Tour Duration: 4 days
Group Size: 2 - 5 people
Specialty Categories: Cultural Journey, Sightseeing Tour, Active Adventure
Season: June-August
Tour Customizable: Yes
Price Per Person: USD 890 - 1,140
For a short tour to Lake Baikal we would certainly recommend visiting Listvyanka settlement which is the most popular destination at Baikal. It is located only 65 km (40 mi) from Irkutsk international airport next to the Angara River source. Many important museums and tourist attractions are found in this area. And if you do not have a few extra days to explore more destinations at the lake we suggest to consider taking a day trip from Listvyanka to Bolshiye Koty settlement to enjoy more sceneries of Baikal and see the lake outside of developed Listvyanka.
We offer you to join us for a whole-day hiking trip from Listvyanka to Bolshie Koty. Our guide will pick you up from your hotel in Listvyanka and lead you through a forest trail across the mountain pass. The trip takes about 3-4 hours for experienced hikers and some 5-6 hours for the beginners. You will spend another couple of hours relaxing on the shore while lunch is being prepared on a campfire. The route does not require any equipment or special training. The first segment of the trail climbs uphill while other two thirds of the way will proceed along the lake shoreline on a relatively easy and nice hiking path. One the way through there will be nothing, but Siberian forest and picturesque secluded shoreline of Baikal.
If you are not fond of hiking we can substitute this to other activities. We offer the same trip on four-wheelers (ATV) or by horseback riding. Alternatively, you can cover the distance to Bolshiye Koty by water on sea touring kayaks.
Tour Itinerary:
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Arrive Irkustk. Your guide will meet you at the airport/railway station. Lunch in a café (or breakfast depending on the time of your arrival). City tour around all of Irkutsk major historical sights. Guided tour to the Decembrist museum in Prince Volkonsky Mansion. Check in to your hotel. Includes: (L).
Breakfast. Check out. Departure to Listvyanka settlement at Lake Baikal waterside. Stop en-route for 2-hour excursion to Taltsy open-air museum of wooden architecture where one can discover the culture and the lifestyle of native Siberians and Russians who lived in this area. Continue to Listvyanka. Check in Listvyanka hotel. Lunch. Attend Baikal nerpa show in Listvyanka nerpinarium. Return to your hotel. Includes: (B), (L).
Breakfast. Depart for a hiking trip towards Bolshiye Koty which is a small settlement on the shore of Lake Baikal some 16 km from Listvyanka. It is accessible only by ferry or by 4x4 vehicles. Hiking path that takes 3-5 hrs will cross several creeks, marshes and a mountain range passage. Lunch on a camp fire en-route. Return to Listvyanka by hydrofoil boat. (Hiking trip can be substituted for a four-wheelers ride, horse back riding or sea kayaking trip to Bolshiye Koty – all for extra charge). Transfer to a hotel. Includes: (B), (L).
Breakfast. Entirely free morning at the lake. Check out. Visit to Baikal Museum featuring the diverse collection of Baikal flora and fauna. Then take a chairlift to the top of Chersky peak from where one can enjoy breathtaking views on Lake Baikal and Angara River source. Car transfer to the airport/railway station for afternoon departure. Includes: (B).
Prices (per person):
- Superior accommodation (4* hotels):
* 2 pax: $1,140 p/p
* 3 pax: $1,045 p/p
* 4-6 pax: $945 p/p
* Single supplement: $435
- Standard accommodation (3* hotels):
* 2 pax: $890 p/p
* 3 pax: $815 p/p
* 4-6 pax: $715 p/p
* Single supplement: $250
Price Includes:
- Accommodation on DBL sharing basis as stated in the itinerary
- All meals as stated in the itinerary
- All private car or minibus transfers
- Bolshiye Koty to Listvyanka ferry ticket
- Entry fees to all museums and sites listed
- English-speaking guide during transfers, excursions and hiking trip
- Russian visa support
Price Excludes:
- Air tickets or train tickets to/from Irkutsk
- Health insurance
