Baikal ice. Author's route for 4 days

The program is full of all the beauty of winter Baikal. We will see everything from frozen bubbles to ice caves, from cosmic cracks to huge deposits of broken ice. We will try Baikal cuisine both in good restaurants and in authentic conditions, for example, taste fresh fish directly from fishermen. We will be able to do various activities: ride dog sleds, skates or buggies; go to the bath on ice and communicate with a real shaman and much more.
The route is built in such a way as to minimally intersect with groups of tourists, but enjoy much more attractions than in a standard tour. In a large number of places, we will be able to be alone for a complete immersion in the atmosphere of sleeping Baikal.

1 day. Departure from Irkutsk this morning.

• 2.5 hours drive to Baikal, on the way a small stop for the ceremony of greeting local shaman spirits.
• The first trip to the ice of Baikal, and immediately - one of the best places to observe frozen bubbles in the ice! And, of course, the first hummocks, cracks and other beauty.
• Visit the quarry with white marble of the highest quality, from which sculptures were made.
• Lunch on the farm in the Bay of Krestovaya with local residents. There are no roads, no electricity, no communications, but there is always a warm welcome and a very busy home farm lunch. If such authenticity is not to your liking - you can dine a little further in a species restaurant.
• Aya Bay is one of the most beautiful bays of Baikal, and the most beautiful observation point.
• A little acquainted with the Tazheran steppes - an unusual kind of steppe, similar to the Mongolian, and there is usually no snow.
• Rock paintings. Accommodation to choose from: on the island of Olkhon, the hotel "Aya Bay" or on the farm in Krestovaya.

2 days.

• South of Olkhon Island and the Strait of Little Sea.
• We will visit the main local attraction and place of power - Shamanka rock, Cape Burhan, and the holy place "13 pillars of the serge" on it.
• Ogoi Island is an unusual island with a Buddhist stupa of enlightenment on top.
• Cape “Dragon’s Tail” is one of the main photographed locations, here the most photo shoots are held.
• And on the west side there are strong winds - here you can see trees covered with ice.
• We will visit two small grottoes, ice caves, in which the walls are covered with transparent ice.
• Rock Devil, which is already a large grotto with icicles on the ceiling.
• Lunch in the cafe of Baikal cuisine.
• We will visit Olkhon himself: the Trident rock and the fall of Khalzana. Views from a height to the Straits of the Small Sea and the Olkhon Gate, as well as bays and other rocks.
• The small island of Izhilhei is a piece of rock sticking out of Lake Baikal, popularly called the “island of St. Helena”.
• Snake Bay with transparent ice right off the coast, you can look at the bottom through the ice.
• On this day, activities are conveniently built in: dog sledding, buggy, skating; visiting a bath on ice; meeting with a shaman; visiting one of the ice restaurants and much more.

3 days.

• The main popular excursion route "North of Olkhon Island and the Small Sea".
• Departure is usually early, until the crowds of prefabricated excursions.
• A small observation point to the islands of Lion and Crocodile, very prominent against the background of the Primorsky ridge mountains.
• Cape Three Brothers and Hoboy are the most famous and popular points. Here we are waiting for large hummocks (mountains of broken ice), cracks, splashes on the rocks (sokui), and of course the rocks themselves are also very impressive, one of the largest.
• Cape Khoboy is the end of Olkhon Island, behind it is the widest place of Baikal, and the deepest.
• Moving to Cape Aral. It is known for two special grottoes. One is very large - you can go in full height and take beautiful photos from the inside. From the other come some warm streams from the inside, thanks to which snow needle and lace growths are formed on the walls and ceiling, needles sometimes reach the length of the arm.
• For lunch you can visit the fishermen in an authentic ice restaurant right on the ice. All main dishes from the main local fish - freshly caught omul: sagudai, stroganina, ear, as well as hot-smoked fish.

4 days.

• Today we will drive across the land to the north of Olkhon Island.
• We will see the places where yesterday we were on the ice from a great height.
• The expanses of the ice lake are incredibly impressive, and a complex web of cracks creates just cosmic views.
• We will see ancient trees that are 500-800 years old.
• The Peschanoe Tract is a large sand dune in which coniferous trees grow, and there is also a small settlement where the Gulag camp was once located.
• Cape of Love.
• The sculpture The Guardian of Baikal from the original author Dasha Namdakov, like all his creations, is in shamanistic motifs, and stands in an unusual picturesque place.
• The scientific settlement of Uzura.
• If desired, after lunch we can visit the pad of Idib, here the French film “In the Forests of Siberia” was filmed.
• Departure to Irkutsk in the evening, and arrival in the city after 20:00, but it is possible earlier if necessary. It is also possible to stay here for another night, to the next day slowly go to the city.

• Land and ice transfers on the Land Cruiser 200 premium SUV, all ice routes are always checked by me at the beginning of the season.
• Passes and permits to the national park;
• Lunch or dinner in one of the restaurants on ice, as well as lunch on the farm in the bay "Cross".

Not included:

• Accommodation (but I will recommend and book if necessary accommodation of the desired level);
• Dinners and lunches not described in the paragraph above; there is always the option to have dinner at my hotel, or I will take it to another restaurant and pick it up from there.
• Optional entertainment (dog sledding, skating, hivus, visiting the bath and soaring session, etc.).