Multifaceted Baikal

Tour programme

Day 1

Arrival in Irkutsk. Group gathering (from 08.00 to 08.30 at the airport, from 9.00 to 9.30 at the railway station, with a sign "Multifaceted Baikal") inside the airport building (railway station), near the exit to the city. Meet the guide. Breakfast at the bistro.
Sightseeing tour of the city, during which you will get acquainted with the most interesting places of Irkutsk: The Church of Savior, the Epiphany Cathedral, the Polish Church, the Moscow Gate, the Angara embankment and the monument to Alexander III, the White House, the Znamensky Monastery, on the territory of which the graves of the Decembrists are located, as well as the famous merchant and traveler Grigory Shelikhov.
Then we will go to Baikal in Listvyanka. On the way, we will visit the museum of wooden architecture "Taltsy", where more than 30 samples of Siberian architecture are collected, including the Buryat yurt and Evenki plague. During the tour you will have the opportunity to have lunch in the inn (additional fee).
Next stop at the Shaman Stone. Visit to the Baikal Museum. The museum contains a rich exposition of the flora and fauna of Baikal, an aquarium with Baikal fish and seal. Then a tour of Listvyanka.
A visit to the souvenir market, the fish market is a good opportunity to buy souvenirs of Siberian craftsmen made of stone, wood, birch bark and glass, as well as to taste Baikal fish - omul, garius, whitefish, cold and hot smoking.
Late picnic lunch (lunch box).
Accommodation in Listvyanka at a recreation center / in a hotel (room facilities).
Meals: breakfast, lunch (lunch box).
Guide: Yes.

Cities: Irkutsk, Listvyanka

Attractions: Spasskaya Church, Znamensky Monastery, monument to Alexander III, Siberian Palace, Lower Embankment of the Angara, 130 quarter, Architectural and Ethnographic Museum "Taltsy", Shaman-stone, Baikal Museum

Ponds: Lake Baikal

 

Day 2

After breakfast, we will go by ferry through the Bay of Leaf and the source of the Angara to the port of Baikal.
Landing on a sightseeing train on KBZD (Circum-Baikal Railway). During the trip, we will make several stops in the most picturesque places of the Circum-Baikal Railway, which is a monument of architecture and engineering art of the early 20th century.
The railway track along the shore of Baikal was built on September 30, 1904, and on October 15, 1905, permanent traffic was opened. In terms of the number of works of various kinds, the Circum-Baikal Railway surpassed all the railway tracks built in the world and is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful railways in the world.
Tunneling was carried out mainly manually, using explosives. The daily speed of penetration was 40-50 cm. 84 km from the station. Kultuk to st. Baikal built 424 engineering structures, including 39 tunnels with a total length of 8994 m. 14 km of retaining walls, 47 stone and 3 iron galleries were built in landslides. In terms of volume, complexity and cost of work, this site was unmatched among the railways of Russia. Before the revolution, it was called the “Golden Buckle of the Steel Belt of Russia”, a buckle – because it connected the Trans-Siberian Railway torn by Baikal, and a gold one – because it surpassed all roads existing in Russia in terms of the cost of works.
! Excursion by train can be replaced by a water tour of KBZHD (aircraft hover "Barguzin-3").
Arrival in Irkutsk (approximately at 22.00), transfer and accommodation in a tourist class hotel, room with amenities.
Dinner on your own.
Meals: Breakfast.
! We recommend taking care of food the day before, or order a lunch box, because there is no cafe on the Circum-Baikal Railway.
Guide: CBJD.

Cities: Listvyanka, Irkutsk

Attractions: Circum-Baikal Railway (KBZhD)

Ponds: Lake Baikal

 

Day 3.

After breakfast we will go to the small sea. Attention: Transportation – minibuses. Transfer to the place of departure of shuttle buses, then transfer Irkutsk – Small: sea 250 km.
The Small Sea is one of the most famous and unique corners of Baikal. Warm bays and coves, ancient rocks and sandy beaches, as well as the unique vegetation of the Tazheran steppes create an atmosphere of detachment from civilization and leave indelible impressions for a lifetime.
Upon arrival, accommodation at the recreation center (convenience on the territory). Rest, free time.
In the evening after dinner you will be offered a walking tour along the coast of the Small Sea.
Supplement for accommodation in a room with amenities (Be sure to specify the availability of seats, the surcharge is indicated per person on the condition of two / three-bed accommodation): 2300 rubles per person per day.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Guide: At the campground.

Cities: Irkutsk, Olkhonsky district

Attractions: Small Sea

Ponds: Lake Baikal

 

4th day

Breakfast. One-day tour to Olkhon.
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 camp, move to the ferry on Olkhon Island.
The Strait of Olkhon Gate separates Olkhon Island from the mainland, its length is about 8 km, its width is 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.
Cape Mare's head - 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 opens 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.
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. The Sandy Tract is a 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”. On the edge of the forest you can find stilt trees, rising 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 Khoboy. 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.
Now on your way back! Moving to the campground. End of the tour.
Note: Excursion on the island of Olkhon can be replaced by an equivalent in the south of Lake Baikal, if suddenly Khoboy will be closed by the decision of the national park.
Meals: breakfast, lunch (picnic during the tour), dinner.
Guide: during the tour.

Cities: Olkhon district

Attractions: Olkhon Island, Cape Mare's head, Shamanka Rock (Shaman-rock), Cape Burkhan, Cape Khorgoy, Peschanoe tract, Sagan-Khushun rocks, Cape Khoboy

Ponds: Lake Baikal

 

5th day

Breakfast. Free time. Departure to Irkutsk.
From 13.00 to 14.00 a minibus / bus will come for you (departure time can be changed, it must be checked in the evening by the administrator of the tourist base / estate).
Departure by minibus to Irkutsk.
Arrival in Irkutsk (finishing place: bus station / sports palace "Trud" / central market - depending on the route of the minibus). Estimated time of arrival in Irkutsk at 19.00-20.30.
It is highly recommended to take tickets for the return trip home after 22.00, as there may be a delay in the arrival of the bus.
In addition, it is possible to book a meeting in Irkutsk (at the bus stop) and a transfer to the railway station / airport (1000 rubles).
Meals: Breakfast.

Cities: Irkutsk

Ponds: Lake Baikal