Baikal beauty

Day 1

Arrival in Irkutsk, meeting with the sign "Baikal beauty" at 08.00 and 09.00 (time is stipulated additionally, depending on your arrival and can be changed according to the schedule of minibuses, in this case, the change of time will be notified to tourists in advance). Meeting place at the airport - inside the airport building, near the entrance to the city, at the railway station - inside the station building, near the entrance to the city, in the first entrance - suburban ticket offices.
Transfer to the place of departure of the minibus. Landing on a minibus, departure to Baikal – Small Sea.
The Small Sea is the center of tourism on the west coast of Baikal. This part of the lake, including the island of Olkhon, represents all the natural zones of the coast of Baikal, replacing one another: it is steppe expanses, chic sandy and pebble beaches, steep cliffs, mountains and taiga ... during our excursions you will see for yourself how beautiful and diverse the nature of the Small Sea is.
In Buryat, the Small Sea sounds like Narin Dalai, which means Narrow Sea. This narrow strait is separated from the “Big Baikal” by Olkhon Island. The climate of the coast is ideal for recreation: there is very little rainfall and most of the time it is sunny. Water in the bays in the summer warms up to 20-22 degrees.
Upon arrival, accommodation at the tourist base. Accommodation (a comfortable room, shower and toilet in the room)
Lunch.
Information meeting.
Dinner.
Walking tour, during which you will learn a lot of interesting information and the Baikal region, Lake Baikal and the traditions of the local population.
Guide: Yes (during the tour).

Meals: Lunch, dinner.

Cities: Irkutsk

Attractions: Small Sea

Ponds: Lake Baikal

 

Day 2

Breakfast.
One-day tour to Olkhon Island.
Route: tourist base - ferry crossing through the Strait of Olkhon Gate - Zagli - Mare's head - Cape Burkhan - Saray beach - Peschanoe - Sagan-Khushun - Khoboy - Cape Shunte left - tourist base.
Having resorted to poetic images, we can say that Baikal is the blue heart of Siberia, and Olkhon is the heart of Baikal. The island is the geographical, historical and sacred center of the lake - the center of ancient legends and historical legends. Located in the central part of Baikal, near the greatest depth mark (1637 m), at an equal distance from the northern and southern extremities of the lake, Olkhon concentrated on its territory all the diversity of natural landscapes of the Baikal shores. Even in its shape, it resembles the outlines of Baikal. In myths and legends, the Buryat Olkhon is called the dwelling place of the formidable spirits of Lake Baikal. At the end of the twentieth century, the shamans of the Republic of Buryatia recognized Olkhon Island as “the main sanctuary, the cult center of common Mongolian and Central Asian significance, personifying the sacred ancestral home of the Buryats.”
Our way we start from the recreation center, move to the ferry on Olkhon Island. Strait Olkhon Gate: Strait separating Olkhon Island from the mainland, length - about 8 km, width - about 1 km. As we move towards the center of the island, we will see:
Zagli Bay (Tashkai Bay) is the sunniest place in the Irkutsk region. The number of sunny days is 3 times higher than in Irkutsk, and is 2200 hours per year (on the Riga coast – 1830 hours per year). Precipitation falls the same amount as in the dry steppes of Kazakhstan.
The shape of the cape resembles the head of a horse drinking water from Baikal. There is a legend about the soldiers of Genghis Khan, who allegedly stopped at this cape and left behind a huge vat.
Cape Khorgoy - Here is the highest point on Hadai Mountain, which offers a wonderful panorama of the southern part of the island. And on the pass - in honor of the hedgehog - the spirit of the pass. You need to stop here and throw a coin. And finally, we have a wonderful view of the “business card of Baikal”, one of the nine shrines of Asia – Cape Burkhan or Shamanka Rock.
Shamanka was the most revered holy place on Lake Baikal, where sacrifices and vows were made since the appearance of the first shamans. The cave of the cape was considered the residence of the aegin - the owner of the island. In the rock nearest to the shore, shamanic rites took place in the through cave, and later after the lamaization of the Buryats, it contained the altar of the Buddha.
North of Cape Burkhan is the magnificent sandy beach of Sarai Bay, which stretches for 3 km between Cape Burkhan and Pos. Harans. Sand ramparts hide cozy glades in the depths of the shore, surrounded by pine forest. Then we move to the north of the island to Cape Hoboy.
Sandy - (miniature of the famous Sandy Bay). Constant winds blowing from the sea carry sand from the shore and form sand deposits, which are called “moving sands”. At the edge of the forest, you can find stilt trees that rise above the sand 30 – 40 cm at their roots. Their height is much smaller than that of the famous stilt trees in the Bay of Peschanoy.
Sagan-Hushun - "white cape" - extremely picturesque rocky promontory length of about 1 km. The rocks of Sagan-Khushun are included in the list of natural monuments of Baikal. This place stands out among the monotonous coast with spectacular pyramidal rocks, known among the local population as the “Three Brothers”, the legend of which you will learn during the tour.
And here is the main purpose of our trip: Cape Hoboi. Hoboi is a sacred place, a place of power and powerful energy, the northernmost cape on the island of Olkhon. In its appearance, it resembles a sharp fang (just “fang” and is translated as “oboe” into Buryat). Cape Khoboy is located near the widest place of Baikal (79.5 km), and only in good weather from it you can see the opposite shore, the mountainous contour of the St. Nos peninsula. On the cape there is a platform where all-Olkhon shaman tailagans are performed. After trekking to Cape Hoboy - stop for a picnic.
And then another, no less beautiful place – Cape Shunte. Shunte translated from the Buryat language is nothing but larch. The cape is named after a tree not by chance, a dense coniferous forest grows on its banks. Shunte-Levy is located in the northeastern part of the island of Olkhon and is famous for its bright colors: marble veins and bald spots of red lichen. Excellent views of Lake Baikal come off the observation deck of the cape - a high red rock. Locals believe that Shunte-Left helps couples solve the problem of infertility. In ancient times, if the spouses could not give birth to a child for a long time, they put a yurt on the cape, after that the problems usually disappeared. Now there is no such tradition, but for couples who want children, it is considered a good sign to climb one of the rocks (if you want a boy – on the left side of the rock, a girl – on the right). Now on your way back! Moving to the campground. End of the tour.
Lunch - picnic on the way, dinner at the recreation center.
Guide: Yes.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Attractions: Small Sea, Olkhon Island, Cape Burkhan, Peschanoe tract, Cape Khoboy

