ICE TOUR AROUND LAKE BAIKAL, 11 Days / 10 Nights

 

This is a rare opportunity to see THE ENTIRE Baikal from South to North. You will see and experience everything you’ve read or heard about lake Baikal. The tour is done in the time of the safest strongest ice: 19th of February to 25th of March. The safety is ensured by an ice capitano, experienced drivers and a cheerful cook

A route map around Baikal

A route map around Baikal

 

PHOTOS OF THE 11 D / 10 N TOUR AROUND LAKE BAIKAL

Day 1 / Distance to cover 183 km

Your group is picked up at 8 am. We start driving. In two hour time, we are reach the Southernmost point of lake Baikal , the village of Kultuk (translating from the Buryat as “the end, corner”). This was once a Cossack settlement, founded in 1647. Our ice adventure starts here.

We drive on the ice and drive along Circum Baikal Railway. From the ice we see tunnels and bridges of this famous railway. Needless to say, we stop along the way to explore.

Picnic lunch on ice.

In the afternoon, we reach Listvyanka village, check into Belka Hostel (twins and 4 bed dormitory rooms with shared toilets and shower). Electricity. No WiFi. Mobile coverage (TELE 2) + 3-4G available.

Dinner

Ice Tour Around Lake Baikal

Ice Tour Around Lake Baikal

Day  2 / Distance to cover 113 km

Breakfast.

We continue ice driving along the Western shore. It is holy and cliffy. We pass by the village of Boshie Koty, see the Scripper Cliff and the village of Bolshoe Goloustnoye.

Pichic lunch cooked on fire.

We continue driving. in the afternoon, we reach one of the highlights of our tour – the Sandy Bay / Bukhta Peschanaya. It has two impressive Cliffs , positioned opposite to each other : Big Bell Tower and Small Bell Tower.

Stop to explore the Bay.

By the end of this day , we arrive to Buguldeyka, the windy village. Check into the Zarechnoe Homestead. Electricity. Twin and triple rooms with toilet and shower ensuite. WiFi. Occasional mobile coverage (TELE 2)

Dinner.

 

Day 3 / Distance to cover 137 km

Breakfast.
Next morning we visit the “old village” , a part of Buguldeyka where there are inhabitant Siberian style izbas / cabins, built 100 years ago.
After the walking tour, we ice drive another 30 km to Sagaan Zaba / White Wall to see the petrogliffs dated back to bronze and early iron age.

Exploring the area. Picnic lunch on fire.

Driving forward to the Aya Bay where we see more

ancient drawings. Also we switch to a surface road and drive to the official ice road to Olkhon island.

We drive on ice again and cross the Small Sea area. En route we visit the Ogoi island with a Buddhist Stupa of Enlightenment built in 2005. We stop to get enlighten.

Afternoon check in at Khuzir, the man town of Olkhon.

Dinner.

Overnight in a private guesthouse “U Olgi” – a popular hangout, the best partner of Baikaler. Twin and triple rooms with shared shower and toilet. Free WiFi.  Mobile coverage (TELE 2) + 3-4G available.
Day 4 / Distance to cover 122 km
Breakfast.
This is a beginning of a Northern Circle driving route of Baikal. To warm up, we visit probably the most beautiful spot of Baikal – Burkhan Rock, located right next to the village.
After that, we start ice doing and move along the island eastern shore. En route: visit the Tree Brothers Cliff and Khoboi / Tusk Cape – the Northenmost point of the island.
Picnic lunch.
After lunch we cross the lake. It will not be easy due to the countless ice readges and cracks.
Reaching Ust-Bargoozeen, a main town of another side. Dinner.
Overnight in a basic village hotel. The rooms are for 3 and 4 people. Toilet and shower are shared. Electricity. Internet and mobile connection (TELE2). The mobile connection is not stable during the drive.

Day 5 / Distance to cover 133 km

Breakfast.

Next morning your guide stocks up with food in local stores. Our iceventure continues. We drive across the peninsula isthmus. En route: taking a hot spring bath at Snake Bay / Zmeinnaya, located in Chyvyrkuisky Bay.

Picnic Lunch.

We continue driving along the lake shore. That area is already a Barguzeen National Reserve so we are not allowed to step on its land, but being on the ice is OK.

By the end of the day we reach the main settlement of National Reserve, a place called Davsha.
Dinner.
Accommodation in a basic guesthouse run by the National Reserve. Three rooms for 3-4 people in each room separated with partitions. Electricity is from 19.00-23.00. Russian steam bath (Banya) included. No WiFi, no Internet, no mobile connection. There is some unstable mobile connection (MEGAPHONE) during the drive.

