Lake Baikal Ice Adventure

Duration7days

Price fromUSD $2,545 ?Currency ConversionConverted from USD based on the latest exchange rate. Final amount and payment will be in USD. Final conversion rate is determined by your bank.

Trip StyleWinter Adventure

Time of yearFeb - March

Spring is one of the best times to experience the beauty of Baikal, when the weather is warming up but the lake is frozen solid and crystal clear

Our Lake Baikal Ice Adventure tour takes place during late February and March. The beginning of spring in the Baikal region, at this time of year, the temperature climbs above zero, but the surface of the lake is still largely frozen, covered by solid winter ice so clear you can see rocks and other objects at the bottom of the lake as far as 40m below. During spring, Baikal receives few visitors compared to the summer high season, allowing you to feel an inspiring sense of isolation and communion with undisturbed nature during this handcrafted 7-day tour. Be amazed by the frozen beauty of the world’s oldest and deepest lake and experience real-life walking on water. We’ve included a few activities exclusive to the cooler months such as ice skating snowmobiling to add a sprinkle of spills and thrills to this thoroughly enjoyable adventure.

Lake Baikal Ice Adventure Highlights:

  • Embark on an over-ice expedition on and around Olkhon Island, the largest of Lake Baikal’s islands and the centre of shamanic energy for the Buryat people. Spend three nights on the island and discover pristine beaches, craggy capes, and untouched Siberian forests
  • Enjoy over-ice hovercraft expedition to Ogoy island – one of the sacred places in the region.
  • Enjoy one of the most popular winter activities – snowmobiling and dog sledding.

Arrival

Irkutsk

Departure

Irkutsk

Accomodation

3* hotels

Trip style

Winter Adventure

Duration

7 days / 6 nights

Action rating?

     

Group size

min 2-max 8

Type of tour

Private tour

Itinerary View map

Day 1 Irkutsk

Welcome to Siberia!

You'll be met at Irkutsk airport for a transfer to your centrally located hotel. Sometime after lunchtime, we will embark on a city tour of Irkutsk and its main sights. Enjoy a welcoming dinner at the cosy restaurant.

Day 2 Listvyanka village

Today is dedicated to Listvyanka village, where we explore its main sights. On the way to Listvyanka, we will visit the Taltsy open-air of wooden architecture, where we enjoy walking down the Siberian streets of 19 Century.

On arrival to Listvyanka, after a short rest at the hotel, we’ll visit the observation point (720m) – Chersky Rock, a lift-chair will take you up from there. From the observation point, you will enjoy incredible views of the source of the Angara River and Lake Baikal. 

Next, we board snowmobiles for a drive along the frozen lake (if weather permits) or though Siberian Taiga forest. Today we also get the opportunity to try dog sledding with friendly Siberian huskies.

Day 3 Transfer to Olkhon Island

For the next 4 days, you are going to travel by minivan on the frozen surface of the great Lake Baikal (*depending on the ice condition).

Your first destination is the legendary island of Olkhon. At 72 km long, Olkhon stands out among the three dozen islands of Baikal for its sheer size and the monumental grandeur of its landscapes. During the 5h drive to the island, we stop for lunch at the road cafe, where we taste traditional Buryat cuisine with a banquet of buuz-dumplings and Buryat tea. Next, we drive along the magnificent Tazheran Steppe, which once was home to the first indigenous Baikal peoples, whose petroglyphs are found at the tribal encampment sites.

Closer to the evening, we arrive at a cozy hotel in Khuzir village. After settling at the hotel, we enjoy a short stroll to the famous Shamanka Rock.

Day 4 Explore Olkhon Island

Today, we explore Olkhon. Jump into our minivan and be ready to see the frozen beauty of the biggest island. In the spring, thanks to the thick layers of ice, you can freely walk right into the grottoes and admire the beauty of the ice shapes. During our stops on the ice, you will enjoy ice grottoes and caves with amazing ice formations and Lake Baikal views. These places are very famous for the glass-clear ice, so be prepared to make a lot of photos!

Day 5 Ogoy Island

Get ready to be excited as today's transport is legendary hovercraft, similar to those James Bond was using in one of his adventures! 

Today,  we visit sacred Ogoy Island, which has never been inhabited by people and it is considered to be “a pure land”, that is free of negative energy. More than ten years ago the Stupa of Enlightenment was established here. It is considered that Buddhist stupas are meant to dissolve negative interferences in the world, favour locality and benefit to people especially to those who visit them consciously. At the southern part of the Island, we stop for a photo of the iconic Dragon Rock, which you may saw previously on the internet.

