Baikal Winter adventure

The magnificent lake Baikal, one of the oldest nature phenomena in the world, is one of the marvels never to be forgotten. Become one of the rarer winter visitors to experience the true Siberian winter which turns the lake into a mesmerizing tale of beauty. During this tour includes you will explore the most exciting places of western and southern Lake Baikal. An ice-cold trip that will make your heart warmer than it has ever been and help you learn about the region while plunging into its history and culture. The reassuring quiet of the lake when frozen solid will be combined with the real adventure - snowmobiling, dog sledding, trekking and cycling on ice and in the wild Siberian forest. Breathtaking scenery: blindingly bright ice, endless vastness of the sleeping lake with its grottoes and rocks, capes and woods, views of the legendary Trans-Siberian and the charming local villages. This tour is a wonderful chance to enjoy incomparable nature, emerge into the real life of the local people and try Siberian specialties.

Learn about the local species and get the first taste of what Baikal is like in Listvyanka
Hit the Former Baikal Railroad and get fascinated with the history of the place
Go on a fantastic dog sleigh ride in Maloe Goloustnoe
Explore Olkhon – the pearl of the lake and the keeper of its true spirit
Take a closer look at Irkutsk – the city of old churches, merchants’ glory and lovely old wooden houses

Reasons to travel to lake Baikal in Winter

Travel program: Very intensive and varied program. In summer at Baikal you can only do sightseeing, museums and hiking, but in winter there are many activities! Dog sledding, sliding, snowmobiles! The trip with hovercraft to Olkhon Island is the highlight!
Not that cold at all.. It's not as cold on Lake Baikal as it seems! Siberia has a continental climate and therefore the air is dry and the frost is less felt.
Getting to know the locals: We won't see life in Siberia from the window of an Astobus, but we will meet the local people and eat only Russian and Buryat food..
Not difficult: The trip "Winter Adventures on Lake Baikal" does not require any special skill.

Tour details

Day 1. Arrival (free day and excursion in Irkutsk)

Depending on the flight, I will meet you at the airport and accompany you to the hotel. The hotel will be located in a quiet area outside Irkutsk, where you will be able to relax.

Day 2. Listvyanka

Before lunch, we will visit the Open-Air Museum of Taltsy. This is a complex where Siberian architectural monuments were collected from all over the region. Here you will be able get the first real impressions of Siberia and learn how people have lived in such tough conditions. The second part of the day will be free.

Overnight in Listvyanka (private guest house or hotel).

Day 3. Snowmobile tour to the former Baikal railroad

The old Baikal railroad was built at the beginning of the 20th century as part of the Transsiberian railway. After the flooding of part of the railway, this line was terminated and it now represents an architectural monument with 39 tunnels, 200 bridges and viaducts, a protective wall and alike.

We drive snowmobiles on the ice (2 people traveling in one vehicle) along the old Baikal railroad and see some constructions, the most beautiful being the so-called Italian protective wall, which was in fact built by Italians.

Snowmobiling is easy and does not require a driving license or any special experience. It is a secure way of getting around on the ice. Our experienced companions will help us to feel safe in a vehicle like this.

Day 4. A hydrofoil trip to the Olkhon Island

Today you’ll have a ride about 360 km by hovercraft from Listvyanka to Olkhon. We'll have a stop on the way near the sights such as Screeper rock, Pestchanaya, Baklaniy Rock, Sagan Saba Cliffs and other interesting places. Riding over flat ice is quite fast, but at some places we may meet the fields of broken ice, depending on the ice regime which differs every year

Accommodation at hotel/guest house.

Day 5. UAZ vehicle tour to cape Khoboi

Today we go to the excursion to the north of the island in the Russian car UAZ (an iconic vehicle produced at the Ulyanovsky Car Factory). Our path lies on the ice of Lake Baikal. It is enough for the ice to be 35 centimeters thick to drive on it safely, yet in March the ice is twice as thick.

During the trip we will also visit the village of Kharantsy, the picturesque cape called the Three Brothers, cape Khoboi and Usury weather station. We will see ice grottoes, rocks covered with icicles, and a small island resting in the ice.

This ride is not to be forgotten!

Overnight in Khuzhir.

Day 6. Excursion to the south of the island. Drive to Irkutsk.

Today we will be back on ice, to get to the Ogoy Island, where the Buddhist Eruption Chapel was built. From the island you will be able to see the coast of the Olkhon island and the frozen Small sea.

Overnight stay in Irkutsk.

Day 7. Departure

take a plane from Irkutsk via Moscow and you are home on the same day.

Price and services

Price: from 1550 Euros

Price depends on group size and itinerary.

Travel price includes:

Tour guide in English / German
All transfers during the trip
Overnight stays in hotels, inns and host families
All excursions according to the program with visits to museums
Meals according to the program
National Park Fees
Visa invitation

Not included in the tour price:

International Flights
Visa application costs
Health insurance in Russia
All expenses of a personal nature
Single Room

For more information please contact me via e-mail guide.baikal@gmail.com

Travel info

Entering Russia

Please check the required documents to enter Russia:

valid tourist visa if required. For some countries it is now possible to enter with an e-visa for 16 days.
travel passport, valid for at least 6 months on departure
travel insurance

There are direct flights to Irkutsk from Moscow, Bangkok, Hanoi and Beijing. There are also possible connections via Istanbul, Antalya, Tashkent and Bishkek airports, etc.

Other information

This program can be organized and guaranteed in February and early March. There are fewer tourists in November, December and January, but the lake is not completely frozen. In these months it is possible to visit some bays with clear ice, and the program will be made individually depending on the ice condition.

This trip can be customized for you. Other dates are possible on request. The tour price depends on the group size, duration and period of travel.