Day 6 / Distance to cover 123 km

Breakfast. Driving the ice road located few kilometers off the shore. Stop for ice fishing . Picnic lunch. After lunch visiting the sandy dunes. Reaching the hot spring spa Khahusy by the end of the day. Check into the guesthouse, dinner.

Three rooms for 3-4 people in each room. Electricity is from 19.00-23.00. 

No shower, but possibility to take a hot bath instead (no shampoo, no soap allowed

though. There is mobile connection (MEGAPHONE) and mobile internet connection . There is

no mobile connection during the drive.

Day 7 / a Day OFF!

 Breakfast.

Yes, we do NOT drive. We take rest at the spa resort. There are 3 pools with hot mineral water. The water temperature varies from 38 up to 45 degrees Celsius.

 

Day 8 / Distance to cover 117 km

Breakfast.

Ice drive to the city of Severobaikalsk / Northern Baikal. There we stock up with food again and fill our fuel tanks. After everything is set, we drive to the village of Baikalskoe. Lunch. Walking tour around the village. 

Ice drive further South and by the end of day 8, we find ourselves in another famous spa resort – Kotelnikovsky Cape. Check into the basic wooden house. Dinner. 

Accommodation: a wooden house , one room for the group with kitchen. Long drop toilet outside.

No electricity.  No shower, but possibility to take a hot bath instead (no shampoo, no soap allowed
No mobile connection.
Day 9 / Distance to cover 93 km
Breakfast.

We ice drive along the severe shores of Northern Baikal. En route: stop for lunch in a hunting hut and walking tour to the wild lakes. Ice fishing upon the group request.  Overnight in a basic wound cabins of Zavorotnaya / Turnaround Bay.

Dinner.

If the time frame or weather permits, we might be visiting the view point located on the top of the hill.

Accommodation: a wooden house , two mix dorm rooms with kitchen. Long drop toilet outside. No electricity. No showerNo mobile connection.

 

Day 10 / Distance to cover 119 km

Breakfast.

We continue doing along the shore. Few stops to visit ice cave and other beautiful places. Picnic lunch.  

En route: visiting an isolated fishing village called Onguren. After the walking tour around the village, we move on to its neighbor, a village Zama . This two words combined “Zama Onguren” translated from the Buryat as “the road ends”

Overnight in the guesthouses. Dinner.

Accommodation : a wooden house , two mix dorm rooms with kitchen. Long drop toilet outside. No electricity. No shower. No mobile connection. 

 

Day 11 / Distance to cover 60 km

over the ice road + 250 km of the paved road.

 This is a final day of our expedition. 

We drive along the Small Sea again to the main land!

Lunch in the off road cafeteria
.
 Transfer to your hotel in Irkutsk.

During our ice drive we have covered 777 km (what a number!) on the ice and 420 km on the surface roads. The total distance covered is 1460 km.

Vehicles: UAZ minivans, Hyundai Starex. Each vehicle takes 6 people.

Ideal group size is 12 people (2 vehicle)

Crew: The ice capitano – driver, second driver, cook.

We take a field kitchen + all utensils needed. One vehicle has a 12-220 V inverter.

Prices:

Options A (recommended!)

525000 Rub / equivalent of USD 8080 (for the  group of 12 people (43750 Rub / USD 680 PER PERSON)

Price includes: 2 vehicles, the crew is 3 people, 10 nights accommodation, meals as noted, National Park fees.

Options B
302500 Rub / USD 4655 for the  group of 6 people (50500 Rub / USD 780 PER PERSON)
Price includes: 1 vehicle, the crew is 2 people, 10 nights accommodation, meals as noted, National Park fees. ash under the
Term of payment: 25% deposit paid in advance via PayPal, 75% to be paid upon arrival in Rubles, cash.

If the Rubles falls again we use the USD equivalent of the price.

What to bring:

– wooled hat

– winter feather and down coat with the hood

– winter pans + windstopper with hood + sleeveless down jacket

– sweater

– thermal underwear (2 sets)

– long sleeve T-short

 duffel to wear in the hotels

– normal pan to wear in the hotels

– winter boots

– Valenki (Russian wooled boots) or winter super zero fishing boots

– sandals to wear in the hotels

– wooled socks (the more the better)

– cotton thin socks (the more the better)

– mittens and gloves

– warm sleeping bag

– thin photo camera gloves

– sunglasses

– lipstick and skin cream

If possible. take skates or tubing with you for fun.

 

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