Baikal Adventures - Discover Baikal in winter

Best season: February - the middle of May.

Time of tour may be changed depending on the weather and ice layer conditions on Lake Baikal.

"Discover Baikal in Winter"

Fascinating travel to the mysterious world of the deepest lake on the earth Lake Baikal is waiting for you. You will see fantastic heaps of the blue ice and hot mineral springs, unique nature sanctuaries and beautiful landscapes of the Sacred Nose peninsula. You will visit the picturesque places of Zabaikalsky National Park, Barguzin National Reserve and wonderful Barguzin valley. You will stay for a while in houses of local Siberians and get acquainted with their traditional way of life. You will try both Siberian and Buryat traditional dishes and more over you will discover the real Russian banya.

Tour programme:

1st Day. Arrival in Ulan Ude. Transfer to Hotel for accommodation. According to arrival time, refreshment followed by city guided tour with visits to Buryat History museums. Afternoon excursion to the Ivolginsky Datsan, the most important Buddhist temple in Russia. (40 km from Ulan-Ude). Dinner (traditional Buryat dishes). Return to the Hotel.

2nd Day. After breakfast, departure for the village of Ust Barguzin (260 km). Lunch en route. Accommodation in homes of local families. Dinner (traditional Siberian dishes). Russian banya.

3rd Day. After breakfast, drive to the Barguzin Bay (Zabaikalsky National Park). Excursion on the Bay with watching great landscapes of winter Baikal. Baikal’s endless crystal-clear ice with piled up floes will make you to feel like a trailblazer on the huge ice shield of Lake Baikal. Dinner and overnight in winter hut.

4th Day. After breakfast drive to Ushkany Islands. Excursion on the Islands. Accommodation at the house situated on island. Dinner.

5th Day.After breakfast drive to settlement Davsha (Barguzin National Reserve) north part of the Lake Baikal. Accommodation at the reserve inspector’s house. Great opportunity to observe landscapes of the Barguzin mountain ridge and beautiful north-east shore of Baikal. Ice fishing opportunity. Dinner.

6th Day. After breakfast visit to museum of Barguzin Reserve. Excursion on the territory of reserve with climb the observation tower. You will see the huge spaces of the first reserve of Russia, traces of wild animals, and will hear the story about the unique nature of National Reserve. Return to Davsha settlement for dinner, Russian banya and overnight.

7th Day. After breakfast drive to Chivyrkuisky Bay (Zabaikalsky National Park). Visit hot mineral spring in Zmeinaya Bay (Snake Bay) with opportunities to try the mineral baths. Excursion on the territory of the Bay, watching fantastic winter landscapes of Baikal. You will take part in traditional ice fishing. Accommodation and dinner in the winter hunting house.

8th Day. After breakfast an excursion to the Barguzin Valley to see the unique natural Suvo "Saxon" castle and secret place a rock Bukhe-Shulun (130 km). Return to the friendly host families in Ust Barguzin for dinner and overnight.

9th Day. After breakfast, departure for Ulan Ude (260 km). Lunch en route. Accommodation at the Hotel. Free time to explore the city. Dinner at the hotel.

10th Day. After breakfast visit the Ethnographic Museum and see collections of traditional dwellings, clothes and furnishings of all ethnic groups of the region. Visit to the Old Believers' village (a Russian religious group that split off from the Russian Orthodox Church in the seventeenth century) and introduction to the original folklore and cuisine of the Old Believers. Final dinner in Old Believers` family. Return to Ulan Ude for overnight at the hotel.

11th Day. Transfer to airport for departure after breakfast.


	Eco-activities and adventures in Siberia, Lake Baikal region and Mongolia