Day 1
- Morning – arrival in Irkutsk and meeting with local guide
- Time to exchange money or to do some shopping before transfer to Olkhon island (if needed)
- Departure to Olkhon island
Olkhon Island is often called “Place of Power” by locals and considered to be one of the Main Sacred Places for Buddhists and Shamanists in Asian part of the World.
Distance from Irkutsk to Olkhon Island is about 350 km and usually it takes about 5 hours (direct transfer) to get to Olkhon from Irkutsk.
- 10:30 – 12:00 p.m. En route to Olkhon Island we will stop in Buryat Village of Ust Orda, where the guide will tell you about local Siberian population – Buryats, who lived at Baikal long before Russians came here; you will learn a lot of interesting facts about Buryat Culture, traditions and especially about their religion – Shamanism
- Visit to Museum of Regional history in Ust Orda
- Meeting with Buryat Shaman, who will tell us about the essence of Shamanism and who will pray to local Gods for us to have a good and safe journey
- 12:30 – 13:30 p.m. Lunch in one of local cafes en route to Olkhon Island.
You will try traditional dishes of Buryat people, which are extremely tasty and differ a lot from traditional Russian and European cuisine
Optionally: Folklore concert of Buryat people
- Continue transfer to Olkhon Island
- Round 17:00 p.m. Arrival to one of hotels on Olkhon Island, check-in and rest after long road
- Evening walking tour to the Famous Shaman Rock Burkhan, where the main God of Baikal lives. Burkhan Cape is tremendously beautiful when the sky is aglow with the setting sun..
- Dinner in hotel’s restaurant
- Night on Olkhon island
Day 2
- Breakfast in hotel’s restaurant
- 10:00 – 16:00 p.m. Day-tour to the Northern Part of Olkhon island – Cape Khoboi
Today’s tour is a real experience! We are going to drive northwards by off-road Russian jeeps, called UAZ. The road is bumpy, the scenery is majestic! Wild Olkhon beauty is enchanting!
There will be several stops en route so that guests can walk around, take nice photos and enjoy the views.
The point of today’s destination is the very northern part of Olkhon Island, called Cape Khoboi. Upon arrival to Khoboi the guide will tell you one of numerous legends about this place
That’s a real must-have on Olkhon Island. The best fish-soup (Ukha) cooked on open-fire with fresh Baikal Omul-fish, vegetable salad and Siberian tea with fragrant Baikal herbs – will make our excursion even more exotic!
- Round 16:00 p.m. Return to hotel on Olkhon Island and free time
- Dinner in hotel’s restaurant
- Night on Olkhon island
Day 3
- Breakfast in hotel’s restaurant
- 10:00 – 16:00 p.m. Day-tour to the Southern part of Olkhon Island with fantastic views, transparent ice and famous Baikal ice-bubbles
- Lunch-picnic en route
- Round 16:00 p.m. Return to hotel on Olkhon island
Optionally: we can arrange either a Russian Banya for you in the hotel on Olkhon Island or you can have a night-tour to mysterious Burkhan Cape and take photos of majestic Baikal skies and stars at night
- Dinner in hotel’s restaurant
- Night on Olkhon island
Day 4
- Breakfast in hotel’s restaurant
- 09:00 a.m. Check-out and meeting with the guide at the reception of the hotel
- Departure to Listvyanka Village via Irkutsk
- Lunch in one of local cafes en route to Irkutsk
- Round 18:00 p.m. Arrival in Listvyanka and check-in in one of local hotels
- Dinner in hotel’s restaurant
- Night and rest in Listvyanka Village
Day 5
- Breakfast in hotel’s restaurant
- 09:00 a.m. Meeting with the guide at the reception of the hotel and beginning of the sightseeing tour round Listvyanka Village
- Photo-stop at Shaman Rock at the very boarder between the Angara River and Lake Baikal. The place looks exceptionally beautiful in winter as Baikal is covered with ice and the River is free of ice! This boarder-line between the river and the lake is well seen and looks very mysterious!
- 09:30 – 11:30 a.m. Trip with hovercraft (airbag) boats over the frozen Lake.
On smooth sections of the ice this boat can reach the speed of about100 km per hour! Hovercrafts move both along the ice and on water, therefore during the tour we will be able to show you the most distant and most beautiful areas with absolutely untouched nature and transparent ice!
We’ve prepared a small and nice surprise for our guests during this tour! Somewhere in the most picturesque place where the view is nice and the ice is transparent, we will make a halt and arrange a small picnic right on the ice! Degustation of local caviar and smoked fish with Baikal Vodka will definitely raise the spirits and make our excursion even better!
- 11:45 – 12:45 p.m. Visit to Museum of Baikal Flora and Fauna, where you will learn a lot of interesting facts about formation of lake Baikal, its Flora and Fauna. Baikal is mysterious in many aspects and it’s still keeping many secrets unsolved… During your visit to Museum, you will have a chance to get acquainted with this marvelous living mystery
- 13:00 – 14:00 p.m. Traditional Siberian Lunch with Baikal delicacies, such as hot-smoked Baikal fish and many other traditional dishes
- 14:15 – 15:45 p.m. Trip by a cable cart to Observation Platform Chersky Cliff , where from the height of about 700m you can enjoy a breath-taking view onto Lake Baikal and the surroundings
- 16:00 – 17:30 p.m. Tour round Listvyanka Village and in the surroundings: Visit to the Church of St. Nikola’s Church – protector of travelers and children and free time at local fish & souvenirs market, where you can get some small and lovely hand-made presents to remember your trip to Lake Baikal
- 17:30 p.m. Return to hotel in Listvyanka
- Dinner in hotel’s restaurant and Night in Listvyanka
Day 6
- Breakfast in hotel’s restaurant
- 10:00 a.m. Meeting with the guide at the reception and check-out; departure back to Irkutsk
10:30 – 12:30 p.m. En route stop and excursion in the open-air museum of wooden architecture “Taltsy”. There are only 3 museums of this type in Russia: 2 of them are situated in the European part of the country and show life of Russians only, while “Taltsy” Museum is unique and one-of-its-kind!
Here guests can learn a lot about life not only of Russians, but also of numerous local nationalities, such as Buryats, Tofolars and Evenks. Spectacular views and fresh Baikal air will only add more charm to your trip and will raise your spirits!
- Round 13:00 p.m. Arrival to picnic area “Siberian Zaimka”, built in hunters’ style and located in snowy Taiga forest on the bay of the frozen Angara River
- Meeting with “Bread & Salt & Vodka” in accordance with Russian Tradition
- 13: 15 – 14:15 p.m. Lunch at “Siberian Zaimka” restaurant & Folklore Concert
- 14:30 – 15:30 p.m. Time for traditional Russian leisure activities, which will make your stay in Siberian really special! Troika Ride in a sledge through the silent and snowy Taiga forest and sliding from the ice-mountain
- Round 17:00 p.m. Return to Irkutsk
- Time to visit central square in Irkutsk with the main Christmas tree and ice-sculptures, free time in wooden district of Irkutsk with nice wooden houses and souvenir shops
- Farewell dinner in one of local restaurants in Irkutsk
- Evening – arrival to the airport in Irkutsk and check-in for the Flight
- Departure & end of services
