Baikal Tours

Baikal: cities and districts of Baikal, recreation, tours, reserves, parks, museums, churches, attractions.

Lake Baikal is located on the border of the Irkutsk Region and the Republic of Buryatia - in the center of the Asian continent. “Blue Eye of Siberia”, “Sacred Sea”, “Brilliant of the Planet” - this is the name of Baikal. The deep-water lake stores the world's largest freshwater supply, unique in composition. It is not only pure and transparent, but also contains so little mineral salts that it is equal to distilled.

In the shape of the emerging crescent, Baikal stretched from southwest to northeast. The length of the lake is 636 km, the maximum width in the central part is 81 km, the minimum width opposite the Selenga delta is 27 km. Baikal is located at an altitude of 455 m above sea level, the coastline is about 2 thousand km. More than half the length of the lake’s shoreline is protected.

About 300 rivers and streams flow into Baikal, with the Selenga river bringing half the volume of water entering the lake. The only river that flows out of Baikal is the Angara. There are about 20 islands on the lake, the largest of which is Olkhon.

On all sides, Baikal is surrounded by mountain ranges and hills - the west coast is more rocky and steep than the east. Picturesque surroundings with an exceptional variety of flora and fauna attract tourists from all over the world. This region received the status of a reserve of planetary value. By the number of rare plants growing only here, it surpasses Madagascar and Galapagos Islands. The most favorable time for rest on Baikal is from May to October. In the summer, in addition to excursions, hiking and fishing, there is a beach holiday available to tourists, and in winter, skiing.

How to get to Baikal

You can get to Baikal from Moscow by plane or train. There are direct flights from Irkutsk (Irkutsk airport) and Ulan-Ude (Baikal airport). The flight to these cities will take about 6 hours. The train takes about 4 days by train.

Transfers to Baikal and back

You can pre-order a safe transfer to Lake Baikal in a modern car with a professional driver. The service includes a meeting at the airport or hotel with a name plate, so you do not need to know the local language. The price is fixed at the time of booking on the website, it includes an hour of waiting at the airport and 15 minutes at the hotel.

Main resorts of Baikal

Listvyanka. This village at the source of the Angara is a gate to Lake Baikal. Here begins the first acquaintance with the great lake. The only Baikal museum in Russia is located in Listvyanka, where they acquaint themselves with the history of the study of this lake, its flora and fauna. Among the attractions of the village are the Baikal Astrophysical Laboratory, the wooden St. Nicholas Orthodox Church of the 19th century, a monument to the writer Alexander Vampilov. 20 km from the village in the direction of Irkutsk there is an architectural and ethnographic museum "Taltsy". The legendary Shaman Stone is located at the source of the Angara River, 800 m below the ferry crossing between Listvyanka and Port Baikal. From the observation deck on the Chersky stone, the entire adjacent Baikal water area is clearly visible. You can climb it by cable car at the Eastland Ski Center or by a road of 2,200 meters from the Baikal Museum.

Slyudyanka is a small town on the western tip of Baikal. It is famous for the railway station, entirely built of marble, as well as the private Mineralogical Museum of V. A. Zhigalov “Baikal Gems”, in which all known rocks are represented. The Circum-Baikal Railway starts from the railway station “Slyudyanka 2”. Popular tourist routes to the Shamansky Cape, to Hamar-Daban and to the Tunkinskaya Valley take their beginning in Slyudyanka.

Circum-Baikal railway. The Circum-Baikal Railway is a monument of engineering construction of the beginning of the last century. Now they call it a branch from the station "Slyudyanka 2" to the station "Baikal" 89 km long. Tourist trains run along the route of the Circum-Baikal Express, which runs right along the shore of the lake. During the journey they pass 8 tunnels, 18 galleries, 248 bridges and viaducts, 268 retaining walls. In terms of saturation with engineering structures, this road ranks first not only in Russia, but also in the world. The Circum-Baikal Railway is a bird market, Kirkirei Cape, the Italian retaining wall, an underwater neutrino telescope, the longest tunnel 778 meters long.

Olkhon. This is the heart of Lake Baikal - the largest and most famous island of the lake. Cape Burkhan on it is considered the main attraction and place of shamanic power. On the slopes of the Olkhon mountains, the witches' circles were found - wide ring formations of unknown origin. Giant steppe eagles nest in Olkhon, which Buryats worship as sacred birds.

Big Cats. The area around this small village belongs to the Pribaikalsky National Park. You can get there by water or on foot along the path from Listvyanka. Here is the Museum of Baikal and Aquarium Institute of Biology. Nearby is located the Sennaya Pad with old gold-bearing mines, in which the vertical mines of the merchant Patushinsky remained. Near Mount Skriper - an ancient site was found on its top.

