Excursion tour along the coast of Baikal

1st

Acquaintance with Baikal

10:00 Group gathering at the airport of Irkutsk.

Transfer to post. Listvyanka (65 km) is one of the oldest Russian settlements on the shores of the great lake.

From time immemorial Listvyanka was the Gate to Baikal. Now it has turned into a tourist center, with equipped sights, museums, cafes, restaurants, hotels and riding centers.

On the way, we advise you to visit the architectural and ethnographic museum "Taltsy" (for an additional fee), where you can not only see the wooden architecture and life of the peoples of the Baikal region, but also taste real Siberian pancakes with oil in the "Trapeznaya".

In Listvyanka, we will make a sightseeing tour of the village with a visit to the observation deck to the famous Shaman Stone, listen to the romantic legend of Baikal, visit the functioning Orthodox Church of St. Petersburg. Nicholas the Wonderworker is the patron saint of all travelers and navigators.

Those wishing to learn more about Baikal can go on an excursion to the Baikal Ecological Museum (for an additional fee), where many exhibits telling about the inhabitants of Baikal are collected, they can even be seen live in aquariums located in the museum.

For tireless travelers, there is an opportunity to ride a boat along Baikal (for an additional fee), walk or on quad bikes (for an additional fee) along the forest shore of this picturesque lake.

This busy day will end with a visit to the souvenir market, adjacent to the fish rows, where you will be offered all the variety of Baikal fish prepared in different ways.

Return to Irkutsk.

Hotel accommodation.

Length: 65 km in one direction.
Meals included: lunch at the hotel.

2.

Excursion on Circum-Baikal Railway

Day of moving on various modes of transport and all this day to your left will be Baikal.

On a large ferry, you will cross the source of the Angara River and find yourself in the port of Baikal, a large railway and river port that cannot be reached by car.

From here begins the transfer on a special tourist train on the Circum-Baikal railway - "Golden buckle Transsib", a stunning engineering and architectural monument of the early 20th century.

The trip is accompanied by a story about the history of construction, unique features of the road. The number of tunnels and bridges on a fairly short stretch of the way is impressive when you remember the level of development of technology of that time – everything was built manually, capitally, for centuries.

By the evening you will be in the southernmost point of Baikal, at the foot of the majestic mountains of Hamar-Daban, from where the train will take you to Irkutsk.

Upon arrival in Irkutsk, transfer to the hotel.

The length of the crossing: car ~ 10 minutes, ferry ~ 40 minutes, train ~ 10 hours.
Meals are included: breakfast at the hotel, lunch and dinner on the train.

3

Departure to Olkhon Island

After breakfast, we take a bus to Olkhon Island on the road along the steppes past the ancient Buryat villages, through the picturesque spurs of the Baikal Ridge, the Siberian taiga, which are then again replaced by the Mongolian landscapes of the Tazheran steppe.

Olkhon Island is the largest of the 26 islands of Baikal, its geographical, historical and sacred center, even in its shape resembling the outlines of the lake.

We will be crossing the island by a large ferry.

You will see both the “Small” and “Big” seas – two parts of Lake Baikal, separated by Olkhon, and the famous Olkhon Gate Strait, which runs between the island and the mainland.

Another 40 km along the island and we are in the village of Khuzhir - the capital of the island.

Accommodation at the recreation center.

Length: 320 km. Travel time: ~ 6 hours.

Meals included: breakfast - at the hotel, dinner - at the recreation center.

4.

The village of Khuzhir and the sacred cape Burhan

After breakfast, we go to conquer the unknown expanses of Olkhon Island.

Class for the first half of the day will be a walking tour of the surrounding area: a walk around the village of Khuzhir, a visit to the sacred Cape Burkhan (Shaman Rock) - one of the 9 shrines of Asia, equally revered by shamanists, Buddhists and Lamaists.

Excursion to the local museum, which presents a collection of ancient objects reflecting the life of the islanders.

Back to the recreation center.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner - at the recreation center.

5

Car excursion to Cape Hoboi

All-day excursion to Cape Khoboy – the northern tip of the island, near the widest part of Baikal.

On the way you can see all the diversity of the Baikal natural landscapes concentrated on the island: steppes with deep gulfs, sand dunes, mixed deciduous forests with areas of relict spruce, picturesque rocks on the shore of marble covered with red lichens.

From the cape, which offers a panoramic view of the northern part of Lake Baikal, in good weather you can see the outlines of the Ushkany Islands and the peninsula of the Holy Nose.

A walk through the surroundings, during which the guide will tell you about the legends, traditions and customs associated with these places.

And if the local gods are quite complacent, they will give you the opportunity to see the unique Baikal seal - the only freshwater relative of the seal.

Back to the campground.

Meals included: breakfast, dinner - at the campground, hot lunch at the stake.

6

Moving to the coast of the Small Sea

Today we are returning to the “big land”.

After breakfast at the camp, the bus will take you to the crossing, and from there - a ferry to the mainland.

Located on one of the tourist bases on the coast of the Small Sea, you can enjoy the Baikal beach holiday, which has picturesque sandy shores, warm water in the bays and water entertainment (bananas, scooters, etc.).

Travel time: ~ 6 hours.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner - at the recreation center.

7

Rest on the shore of the Small Sea

Free day at the campground.

Upon request (for an additional fee), you can visit the caves and salt lakes of the Tazheran steppe or make a water excursion to the islands of the Small Sea.

Fans of active travel offer to ride along the coast on bicycles (for an additional fee), and fans to bask in the sun waiting for a sandy beach and a warm bay.

Meals included: breakfast and dinner at the camp.

8.

Return to Irkutsk

After breakfast, fees and room vacancy.

Transfer to Irkutsk.

On the way – stop for lunch in a roadside cafe (for an additional fee).

Arrival in Irkutsk, transfer to the hotel.

Travel time: ~ 4.5 hours.
Meals included: breakfast at the camp.

9.

Sightseeing tour of Irkutsk. Departure

The final day of the program and acquaintance with the ancient Siberian city of Irkutsk.

Sightseeing tour of the city: a visit to the historical center, the Angara River embankment, architectural monuments.

Excursion to the Znamensky Monastery with one of the most beautiful cathedrals of Siberia, known for its iconostasis and burials on the territory (the tombs of the Decembrists, Grigory Shelikhov, etc.).

Visit the Ferris Wheel, from the height of which there is a panoramic view of the entire central part of the city of Irkutsk.

Visit the central market and the souvenir shop.

The estimated time of the end of the program is 14:00.

Meals included: breakfast at the hotel.