Useful information.

We hope that the pages below will answer most of the questions that may arise while you are planning your trip. However, please don’t hesitate to contact us in order to obtain more detailed information.

1. Climate. The climate of Lake Baikal and its shores shows clear maritime features and considerably differs from the climate in areas more distant to the lake. In summer, the large body of water of Lake Baikal warms up to a depth of 200-250 meters, in this way storing a huge amount of heat. Therefore, winters at Lake Baikal are more temperate and summers colder than in other parts of Siberia. To give an example: the difference in air temperature between the city of Irkutsk and the shore of Lake Baikal may amount to 8-10°C in the afternoon.

2. The best time for traveling around Lake Baikal:

Lake Baikal is beautiful and unique all year round. But the favorite season for your visit depends on what you would like to see. Sunbathing on the beach and swimming in the crystal-clear waters of Lake Baikal can best be done between June 15th and August 15th. This is the warmest period at the shores of Baikal, with usually nice and sunny weather.
Autumn is a very attractive season for artists and photographers; nature presents itself in bright yellow and red coloring, and the fast changing weather with strong winds and frequent storms accentuates Baikal’s characteristics.
Probably the most exciting experience is to celebrate New Year’s Eve or Christmas in one of the comfortable resorts on the snow-covered shore of Lake Baikal. The crunching sound of snow under your feet, and taking a bath in the traditional Russian banya, in powder snow or even in ice-holes will contribute to an unforgettable holiday.

Baikal’s transparent ice and glittering hummocks with bluish coloring are especially impressive in March. The extreme transparency of the ice allows you to see the ground in shoreline zones or to look into the profound darkness of Lake Baikal. Backcountry skiing, sailing or cycling on the ice, as well as ice fishing are very popular in March. The sunny weather creates a moderate climate on the ice so that it is enough to put on only a sweater in the afternoon. At the beginning of April, the clear blue ice gets dim and covered with a white rough crust.

If you wish to see the primeval beauty of Lake Baikal without crowds of tourists on its shores, then it is better to arrive in early summer (May 15th to June 10th). At this time the ice just starts melting, there is no fog, and the air is cool and clear. You will find only rare motorboats on the smooth surface of the lake, and few tourists or fishermen on its shores. Traveling in May lets you feel like a pioneer; not a single person within a radius of hundreds of kilometers.
The ice fields on the blue and smooth surface of the lake, in combination with the snow-covered peaks of the adjacent mountain ranges, and the bright pink blossoms of wild rosemary on the shores give an enduring impression of the region’s amazing beauty. On the pebbled beaches of the Barguzinsky and Baikalo-Lensky Nature Reserves, you can observe bears searching the beach for caddis flies, which intensively breed at this time and only live a few weeks at the beginning of summer.

3. Packing list.

4. Visa information.

5. Tick-borne encephalitis is one of the most dangerous infectious diseases in Siberia. Starting its dissemination in Asia 60 years ago, infected ticks are nowadays found in the Baltic States, in the Northern Caucasus, and Western Europe.
The Irkutsk province is home to 7 species of ticks; the most dangerous among them is the taiga tick (Ixodes persulcatus), which transfers the encephalitis virus through its bites to human blood, thus causing an infection of the nervous system with an extremely high fatality rate of up to 40 %. Ticks are found in all forest areas of the Baikal region. The season of the tick activity is from April to September. The peak of activity is observed from the second half of May to the middle of June.
As a safety measure – so you don’t have to be afraid of tick bites, a preventive vaccination in your place of residence against tick-borne encephalitis is recommended (preferably in autumn or winter – November to March).
The tick is found in all forests of the Angarski Krai. The season of activity is from April to September. The greatest activity of the ticks is from second half of May up to the middle of June.
Safety measures - not to be afraid of ticks, it is necessary beforehand (in autumn or in winter, in November - March) to have preventive inoculations against tick-borne encephalitis in the place of your permanent residence. Prevention is better then treatment.

6. How to get there? You can reach the city of Ulan Ude, an ideal starting point to explore the Baikal region, either by train along the famous Transsiberian railway or by plane. The duration of the Moscow – Ulan Ude flight is about 6 hours, whereas traveling by train takes you three and a half or four days. There are several daily train connections and regular flights from Moscow to Ulan Ude, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok, and Irkutsk. Flight schedules and ticket booking can be found on the web site of Siberian Airlines www.s7.ru
Train schedules can be found on the web site www.db.de
A tip for travelers from Europe: the Eurodomino-Ticket is also valid on the Transsiberian railway!

7. Accommodation. Our web site offers you several possibilities to overnight at Lake Baikal, be it hotel, guesthouse or homestay.

8. Transportation at Lake Baikal region.

9. Food.

Baikal Adventures – travel and tours to Baikal in Siberia, tour information Lake Baikal, Buryatia, Mongolia, Siberia
Copyright ©, 2005-2014 Baikal Adventures Travel Center, All Rights Reserved, Travel links