This tour is a great chance to see probably the most beautiful part of lake Baikal. Staying with a local family in the authentic Siberian village, seeing truly Shamanic sites, hiking and taking a 4WD photo safari will make this tour unforgettable. This tour is suggested as a must do for everyone who can spend 4 days and 3 nights in the area.

This tour is for the large groups only (min 4 people and more)

FAQ: What if I am 1 or 2 people??

Answer: Then, please consider taking a Budget Package Tour: 4 day or 3 Day

Full description of the 4 day / 3 night Tour to Olkhon island

Day 1

You'll be picked up from my hostel (or train station or any other place in Irkutsk) at 10 am. Vehicle: a 8 sit minibus or a car. We will be driving through vast open spaces - so called Buryat Steppes - where we eventually see herds of caws and horses on green fields. In 2 hrs, we will be driving by a silver painted statue of a Horse Man - symbol of a Buryat nation and a landmark for the main Buryat town in Irkutsk region - Ust' - Oldynsky.

In 3 hrs, we'll stop for lunch in an off road cafe (NOT included). Meals there are inexpensive but good. The menu usually has 2 or 3 salads, 2-3 variety of soups and -always - a local specialty - big meat dumplings - "Posy". Those cafes selling Posy are scattered along the main driving routes and called "Posnaya" - Posy House. Hot poses are always available there. So it is probably Siberians healthy alternative to McDonalds (which we - thanks God - don't have in our region).

After lunch we continue our tour. We will be driving through the 5000 people village of Elantsy, and a very special unpaved part of our journey - Tazeran Steppe: dry hilly forestless inhabitant area, full of mystery.

Finally, we reach the ferry pier (250 km, 4hr). Ferry service is free of charge. Public minibuses and local people have a priority. It sometimes may couse delays.

Once we are on the island, we have to drive another 36km, 40min. Olkhon island climate is dry and sunny. Couple of kilometers from the ferry pier, you will be seeing the long inland bay, which is apparently the driest stop in Eastern Siberia! You can also see grey wooden polls with colourfull ribbons along the road. The island still remains being the truly shamanic place. Those polls are the 'borissa' - horse tethering post - a mark, where travelers have to stop (or slow down) and drop on the ground a little item (usually coin or piece of material) to show their respect ot the spirit of this area. In fact, dropping a coin is a routine daily ritual conducted every time you pass though this place. Presumably, once a year, people from the villages nearby should have a proper ceremony and sacrifice an animal.

We will be getting the main village of the island - Khuriz - later afternoon at 4-5 pm. Khuzir is the largest town here: 1000 people live here. Population of the island stays remarkably constant at 1500 people. When the first group of Russian Cossacks came to the island in 1640s, they reported about a 1000 people living there. Its maximum of 3000 people was reached during the Joseph Stalin purges when hundreds of political prisoners enthusiastically worked here at the fish factory.

We will be spending all 3 nights at the same place in Khuzir: it is a home of Olya and Kolya. I met Kolya in 1996 during my first visit to the island. I was with 2 friends and we got stuck in sand dunes 20 km after the main village. Kolya and his fishing brigade pulled out car. We drunk all night and become friends. I started to bring tourists to Olkhon in 1999 and accommodate them at Olya and Kolya's place. It is good place to stay, they are my reliable friends and we are constantly improving our services.

See photos of Olya and Kolya's accommodation

Accommodation is in the main wooden house or a wooden guesthouse, twins. The place has no running water but it is the Banya / Sauna. What is Banya and What To Do There

Dinner. Meals are home cooked. Most of meals are based on famous Baikal fish 'Omul'. Vegetarian meals can be offered on request.

Day 2

Usually, we have breakfast at 9am, lunch at 2pm and dinner at 8pm, but it is flexible

Breakfast.

This is our time to explore the island. We will have 2 walks during this day: 3 hrs walk to the observation point on the hill top before lunch and another 2or 3 hr walk after.

Lunch

During the walks we will the forest, enjoy the view of magnificent Shamanka or Burkhan Cape (once a center of shamanism) and see the sand beach.

Dinner

Russian steam bath - sauna!!!

Day 3

Breakfast.

At 10 am we are picked up by a local guy on a 4WD minibus. This excursion is the great way to explore the Northern part of the island, which is not accessible for the regular cars and too far to cycle up there in one day. Total driving mileage for this day is 70km.

We will be driven along the Eastern shore of the island. Our drive is combined with stops to observe the cliffs and landscapes and - of course - to take photos.

We will be visiting the most famous Cliffs of the island: 'Three Brothers' and 'Khoboi / Tusk'. From Khoboi Cliff you can see amazing 300 degrees panorama of the lake and its widest 80km part.

Our lunch is cooked on fire by the driver. Usually, it is a fish soup with sandwiches. We have our picnic near the Northern tip of the island is a lovely forest.

This 4WD drive around is number one excursion here. So we may see other minibuses packed with tourists following the same route.

We return to our homestay in Khuzir by 4-6pm.

Russian steam bath - sauna!!!

Day 4

Breakfast. Return by road to Irkutsk by 3-5pm.

En route: Lunch (not included).

Overnight in Irkutsk at Baikaler Hostel can be arranged.

Price per person: from 8000R |Currency converter|

Price depends on the number of people, season and my availability. Min number of people for the tour is 4. Ask the final price!

To book a tour please contact Jack Sheremetoff

Prices include all services, pointed in the itinerary:
private car (and driver) transportation, 3 night accommodation, meals as noted (day 1: D, day 2: B-L-D, day 3: B-L-D, day 4: B) , local guide-interpreter services, national park fees, 4WD Jeep rent and taxes. No hidden costs.