Lake Baikal

Itinerary Highlights

If there is anything well known about Siberia, it is Lake Baikal, located in both the Buryatia and the Irkutsk regions. It is 636 km long and 48 km wide with a fifth of the world’s fresh water reserves. For the past twenty years, Lake Baikal has been studied by conservationists who dubbed it a World Heritage site. Both worldwide and local conservationists are actively protecting the lake against pollution.

The lake's territory includes two regions. Irkutsk has long been a fascinating city both because of its political history as well as its magnificent wooden architecture. Buryatia is a region mostly inhabited by the Buryats, a culture that has had significant input in the fields of culture and art. It is also famous for its ties to Buddhism.

Various nature preserves surround the lake, famous for their natural environment and cultural centers of indigenous people, such as the Even. In the last decade efforts have been undertaken to open the preserves by linking them with the Baikal trail. Part of this trail will be on this tour.

The only true way to experience Russia is to participate in a broad spectrum of activities and connect to its people. It is within these types of excursions that you will find the essence of the Russian soul and build an understanding of the difference and similarities that bind us together.

Logistical details

This trip will begin in Irkutsk and end in Ulan-Ude. We will stay in hotels or lodges and some homes. Hiking will not be strenuous and most transportation will be by bus or by boats. Meals will also be simple and include local specialties.

Important Notes

This itinerary takes you to one of the most remote parts of the world. Although services have improved in the last few years, we will encounter delays, bureaucracy, bad road conditions, uneven surfaces, and the unavailability of public bathrooms. Please note that weather circumstances may change each day's activities.
This program requires flexibility and good humor. Every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, but there is always the possibility of changes.

Our Ecotourism Guidelines

Our tour operators adhere to the following ecotourism principles:

1. Make tourism and conservation compatible
2. Support the preservation of wilderness and biodiversity
3. Use natural resources in a sustainable way
4. Minimize consumption, waste, and pollution
5. Respect local cultures
6. Respect historic and scientific sites
7. Communities should benefit from tourism
8. Trained staff is the key to responsible tourism
9. Make your trip an opportunity to learn about the destination and its people
10. Follow safety rules

Accommodation Details

All lodging will be in simple hotels, lodges, or home stays, some with no private facilities. Names, addresses, and additional information will be provided three months prior to the operational date of the tour.

Weather

Weather during the summer season can be warm and sunny with a mix of rain and storms. Please be prepared for walks in the forest by bringing rain, sports gear, and excellent hiking boots or shoes.

