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Winter Travel to Baikal - tour to Olkhon
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The winter is no less a time to travel to Baikal than the summer - quite the opposite.
The lake is more accessible by ice, its layer is safe almost everywhere and in the latter part of winter the sunlight
has returned and the weather is usually very good. Winter in Lake Baikal is not as severe as in other parts of Siberia.
The lake has more sunshine a year than in Black sea!
The best time for a winter trip to lake Baikal is in February and March. One of the most interesting destinations for
winter outdoors is at the middle basin of the lake - sacred Olkhon Island. |
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Map of Olkhon Island - 82 Kb / Scale 1:750000 (1cm=1.5km)
All year round BaikalEx offers tours to Olkhon island. The best period for winter tours is from the 20th of January till
the 5th of April. Please see the description of the program below.
the distance between Irkutsk and Olkhon: 250 km/155 ml.
the distance between Irkutsk and Khuzir: 300 km/187 ml.
Khuzir is the main village of Olkhon. Here group members are accommodated in the guesthouse owned by local fisherman
family. Full home-made meals of traditional Siberian cuisine are made of Baikal fish.
We offer the minimum tour duration of 3 days / 2 nights. This allows to visit all major spots of the island and to get
a unique experience of travelling on clear Baikal ice. Jeep trip to the wild north of Olkhon (day 2) is the highlight of
the tour - enjoy the scenic Siberian winter landscapes embedded in ice and covered with snow.
You are welcome to spend more days in Olkhon and make walking trips on ice, along the shore or/and into the snowy taiga-forest. |
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Tour to Olkhon Island / Itinerary:
Duration: 3 days / 2 nights
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Day 1: The tour starts in Irkutsk or Listvyanka (hotel, apartments, etc.) where
tourists are picked up by our guide and driver and travel north 250 km / 155 miles to the Olkhon Island.
Lunch en route, served in Buryat village of Elantsi, then make the ice crossing to Olkhon Island. Explore Khuzir,
the island's main village, visit Burkhan Cape and the Local Lore museum. Dine on home-cooked grayling this evening,
a local Baikal specialty. Our guesthouse accommodation in Khuzir this
night is the highest standard available, which means no running water but very nice people. (L / D)
Day 2: In the morning depart by Russian military jeeps to explore Olkhon Island and classic Lake Baikal vistas.
Heading north, visit Harantsi village and make stops at Peschanka, Sagaan-Khushun Cape, coastal ice caves and stretches
of beach along the way, including the 600'-high cliffs of Khoboi Cape at the northern tip of the island. After a picnic
lunch in Uzuri bay, return back to Khuzir. En route visit fishermen on the ice. Russian banya/steam bath in the evening.
Dinner and night in Khuzir. (B / L / D)
Day 3: After breakfast, drive to the ferry-station. Cross the strait to the mainland and drive to Irkutsk. Short
drive aside to visit the ancient carvings at the Anga river valley. Lunch en route in the buryat village of Elantsi.
Approximate time of arrival in Irkutsk is 18:00. Upon arrival transfer to the hotel or airport/railway station. (B, L)
Program Cost: directly depends upon the number
of participants and can vary from $250-570 US. 3 pax - $267 US per person / all inclusive.
Included Program Costs:
- Accommodation: Guest house in Olkhon / 2 nights;
- Ground Transport:
Minibus: 4 and more people
Passenger car: 1-3 persons
Jeeps UAZ for the trip to the north of Olkhon
Fuel, drivers and driver's travel expenses
- Guides: English-speaking guide to accompany group at all times;
- Activities: Tours and visits as specified in itinerary;
- Meals: As specified in itinerary
(B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)
- Transfers: All transfers to/from hotels, apartments in Irkutsk;
- Permits & Admission Fees For access to special areas and sites;
Budget Package:
Available every day in December and after the 25th of January on every Tuesday, Friday, Sunday. Bus leaves at 10:00 a.m.
Price: 3500 rubles pp ($116)
Price includes:
- Accommodation: Guest house in Olkhon / 2 nights
- Meals: As specified in itinerary (2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners)
- Public transportation Irkutsk - Olkhon - Khuzir - Irkutsk
- Transfers: All transfers from hotels/hostels in Irkutsk to the starting point
Travelling to Olkhon Island in the New Year period, in the end of April and in May is possible only within a private tour.
At this time there is no ferry boat, no possibility to cross by ice. A motor dingy is specially arranged for the group
members. Welcome to join! |
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More photos from the tour |
Tour to Olkhon in summer (June - October + November)
You can ask a question or reserve the tour on our
Request Form page.
Read more information about Olkhon island. |
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Dear Guests: here you can read some comments of travellers who travelled to Olkhon island using one
of the packages above: |
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We took the Olkhon Island excursion last March (with a one day extension to visit Listvyanka), and had a fabulous time visiting the
region. Our guide Leonid was very friendly and very professional, and made sure that every little detail was taken care of to make
the trip as pleasant as possible (and his english is remarkable !).
The highlight of our trip was definitely the hours driving over lake Baikal\'s thick ice, visiting the incredible ice formations
around Olkhon island. Accomodation was very good, with a special mention for the great food, and Leonid was always willing to
suggest new things to go see.
The region is absolutely stunning, I recommend the trip when the lake is frozen, definitely a lifetime experience !
Kind regards from Paris
Pierre-Olivier (15 May, 2011)
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