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ICE LAKE BAIKAL EXCURSION - ONE DAY
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 From
the 10 of February till 31st of March only
All transfers by private car, English/German/Japanese/Italian/Spanish speaking
guide, visit to the Museum
of Lake Baikal (Limnological Museum) or the Museum of Wooden Architecture (entrance
tickets are not
included), the viewpoint over the source of the Angara River, walk to St. Nicholas
church.
Departure from hotel/homestay: 9:30 am. Back to Irkutsk at 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Duration of the tour is 8-9 hr.
Description:
The good way from Irkutsk to Lake Baikal goes through a picturesque taiga-forest
up and down the high hills. After 1-hour drive you come to a viewpoint facing
the Shaman Rock, at the source of the Angara River.
The small but tourist-wise village of Listvyanka is located on the shore of
Lake Baikal, 70 km from Irkutsk. This old-style Siberian village is famous for
its trade history. From the 18th century its ferry took merchants across the
lake to Mongolia and China and the Far East. In the old wooden church of St.Nicholas,
you can burn a candle to your safe and successful journey.
We invite you to an unforgettable, amazing and safe journey on the ice road
from Listvyanka village to Bolshie Koty (a small settlement in 20 km to the
north) to feel the beauty of transparent ice of the world known Lake Baikal.
The ice is so clear that you can recognize the bottom stones through it. Usually
Lake Baikal is frozen over from mid January to early May. In this period it's
the biggest skating rink with the ice thickness of a meter or more. The lake
serves as a temporary road, forming a navigable land route between the settlements
at its northern and southern ends. The safest period for such a trip, especially
in the southern part of Lake Baikal, is from the beginning of February to the
end of March. The route goes along the shore of Lake Baikal. You can get off
the car and walk around the ice to see how thick and strong it is (75-cm thickness
of the ice is enough to hold the 15-ton truck on it). The duration of this journey
is about 1 hour.
The Museum of Lake Baikal (Limnological Museum) provides information about the
origin and wild life of the lake. A video film gives you the opportunity to
see the deepest point of the lake's bottom (1.637 m) from the submarine board.
From the museum, a path climbs to an observation point with excellent views
of the lake and mountains, Port Baikal and the Angara River.
In Listvyanka village, a variety of hot- or cold-smoked and salted omul and
grayling fish is on sale. Several private cafes and restaurants offer traditional
Siberian or European cuisine.
At your request, a car takes you to the Museum of Wooden Architecture, half
way from Listvyanka to Irkutsk. At least 2-hour excursion gives you the impression
of the style of life in the 16th to 19th century Russian villages and Buryat
and Evenk tents. You can observe the interior of a Russian fort, a Siberian
izba (house), a Shaman yurt and etc.
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