe according to your wishes and desires. Overnight at hotel.
2nd Day
IRKUTSK - SEVEROBAIKALSK
Breakfast. Meeting with your guide in the hotel lobby. Transfer to the hydrofoil boat. Boarding.
We have a 12-hour voyage from the west to the north coast.
Lunch on the board. During the trip, you will see the beauty of Baikal shores, amazing capes and bays, feel the greatness and nobility of the sacred lake.
Arrival in Severobaikalsk – unofficial capital of the northern part of Baikal. Transfer to the hotel. Dinner. Overnight at hotel.
3rd Day
SEVEROBAIKALSK - KHAKUSY
Breakfast. Departure by boat to Khakusy area. This area is famous for its hot (about 45 ° C), healing springs. The resort, where you will spend two days, is situated in the coniferous forest, and the air is very pure and delicious. Lunch.
Rest of the day you can easily spend in hot springs or on a 4-kilometer-long sandy beach of Lake Baikal. Dinner and overnight in the resort.
4th Day
KHAKUSY - FROLIKHA - KHAKUSY
Today we have one of the most significant days. We'll go to the lake Frolikha.
Breakfast. Boarding. A boat will take us to the bay Ayaya. Then we will have small trekking (about 6 km). And Voila!!! Lake Frolokha!!! This lake was formed in the Ice Age, however even today the lake remains intact and clear. The water is so clear, that if you make kayaking it will create a feeling that you are swimming in the sky.
Picnic at the shore of lake Frolikha. After lunch, you can swim and relax on the sandy beach and enjoy the beauty of nature or use services of catamarans, kayaks and boats.
Return to the bay Ayaya. Boarding. Way back to Khakusy. Dinner and overnight in the resort.
5th Day
KHAKUSY - SEVEROBAIKALSK
Breakfast. Boarding and return to Severobaikalsk. If the weather is good, you can return to Severobaikalsk after lunch. Free lunch. Excursion around the town. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.
6th Day
SEVEROBAIKALSK - KHUZHIR
Breakfast. Transfer to the hydrofoil boat. Boarding. Then you will go to Khuzhir, Olkhon Island.
Arrival at 2 p.m. Late lunch. Today you will have an excursion around Khuzhir village: Shaman Rock, one of the nine sacred place of Asia. Banya. Dinner. Overnight in the resort.
7th Day
KHUZHIR
Breakfast. Departure for an excursion (8 hours) at the northernmost point of the island - Cape Khoboy. Due to a lack of roads on the island, your trip will be in “road-off” style in specially designed cars like UAZ or Niva.
Cape Khoboy is a sacred place for the indigenous people of the island - the Buryats. It takes plenty of shamanic rituals and religious ceremonies. Here you can see all four sides of the lake. During your excursion, the driver will prepare for you lunch from fresh fish.
Return to Khuzhir. Dinner and overnight in the resort.
8th Day
KHUZHIR
Breakfast. Free day. Today you are free from the excursions, trips to the museums and galleries. Free lunch.
Today you can freely swim in the lake, sunbathe on the beach. Also, there are a lot of different activities like cycling, horse riding, boat trips, catamarans, etc. Moreover, you can book an excursion to the South of the island. Dinner and overnight in the resort.
9th Day
KHUZHIR - UST-BARGUZIN
Breakfast. Board the private speedboat. If you look at the map, you will see that you will cross Baikal in the widest part. Arrival in Ust-Barguzin. Transfer to the resort. Late lunch. Walking around the village. Dinner. Night at the camp site.
10th Day
UST-BARGUZIN
Breakfast. Today you will find the most popular excursion in Barguzin nature reserve, a trip to the most beautiful bay of Lake Baikal – Chivyrkuisky Bay. You will see white sand beaches, 7 islands - natural monument, hot springs, warm water in the bays. Firstly, you will go by car through isthmus
of the peninsula of Svyatoy Nos (St. Nose). Then you will take a boat and during several hours you will admire different Baikal landscapes.
Return to Ust-Barguzin in the evening. Dinner. Night in the guest house.
11th Day
UST-BARGUZIN - ULAN-UDE - IRKUTSK
Breakfast. Departure to Ulan-Ude, the capital of the Republic of Buryatia (268 km), east capital Baikal. Arrival in the city at 13:00. Lunch in cafe of Buryat cuisine.
Next, we will go to Ivilginski temple, the center of Buddhism in Russia. On the territory of Datsan you'll be able to talk to the lamas about your difficulties or problems.
Free dinner. In the evening, at 22:00 you will take a train and return to Irkutsk.
Night in the train.
12th Day
IRKUTSK
Morning arrival in Irkutsk. Transfer to the airport or to the hotel. End of the program.