Sandy Cove "Baikal Riviera" - so called this bay for the similarity of its climate with the Mediterranean. This is the only place in Siberia with a positive average annual temperature. The most favorable season for visiting is in July-August. From the winds, the bay is closed by the rocks of the Big and Small Belfry, in spite of this, the water temperature always remains rather low. The sights of these places are stilted trees.

Baikal Transport

Vessels of the East Siberian Shipping Company (HSWP) sail around Baikal and Angara. Water transport is in great demand - there are many places on Baikal, which can be reached only by water. The HSWP operates regular passenger flights to Chivyrkuy Bay, Peschanaya Bay, Olkhon Island, Listvyanka and Big Koty. There is a ferry in Listvyanka. The ferry delivers passengers and transport to Olkhon for free, the ferry operates from May 12 until freezing.

With the eastern coast of Lake Irkutsk is connected by flight to Ust-Barguzin, with the northern - to Nizhneangarsk. The shipping company offers walking routes along the Larch Bay, along the Circum-Baikal Railway, to Peschanaya Bay, as well as a historical tour around the Angara (ticket price - 500 RUB for adults and 250 RUB for children) and multi-day Baikal cruises from 35,800 RUB. In Irkutsk there is an intracity water transport line and there are 2 marinas, from where the navigation begins - the “Rocket” pier and the river station.

Baikal beaches

Barguzinsky Bay. One of the best places to rest in Buryatia. The largest Bay of Baikal jets out to the mainland for almost 30 km. On its shores there are pebbly and sandy beaches. Sights - the Holy Nose Peninsula, the Svetlaya Polyana ecological-ethnographic park-museum and the sacred Lake Dukhovoe near the village of Maksimikha.

Chivyrkuy Bay. The protected area with a large number of closed bays with a depth of no more than 5 m, so that the water can warm up well. Sandy beaches and ideal conditions for trophy fishing in both summer and winter. In August the finish of the regatta of cruising yachts takes place in the bay.

Island Yarki. The largest Baikal beach with a length of 20 km and a width of up to 100 m is located on the north coast. Here is the warmest water and excellent fishing for perch and pike. In the summer you can only get here by water.

Embassy litter. A popular summer holiday destination at the eastern end of the lake. In the bay there are two resort areas - Kultushnaya and Baikal surf. Windsurfing competitions are held in Posolsky Sora. A special embassy omul is caught here.

Enkhaluk. The terrain on the eastern shore with wide sandy beaches with a length of 10 km. Attractions include the Zagza hot springs used to treat skin diseases of the joints, as well as Proval Bay, which was formed as a result of the devastating earthquake of 1862

Little Sea. The coast of the Small Sea stretches for 100 km from the village of Sakhyurta, where the crossing to Olkhon is located, and to the borders of the Baikal-Lensky Nature Reserve. This is a shallow channel, separated from the big Baikal by the island of Olkhon. Its shores are strewn with many sandy bays.

Treatment on Baikal

Arshan. This is the most famous hydrotherapy resort of Eastern Siberia. It is located in a picturesque location on the banks of the mountain river Kıngarga, 210 km from Irkutsk. The mineral water from these sources is close in composition to the Kislovodsk Narzan. It helps with gastrointestinal diseases of the digestive system, as well as for the prevention of cardiovascular and neurotic disorders.

Resort Goryachinsk. The year-round hydropathic health resort on the eastern shore of the lake is the same age as the resorts in the Caucasus Mineral Waters. Included in the modern recreation zone "Baikal Harbor". Goryachinsky mineral springs and therapeutic mud are used to treat the spine, nervous system, skin and respiratory organs. In the sanatoriums use a special program of therapeutic fasting, which gives the effect in 95% of cases in the treatment of allergic, autoimmune and metabolic diseases.

Khakusy. Thermal spring on the northeast coast of the lake. Located in a dense pine forest 10 minutes walk from Lake Baikal. The nearest settlement is 40 km away. The healing water is intended for drinking and bathing, cures skin and gynecological diseases. In the vicinity are the singing sands of Turaly, Aya Bay and the mountain lake Frolikha.

Cape Kotelnikovsky. Resort in the north-west of Baikal, known for its very hot springs (+81 ° C). The water in them contains a lot of fluoride and is considered extremely useful for the treatment of many diseases. Pools with mineral water are located right on the shore of the lake. This is a good place for hiking - there are routes to Chersky Mountain and the Kurkul River, where there is a rare dwarf grayling. You can only get here by water.