Ponds: Lake Baikal

 

Day 3.

Breakfast at the base.
Free time. Lunch.
Evening water excursion by boat on the Small Sea.
The walk begins before sunset and lasts about an hour and a half. You will see the stunning beauty of the sunset on Baikal, you can feed the gulls and admire the coastal nature of the island of Olkhon.
Guide: accompanying on a water excursion.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Attractions: Small Sea

Ponds: Lake Baikal

 

4th day

Breakfast.
Excursion to Sarmin Gorge.
Route: tourist base - Sarmin Gorge - tourist base. Duration: 6-7 hours car + trekking.
Sarmin Gorge is one of the legendary places of Baikal. The Sarma is the largest of the rivers (42 km long) flowing into the Small Sea. The river originates from the northern slopes of the Three-headed char. For millions of years, the ice stream of the Sarma River washed in the Primorsky Range powerful gorge "Sarminskoe", on both sides of which rise two rocks, creating an unusual, somewhat sinister pattern of the Sarmin Gate.
Here, rolling over the Primorsky Range from the vast Prilensk elevation, the arctic air rushes into the valley narrowing to the mouth, which at the exit to the basin of Baikal forms a kind of natural wind tunnel. The height difference of the Prilensk hill and the level of Baikal is more than 500 m. This creates very favorable conditions for the masses of cold air falling from such a height to acquire enormous speed and destructive power.
The approach to the Sarmin Gorge in ancient times was separated from the rest of the shore of Lake Baikal by a wall of stones. Shamans of the ancient tribes inhabiting Baikal separated the sacred territory of the mouth of Sarma from outside visitors.
The excursion to the Sarmin Gorge begins along the picturesque road along the Mukhor Bay, the warmest and shallowest section of the Strait of the Small Sea. Behind the Huzhir-Nugai Bay begins a vast delta of the Sarma River, with several low sand islets, nesting places for birds. Further journey takes place on the road in the valley of the river, which in 1643 passed Cossack Pentecostal Kurbat Ivanov.
The sight of tourists opens a vast space, with chaotically scattered huge boulders against the background of emerald grass, as if the spirits of the mountains were playing pins. The whole road is a change of amazingly picturesque landscapes: it is a blooming mountain valley, and a dense forest thicket, and a trail leading along a cliff over the river and, of course, a mountain river with its changes and rapids. The route of the clearing with huge boulders ends, here you can relax, admire the rapid flow from a height and listen to the noise of the water. The road back will seem shorter.
Lunch: A picnic during the tour.
Dinner: Recreation.
Guide: Yes.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Attractions: Small Sea, Sarmin Gorge

Ponds: Lake Baikal

 

5th day

Breakfast.
Water excursion to the island of Ogoi with a visit to the healing spring.
The Buddhist stupa, erected on the island of Ogoi in the summer of 2005 on Lake Baikal, is officially referred to as the Stupa of Enlightenment, the Conquest of Demons, containing a statue of the Female Form, the mother of all Buddhas. In other words, this stupa refers to a type of stupa in which various Buddhist relics are nested. The island of Ogoi, stretching a narrow winding strip of land from south to north for 6 km, from the air strongly resembles dancing Dakina with outstretched arms, facing north.
The stupa, built at the highest point of the island (512 m), at an altitude of 60 meters above the level of Lake Baikal, was located just in the heart of the island. Volunteers from different places took part in the construction of the stupa: from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Minsk, Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, New York, London, Lisbon. Everything necessary for construction was transferred on boats and then manually lifted to the top, and the heaviest loads - by helicopter. The stupa project was designed by an Irkutsk architect. The construction was led by a lama from Bhutan. Buddhists believe that the more often they circumnavigate holy places (stupas, Buddhist hills, sacred mountain peaks), the more likely it is that a wish will be heard by the gods and soon come true. The most zealous believers try to circumvent the shrines 108 times, believed to guarantee purification and liberation.
Guide: accompanying on a water excursion.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Attractions: Small Sea, Ogoi Island

Ponds: Lake Baikal

 

Day 6

Breakfast. Free time.
At 12:00 a.m., group meeting, room delivery. From 13:00 to 14:00 a minibus / bus will come for you.
Departure by minibus to Irkutsk.
Arrival in Irkutsk, the end of the program.
Approximate time of arrival in Irkutsk at 19.00-20.30, the place of the end of the tour: bus station / sports palace Labor / central market - depending on the route of the minibus.
Additionally, it is possible to order a transfer to the railway station / airport, 1000 rubles / car.

Meals: Breakfast.

Cities: Irkutsk

Attractions: Small Sea

Ponds: Lake Baikal