Kayaking and hiking at Lake Baikal

Day 1 Arrival in Irkutsk

You will be met at the Irkutsk airport and taken to the hotel, where you can rest and have lunch in the restaurant. If you want, after lunch the walking city-tour with the guide can be organized (about 3h, extra paid).

In the evening you will have dinner in the hotel restaurant (extra paid).

Day 2 First meeting with Lake Baikal

After breakfast, transfer to Bolshoye Goloustnoye village will be organized. 

Having arrived in the village, you will have lunch in the cafe (extra paid). Then you will be instructed on how to operate kayaks and have a short passage to the Ushkany cape (about 5 km). Here you will set up a campsite and in the evening you have a camping dinner and rest in the tents.

Stage length: 120 km by car and 5 km by kayaks (1 hour).

Day 3 Along the western coast

After breakfast, you will continue kayaking to the south along the western coast of the lake. If the weather is fine, you will have a chance to watch the nerpa, the endemic seal of lake Baikal. You will pass by the cape Baklaniy Kamen (rus. for Cormorant rock) which formerly was the habitat of cormorants.

You will have lunch outdoors and then continue the navigation. In the evening you will choose the place for the camp, have dinner and rest in the tents.

Stage length: 15 km by kayaks (5 hours)

Day 4 The most beautiful bay of lake Baikal

During this day you will make a stop in one of the most amazing places of lake Baikal — Peschanaya Bay (rus. for Sandy Bay). This place is famous for its large white sand beach and "stilt" trees. Wind and water constantly blow and wash away the sand from the trees' roots, that is why they remind of stilts.

Peschanaya Bay is made up of taiga slopes from Primorskiy mountain range with picturesque rocks gently coming down into Baikal water. The sandy beach of the bay is surrounded by the pyramidal rocks of Bolshaya Kolokolnya. The height of the cliffs reaches about 80 meters above sea level. This place is called "Siberian Riviera" and it was declared as natural site

You will have lunch on the bank of the lake and then continue kayaking toward Sennaya Bay. In the evening you will set up od the camp, have dinner and rest.

Stage length: 15 km by kayaks (5 hours).

Day 5 Kayaking to the Beliy Cape

After breakfast, you will continue the navigation toward the north part of the lake and will reach the Beliy Cape (Rus. for White Cape). The route will pass along the mountains and the taiga. It will the longest part of the whole journey. 

You will make a stop on the picturesque beach of the lake for the rest and the open-air lunch. Then you will continue kayaking and choose the place for camping. In the evening you will have dinner and rest in the tents.

Stage length: 20 km by kayaks (6 hours).

Day 6 Arrival to the Olkhon island

After breakfast, you will have a short passage to the Buguldeyka village, where you will have a snack and rest a little bit. Then you will move to Olkhon island. 

En route, you will have a possibility to make a stop at the cafe for tasting the Buryat cuisine. Then you will arrive to Olkhon island and accommodate at the resort of the Khujir village.

In the evening we will offer you to go for a walk for visiting the famous Burkhan Rock. It is considered to be a residence of the Baikal God and one of the nine sanctuaries of Asia.

Initially, the cape was called Shamanka or Shaman Rock. This name is not accidental: already in ancient times followers of shamanism considered the place holy. The cave of Shamanka saw many religious rites and sacrifices. Later on, when Buddhism spread among Buryat people, the cape came to be known as "Burkhan", which means "God", "Buddha".

After walking you will return to the base, have dinner and rest in comfortable rooms.

Stage length: 122 km by car, 5 km by kayaks (1 hour).

Day 7 Hiking on the Olkhon island

After breakfast, you will travel by 4x4 (Russian UAZ) along the western coast of the island to the north. You will get out of the car in the place called Urochishe Peschanoye, which is famous for its picturesque sand dunes. From this point, you will start hiking to the eastern coast of the island (your luggage will be carried by car). 

Firstly, the trail will pass by the western coast. Then, you will take the steppe road along the taiga-covered evergreen mountains. You will go to the village Uzury on the eastern side of the island. It's the northernmost village of the island, the place of our first meeting with the great open Baikal. The village is situated in a picturesque valley. There are only a few houses and a weather station.

You will be accommodated in tents on the bank of the lake. In the evening you can visit the Russian bathhouse (extra charge).

Stage length: 12 km on foot (5 hours).

Day 8 Hiking to the cape Khoboy

Today, there will be the most picturesque part of the itinerary. It passes by the wildest part of the island – cliffy and abrupt coast. You will visit the cape Shunte-Leviy and then you will continue hiking the northernmost point of the whole Olkhon island. It is Cape Khoboy that is considered to be the legendary natural site and a shaman sacred place. This cape offers a breathtaking view of 360° on the Baikal lake. 

After the picnic, you will meet our driver and return to Khujir village. You will have dinner and rest at the resort.

Stage length: 12 km on foot (5 hours), 40 km by car.

Day 9 Free day

Today you will have the opportunity to rest after active hiking days. We propose to you to sleep enough, to go for a walk along the village and to take lunch at one of the village cafes or at the resort's canteen (extra paid). Also, you can go for one of the excursions on the Island: a boat trip to the south and Ogoy Island or to Buriat village.

In the evening you will have dinner and rest in comfortable rooms.

Day 10 Free time in Irkutsk

You will have breakfast, after that, a return transfer to Irkutsk will be organized. En route, you will make a stop to have lunch (extra paid). 

Upon arrival in Irkutsk, you will check into a hotel. Then you will have free time: you can walk around this old and beautiful Siberian city, buy souvenirs or rest in the hotel. Dinner is paid extra.

Stage length: 326 km by car.

Day 11 Departure

After breakfast, you will be taken to the airport for your return flights.