Day 1	Irkutsk Welcome to Irkutsk, the "Paris of Siberia" and the gateway to the indescribable Lake Baikal! Upon arrival you will be met by your professional bilingual guide who will assist you in transferring to your hotel. A guided sightseeing tour of Irkutsk awaits you, during which you will see the city's most picturesque sights, including the Znamenskaya Orthodox Cathedral, the grave of the "Russian Columbus" Grigory Shelekhov, and graves of the Decembrists. The rest of the day is yours to explore on your own with your local guide's assistance. *Lunch and dinner will be provided.
Day 2	Bolshoye Goloustnoye Bolshoye Goloustnoye is a two-and-a-half hour drive from Irkutsk. Along the way you will stop at the Buryat log-yurts near the Shantuysky Bridge, named for the old shaman buried there. Upon arrival in Bolshoye Goloustnoye, you will be sharing a traditional Siberian lunch and accommodations with local families. After lunch you will go on a guided walk to the Goloustnyaya River Delta and the cape along the shore of Lake Baikal to visit the legendary Wonder-Maker Orthodox Church. Upon your return to the village, you are welcome to enjoy a Russian banya (steam bath) and dinner with local families. *Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner will be provided. Home stay for accommodation. Bolshoye Goloustnoye Founded in 1673, Bolshoye Goloustnoye was said to be a "place where meat could be bagged without using a knife, fish caught without tackles, and wood cut without an axe.” The village was conveniently located on the crossroads of local trade routes and was a popular destination for visiting dignitaries. The Russian Ambassador to China in the 18th century passed by this village, as well as Protopo Avaakuum, Prince Kropotkin, and other prominent Russian figures. Like many villages dependent on fishing in Lake Baikal, Bolshoye Goloustnoye worships St. Nicolas-The-Miracle-Worker. The first Orthodox Church was built in the village on February 5, 1867, in honor of St. Nicolas. In 1941 it was shut down by order of the local soviets. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the funds were raised locally and internationally to restore the church.
Day 3	Bolshoye Goloustnoye After breakfast you will hike to the picturesque Sukhoye Ozero (Dry Lake), three kilometers from the village. The hike takes you along the path of the national park, through the birch tree grove of the Ushkanyi Hollow. Also during the hike you may swim in the warm Semenikha Bay before dining on a campfire-prepared lunch of tender omul-fish. In the evening you will enjoy Buryat national cuisine featuring Buryat pozy (big dumplings), lamb, and other tasty entrees. A folklore performance will cap your evening. *Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner will be provided. Home stay for accommodation.
Day 4	Listvyanka After breakfast you will leave your home stay and take a mini-cruise to Listvyanka, a tiny village on the mouth of the Angara River. A delicious Russian-Siberian lunch shall be served onboard. Around 2 p.m. you will arrive in Listvyanka and check into the Arabesque Guest Lodge. The afternoon activities include a visit to the Baikal Ecology Museum and the Baikal Aquarium featuring Lake Baikal's only mammals, fresh water seals. An optional tour is next to the popular St. Nicolas-the-Miracle-Worker Church, built without a single nail. The church’s altar will leave you mesmerized with its beautiful iconostasis. *Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner will be provided. Arabesque Guest Lodge for accommodation.
Day 5	Port Baikal and Utulik After breakfast you will check out of the hotel and take a ferry to the Port of Baikal. A ride on the famous Round Baikal Railway will take you along "The Golden Buckle of the Steel Belt of Russia.” This section of the railway is considered a feat of engineering and the most spectacular historic railroad in Russia. A seven hour train ride will take you to Sludyanka with stops on the way to see more of Lake Baikal’s wonder. When you reach Sludyanka, you will transfer to the Utulik Settlement on the eastern shore of Lake Baikal around 8pm. *Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner will be provided. Cedar Hotel for accommodation.
Day 6	Utulik and Ulan Ude You will explore the surrounding area of Ululik on an invigorating two-hour hike that will take you to some of the most picture-worthy views in the region. After lunch at the hotel you will have a guided excursion to the warm lakes where you may swim, canoe, or go on a catamaran. Return to the hotel to rest before departing for Sludyanka, where you will board an overnight train to Ulan Ude. *Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner will be provided. Zagan Morin Hotel for accommodation.
Day 7	Ulan Ude Welcome to Ulan Ude, the capital of Buryatia! Enjoy breakfast or free time until lunch when you will travel by coach to the Ivolginsky Datsan (Buddhist Temple) in peaceful Ivolga, 23 km from Ulan-Ude. The tour of the Lamaistic Temple will be led by a huvarak (monk student). After touring the Datsan, you will return to Ulan Ude and visit the central square of the city, famous for the world's largest sculptured head of Lenin. Ivolginsky Datsan The Ivolginsky Datsan is a gleaming three-story temple crowned with yellow eaves and guarded by stone tigers, the caretakers of Buddhism in Russia. It houses the Institute of Buddhist Learning, which at the moment accommodates 110 students. The property also includes a library, hotel, a philosophic faculty "Choyra”, the Dashy Choihorlin, a museum of monuments of Buryat art, sacred tombs called "suburgans", service buildings, and housing for the lamas. *Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner will be provided. Zagan Morin Hotel for accommodation.
Day 8	Ulan Ude and Tarbagatay You will tour Ulan Ude’s Church of Odigitria and take a walking tour of the city’s uniquely carved wooden house before transferring to the village of Tarbagatay. Old Believers dressed in bright folk costumes will meet you near the village and take you to the sacred Omulevaya Mountain for sweeping views of the surrounding scenery. You will proceed to the village’s Cultural Center to enjoy a folk concert, learn about the customs of Old Believers, and take part in their match-making and bridegroom games. Afterwards you will follow the female leader of "semeiskiye" to her house for a Gala Dinner featuring delicious traditional meals and songs performed by your hosts. Tarbagatay Tarbagatay is the village of Old Believers, descendants of the Russian orthodox who opposed in the 17th century reforms and escaped to Siberia. The culture of the village and its oral history were proclaimed by the UNO Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization to be "a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity". *Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner will be provided. Zagan Morin Hotel in Ulan Ude for accommodation.
Day 9	Ulan Ude Today is the final day of your tour. For those returning to Irkutsk, we can arrange reservations on the train. It is also possible to fly to Moscow and a host of other cities from Ulan Ude. Consult your travel specialist for available extensions.