Dzelinda. The area is located north of the lake, 90 km from Severobaykalsk. 10 radon thermal springs (+44 ° C) - hydropathic, wooden pools, rooms for rest. Treatment with the waters of Dzelinda has a beneficial effect on the musculoskeletal and nervous system, as well as on the circulatory system.

Goudzhekit. Recovery resort in the north-west of Lake Baikal. The local mineral water contains sodium, silicon and radon. Drinking it is useful for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and taking baths for skin and gynecological diseases.

Shumak. “Small Tibet” is the name of this alpine valley of the river of the same name in the center of the Eastern Sayans. Mysterious place, covered with many legends. To get here, it is necessary to overcome mountain rivers and the 2700 m pass. Dozens of mineral springs of different temperatures and degrees of mineralization are beating out of the ground here.

Zhemchug village is famous for the hot spring on the bank of the Irkut River and is located 188 km from Irkutsk. Its thermal waters are useful in diseases of the joints and the nervous system. They contain strontium, lithium, molybdenum and titanium. Here is a hydropathic with 2 pools, where you can swim even in winter.

Ski resorts

Baykalsk. Ski resort on Lake Baikal. The ski area is located on Sobolinaya Mountain (1004 m) - 8 lifts and 12 certified trails with a height difference of 500 m and a total length of more than 15 km. Skiing season lasts from November to May. This area is popular with tourists not only during the ski season, in summer aromatic and sweet Baikal strawberries are grown here.

Eastland. The ski resort near the village Listvyanka at an altitude of 725 m. It has 3 tracks of varying difficulty and is equipped with a chair lift. In the ski area, a snowmaking system is used, there is lighting, a small snow park and a tubing track.

Mamai The resort is located near the Vydrino station in the southern tip of the lake. This place is considered the best for freeride in the south of Baikal. The skiing season is from the end of October to the beginning of March.

Mountain Bull. The ski area is located on the eastern shore of Baikal along the route to Ust-Barguzin. Untouched places with wildlife attract lovers of freeride and mountain tourism. You can get here only on foot, by snowmobile or helicopter.

Davan Ski area in the north-west of Baikal - it includes a ski slope on Mount Medvezhya in the village of Goudzhekit and the Davan Pass with 4 slopes, which are used for off-piste skiing and snowboarding. A characteristic feature of these places is a large amount (about 5 m) of puffy snow.

Baikal diving

Underwater diving with equipment on the Baikal "sea" is practiced both in summer and in winter. The most favorable time for this is June, when the most transparent water and a lot of light - visibility under water reaches 40 m, and underwater currents are weak. The Baikal waters hide not only the rich animal and plant underwater world, but also the relief variety - grottoes, vertical walls, canyons.

Baikal has good opportunities for technical diving, which implies viewing of man-made “sights” - sunken ships, barges, wagons and other picturesque ruins. Listvyanka is the most popular place on the lake for diving. Near the village there are several dive sites and you can dive directly from the shore. There are interesting zones for ordinary and technical diving along the Circum-Baikal Railway. Olkhon has deep-sea diving sites with natural attractions. The Strait of the Small Sea is actively used for winter diving. In the area of ​​the Ushkany Islands there is the only lava entrance on the lake and the seal rookery, which can be observed in the natural environment.

Baikal Hotels

Hotel Baikalika in the center of Listvyanka village offers accommodation in standard double rooms for 2500 RUB per day. At Olkhon, you can rent a double room at the recreation center “Solnechnaya” with daily payment from 2200 RUB. On Arshan the hotel complex “Tuyana” provides its guests with accommodation in double rooms - the price is from 2000 RUB per day. At 100 meters from the ski lift in Baikalsk, in the park-hotel "White Sable", you can rent a double room (from 2800 RUB). On the coast of the Small Sea there is a large selection of accommodation options at recreation centers from 500 RUB per person per day. Read more about the hotels of Baikal described here.

What to bring

They bring branded delicacies from Baikal - omul, grayling and white-smoked whitefish, pine nuts, fees and teas on Baikal herbs - sagan-dayilya, ginseng, golden root. Ethnic souvenirs are popular - the Buryat national clothes, smoking pipes, knives, tambourines, figures of shamans, charms, as well as handicrafts made from birch bark, ornaments made of bone and stones. Children will surely like souvenirs with the image of the most charming symbol of Baikal - the seal.

