This tour is a unique cocktail of adventures! Within only 5 days you will get to know Baikal, experience different winter activities offered at the Lake in wintertime, and learn about the legendary lake and the history of the Land. You will go snowmobiling through the National Park, find out the secrets of ice fishing, visit the famous CircumBaikal Railway by ice hovercraft, get acquainted with the lifestyle of locals and wooden architecture. And, you will still have time for yourself - to discover your own Baikal and enjoy its winter beauty on your own.
Best season: February-March (best from 15 February till 25 March)
Requirements: no special fitness requirements; own winter outdoor outfit is a must
Day 1
Meeting at the airport, luggage assistance, breakfast. Transfer by coach to Listvyanka located in the mouth of Angara-river, 70 km away from Irkutsk. On the way – stop in Taltsy for a guided tour of the Taltsy Open-Air Museum of Wooden Architecture, stop at the source of the Angara river.
Check in at the hotel***, lunch in the hotel restaurant
Time at leisure, dinner and overnight (twin-basis)
Day 2 Breakfast. Safety and snowmobile driving instructions. Half-day snowmobiling trip to Chernaya Pad’, through the taiga-woods backcountry of Pribaikalsky National Park with stops en route to enjoy the views.
Tea at the cafeteria of the retreat lodge in Chernaya Fold.
Return to Listvyanka (2 pax/snowmobile, total distance 36 km).
Time at leisure in Listyanka. Dinner, overnight at the hotel (twin-basis).
Day 3
Breakfast. Depart by an air-cushioned amphibious vehicle (ACV) for CircumBaikal Railroad, the so-called Golden Buckle of Steel Belt of the Russian Empire, which was built under the last Russian tsar. During our trip we will see the 1-st tunnel of the Old Round-Baikal Railway, Italian support walls and bridges and learn about the history of the place and railway construction in Russia. Return to the hotel. Lunch of Siberian cuisine - we will visit a local village family for the lunch. Talk to the hosts you can learn a lot of interesting things from everyday life of the natives and learn more facts about the Lake, some myths and legends.
Optional: Ride in Siberian husky sleds in the vicinity of Chelpanov meadow in the taiga-wood: 10 km – appr 5500 RUB
Dinner, overnight at the hotel (twin-basis).
Day 4
Breakfast. Walk along the crystal clear Baikal ice, introduction to ice-fishing. The local taiga-dweller and our fishing instructor will introduce to you some Lake Baikal secrets of ice-fishing, which is very popular locally (ice fishing with net). Return to the hotel, lunch at one of the restaurant in Listvyanka.
Russian steam sauna – banya.
Farewell dinner (Siberian cuisine), overnight at the hotel (twin-basis).
Day 5
Early breakfast at the hotel. Check-out, departure by coach to Irkutsk airport and departure for Moscow.
The Tour Operator reserves the right to introduce alterations to the itinerary due to weather conditions or other factors out of control by the Tour operator.