In the evening we’ll return to the hotel for a yummy dinner. Today we suggest trying a real Siberian Sauna  - "banya" to warm up after a long winter day.

Day 6 Transfer back to Irkutsk

Today we say goodbye to Olkhon island and head back to Irkutsk. On the way, we stop at the Ust-Orda ethnic park, where we will enjoy traditional Buryat cuisine and immerse ourselves in their culture and traditions.

Upon arrival to Irkutsk, relax at your hotel, take a stroll ath citie's cosy streets, before heading to the restaurant to enjoy our last dinner together.

Day 7 Departure

Time to say goodbye to the oldest and deepest lake on earth. After breakfast, transfer to the Irkutsk airport for your flight back home or to your next destination.

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Inclusions

Group airport transfers

All transportation on tour according to the itinerary (minivan, hovercraft)

Hotel accommodation in Irkutsk, Listvyanka village and Olkhon Island

Breakfasts in the hotels, some lunches during day excursions, some dinners

All experiences and activities indicated in the itinerary with local professional English-speaking guide

Russian visa support document (voucher/invitation letter)

Exclusions

Flights

Travel insurance

Russian visa and visa fees

Optional excursions

Individual transfers, not indicated in the itinerary

Alcohol

Lake Baikal Ice Adventure

7 days / 6 nights

From
$2,545
USD

*Private tour, price is per person, min 2 people

Make an enquiry Detailed Itinerary

Testimonials

Jock BennetsAustralia

l hope you continue to bring such joy to the world, thanks and a big thumbs up me!

56 Parallel, well done! Everything went like clockwork, even with changes made on the spot with weather conditions, mainly for safety concerns, replacement options were just as exciting, and the ice festival was a huge surprise! My camera lost power at the festival but the guide took the pics instead and she’s in contact trying to work out a way to forward them on.

The food was different and trust me l tried everything and it keeps coming, hotels and dine in venue spot on and who doesn’t love a teddy bears picnic. A magic part of the world! My friends at home are in awe, and of Virdana the guide is the right person for a not so easy job, she can keep smiling in difficult circumstances and of course, she has a great seance of humour and is the ultimate survival skill, l miss her dearly, sent me home with one of her lake Baikal paintings which l treasure, loved the whole experience!

Lake Baikal ice

Julija GlizevskajaLithuania

It was a pretty great adventure and well organised!

I enjoyed a lot! Great food (especially picnics), good accommodation. Days were planned very well, we had enough time to enjoy and made plenty of photos or just have fun. I really liked, that we were not rushed. Our guide was enthusiastic, full of energy and well acknowledged. The group was very friendly, probably that our age range was pretty small. It was also very nice to receive a small present on international women’s day.

Although it was sad to see that majority of the group didn’t speak English. It’s strange that young Russian could not understand English. Except for guide and Australian girl, there was only one more who spoke some English and could communicate with us.
Then I was a bit disappointed that it was provided too much alcohol. But even on an ice raft, when in a program was mentioned that it would be mulled wine, there was only champagne. I hope this could be taken into consideration.

And in conclusion, I would like to say thank you for a great time. I would definitely recommend it!
PS. I am also at some point would love to visit Kamchatka and Yakutia.

Regards
Julia

Oskari EskolaFinland

We really did have an amazing time at Baikal!

We had spectacular luck with the weather, being basically sunny with no wind or downwind for the days with skating, and when skiing in Mamai there was a 50cm dump of snow during the night that provided great powder runs. But we were even more impressed with the level of planning you had put into making the trip a success, from all the transports to every meal it was perfect.Having some diet issues I was very happy to see that all the food was thought through, but that it also had a local touch, since that always makes it more interesting.

I guess the only improvement would have been if our skiing guide had known a bit more English, but even now it worked out, and he did a great job overall. Our ice skating guide was fantastic – if he would want to improve, he could be a bit more proactive in describing the plan, and options etc, but that’s a minor detail.

More Reviews
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Lake Baikal Ice Adventure

7 days / 6 nights

From
$2,545
USD

*Private tour, price is per person, min 2 people

Make an enquiry

Dowlnload comprehansive info-kit for this tour, FAQ’s and extras

Detailed Itinerary
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Why travel to Russia with 56th Parallel?

Destination Specialists

Our team offers over 18 years of experience travelling and planning travel in Russia. Delivering outstanding travel experiences in Russia’s capitals and in some of the most stunning & remote locations takes experience, special access and the right connections. We make sure that all the fine details are handled perfectly so you can enjoy your Russia travel experience.