What to try

Baikal places are famous for Buryat and Siberian cuisine, based on fish and meat dishes. The impression of a trip to Lake Baikal will be incomplete if you do not try the local gastronomic attraction - hot smoked omul. Another specific Baikal fish is golomyanka, it is tasty in dried form. In addition, sig and grayling are required for tasting in different cooking options, especially as fishermen cook on campfires - on the side of the fire. Split and zaguday - branded fish dishes. Splitter - these are pieces of fresh-frozen fish with salt and pepper, and zaguday - freshly salted fish, flavored with spices and butter. From the Buryat dishes, it is recommended to taste poses resembling large dumplings, mutton soup - buhler, and green tea with milk in Buryat style. The Siberian region is rich in wild berries - to the berry, blueberry, lingonberry, blueberry and sea buckthorn. They can be bought from locals along the highways or at grocery markets. The season of famous Siberian mushrooms begins in August.

Entertainment and attractions of Baikal

The flora and fauna of the Baikal region are extremely diverse and comprise up to 2.6 thousand species and varieties, three-quarters of which are not found anywhere else in the world. 58 fish species inhabit the lake. The most famous are omul, whitefish, grayling, taimen, sturgeon, golomyanka, lenok. On the banks nest 200 species of birds. In Baikal, there is a unique, typically marine mammal, the Baikal seal. In the summer in the central and northern parts of the lake they can be seen quite often. There are three national reserves and two natural national parks in the Baikal region, designed to protect its unique flora and fauna.

Baikal is the territory around Lake Baikal, stretching along its eastern coast, crossed by the valleys of the Selenga, Turka, Itanza, Kika, Haim, Kotochik rivers, as well as a number of smaller rivers. Along the coast there are mountain spurs of the Golondinsky, Ulan-Burgas and Morskoy ranges. Baikal region has long been inhabited by man. Many monuments of antiquity have survived here, including sites of the Paleolithic, Neolithic epochs, burial grounds of different times, and rock paintings.

There are about 30 springs on the lake, the most famous of them are in the Tunkinskaya Valley (Arshan, Zhemchug) and in the north of Baikal (Khakusy, Dzelinda, Sunny). “Singing Sands” of the West Bank, a monastery of the 17th century in the village of Posolskoye, Bystrinsky Waterfalls, Uluntuyskaya Cave, Circum-Baikal Railway.

Cape Burkhan stands out among Baikal attractions. This is one of the 9 shrines of Asia and the visiting card of Olkhon. Burkhan is the main deity of Baikal for Buryat Buddhists, and Burkhan Cape with a through cave in the Shaman-rock is considered to be its abode.

Ascent to Chersky peak (2090 m) is a popular route that does not require special equipment. The length of the trail, which starts from Slyudyanka, is 25 km. At the foot of this mountain is located the picturesque alpine lake Heart.

Slyudyansky lakes are located 25 km from Severobaykalsk. A large lake reaches 2 km in diameter and is surrounded by sandy beaches, the water in it is well warmed. The route along the serpentine trail will lead to mica adits, offering a breathtaking view of Lake Baikal and Cape Thon.

Malocheremshanskaya cave. The largest cave grotto on the eastern coast of the northern part of Baikal is located 50 m south of the mouth of Malaya Cheremshany. Its depth is 15 m, height is 10-15 m, width at the entrance is 2 m. The cave is most spectacular in winter, when after strong storms when the lake freezes, on the arches of the lake there are spilled ice and garlands of ice icicles reaching in some years up to 6- 8 m.

Baydinsky caves - a popular tour from the island of Olkhon. In the caves there are several grottoes and halls that can be visited without special equipment. Dream Cave with huge stalactites and glass is the most famous and beautiful Baikal cave. It is located 7 km from the village of Sakhyurta in the Tazheran steppes. It has the Throne and Music Halls, where ice formations can make melodious sounds. Shishkinsky pisanitsi - drawings on the Lena rocks near Baikal, dating from the Paleolithic era.

Yehe Erdo is a mountain of perfect regular shape on the right bank of the Anga River, 10 km from the village of Yelantsy. This is the place where the Yerdyn Games were held in antiquity - a cult holiday of Siberian nationalities. Women are not allowed to climb the mountain; local men also try to avoid it and only shamans can freely climb to perform their rituals. Suvinsky Saxon Castle - a group of rocks, resembling with their outlines the ruins of an ancient castle. Here, the ancient Evenki conducted their shaman rites.

