Baikal

Lake Baikal is a unique place in Siberia,part of World Nature Heritage, the deepest lake on the planet (maximal depth : 1.637 meters); geographical age of it is 25-30 million years.

Traditionally it is believed that the tourist season at Lake Baikal is short, — everybody could hear jokes about green winter, which is still bearable compared to white one or about «a short summer with little snow».

June is the best month to travel to Lake Baikal if you want to enjoy its nature at attractive prices and without crowds of people at the camp sites and in museums. It is also one of the most favorable periods for fishing. The main difficulty in the beginning of summer it is low temperature of water in the lake, but we can say that the water in Lake Baikal never warms up to a comfortable level; you can swim only in bays.

How can you get there?

The quickest way is a plane trip from Moscow to Irkutsk, which takes 5 hours and 40 minutes.

Train trip from Moscow to Irkutsk takes 74 hours (3 days and 2 hours).

Time zone

Moscow Time zone + 5 hours. When it’s 15:00 in Moscow, it is 20:00 in Irkutsk.

Excursions and activities on Baikal

You can find our program here

Listvianka village Tour

Duration: 4 hours, bus + walking

+Listvyanka was founded in the 18th century and got its name from larches growing in the neighborhood of Listvennichniy promontory (“larch” sounds like “listvennitsa” in Russian).

— Visiting the source of the Angara River, the only river flowing out of Baikal;

— Visiting the Baikal museum to get acquainted with the flora and fauna of the glorious lake as well as with the history of Baikal studying (by request);

— Visiting Svyato-Nikol’skaya church of the 18th century. As the legend says, the church was built by a Russian merchant to express his gratitude to Saint Nicholas, all sailors’ protector, for letting him escape from a strong gale;

— Visiting Open-air museum of Taltsy

Architectonic and ethnographic open-air museum of Taltsy is a unique collection of monuments of architecture and history of the Eastern Siberia people of 17th-20th century. This place unites more than three centuries of the Siberian life and history.

At present the Taltsy museum counts 40 historical and architectural monuments, 8000 exhibits on the area of 67 hectares, all of them being either originals or exact copies of the originals.

Ascension to the Peak of Chersky. Enjoying the sights of Baikal from its top.

Tour to Olkhon island

Olkhon is the biggest island among 27 islands of Baikal. The island is geological, historical and sacral center of the lake, where the buryat people originally live; this is their ethnic area and sacral center. It is an ancient center of civilization, famous for its mysterious caves, petroglyphs, ancient legends and historical tales. It does not stop surprising its visitors with majestic scenery and landscape. The Buryats keep olden time traditional outlook and many customs. Here, as one of local legend says, the first Buryat shaman has received his shaman’s gift.

Duration: 17–19 hours

Distance to village Khuzhir — 350 km.

Itinerary: Listvyanka village— Irkutsk — Bayanday village— Elantsy village— MRS village — Ferry — Khuzhir village— Irkutsk —Listvyanka village.

— Departure from Listvyanka village to MRS village by car. On the road, you will get travel information about the region and see films about the lake, nature, flora and fauna of our Siberian region.

— Ferry to Olkhon island.

— Change of transport for a car (UAZ) with a driver and guide.

— Beginning of the excursion: Maloye Sea, Khuzhir village, the northern part of the island (Khoboy Cape). Duration: 6-8 hours.

— Lunch on Olkhon island: cisco, cooked on a fire, fish soup “ukha” with cisco.

— Return to the ferry before 19:30.

— Dinner at the ferry station in one of the local bistros.

— Late return to Listvyanka village by car.

Circum-Baikal Railway

1 day tour by tourist train No. 7004

Duration:14 hours

Every Tuesday and Sunday you can start your trip from Listvianka village which will finish at the railway station of Irkutsk.

Every Wednesday and Saturday your trip starts from Irkutsk and can be finished in Listvianka village or Irkutsk.

During the trip you will have stops, walking excursions, travel information and free time.

Description of stops on the Circum-Baikal Railway:

— 166 km – Sliudyanka.

The railway station in Sludyanka is best to start your acquaintance with the Circum-Baikal Railway. The only stone building of passenger station on the Railway, located in this quiet Baikal town, built of white and pink marble, is indeed a piece of art.

— 149 km – Staraya Angasolka. From here the section with the maximum number of engineering and architectural structures begins. Stone arch viaduct «Angasolskiy» amazes with its strength and beauty.

— 130 km. Complex of artificial structures Shabartuysky.

The iron bridge of the first railway track, that the train will cross over, and the two-span concrete arch type viaduct.

— 123 km. Complex “Kirikeysky”.

This is a mysterious and amazing place. Here the builders had to work hard. During the second construction period they had to make new tunnel No. 18bis, parallel to the first one No.18.

— 110 km. Pad’ Polovinnaya.

The picturesque valley of the Polovinnaya River is located between the Chaikin Rock and the Polovinny Cape, through which two tunnels pass:

the shortest and the longest ones.

— 102 km. Protecting wall “Italyanskaya (Italian)”

Is of the most beautiful places of the Railway. It got its name after the arches, reminiscent of the architecture of Italy. The project of the wall was developed by an Italian, whose name was Ferrari. In the same section there

is «Bolhaya Shumikhinskaya» Gallery. It was built to protect the railroad from rockfalls,but it is not used for a long time already.

Motor-ship and yachting cruises on Baikal

present so far the most convenient means of getting acquainted with the unique lake. A short holiday cruise down Baikal gives you an opportunity to see a lot of lake’s unique sights inaccessible from the land. The journey will give you a chance to observe daily changes of rich coastal landscapes, to feel the Baikal power touching you, to sense its sternness and generosity.