Group & Private Tours

The choice to join a small group on a guaranteed departure or chose to travel on your own dates with your own mates. Each destination we travel to in Russia offers an option between private tours and small group tours. Please note: on our adventure tours in remote destinations, we mostly run group tours to keep the cost down.

Bonded & Licensed

56th Parallel is a fully licensed, insured and accredited travel provider.

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+61 412 587 785[email protected]

Lake Baikal Ice Adventure

Days 7

From USD $2,545

Trip Style Winter Adventure

Time of year Feb - March

Day 1: Irkutsk

Welcome to Siberia!

You'll be met at Irkutsk airport for a transfer to your centrally located hotel. Sometime after lunchtime, we will embark on a city tour of Irkutsk and its main sights. Enjoy a welcoming dinner at the cosy restaurant.

Day 2: Listvyanka village

Today is dedicated to Listvyanka village, where we explore its main sights. On the way to Listvyanka, we will visit the Taltsy open-air of wooden architecture, where we enjoy walking down the Siberian streets of 19 Century.

On arrival to Listvyanka, after a short rest at the hotel, we’ll visit the observation point (720m) – Chersky Rock, a lift-chair will take you up from there. From the observation point, you will enjoy incredible views of the source of the Angara River and Lake Baikal. 

Next, we board snowmobiles for a drive along the frozen lake (if weather permits) or though Siberian Taiga forest. Today we also get the opportunity to try dog sledding with friendly Siberian huskies.

Day 3: Transfer to Olkhon Island

For the next 4 days, you are going to travel by minivan on the frozen surface of the great Lake Baikal (*depending on the ice condition).

Your first destination is the legendary island of Olkhon. At 72 km long, Olkhon stands out among the three dozen islands of Baikal for its sheer size and the monumental grandeur of its landscapes. During the 5h drive to the island, we stop for lunch at the road cafe, where we taste traditional Buryat cuisine with a banquet of buuz-dumplings and Buryat tea. Next, we drive along the magnificent Tazheran Steppe, which once was home to the first indigenous Baikal peoples, whose petroglyphs are found at the tribal encampment sites.

Closer to the evening, we arrive at a cozy hotel in Khuzir village. After settling at the hotel, we enjoy a short stroll to the famous Shamanka Rock.

Day 4: Explore Olkhon Island

Today, we explore Olkhon. Jump into our minivan and be ready to see the frozen beauty of the biggest island. In the spring, thanks to the thick layers of ice, you can freely walk right into the grottoes and admire the beauty of the ice shapes. During our stops on the ice, you will enjoy ice grottoes and caves with amazing ice formations and Lake Baikal views. These places are very famous for the glass-clear ice, so be prepared to make a lot of photos!

Day 5: Ogoy Island

Get ready to be excited as today's transport is legendary hovercraft, similar to those James Bond was using in one of his adventures! 

Today,  we visit sacred Ogoy Island, which has never been inhabited by people and it is considered to be “a pure land”, that is free of negative energy. More than ten years ago the Stupa of Enlightenment was established here. It is considered that Buddhist stupas are meant to dissolve negative interferences in the world, favour locality and benefit to people especially to those who visit them consciously. At the southern part of the Island, we stop for a photo of the iconic Dragon Rock, which you may saw previously on the internet.

In the evening we’ll return to the hotel for a yummy dinner. Today we suggest trying a real Siberian Sauna  - "banya" to warm up after a long winter day.

Day 6: Transfer back to Irkutsk

Today we say goodbye to Olkhon island and head back to Irkutsk. On the way, we stop at the Ust-Orda ethnic park, where we will enjoy traditional Buryat cuisine and immerse ourselves in their culture and traditions.

Upon arrival to Irkutsk, relax at your hotel, take a stroll ath citie's cosy streets, before heading to the restaurant to enjoy our last dinner together.

Day 7: Departure

Time to say goodbye to the oldest and deepest lake on earth. After breakfast, transfer to the Irkutsk airport for your flight back home or to your next destination.

Included

Group airport transfers

All transportation on tour according to the itinerary (minivan, hovercraft)

Hotel accommodation in Irkutsk, Listvyanka village and Olkhon Island

Breakfasts in the hotels, some lunches during day excursions, some dinners

All experiences and activities indicated in the itinerary with local professional English-speaking guide

Russian visa support document (voucher/invitation letter)

Not included

Flights

Travel insurance

Russian visa and visa fees

Optional excursions

Individual transfers, not indicated in the itinerary

Alcohol

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Lake Baikal Ice Adventure

If you have any urgent questions or enquiries, please give us a call +61 412 587 785

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