Baikal Lake

ACTIVITIES AT BAIKAL LAKE:
The variety of activities you have participate in at Baikal lake is impressive. During the summer, you can go trekking, boat-sailing, horse-riding, diving, or even try to search for some gold at the ancient gold mines, or do some deep-water fishing. During the winter, you can ski, ride a snowmobile, do some ice-fishing, and relax in a real Russian sauna (banya). All these activities are nearly impossible to organize by your own, so we recommend you to book a tour with a good travel agency. Besides, good travel agencies have unlimited access to National Park territories, rent equipment (so you don't have to carry your own), and allow you to save money.
We offer you a selection of the best tours, provided by the most reliable and experienced local travel companies for the most fair price. All these tours are fully licensed, include all needed equipment, and English-speaking guide.

BAIKAL SIGHTSEEING:
Destination: Irkutsk - Ulan-Ude - Baikal Lake - Circum-Baikal - Arshan
Level: Easy
Duration: 1 to 14 days
Period: May-October
Budget: From $50 / day pp, everything included
Activities: Sightseeing (cultural, nature, and ethnographic sights), light hiking, swimming, Russian sauna, birdwatching, fishing, boat-sailing.

Listvyanka & Olkhon Island are the most comfortable tours, yet allowing you to try every single activity (light hiking, trekking, swimming, fishing), and see Baikal at the time you have (either it's one or ten days) without having to care about practical things and safety. You will have everything arranged for your convenience: accommodation (from 3-star hotel to fully equipped Baikal shore camps), transportation (by jeeps and boats), English-speaking guides, and high-quality equipment.

ETHNOGRAPHIC TOURS:
Destination: Villages, places, and islands on Baikal Lake
Level: Easy to Moderate
Duration: 7 to 9 days
Period: June-October
Budget: From $50 / day pp, everything included
Activities: ethnographic sights, trekking, swimming, Russian sauna, fishing, boat-sailing, camp-living, meditation and relaxation (optional :-).

4 days Tour to Olkhon will allow you to get acquainted with the ancient Baikal ethnic cultures, as well as experience the beauty of the lake. You will meet a local Shaman, see ancient carvings on the cliffs, and have a chance to swim, fish, and trek at the lake. One more good thing about these tours is that you will gain access the places you wouldn't be able to get to otherwise (because it's too expensive and remote to do it on one's own).

RAFTING, KAYAKING & YATCH SAILING TOURS:
Destination: Baikal Lake itself, city and villages tours, Circum-Baikal
Level: Moderate
Duration: 9 to 11 days
Period: June-September
Budget: From $65 / day pp, everything included
Activities: Rafting, kayaking, yacht-sailing, camp life, Russian sauna, swimming, fishing, cultural and city tours.

It's one thing to walk along Baikal lake and enjoy its beauty from the shore, and it's a completely different experience to sail on the lake itself, watch the views inacessible from the ground, and feel the water and depth of the lake underneath. There tours provide you with a unique opportunity to do rafting and kayaking, or sail a comfortable western-standard yacht. Experienced English-speaking guides will ensure your security, and you will be fully provided with needed equipment, accommodation, transportation, food, and just good advice during your journey.

CYCLING, HORSERIDING & TREKKING TOURS:
Destination: The shore of Baikal lake, and the main villages, towns, attractions, and sights around
Level: Easy to Hard
Duration: 6 to 11 days
Period: May-October
Budget: From $47 / day pp, everything included
Activities: Trekking, cycling, horseriding, hiking, camp life, Russian sauna, swimming, fishing, cultural and city tours.

Get a bike and make a day journey along Olkhon island to see its beautiful landscapes and bays. Jump on a horse and ride from Listvyanka to Bolshye Koty goldmine. There you can try to find some gold, or just relax on the shore of Baikal lake. Or, if you prefer to walk, trek from Peschanaya bay to Listvyanka settlement or in the beautiful Sayan mountains just next to Baikal, accompanied by professional English-speaking knowledgeable guides.

ONE DAY BUDGET TOURS:

Destination: Baikal Lake, main Baikal sights, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Listvyanka, Circum-Baikal railway, Sayan mountains
Level: Easy to Hard
Duration: 1 day
Period: May-October
Budget: From $20 / day pp, equipment and guides provided
Activities: Trekking, hiking, rafting, kayaking, sightseeing

These are budget one-day tours, that allow you to try out one of the activities you like, but without the full accommodation and meal offered by the longer tours. Most of the trips last a few hours or maximum 2 days, and usually cover only one place (rafting near Kultuk - Slyudyanka, Listvyanka settlement tour, one-day horseriding or bike tour.

WINTER TOURS:
Destination: The shore of Baikal lake, and the main villages, towns, attractions, and sights around
Level: Easy to Hard
Duration: 1 to 12 days
Period: December-April
Budget: From $50 / day pp, everything included
Activities: Ice-fishing, snowmobile riding, Baikal ice-cycling, diving, skiing, snowboarding.

Winter is also a great time to visit Baikal: it's all snowy and icy, and not as cold as they say. You can try out various activities, like skiing (president Putin made it in 2002 and decided to open a ski resort at Baikal), exciting snowmobile riding through Taiga forests, diving in Baikal ice waters, or ice-fishing accompanied by local fishermen, and vodka (if you like :-). Also, every March, there's an annual Winteriada - Winter Games Festival taking place at Baikal, and you can be an active participant or spectator.