Ivolginsky Datsan - the residence of the head of Buddhists in Russia and one of the main Buddhist centers in Siberia and the Far East. The temple complex is located in the foothills of Khamar-Daban, 29 km from Ulan-Ude. The monks of this Buddhist monastery are engaged in treatment with the help of Tibetan medicine and make astrological predictions. The mountain Barkhan-Uul is one of the 5 main Buryat shrines of Baikal, the place where the owner of the Barguzin valley lives according to Buryat mythology. Every year, pilgrim climbing is performed on her by those who received the permission of the lama in the Kurumkansky datsan. Barkhan-Uula won the first place in the republican contest "7 Wonders of the Nature of Buryatia".

Baikal Fishing

In Baikal there are about 50 species of fish, of which only 14 are commercial. These are whitefish, white grayling, black grayling, lenok, taimen, sturgeon, burbot, perch, pike, sorghum (roach), dace , ide, davatchan and crucian.

Hunting on Baikal

Hunting is a traditional occupation of the inhabitants of Eastern Siberia. There are many wintering and beast-rich places in the taiga. The main commercial species of animals and birds: snow ram, squirrel, wolf, ermine, blue hare, red deer, wild boar, musk deer, mountain goat, Siberian roe deer, fox, elk, brown bear, seal, northern deer, wolverine, sable, wood grouse, grouse, duck red.

Baikal Cruises and Alloys

Most Baikal boat trips start from Listvyanka and are possible from May to December.

The most dense river network is in the mountain systems of Eastern Sayan, Khamar-Daban. Even in the upper reaches, mountain rivers reach a width of 10–15 m and a depth of 0.5–1 m, which makes them suitable for rafting and kayaking.

Weather

The climate in Eastern Siberia is sharply continental, but the huge mass of water contained in Baikal and its mountain environment create an extraordinary microclimate. Baikal works as a large thermal stabilizer - it is warmer in winter and a little cooler in summer than, for example, in Irkutsk, which is 60 km from the lake. The temperature difference is usually around 10 degrees. A significant contribution to this effect is provided by forests growing on almost the entire coast.

Favorable time for traveling in the wild is from June to August. At this time of the year, Baikal has the warmest days and nights and, as a rule, it is clear sunny weather.

Late autumn and early spring are not the right time for recreation and tourism in the Baikal region due to rainy weather, strong winds and mudslides on the roads.

Due to the fact that the evaporation of cold water from the surface of the lake is very insignificant, clouds above Lake Baikal cannot form. As a result, most of the time over Baikal is clear. But one should not think that the sun always shines over the lake - if you are not lucky, you can run into one or even two weeks of disgusting rainy weather even in the most sunny place of Baikal - on Olkhon, but this is extremely rare.

Seasons on Baikal

The greatest number of journeys through Lake Baikal takes place in summer, but there are lovers of winter holidays who want to see the harsh Siberian winter. At any time of year, Baikal is interesting and accessible for travel in its own way.

Winter

In winter, traveling around Siberia is hampered by the harsh climatic conditions, a short light day and the lack of places for comfortable living far from cities. In December, it starts to get light at 9:00 and quickly darkens after 17:00. In severe frosts, the atmosphere is filled with dense fog, through which the sky is barely visible. Until mid-January, Lake Baikal does not freeze, water floats, hiding the opposite bank in the fog. At the end of winter, there is a powerful movement of ice, and individual hummocks can exceed the height of a person. In March, skiing, boat trips and bicycles on the ice of the lake and ice fishing are especially popular.

Spring

Those wishing to see the pristine beauty of Lake Baikal without a cluster of tourists on its shores, it is better to come in early summer (from May 15 to June 10). At this time, Baikal is just beginning to free itself from ice. Until mid-June, Baikal is still cool, and it is often necessary to travel on a boat on the lake in warm clothes. Ice on the lake is melting unevenly. In the southern part of Baikal - in the first days of May, in the northern part - at the end of the month. Congestions of ice floes, on which the seal can be observed, continue to float in the north of the lake until June 5-10. At this time you can see bears on the pebbly beaches of the Barguzinsky and Baikal-Lensky reserves.

Summer

The most favorable time for traveling in the wild - from June 15 to August 15. At this time of year on Baikal the warmest days and nights, as a rule, is a good sunny weather. Regular passenger navigation begins after June 15th. In the summer, crowds of tent camps arise in the favorite vacation spots on the coast of the Small Sea and the Chivyrkuisky Bay, especially where it can be reached by car. On the coast, where there are no highways, tourists are less common. And in the northern part of Lake Baikal, on the territory of nature reserves, even at the peak of the tourist season, meeting with a person is generally rare.

Autumn

The end of September, Indian summer, attracts with colorful autumn colors of the forest. Especially beautiful are the mixed forests of the coast near Peschanaya Bay and in the Chivyrkuy Bay.